Godless Domain

Zane stretched his arms above his head, wincing at the stiffness in his muscles. The apartment, which had once felt like a sanctuary, now seemed like a prison. Even with the safety of their walls, everything outside felt… wrong. The world had shifted, and whatever was lurking out there was a constant reminder.

Kade peaked his head out the front door, just enough to see the end of the hallway and nothing more. "I dont think we should use the stair." he muttered, tapping his fingers against the doorframe. "I think we have to use that emergency ladder again."

Kade's eyes were serious, narrowing as he scanned the hallway. "The stairs are a death trap, Zane. We can't take the chance that those things are patrolling the building. The ladder's our best bet—quick, quiet, and keeps us out of sight."

Zane sighed, tossing his hands up in mock surrender. "Alright, alright, Mom. We'll do it your way." He gave Kade a resigned look. "Let's hope we don't fall off the damn ladder."

Kade gave a tight nod, gesturing toward the window. "We go out the back. Stay low, keep your eyes peeled. I'll lead the way." He stepped toward the fire escape ladder that was barely visible from where they stood. It wasn't exactly built for stealth, but it was better than nothing.

They moved quickly, Zane going last and keeping a wary eye on the hall. Evelyn hesitated at the window, her hand hovering over the latch. Zane glanced back at her. "Everything okay?"

She looked at him with a forced grin. "Yeah, just... was expecting to have a lie in for once but her we are going down some ladder." Her voice cracked slightly, but she regained her composure. "Let's go."

The climb down was slow, the metal ladder creaking beneath their weight. Each rung felt heavier, more uncertain. The air outside was thick with the smell of something burning, mixed with the acrid stench of decay. Zane could taste it on the back of his throat, as if the very world itself had started to rot.

Once they reached the ground, Kade motioned for them to follow him into the narrow alleyway. It was silent, unnervingly so. No distant chatter. No sound of passing cars. Just the faint hum of something unknown in the distance.

"Stay quiet," Kade whispered, keeping his voice low as they started walking. "We move fast, and we don't engage unless we have to. We don't know what's out here, but we can't risk being spotted."

Zane nodded. His footsteps felt too loud, and the pounding of his heart matched the rhythm. He felt like they were all walking through a ghost town, but not the kind where everything was abandoned. No, this felt like they were intruders in a world that no longer wanted them here.

After a few minutes of tense walking, the silence broke. The first thing Zane heard was a soft shuffle from an alleyway to his left. His stomach dropped. His mind raced with thoughts of what could be hiding there.

Kade held up a hand, signaling for them to stop. He motioned for them to crouch, and the three of them dropped low. Zane's pulse hammered in his ears, but it was Evelyn who broke the silence, her voice barely audible. "What... what was that?"

Before Zane could answer, they saw them.

A trio of goblins, their scaly green skin gleaming under the dim streetlights, were huddled together in the shadows, muttering to each other in a language none of the trio understood. They looked crude, primitive. Their jagged teeth peeked out from behind grimy lips, and their eyes—small and cruel—darted around as though they were hunting for prey.

Zane swallowed hard. It wasn't the goblins that terrified him; it was how easily they blended into shadows, like they had always been there, hiding in plain sight.

Evelyn's breath hitched beside him, her body stiffening as she caught sight of the goblins. She froze, her wide eyes locked onto the grotesque creatures, her mouth opening and closing as though she couldn't quite find the words. Finally, she gasped, her voice barely a whisper, but the panic in it was undeniable.

"What the hell are those?!" she choked out, her body trembling as she stumbled back a few steps. Her hands gripped the sides of her head, as if she was trying to block out the reality in front of her. "No, no… no, this isn't real. This—this can't be happening!"

Zane's heart skipped a beat. He had known this moment would come—when the weight of the madness they were trapped in would crush his mom. But seeing it happen in real time was like watching a dam break, her control slipping away before his eyes. He reached out, grabbing her arm as she swayed on her feet.

"Mom, hey, it's okay," he said, his voice low, trying to ground her in the chaos around them. "We've seen worse, remember? These things aren't new. We—" He stopped himself, because he knew, no matter how many times they'd told her, it wouldn't make sense until she saw it for herself.

