Rumble. Rumble.
Hundreds of people watched as the engines of multiple metal behemoths rose to life, shaking the earth in their wake. It had been a while since they left, but people still couldn't draw their gazes away as the convoy trailed off into the distance.
The fleet of ships each spanned two hundred to three hundred meters in length and were as tall as strongholds. Each ship had the insignia of the House of Night branded on their reinforced but beaten hulls. The hulls, although thick and heavy, bore deep and massive scars that gave off the impression of a battle-scarred veteran. There was no telling how many Nightmare Creatures they had faced.
The ships also bristled with weaponry—giant turrets, mortars, anti-air guns, missiles, torpedoes, and more. It looked as if they were preparing for a war rather than simply just traveling across the sea. And in a way, they were. Within the seas lurked Nightmare Creatures far beyond any that roamed on land. Thus, the metal giants stood as humanity's answer to that threat—floating fortresses built to face the monsters beneath the waves.
They were just as jaw-dropping as they were terrifying.
River would have been awe-struck by the sight if he wasn't currently sobbing into the folds of his grandmother's dress, his small hands clinging tightly to the fabric as if it were the only thing keeping him tethered.
He didn't know why he was crying so hard. He promised his parents that he would be strong for them. That he would take care of his grandma while they were gone and make sure nothing bad would happen to her. He wanted to be brave for them. But now that they were gone, he just couldn't stop crying.
"It's okay, sweetheart. It's okay. Let it all out." His grandmother sweetly whispered as she stroked his head in an attempt to console him. "They'll be back soon."
River buried himself deeper into her embrace, his small frame trembling as he let the sobs pour out freely, no longer trying to hold them back. His grandmother's hand moved gently through his hair, her quiet presence giving him a fleeting sense of safety. But that fragile calm shattered as the sharp blare of sirens erupted across the port, cutting through the air like a blade.
"A Category Three Gate has broken out near Port Havory. Lock your doors and hide if you are away from the immediate area. But, if you are within the immediate area, runnnnnnnnnnnnn— krrrrchhh—kk— ru–n–nnkkk—"
The announcement crackled and glitched, the voice warping into static before cutting out entirely. A second later, the sirens died with it, and the lights across the port flickered out. It was as if the power to the port was cut out completely, only leaving the moonlight to barely illuminate the world around them.
Though the alarm had fallen silent, its echo still rang in River's ears, having torn him from his sobs. He blinked the tears from his eyes, still clutching at his grandmother's dress as he looked around in a daze. He didn't understand what the siren had been warning them about—not fully—until his eyes caught on the horizon. Faint against the night sky, a towering silhouette loomed, rising above the distant buildings.
It stood in eerie stillness for a moment, motionless beneath the moon—until its jaw slowly unhinged, stretching to an unnatural, almost impossible degree.
Then it roared
It sounded like the sky itself was being ripped apart—an inhuman, echoing bellow that rolled in from a distance and crashed over the port like a wave. The sound caused people to freeze in fear, their breath caught in their throats.
"What… what is that…?" someone muttered in confusion.
"No, no no—oh gods, not here!" a woman cried, clutching her child to her chest.
"Where the hell are we supposed to go!?" barked a man, eyes darting around, wild with panic.
An Awakened wearing a port security emblem tried to climb onto a nearby crate, waving his hands. "Everyone! Please, stay calm! We need everyone to evacuate in an orderly line toward—"
"To what!? There's nothing left!" someone screamed from below him.
"The ships!" someone else shouted suddenly, voice breaking from desperation. "The ships! One hasn't left yet!"
A beat of silence. Then chaos. All thoughts of order evaporated. Dozens, then hundreds of people, turned toward the last ship, sprinting for it, shoving and pushing, trampling anything in their way.
"Get out of the way!"
"I have a child! Please—let me through!"
"No, no! I was here first, don't push me!"
"Everyone! EVERYONE PLEASE, WE HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER!" The Awakened tried again, speaking even louder, but his voice was swallowed by the rising hysteria.
"Help! Someone fell!"
"MOM HELP! WHERE ARE YOU?"
River would have been lost in the stampede, just another body under desperate feet—if not for the hand that yanked him back away.
"Stay close to me, I'll protect you," she said, her voice as steady and warm as it had always been. But for the first time in River's life, her voice didn't make him feel safe.
The thought twisted his stomach as tears began to form at the edges of his eyes. But before he could start crying again, he quickly wiped them off. He couldn't cry now. He had to be strong like his parents would have wanted him to.
