The evening sun had long since disappeared, and darkness had taken over the narrow, foul-smelling streets of District Fire. A cold wind swept through the alleys, carrying with it the stench of damp earth, waste, and human misery. Perched on the edge of a crumbling stone wall sat Eli, a small glass bottle dangling from his fingers. The alcohol inside made his jaw tingle. His gaze was hollow, his body exhausted.

  Nearby, beneath the flickering light of an old streetlamp, a street preacher had gathered a small audience of weary, dirt-streaked faces. His voice rang out into the night.

  “And thus the angel defeated the dark demon! The angel sought to create a safe haven for the people left behind on this hellish earth. He built this city and provided us with drinking water and the holy Fire Wall!”

  Eli let out a slow breath and took a swig from the bottle. He didn’t believe a word of it. Just another fairy tale to smother fear. A story meant to keep people obedient. He pushed himself to his feet, his legs unsteady from the drink, and muttered softly, “Propaganda…”

  “What did you just say?” a sharp, authoritative voice snapped.

  Eli turned, his eyes narrowing. Three soldiers of the Royal Guard stood behind him. Their polished armour and rigid posture were a stark contrast to the tattered clothes of District Fire’s residents.

  “What’s the Royals’ useless police force doing down here in District Fire?” Eli asked, a mocking grin curling his lips.

  The blond soldier drew his sword. “What did you say, you filthy rat?”

  They advanced, and the fight erupted. Despite his drunken state, Eli moved with feline precision. One soldier swung his blade, but Eli ducked beneath it and drove a brutal punch into the man’s jaw, bone cracking on impact. Another grabbed him, but Eli twisted free in a fluid, unbalanced motion, slammed a fist into the soldier’s stomach, and kicked hard into his knee, dropping him with a howl of pain.

  As he fought, Eli shouted, rage and contempt pouring from him.

  “See?! You’re useless! You’re not wanted here! What are you even doing in this district?!”

  Moments later, the three soldiers lay bloodied and defeated in the mud, some unconscious. Onlookers spat at them. One of the residents glanced at Eli and grinned.

  “Nice one, Eli.”

  Just as he turned away, a soft yet piercing voice spoke behind him. A woman stood there, dressed in white robes, her head and face veiled.

  “We’re here for the WDF. Clearly, we’re not welcome here…”

  As she spoke, Eli caught a brief glimpse of her eyes glowing faintly beneath the hood—before she vanished, along with the three soldiers.

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  Eli watched them disappear, unease tightening in his chest. Royal Guard soldiers down here? Why? His thoughts snapped to Zack. Today was his trial day. The woman. Her eyes. Her words. Something was wrong.

  The night’s cold seeped into his bones, but a far colder thought took hold:

  If the Royals were already planting their filthy boots in District Fire, then Zack was in mortal danger.

  ?

  Eli looked up at the moon—a pale, gleaming disc slicing through the darkness. His chest was heavy with unrest, yet the moon remained untouched, indifferent to the chaos below. Nothing seemed capable of harming it.

  A silent shadow drifted across its surface: an owl gliding soundlessly above the streets of District Fire, utterly indifferent to human suffering.

  From the still, distant moon, the world was nothing more than a blemish in the dark.

  And below—atop the mighty Wall—stood Zack.

  At last, at his destination.

  Beside him stood Ronny and the woman who had broken his fall, their faces unreadable in the pale moonlight. Before him stretched an unfamiliar landscape: an endless sea of darkness, scattered with vague silhouettes of forests and a mist-choked valley far below. The horizon seemed boundless—an ominous promise of a vast world beyond the safety of the walls.

  The test was over.

  The real work was about to begin.

  ?

  “William’s in talks with the Vice-Captain of the Royal Guard. I don’t know what’s going on, so you’re stuck with me,” the woman said.

  They stood atop the Wall, a cold wind cutting through the air. The flames that usually engulfed the Wall had not yet been lit, casting an unsettling stillness over the scene.

  Zack, his face still burning red, couldn’t bring himself to look up. He had sprinted to the top without thinking, driven purely by embarrassment after their first encounter. His heart was still hammering in his chest.

  Is my rank higher now? he wondered.

  “My name is Gina. Vice-Captain of the WDF,” she continued, her tone professional and clear.

  “As you can see, the fire isn’t active yet. Ronny will demonstrate that shortly. But first, we determine your rank.”

  Ronny stepped forward. His face was unreadable, but something glimmered in his eyes—something Zack couldn’t place. Pride, perhaps, but not genuine.

  “The WDF ranks mirror demon classifications,” Ronny said.

  “C-rank are standard soldiers. B-rank are juniors. A-rank are seniors. And S-rank are leaders.”

  He locked eyes with Zack, his voice lowering.

  “Since the founding of the WDF, only four people have reached the top of the Wall during the test. Miller… you’re the fifth.”

  Pride and relief crashed over Zack in a wave. His uncertainty dissolved into sharp determination. The pain of the climb faded, replaced by a joy he hadn’t felt in years.

  “What does that mean for me?” he asked. “And who were the others?”

  “Ronny and I,” Gina replied warmly.

  “And Captain William,” Ronny added. “Plus our newest major asset—a boy from District Earth. Exceptionally strong. His name is Benny.”

  Gina stepped closer and placed a hand on Zack’s shoulder.

  “What this means, Zack, is that you begin as a senior—A-rank. You’re also granted the right to relocate to District Earth.”

  Zack’s eyes shimmered, a wide smile slowly spreading across his face.

  Eli… I told you, he thought.

  But the joy faltered. Eli’s exhausted face surfaced in his mind, stumbling through the mud-filled streets below.

  What do I tell him… that I climbed up here without him?

  ?

  “Gina! The fire won’t activate!” Ronny suddenly bellowed, panic and adrenaline flooding his voice.

  Gina spun around, confusion flashing across her face.

  “What do you mean?!”

  “The mechanism’s jammed!” Ronny shouted, yanking desperately at a lever.

  “That damn Research Team! They installed new technology—but it’s not working!”

  A wave of icy realisation washed over Zack.

  The fire wasn’t coming on.

  The Wall—their only protection—was powerless.

  “What now?!” Zack shouted instinctively. “Can I help?”

  “Stay silent and remain on the safe side of the Wall!” Gina snapped. Her voice cut like steel as she peered over the edge.

  “Ronny—I can see the first demons already. Sound the bell. I’m going down to draw them away.”

  Zack stared, stunned.

  She’s going alone? Outside the Wall?

  It was suicide.

  Without hesitation, Gina vaulted over the edge and vanished into the darkness below. Her white garments fluttered briefly like a falling star before she disappeared completely.

  A crushing silence followed—shattered seconds later by a shrill, piercing sound.

  The alarm.

  The same bell Zack had heard ten years ago, when his family had been devoured by demons.

  Ten years ago, that sound took everything from him.

  And now, as it wailed once more, Zack knew one thing with chilling clarity:

  Either he would lose everything again—

  or this time… he would fight.

  What hit you the hardest in this chapter?