Intruders

This situation is very strange. The dog still acts like a dog, despite being infected, Rune pointed out.

"Have you ever heard of an infected dog that still behaves normally?" Miko asked.

"No, this is completely new to me," Rune replied. However, he realized that there was never any mention of animals being unable to resist the infection and becoming partially corrupted, just like humans.

"Perhaps it's not so strange. Could the dog possess some sort of ability, like those who are able to overcome the infection?" Miko speculated.

"Ah, I didn't consider that. If the dog survived the infection like us, it must have some kind of ability," Rune remarked. "But how did it manage to survive in this place for so long? Maybe it has an owner."

"So what do we do now, Rune?" Miko asked, prompting him to ponder the situation. They now knew that this decaying city was home to monsters.

"We still need to gather supplies. Maybe we can find something useful in this house. Since the dog is still alive, it's a good sign that there aren't any monsters here. Let's search around," Rune suggested.

"We still cannot see anything," Miko said.

"I know it's a problem we can't fix right now, so we'll just have to move through the darkness," Rune reassured.

"Okay," Miko replied, trying to remain calm.

"Don't worry. The only thing you should be concerned about is not stumbling over something in the darkness," Rune added.

"I understand," Miko said, as they turned around slowly, facing the pitch-black side of the house.

"What about Duke?" Miko asked, noticing the infected dog circling them.

"We can just leave him here. The fact that he's still alive means someone must have been taking care of him."

As Rune said that, he realized that the person who was taking care of the infected dog might be somewhere inside the house. However, it wouldn't make sense for them to stay in the darkness, implying that the person was most likely not in the house. If they weren't in the house, it probably meant there were no supplies either.

"I don't think we'll find any food supplies, but we might find something helpful in here," Rune suggested, and they slowly started walking towards the opposite side of the room. As they stood in front of the darkness, Rune noticed that Miko was scared, her body trembling.

"You can hold my hand if you're scared, although I highly doubt there's anything in the darkness worth being afraid of," Rune offered.

Hearing that, Miko grabbed his hand and said, "I'm not afraid."

I'm sure you aren't.

After uttering those words, Duke dashed into the darkness, leaving Rune filled with fear as he shouted, "Wait, wait, Duke!""Oh no, I wanted to go into the darkness fallowing him. Now we have no way of knowing if we'll bump into a wall or stumble over something," Rune thought to himself, realizing that they were now on their own.

As they were about to step into the darkness, Rune and Miko heard the sound of Duke returning, causing them to halt.

Gradually, they witnessed the dog emerge from the dark corner of the house, joyously wagging its two tails with an object in its mouth.

"What is that?" Miko inquired, her curiosity piqued as Rune cautiously approached the dog and retrieved the object from its mouth. As he examined it, he realized that he had seen it in books before. "Oh, this is a flashlight," Rune exclaimed, pressing the red button. Instantly, the light illuminated their path, allowing them to explore the mysterious dark side of the house.

Observing this, Miko, who had initially been frightened, was now filled with immense happiness. Finally, she could see the dimly lit room without any fear of lurking monsters.

On the opposite side of the room, there stood a television and two chairs, with a hallway leading into darkness. With the confidence bestowed by the flashlight, Rune was unafraid of venturing into the unknown. He gracefully passed by the chairs and television, making her way towards the hallway. Upon reaching it, they discovered two wooden doors on each side, along with one at the end of the corridor.

Approaching the first door, Rune handed the flashlight to Miko. With cautious anticipation, he slowly turned the doorknob, revealing a simple bedroom. However, upon closer inspection, they were met with the somber sight of skeletal remains resting on the bed.

"In this shattered world, not everyone was blessed with good fortune," Rune murmured, as they solemnly made their way towards the second room. Unlike its counterpart, this bedroom was empty, except for a sturdy wooden dresser and a bed.

As Miko prepared to move on to the next door, Rune intervened, stating, "No, I think we should thoroughly search this room. Maybe it has something useful ."

He entered the room and approached the dresser, immediately noticing the neatly folded clothes. On top of them lay a photo , which he carefully picked up. The image depicted a man with stylish hair, clad in a black and blue suit, holding a briefcase in his left hand. Standing beside him was a young girl, appearing much younger than Miko, approximately four years old. Her long black hair cascaded down as she wore a vibrant yellow dress. The photograph captured them standing proudly in front of the house.

"This must be the previous family who lived in this place, before the mysterious mist took over," Rune speculated. Just as he was about to return the picture, the door swung open with a forceful push.

"Don't turn around. Raise your hands and drop the flashlight," warned a presence next to the door, carrying a gun. Perceiving the imminent danger, Rune braced himself but was interrupted by a deafening gunshot causing them to hold their ears.

"Don't even think about making a move," the unknown assailant threatened, causing Miko to drop the flashlight while Rune obediently stood facing the dresser with hands raised high.