Before entering Gotan City, Arvani put on the jacket Daniel had given her. It was lightweight, breathable, and colored in shades of red and black.
She pulled the hood over her head to avoid being recognized.
Ardi's jeep came to a halt near the gate. The man didn't get out of the car nor did he remove his sunglasses, not out of rudeness, but more like habit. Instead, he spoke to the gate guard like they were old friends.
Without much fuss, Ardi was allowed entry.
Arvani's black eyes scanned the surroundings. The old walls, once riddled with holes and rotting with age, had been replaced by solid concrete walls, a meter thick and thirty meters high. The gate itself had been swapped out with steel, strong enough to withstand a typhoon.
Quietly, Arvani whistled in awe at the transformation.
But that admiration quickly vanished the moment they drove into the city.
The stench of blood instantly overwhelmed her senses.
The city streets were littered with the mangled remains of both humans and zombies. The gruesome sight made both Arvani and Ardi nauseous. Ardi continued driving along the main road.
"Hey Ardi, I want to go somewhere," Arvani said.
Ardi glanced at her. "Alright. We will meet at the gate on 9 PM."
Arvani nodded. Without waiting for the jeep to stop, she jumped out onto the street. Ardi gave a short wave goodbye.
Holding her breath against the stench of blood, Arvani made her way toward the old man's home. Along the way, she passed sanitation workers in all-white uniforms loading corpses onto trucks.
Some were just regular civilians who had survived. They wore nothing but gloves and plain white masks.
The bodies would be buried together in massive pits. Burning them would only attract monsters with the smell of scorched flesh.
Signs hastily nailed up warned residents to avoid unsecured areas and to remain vigilant. Arvani ignored the signs and kept walking.
The closer she got to her old neighborhood, the less the stench of blood filled the air. It gave her a small sense of relief.
However, the bloody footprints leading in the same direction made her tense up. She clenched her fists tightly, praying silently.
"Hey, Kensei. Do you think the old gravekeeper is still alive?"
No response.
Arvani's anxiety began to spiral. She picked up her pace, her heart pounding and cold sweat beading on her forehead.
The bamboo grove signaled she was near the cemetery. The area was quiet, only the rustling of bamboo stalks brushing against each other could be heard.
Tap!
She stopped in front of the graveyard. Forcing herself to steady her breathing, she approached the small shack where the old man had lived.
The trail of bloody footprints didn't lead to the shack, but Arvani felt no signs of life inside.
And there, she saw it. A lifeless body lying near the door. An elderly man, clutching an old worn-out book.
At that moment, Arvani knew.
She was too late.
With blank eyes, she stepped closer and gently took the book from his arms.
Even though she had never known his name, the old man deserved a proper burial. Arvani stood, grabbed the nearest shovel, and began digging.
The sun had long since set, but Arvani no longer feared the dark as she once had. Her hands didn't hurt from the effort, it was her heart that ached, filled with the memories of the old man.
When her own family had abandoned her, it was he who took her in.
When others offered help only to deceive her, it was he who truly helped her survive in the trash world.
Until the end of his life, the old man never betrayed or abandoned her.
Ironically, she was the one who left him behind.
The burial was brief. Arvani left, carrying the old man's book with her.
Upon returning to the cave where she used to live, she found everything just as she'd left it. She quickly retrieved her other books, wrapped them in cloth, and made her way toward the city gate.
But along the way, she sensed someone following her. Instead of turning around, she continued walking, straight toward the ghost town where her former group had once betrayed one another.
The village was still as chaotic and lifeless as she remembered.
"Come out," Arvani said coldly.
Her eyes stared blankly at the five figures that emerged to surround her. They wore traditional clothing reminiscent of the Land of the Rising Sun, each marked with a sakura flower crest on their left chest.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"You possess a book you were never meant to have, child."
Arvani's eyes drifted to the twenty books wrapped in cloth and slung over her shoulder.
"Well… I was planning to sell these to someone anyway. You interested?"
"Where did you find those books?"
Arvani smiled faintly, suppressing her irritation at their deflection.
"On the road," she replied curtly.
"Hand them over."
"Sure." Arvani tossed the cloth bundle toward the man in front of her.
Thud!
The bundle hit the ground, causing some of the books to spill out. The man glanced briefly at one of the titles before returning his gaze to Arvani.
"Have you read these?"
"What are they even about?" Arvani shot back.
The man's eyes shifted to the worn book still clutched in Arvani's hand.
"Give us that one too."
"No."
Shing!
With just that one refusal, all five men unsheathed their katanas. Arvani let out a tired sigh. Talking to them was pointless.
No matter what she said, they were going to kill her to erase any witnesses—even if she didn't know anything.
"Kensei, you said you needed souls, right? Come out and kill them all."
Arvani shut her hollow left eye. A white-haired figure wearing a long feathered cloak materialized behind her.
Kensei's yellow eyes scanned the area briefly before curling into a slight smile.
"Perfect. I'm starving."
Thump!
The killing intent radiating from Kensei sent chills down the spines of the five men. They immediately launched their attacks at him. Meanwhile, Arvani casually walked toward the scattered books she had thrown.
The first to fall was the man who had spoken the most. His katana sliced right through Kensei—only to find nothing.
"Fool. You think you can defeat a swordsman like me with that?"
Kensei grinned, effortlessly snapping the man's neck with one powerful arm before flinging the body aside. He turned slowly.
"Now… why don't you try begging for your lives?"
Ignoring the screams and Kensei's gleeful chuckles, Arvani calmly sorted through her books. When she turned back, the five attackers were already dead.
Kensei's aura shone brighter, or more accurately, felt more powerful, after feasting on their souls.