Evelyn's eyes darted around wildly, like she was looking for an escape. "I—I thought you two were just… I thought you were both—" Her voice cracked, and Zane's stomach twisted with guilt. "I thought you were losing your mind, that you were just seeing things. But this… This is real. This is real!"

Her breath came faster now, her chest heaving as she clutched onto him, her body shaking. "Zane, what the hell is happening?! What did we walk into? This isn't normal, this isn't... This isn't possible!"

Zane squeezed her shoulders, his grip firm yet gentle. "I know, Mom. I know it doesn't make sense. But we tried to tell you. We…" He bit back a lump in his throat. "I wanted you to stay back, to be safe, but we couldn't just leave you. This world… this world has changed, and we're just trying to make sense of it, too. We need to stick together, okay?"

Evelyn shook her head violently, the panic in her eyes growing. "No, no, I don't understand any of this!" 

She pulled away from him, her hands trembling as she backed away a few steps. "I've spent my whole life worrying about you. Now you're telling me that this… this nightmare is our reality? That we have to face this?! Zane, what are we supposed to do?!" Her voice broke on the last word, and she wrapped her arms around herself, trying to hold it all together but failing.

Zane's chest tightened, watching her crumble under the weight of the situation. He moved closer, gently reaching for her hands. "Hey, I know this is a lot. I know it's hard to wrap your head around. But we will figure it out. We just need to keep moving. Stay with me, okay? We'll get through this, I swear."

Evelyn didn't respond right away, her breaths coming in shallow, desperate gasps. It was clear that her mind was racing, every thought overwhelmed by the impossible sight of goblins in the street. Her gaze flickered back toward the creatures, and the reality of it all seemed to hit her again.

Evelyn's shook her head, not fully comprehending what laid before her. "I can't… I just can't... This isn't the world I know, Zane. Everything I thought I knew—it's all gone."

"I know," Zane said again, his voice softening. "But we have each other, okay? And that's all we need. We've got this." He stepped closer, pulling her into a hug, holding her for a moment longer than usual, as if to remind both of them that they weren't alone in this. "We'll figure it out. We always do. But we have to keep moving, Mom."

Evelyn clung to him for a moment, not saying anything, her body still trembling. 

Zane gave her a small, reassuring smile, though his heart was heavy with the burden of the promise. "I swear. We'll protect each other."

With a final nod, Zane gave her a steadying look, and together, they began to move forward, their steps quiet, their pace quick, as they left behind the sight of goblins, and the realization of how deeply their world had changed settled heavily over them.

Suddenly Kade gripped Zane's arm, whispering fiercely, "Stay down. Don't make a sound." He motioned with his head to the alleyway ahead, signaling for them to move, and they slowly began to creep past the goblins.

Zane's heart felt like it was in his throat, but he forced himself to breathe, not daring to look at his mom, who was clearly on the verge of a breakdown. He heard her shaky breath behind him, her confusion palpable as the goblins moved past them, oblivious to their presence.

As soon as they were clear of the creatures, Zane gave a small exhale of relief, but it didn't last long. There was no time for relief in this world anymore. No time for anything but survival.

The air grew colder as they ventured deeper into the city. What had once seemed like a short, ten-minute walk now felt like an eternity. And then, they came upon it…A scene that would haunt Zane for the rest of his life.

A pile of dead goblins lay scattered in the street. Their bodies were piled on top of each other in grotesque heaps, the flesh bloated and decaying, giving off a rancid stench that burned Zane's nostrils. 

It wasn't just the smell that made his stomach turn, it was the sight of how brutally they had been slaughtered. The limbs of some were twisted in unnatural angles, eyes wide open, staring lifelessly into the void.

And in the middle of the carnage, standing tall like a god in the midst of a battlefield, was a wolf.

The creature was easily six feet at the shoulder, its dark fur blending into the shadows like an extension of the night. Its eyes glowed with an unnatural intelligence, locking onto them the moment they entered the clearing. The wolf was still, waiting, its muscles coiled as if it had all the time in the world.

Zane's blood ran cold. The air felt thicker, heavier, like the atmosphere had turned to ice. The wolf didn't move, but its gaze was predatory, and its stance suggested it was no ordinary creature. There was something ancient about it, something that sent a wave of panic crashing over him.

Evelyn froze, her breath coming in short, shallow bursts as she stared at the beast. "Oh my God..." she whispered, barely audible. "What is that thing? What is happening?"