2 Where is Byul?

Upon hearing the news of Byul's disappearance, Kayla and I rushed to the main building of our town.

The main building was much like a town hall. Inside was the entire area's president, who controlled our town and the surrounding towns.

The President's name was Imode. A stunning woman with pale blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and a remarkable impression when she was mad. Imode had found Kayla and me when Kayla's parents came back early and found that she had been missing.

She spared us nothing short of a large punishment. She scolded us and forced us to clean the town hall's walls and rooms until they were spotless.

Imode wasn't just in control of the town and everyone inhabiting it, she also handled crimes and emergencies. Telling Imode that we were outside of the gates again would be difficult, but we had to find Byul quickly.

"You... WHAT?!" Imode screamed at us. Kayla flinched and I somewhat cowered.

"What did you not learn the last time?! Now Byul could be in danger and we need to hurry out there now! Your punishment this time will be that you will help us!" Imode screamed at us.

"Wouldn't... that be dangerous?" Kayla asked, tearing up. Imode sighed and calmed down a bit in response to Kayla's reaction. "Yes, but we need to find Byul before something really bad happens to him. Those monsters are not kind when it comes to people in the wilderness."

With that last sentence, Imode left the room and we followed. She gathered the soldiers of the town and we all headed outside once again.

We searched for hours and hours, all I heard was my radio chattering with people reporting what they had seen and if they found Byul or not.

Nobody in the search party had died, and Imode was constantly commenting on the lack of Pathogens in the area, something that was unusual.

I kept looking while the sun was still up, but upon entering the forest, I could hear a low growling sound and the smell of large amounts of blood.

I searched for the scent and soon found a Pathogen lurking over a person's body. I gasped quietly, but it was enough to draw the attention of the Pathogen to me. It was seemingly a man before his transformation and was a lot easier to take down, meaning he was recently turned into a Pathogen.

Something everyone was taught at school was that if you drink a Pathogen's blood, you become one, unable to control yourself or be yourself anymore. Pathogen's look like people, which is usually why you cannot just bring anyone into your town with you.

You can also get infected if they spray their gas into your lungs. It apparently is said to burn your throat.

Most of the newly transformed ones are very stupid. They can speak, but cannot solve riddles. That is how you know if they are human or not, for the dumber ones at least.

Throughout time and eating of humans and each other, Pathogens gain more and more intelligence, soon being able to answer riddles and even control other Pathogens with their abilities.

Honestly... the more intelligent ones are the scarier ones, as they learn how to use their abilities. Pathogens can also transform from looking like a human, into their monster form, which allows them to be more versatile and use their abilities to their full potential.

Most Pathogens actually have their own unique ability. Some can run faster, and some can turn their limbs into hard objects.

Pathogens can summon weapons using their bones, and depending on their skill set, they will be classified as one of the 5 classes.

Shooters, who are good with guns, and usually have good aim, making it difficult to dodge their attacks.

Slashers use claws and swords to fight, they seem to have high amounts of energy.

Assassins make daggers/throwing weapons and have high agility and speed.

Shadows use silent weapons and are good at dodging attacks.

Switchers use all types of weapons, but gain no physical buff like defense or agility, mainly being average at all stats.

Once gaining enough intelligence by eating people, Pathogens will gain armor on their monster form, which makes them harder to kill. The more people, the more armor, the more people, the more regenerative they are.

***

I sliced the Pathogen in half and quickly spilled gasoline on it while it screamed in agony, using its human voice to plead. I quickly lit it on fire and walked over to the dead person, hoping it wasn't Byul.

It wasn't Byul but was a middle-aged man I slightly knew. I bent down and began praying for his soul, something I usually don't do.

I lit his body on fire in case he was infected before he died.

Kayla had approached me and said my full name for the first time in a long while, hearing her say it was quite peaceful.

"Calibrum, we must go back... Byul is nowhere near here... he might have made it to the 3rd Ward, where Mindora is. Mindora is that large city-"

"Kioka City is a lot closer than Mindora," I explained.

"Yeah yeah, I was never good at maps and land, Calibrum-"

I interrupted her, saying how I felt at the moment.

"Just call me Cal. That's the nickname we agreed on. Anyway, why would we stop searching?! He could be in serious danger!" I told her, but she just began laughing.

