Chapter 3 The Hope

*Cough, Cough* "Where am I?" The girl from the rift coughed as she asked, covered in wounds and her own blood.

"Are you... Human?" Cecilia asked.

"Yeah. But why do I feel a lot of those damned things around here?" The wounded girl asked.

"What do you mean?" Cecilia asked as she slowly came closer to the girl.

"Be careful, Cecil," the captain advised her.

"It's fine, brother... I don't feel any malice from her," Cecilia said as she got closer to the wounded girl.

"Yes, those pitiful bugs are roaming here. I don't think I have escaped that hell... But why are there humans here?" The wounded girl said.

"It's fine, you're safe now. Who are you, and what Citadel were you from?" Cecilia asked her gently.

"Citadel? I'm sorry, I'm Rose... Just Rose," Rose introduced herself.

"How did you come out from that rift?" The Captain asked Rose.

Rose looked at the captain with disdain and answered, "I fell and almost died."

"You–"

*Screechhh* A loud piercing noise was heard as a rift demon appeared above the room before the Captain could even finish his words.

*Bang* A thorn sprouted from the ground, penetrating the rift demon and impaling it on the wall.

*Cough* *Cough* Rose coughed up blood. "My injuries aren't fully healed yet, but I guess we have our food for the day," she said, smiling as if what she did was nothing.

Everyone was dumbstruck by what they had just witnessed. A rift demon, half the size of an adult man and with a shell sturdier than a diamond, which requires three evolved fighters to kill in a prolonged fight, was killed before it could even land.

"What was that?" The captain asked, unable to understand what just happened.

"A spear?" the slim man asked with doubt.

"How?" Cecilia, with her eyes wide open, stared at Rose.

"Huh? How did you all survive here? Oh... Wait, why are there grown-ups here? And how are there thousands of humans here? I thought I'm still in that godforsaken hell," Rose asked.

"What do you mean... Where were you from?" The Captain asked, still in shock.

"I... Don't know where I was, where that hell was. It wasn't something a 12-year-old girl could survive alone. But... I survived, thanks to him," she answered as she tried to stand up while reminiscing about the past. "But where is this place?" she asked.

The Captain thought for a moment and replied, "Earth, Sahara desert Citadel... The Final..." He took a deep breath and added, "The Final Citadel of mankind."

Rose froze at what she just heard. "Are you joking?" She asked in doubt.

Everyone felt the pain of reality when the Captain stated the undeniable fact. Silence filled the room for a few seconds.

"He... He's not joking," Cecilia said as she helped Rose to stand up.

"My family? Are they here?! I-I know we're invisible a-and... Here... They won't be able to... *sob* *sob* I missed them," Rose cried while in the embrace of Cecilia.

"I... Can't be sure, maybe they're here... So let's search for them," Cecilia comforted Rose.

The room was silent, with only Rose's sobbing audible. "They're not here! I can't feel them!" Rose shouted in disappointment, shaking the underground Citadel.

"I-... Calm down... Please," Cecilia hugged Rose tightly. "They'll notice us," she added.

"Those BUGS?!" Rose clenched her fist, and a second later, a loud noise was heard.

*Boom* *Screeeechhhh* The screams of Rift demons were heard as walls collapsed, and their bodies fell to the ground with obvious penetrating wounds on their heads.

"They're just bugs, how can they kill..." Rose said in anger as blood dripped on her eyes, ears, and nose. Her eyes became blurry as she lost consciousness.

Cecilia held her gently and asked with worry, "Hey, are you alright?"

"No! That's not what's important! Did she just kill dozens of rift demons in a second?!" The burly man asked in another shock.

"Yes, we saw it right..." The curvy lady said.

"Just what is she?" a tall man wearing glasses asked himself.

"Everyone... Maybe she is our Hope," the Captain said.

"Our Savior... Did God finally answer our prayers?!" The burly man smiled as joy filled his eyes.

The crowd also began to gain hope... Hope to be freed from this nightmare of theirs. A single person ignited the long-lost hope of the last 5000 or so humans.

"Before you all imagine whatever you like, help me take care of her! She's covered in wounds and unconscious! So stop daydreaming and help me treat her!" Cecilia shouted, annoyed at everyone but also happy to see their genuine smiles and hope again.

"Yes, ma'am!" The captain answered as he then smiled and added, "Everyone! Go! Go take care of Rose, she is our hope, our savior, so make no haste and nurse her to a healthier state, now!"

Everyone busied themselves, some guarded Rose, some scavenged the underground Citadel for medicines and food. Cecilia nursed her from day to night, making sure she was getting well.

Two days later, Rose's Room. Rose woke up as she looked at the side and saw Cecilia sitting asleep on the chair near her.

"Hey..." Rose woke Cecilia.

"Huh? Eh? Oh! You're awake!" Cecilia woke up in confusion.

"Yeah, I'm sorry abou-" Rose spoke, but Cecilia interrupted her.

"Shushh, I'll call brother first, he's so eager to talk to you. Wait a sec, don't move too much," Cecilia said as she rushed out of the room to call for her Brother.

A few minutes later, Cecilia arrived with her brother, the Captain.

"This is my Brother," Cecilia introduced her brother to Rose.

"Glad you're awake, Rose. I haven't introduced myself the last time, I'm Jacob, the Captain of this Citadel," Jacob introduced himself smiling.

"Rose," Rose replied as she looked at Jacob's non-existent legs. "Those bugs did that to you?" She asked.

Jacob smiled and replied, "Yes... But bugs? They're Rift Demons, a pack of them could endanger us all here..."

"Hahahaha, Demons? How funny for you all naming them demons. I guess, No one has ever seen a true demon," Rose laughed, yet when she mentioned the word demon, her voice was filled with fear.