His Grandma turned towards him, pulling him in by his shoulders as she looked him in the eyes. "We're going to run for that ship. Okay? You need to be brave."
River nodded his head, giving a small murmur in agreement. He was a big boy; he could do it.
His Grandma smiled at him before gripping his hand tightly. "Good."
In the next second, they were already sprinting towards the ship, doing their best not to trip in the dark. Just as they began to maneuver through the crowd, the sound of something strange caught River's ear.
The sound was quiet at first, barely audible over the noise of the crowd. But then, the sound grew in numbers, resounding throughout the port. It sounded almost like a heartbeat, but it was more erratic, speeding up and slowing down at random intervals.
"Everyone! Stay back! Nightmare Creatures!" One of the Awakened barked as a few Awakened and one Master began to form a defensive line around the mob of people. The ship had also begun to support the soldiers as it began to use turrets to shoot down any incoming Nightmare Creatures.
The mention of Nightmare Creatures caused dread to soak into River's tiny body, almost causing him to freeze in place. He just wanted to be home. He just wanted to see his parents again. He didn't want to be here. He just wanted to give up, close his eyes, and pretend like he wasn't there.
He was scared.
But no matter how he felt, his grandma wouldn't let go of him. She held onto him so tight that there was nothing he could do to escape her grip.
But it was clear he wasn't the only one feeling that way as the panic of the crowd around him intensified. People began to push and shout even more without a single care for those around them.
"Shit shit shit, move out of my way!"
"I don't want to die!"
"God damn it! GOD DAMN IT"
Their screams did little to help the situation as the unnatural heartbeat grew so loud that it began to reverberate throughout his body. It drowned out everything else, the world becoming muffled around him. He could barely hear the panicked screams of the people around him anymore.
But no matter how muffled his hearing became, just barely over the rhythm of the heartbeats, he could hear the grotesque sounds of bones crunching and blood-curdling screams.
He flinched, nearly falling, only for his grandmother to pull him by the shoulder and shove him forward. "Don't stop," she hissed. "Keep moving!"
He wanted to throw up. But his grandmother yanked him forward, not slowing once.
The closer they got to the ship, the worse it became. The ship, along with mundane soldiers, had begun firing rounds of ammunition into the horde of Nightmare Creatures. But no matter how much they shot, more creatures kept piling in from the dark, using the corpses of their brethren as platforms to jump off of. Even the Awakened soldiers were being swallowed by the tide, vanishing beneath tooth and claw.
But despite it all, River's grandmother didn't stop. She barreled through with strength he didn't know she had, shoving her way past those who hesitated, weaving through the madness.
By the time they were finally at the ship, the last of the boarding ramp had already begun to creak upward.
"No, no—WAIT!" she shouted, sprinting faster.
A soldier stationed at the top looked down, his eyes wide. "It's closing! We're leaving, we have to go now!"
Without hesitation, she scooped River into her arms and, with one final burst of strength, hurled him up toward the ramp.
He hit the edge hard, scrambled to grab hold—and was pulled the rest of the way by the soldier's outstretched hand.
"GRANDMA!" River screamed, his voice cracking as he turned just in time to see her—still at the edge of the dock, smiling through her tears. And for a single, aching moment, their eyes met. Then, the Nightmare Creatures reached her.
And she was gone.
River stood frozen as the ramp door closed. The ship lurched beneath him, the engines roaring back to life, the hull trembling as they pulled away from the dock.
River didn't speak. Didn't cry. He just stared at the metal wall, eyes wide and empty.
***
The ship had long since left the chaos behind.
Now, all that remained was the ocean and silence.
River sat on the floor, legs drawn up to his chest, chin resting on his knees as he stared silently at the floor. The days had passed in a blur of cold meals, fitful sleep, and the sound of distant weeping. Nothing felt real to him anymore.
But reality was catching up. The speakers had crackled to life not long ago, announcing they were nearing the Northern Quadrant Siege Capital. The NQSC.
The thought of arriving at the NQSC was the only thing keeping him sane. He wasn't sure if his parents had made it to the NQSC yet. But they had to have, they left before him after all. They were probably waiting for him at the docks of the NQSC, preparing to pull him into their warm embrace, promising to never leave him again.
'They wouldn't forget about me… right?' River shook the thought immediately from his head. His parents loved him and wouldn't leave him behind, no matter what. He just had to wait til the ship arrived at the NQSC, and he'd be okay.
He'd be okay.
Thankfully, River didn't have to wait long as the ship quickly pulled into the port and began letting the passengers out. He was one of the last people to exit, but that didn't matter to him. His parents would wait as long as they needed for him to be outside.