"Byul was Number 1 in our survival classes! Do you think he would just die out here so stupidly? He'll be okay! I promise!" She said, reassuring herself more than me.

Byul was really good at survival class, but he was cowardly... he would fret over the smallest of sounds outside. On nights we spent the night together as a group, he would freak out if it began to rain... so why would he go outside on his own?

We entered through the huge main gate and Imode was still scolding us the entire way to the town hall.

"I won't tell your parents this time Kayla, but go out once more and consider not coming back here," Imode said, turning and entering the town hall.

Kayla sighed and agreed, even though Imode was already gone.

***

The school wasn't happy that we were gone that day, so Imode had to have a talk with the school about Kayla and my punishment, to which the school excused our absences.

I already knew Kayla and I would be the talk of the school the day after, and sure enough, we arrived at school together on such a bright sunny day, only to be quietly laughed at or talked about.

Jax was the main problem.

He constantly pestered me about it and even asked Kayla what it was like, making fun of her and calling her a witch.

Jax was being annoying and getting his group of popular friends to make fun of us, even going as far as to tell us Byul was dead.

"That dark green-haired freak probably got ripped apart! Torn to small pieces and turned into one of the monsters!" I ignored it the first time, but he continued.

"I still can't believe your dad was one of those monsters and he didn't eat your mother alive! You're lucky to be alive! Heh! Your mom died for being a witch, that ugly witch-" I grabbed him by his collar and pushed him into the lockers with a huge audible clanging noise. I stared him in his eyes and felt a serious look on my face.

A teacher heard the commotion and stopped me, making me put Jax down before my second attack.

Jax was standing a small distance away with his small group of bullies, cursing at me and telling me how strong he was. He did have muscles, but that was because of the intense amount of sports he played and how he worked out.

I'm just glad he hadn't wondered how I picked him up... I guess my abilities do come in handy.

The teacher scolded me for fighting and I was sent to the office.

***

"You're lucky we don't need to get President Imode Samodachi here... you know how she would react to you causing such trouble in school!" Principal Mars reminded me that this wasn't the first time either.

I just stared at the ground. I felt brave enough to tell him how I felt.

"If anyone brings up my parents, I don't care who they are, I will punch them in the face and call it a victory. My parents didn't die for nothing and I hate my father enough for being one of those things."

Upon stopping, Mars sat in silence, he began sympathizing with me to the best of his ability.

"Your mother was a good woman. She was in my grade and I found her to be quite polite. I will not let anyone slander her good name like that." Principal Mars told me as he recalled the old days, blushing at the thoughts.

"Can I go now?" I asked after a minute of him reminiscing. He smiled and told me that it was okay for me to leave, to which I quickly stood and left the room.

School had been over now and Kayla waited for me at the doors, she was staring out at the rain and was frowning. I walked up and knew what she was thinking about.

"I assume you think that Byul is scared during this storm?" I asked, looking at her, smiling trying to help her out.

"Yeah... I'm sure he is okay, but I just hope he gets to the city okay, and doesn't get hurt... or worse."

With that, we stood under the outer lip of the school roof, which sheltered us from the rain. We planned to wait it out, but Markus had walked up with his fancy umbrella.

Markus was quite rich, his family were explorers and explored the abandoned cities to collect stuff that the towns need. So they are quite well respected. Everybody knew that much, yet there seemed to be another layer to his story. Hidden away.

Markus never really talks to us, and we assumed it was because he was "too rich for us."

He approached and began speaking in his cool voice. His jacket was dark blue and he wore some dark blue boots to match.

"Hey, how are you guys?" He asked, hiding under the outer lip of the roof as well, folding his umbrella.

"Good... how about you?" Kayla asked, just staring at the puddle on the walkway.

"I'm okay. I just saw you two and thought you might be waiting out the rain?" Markus guessed, and when I replied that he was correct, he handed me and Kayla each an umbrella.

"Huh? But these are yours!" Kayla said, very surprised.

I was also surprised. What was his motive for this? To become friends? To bully us? To trick us? What could Markus be thinking?

I didn't have time to ask him any questions, because he opened his umbrella and began walking away, saying something quickly as he walked away.

"Just keep them, count it as a token of becoming friends or something. I've wanted to talk to you two for a while now, anyway, see ya." He turned the corner and was gone.

Kayla and I locked eyes and shrugged in confusion, turning to look at his last location once again.