7 Episode 7 -  Found You

Jiexin ran with every ounce of strength left in his battered body, clutching the child tightly to his chest. 

He paid no heed to the searing pain coursing through him; his singular focus was on fulfilling the child's mother's last wish and keeping the innocent life in his arms safe.

Jiexin ran through what had once been a lively street, now reduced to ruins engulfed in fiery flames. The air was thick with smoke, and the heat was suffocating.

The ground was dangerous, covered in debris and rubble from collapsing buildings. Shattered glass littered the pavement, reflecting the dim light filtering through thick smoke.

Among the destruction, the lifeless bodies of those who hadn't escaped lay on the ground. Their stillness contrasted with the chaos, a grim reminder of the disaster's brutality.

"Rahahaha!"

A sinister laughter echoed from the corner of the alley.

Su Jiexin recognized the tone immediately, he knew it was a demon.

He froze, swallowed hard, and began to back away as quietly as he could.

*Crack*

To his dismay, Jiexin accidentally stepped on a soda can, the noise breaking the silence. His heart raced.

The demon heard the sound and turned its head toward it.

Jiexin tried to step back slowly, attempting to hide behind one of the buildings. Then, someone pulled him from behind.

The demon spotted the crushed can and looked around but found no one. However, it continued to search the area.

Jiexin was startled when he was pulled from inside one of the destroyed shops that looked like an antique store.

He turned around and saw a familiar face; it was Ms. Chen from the sales management department.

(Ms. Chen / Chen Mei Visual Art - Click Here)

She gestured for him to be quiet as they peered out of the window.

It was a relief for Jiexin to see a coworker from the office, and he swallowed nervously.

They both peeked from the window, and the demon was just a few meters away from the shop.

In the dim light of the fire and moon, they could make out the demon's features. Surprisingly, the demon appeared human, wearing a business suit.

Its skin wasn't red, and its nails weren't black like the other demons Jiexin had encountered. The only telltale sign of its demonic nature was the horns protruding from its head.

The demon scanned its surroundings, and as it turned in their direction, the moonlight illuminated its face.

Jiexin immediately recognized who it was.

It was Mr. Cheong, the coworker who had been stationed beside him at work. He was the one who had gossiped about Jiexin in the restroom.

Now, he had succumbed to becoming a demon.

They both quickly hid, heads lowered, as Mr. Cheong turned in their direction.

Jiexin couldn't believe it—a familiar face had become a demon, and he knew exactly who it was.

Both of them were sweating, and their hearts raced in fear.

To their relief, the demon walked away, leaving the area. Both of them let out a heavy breath, their bodies still sweating from nervousness.

"Thank you," Jiexin whispered to his coworker.

Ms. Chen nodded and asked in a hushed voice,

"What is happening?"

"I don't know either; it happened so suddenly," Jiexin replied.

Ms. Chen examined him closely, noticing his disheveled appearance.

"It looks like you've had it rough too. Just what the hell is happening?"

She was both confused and irritated as she glanced at the child Jiexin was carrying.

"Is that your son?" she inquired.

Jiexin shook his head.

"No, but his mother entrusted him to me."

They locked eyes, Ms. Chen already figuring out what had likely happened to the child's mother.

"I see," Ms. Chen said, her voice filled with understanding.

"What should we do now?" Jiexin asked.

"I don't know; I've been hiding here ever since it began."

"Shall we wait here and wait for help to come?"

"Help? Those monsters quickly killed off the policemen who came here, they popped their heads like balloons," Ms. Chen grimly recounted.

Jiexin didn't know how to react to what she said, but he knew it was true as he witnessed the same things as her.

"We have to rescue ourselves out of here; help won't come."

Ms. Chen pondered for a moment, and Jiexin slowly nodded in response.

"About that demon, wasn't that Mr. Cheong?" Jiexin asked.

"Yeah, that's him." she took a deep breath and continued,

"That creep has been following me secretly around ever since I left work. He thinks I didn't notice him."

"Is that so?"

"I confronted him and asked him to stop following me, then threatened him that I would call the police," she paused.

"Then, that darn light came out of nowhere, and after that, that *sshole suddenly started screaming."

Ms. Chen was in a daze as she explained what happened.

"He suddenly grew horns from his forehead, I knew he was trouble, so I ran away as fast as I could."

She paused again, biting her lower lip.

"After that, several people started to turn into those monsters and began killing everyone."

She clenched her fist, lost in thoughts as she recalled the events.

"I managed to get away and hid here for some time, and then you came."

"I see, so that's how they become demons," Jiexin muttered.

"Demon? Is that what you call them?"

Jiexin nodded.

"Yes, I encountered one of them, and they introduced themselves as demons"

Ms. Chen nodded as she looked at Jiexin with her brows downwards.

She then glanced out the window, surveying the area.

"Those so-called demons were roaming around here earlier, but it looks like they're all gone."

Jiexin also looked out, and their eyes met, sharing the same thought.

"It's the best chance to get out of here," Jiexin said, tucking his lips, and they both nodded in agreement.

They stepped out of the store carefully, making no sound.

Ms. Chen scanned the surroundings from left to right to ensure no demons were present as Jiexin held the boy tightly to his chest.

The boy already knew their situation and he has been quiet since then. Trying not to cause more trouble.

"Let's go," she whispered.

They ventured out, running from alley to alley, their heads swiveling to check for any signs of danger.

But just as they began to believe they might make it to safety, a colossal shadow engulfed the area.

A looming figure emerged against the moon, a dark silhouette that blocked out the moonlight.

"Found you,"