With a rough wake up, Summer was riding behind Lilith. She still felt scared and this time she knew why. Last night encounter was unexpected and shocking. She looked at Drew, who was riding beside them, the boy who she tried to kill.
"We're almost there Lil," Drew announced. "Hugo should just be around this area."
Lilith didn't speak much, she made a small grunt as a reply. Was she still thinking about last night's encounter? Whatever seemed to bother Lilith, she kept quiet about it and didn't talk. Lilith sniffed the fresh air before getting a whiff of smoking food.
"It's close," Lilith spoke softly. It was the same gentle voice that Summer heard, she was happy inside that she spoke gently. To her, it sounds like a lullaby that can put anyone to sleep. Drew sped up and went ahead of Lilith, she stayed at the same pace for a couple of seconds before she sniffed the air again. She stopped her horse: "Something not right." She sniffed the air once again before she hit the horse with full speed. She went right passed Drew and his horse, she could see smoke and a town burning.
"No, Hugo!" Summer yelled. Lilith moved her horse forward and disembarked when she could jump in the burning town. Broke cobble and wood fell behind Lilith, blocking both entry and escape. Leaving Summer and Drew on the outskirts of the burning settlement.
***
"You stupid idiot!" roared Alpha. "Now we're trapped in a burning town."
Alpha's reaction to their path being blocked was not exciting, Lilith pulled her scarf up to reduce inhaling the burning smoke. She pulled out her twin swords and started searching for survivors, she trended down the burning road, fallen stables and burnt woods landed on the cobblestone road.
"Where is the damn pig?!" Lilith heard a demanding voice, she silenced her steps and headed towards the voices that she heard. She climbed an untouched roof, she lay down and looked over the tip of the roof. She saw three Lion Guards, one was pointing their finger towards a high tower and other moved towards the entrance of Hugo.
"What are they doing here?" Lilith questioned to herself, her left eye burned heavily and she ducked down. She started to feel something crawling on her throat before she heard a scream, she regains her left eye and quietly slid off the roof: "Alpha, calm down."
"It's not that simple, Lilith," growled Alpha. "These people are now hurting the ones they are meant to protect. It...It just angers me."
Lilith nodded in agreement, she continues her object. She followed the sound of the scream, she saw two LIon Guards holding a young boy's body with his throat cut out. Then to the left, she saw a young girl, breaking down. Lilith took out one of her kunai and tossed it at the neck of one of the Lion Guards, it didn't penetrate as Lilith expected, instead, she got the attention of the Guards. She charged at the Guards with two swift strikes, decapitated. She rushed over to the young boy's body and as she expected, nothing. She went over to the crying girl and placed her hand on the girl's shoulder.
"Why are the Lion Guards here?" Lilith went straight to the point.
"Th-They're looking for a book," the young girl replied. Lilith wiped the tears in the young girl's eyes and picked her up.
"Get out of here as fast as you can, if you find any other civilians, tell them to follow you," Lilith ordered. "Go to the gate."
She left without another word, she jumped one of the rooftops and she felt something crawling behind her. She turned around and saw a book...floating? She looked at the black ashed cover, it had a circle then a cross in the middle, she felt something off about that book. She ignored it and continued to find more survivors.
"It's your fault."
Lilith was in the midst of jumping to another roof before she heard a deep, growling voice in her head. She felt as if her body was disappearing, fading into the void she once met before. She saw the black book again but this time it was glowing with a red aura surrounding it.
"Is this the girl we need?" Lilith heard a light, soft voice.
"Yes, Lilith Redmire, the last of the gray wolves and the reincarnation of Wylan Wegar," replied the same deep voice. Lilith looked around to see if there was anyone else with her but she could only see the void.
"Don't worry, we're not gonna hurt you," spoke the soft voice, its source felt close to Lilith's ears. She tried to talk to Alpha but nothing.
"Hold her," spoke the deep voice, Lilith turned to the book and felt herself being pulled down by some sort of force. Lilith saw bloody symbols in her mind, it was burning her mind. She started screaming and yelling but it was futile. She felt her body decaying and soon it made it to her mind.
"She actually withstood it!" exclaimed the soft voice.
"Don't underestimate them, each one is strong as one but not alone," spoke the deep voice. "Lilith Redmire, you will be this world's destroyer and creator. 404 is the name they will call you, and you will be there to protect."