River stepped off the ship, the soles of his shoes touching solid ground for the first time in days. The port of the Northern Quadrant Siege Capital stretched out before him, vast and unfamiliar, bathed in the cold glow of artificial lights. Armed guards stood in neat lines, directing the flow of disembarking passengers while scanning drones hummed overhead. He barely noticed any of it.
His eyes darted through the crowd.
Left. Right. Past rows of tired refugees, weeping children, and barking officers. Past crying reunions and silent, empty stares. He searched for them. The familiar shapes. The warm smiles. The voices that would call his name and hold him close.
But they weren't there.
He walked forward, slow and hesitant, clutching the ends of his shirt. People bumped into him, pushed past him, muttered apologies or nothing at all. But that didn't matter to him; he needed to keep looking.
Maybe they were late. Maybe they were waiting by the city. Maybe—
A hand stopped him.
"You lost, kid?" A soldier asked, crouching slightly to River's level. Her voice was firm but not unkind.
"No," River said quickly. "My parents are here. They were supposed to wait for me."
She hesitated. "Do you know their names?"
He told her.
The soldier typed something into a tablet, brows furrowing. She stood up and murmured into her communicator. A short exchange followed—words River couldn't hear. When she looked back down at him, her expression had changed again. Softer, maybe. But that only made the cold pit in his stomach grow worse.
He already knew her answer.
"No," River whispered. "They're here. They have to be."
The soldier knelt down again, but he barely heard what she said. Her words were a blur under the rising sound in his ears—the sound of the heartbeat again. Panic.
They had to be here.
They had to be here.
They had to be here.
River didn't realize he was running until the soldier attempted to grab his hand, but if there was one thing that he was good at. It was escaping,
He ducked beneath her arm, twisting free with the panicked instinct of a cornered animal. Then he ran.
Through the crowd. Past startled refugees. Past crates and metal gates and shouting guards.
"Kid! Wait—stop!"
He didn't listen. He couldn't. His legs moved faster than his thoughts, his breath catching in his throat as his heart pounded like a war drum in his chest.
They were here. They had to be here.
But no matter where he looked, he couldn't find them. He wandered the edge of the dock until his legs felt numb, peering at every face, chasing shadows that looked like them from behind—only for the truth to hit harder each time he was wrong.
He told himself they were just running late. Maybe they got caught at a checkpoint or held back by something important. Maybe they were already inside the city, waiting by some landmark he hadn't reached yet.
He even stood on his toes once, craning his neck around the moving crowd, hoping for a glimpse of his father's scarred face or his mother's hand waving through the sea of people.
But no one came.
And eventually, that small, awful voice in the back of his mind began to creep in.
Maybe they really had left him.
And with that thought, River stopped.
It was as if nothing in the world no longer mattered anymore to him. He just stood there, silently staring at the endless ocean, wondering if this was all a dream.
But no matter how much he wished it was, he was immediately brought back to reality as the guard from before finally caught up to him, grabbing his wrist with enough force to cause pain.
"I finally got you, kid. C'mon, follow me." She muttered with a bit of annoyance as she began to pull him in the direction of a nearby PTV. This PTV, in particular, was quite different from the one that his parents used to drive around. It was much more robust with several layers of armor, looking as though it could go toe-to-toe with a tyrant, not that it could, of course, but River didn't know that. It was nothing like his parents' sleek, silver PTV that his father had gotten for River's mother's birthday, which was clearly designed for its aesthetics.
River wasn't sure why exactly they were transporting him in such a well-fortified vehicle, but he could honestly care less. He just wanted to be anywhere but at a port. He was starting to hate ports. But most of all, he just didn't care what happened to him at this point.
After being strapped into one of the reinforced seats, River sat motionless, barely noticing as the guard shut the door and spoke into her communicator again. Her words blurred into background noise, just another hum in the hollow buzz that filled his mind.
She climbed into the front, started the ignition, and the PTV roared to life. "You okay back there?" She asked, her voice gentle as she stared at him through the rearview mirror. He didn't respond, just nodding ever so slightly. He was in no mood to talk.
She attempted to speak to him a few more times but eventually gave up and turned on the radio. River didn't pay too much attention to it at first, still inside his own world, but something about the music spoke to him. As the song played, his chest tightened, and all the emotions he had been holding back since the night at the port came bursting out. Tears streamed down his face as he quietly sobbed to himself, no longer holding himself back as the music spoke to him in ways words never could.
The guard glanced at him in the mirror and without speaking a single word, she reached for the dial and turned the volume up. Just a little. Just enough to grant him a moment of privacy.