Interval 4 - Basilisk

-Kingdom of the Night, Year 4192-

How did it get so bad? I thought as Novi and I walked out of an office building, leaning on each other.

There were several dead SHADES scattered on the sidewalk and in the street, slowly disappearing in black smoke. Looking back, I saw the reception of the building full of dead SHADES too; they lay across the hallways, stairs, and rooms where we fought.

Novi and I didn't come out unscathed, I had a cut going left to right just below my eyes with blood running down my face, three cuts on my chest, and one on the left side of my torso thanks to a SHADE who got too close.

Novi had received a blow to the head, blood flowed from her forehead towards her eyes, and she had a cut on her wrist and right shoulder.

"Let's go home before more arrive." Novi said, pointing her Colt 1878 down the street in search of any SHADE.

"I agree." I slung my Colt Lightning Carbine over my left shoulder, and we slowly walked down the street, but we could not get far as the ground shook.

"What the fuck?!?" Novi screamed, holding on to me.

"I don't know!" I screamed, trying to keep my balance, but I could not, so we fell to the ground. Suddenly, the shaking stopped.

"It ended?" Novi asked, getting to her feet.

"I think so. Do you still have ammo?" I asked, reloading my guns.

"I only have the ones in the guns." Novi replied, reloading her guns too.

"Damn it! Moreover, the dynamite? Please tell me you still have it!"

"I only have one more." Novi said, pulling a stick of dynamite from her pocket.

"It is better than nothing. Let… Let's go, I just want to rest." I said, walking away.

"You're not the only one." Novi replied, walking beside me.

Then the ground shook again.

"Shit!" Novi screamed.

I could not answer as the asphalt below us cracked, the ground opened up, and we fell into the hole that formed.

"AAAHHH!" We screamed as we fell.

-XXXXXX-

"My head!" I mumbled, getting up and looking around me.

I was in a kind of stone and concrete tunnel that stank horribly. Looking down, I saw water running around my boots; I was in the city sewer.

"Novi! Novi!" I screamed through tunnels, the noise echoing off the wall.

"Alan!"

I heard Novi's screams echoing too. I ran towards the scream, my boots squeaking in the water with every step.

"Alan!"

I heard Novi's scream again, it seemed to be coming ahead, but the sewer divided in several places with tunnels left and right.

"Alan!"

She was close! I quickly entered the tunnel to the right only to collide with something large, throwing me to the ground.

I noticed what I had bumped into when I got up. My eyes widened, and I shivered at the thing in front of me.

"Alan!"

Novi's voice came from behind that thing.

"Alan!"

She was here somewhere. I pointed my carbine at the thing and pulled the trigger.

BANG!

"RRROOOAAARRR!"

The thing roared as the lead rain hit its face. I got up quickly and ran in the opposite direction; I could not get to Novi with this thing in my path. I heard the sound of the thing sliding behind me, making a familiar sound.

"SSSHHH!"

It made the sound of a serpent. I went back to my previous thought as I ran. How did it get so bad?

-Kingdom of the Night, Year 4191-

"Faster!" Novi yelled at me.

"I am trying!" I replied.

"Well, you are not trying hard enough!"

"What fault do I have? I've never done this before!"

"It's time for you to learn, use your hands!"

"But I am using my hands!"

Why is this so difficult? I sat at Novi's kitchen table with my rifle disassembled in front of me. Novi taught me how to assemble, disassemble, and maintain my guns.

"Again!" Novi said, turning over an hourglass on the table.

I repeated the process I had been doing all day, that of assembling and disassembling my gun. Soon, all the sand had passed from one side of the hourglass to the other, but I did not finish assembling the rifle until ten seconds later.

"Still not fast enough! I want that rifle ready to fire in less than thirty seconds! Again!" Novi turned the hourglass over, and I repeated the process.

"Listen here! It is just you and I against the SHADES, if you want to survive you better know how to ready a gun in the blink of an eye because I will not always be here to save you. I want to be able to count on you if I need help! You got it?" Novi demanded, slamming both hands down on the table.

"Yes ma'am!" I answered as if I were a soldier.

"Excellent, so keep trying!"

Months later, I was finally able to ready all my guns as if it was natural to me. However, my training did not end there, now that I knew how to assemble a gun, it came to loading and unloading the gun.

-XXXXXX-

"Three, two, one, now!" Novi screamed, turning the hourglass over in her hand, the sand fell, and I did what she taught me.

I opened the barrel of the revolver in my left hand, took the ammunition of my belt, put it in the barrel, closed the barrel, and pulled the hammer with my thumb.

"Still not fast enough, I want these guns loaded in less than a minute, again!"

I spent a few weeks training how to quickly load and unload my revolver, rifle, and carbine. I have to do intensive training due to my lack of skill, as Novi said to me a long time ago.

-XXXXXX-

"You've been doing well so far, but it's time to learn how to fire a gun! So do as I taught you!" Novi said, placing glass bottles on top of wooden boxes at different distances behind her house.

"All right!" I quickly drew my revolver, reloaded it, pulled the hammer, aimed at the closest bottle, and pulled the trigger.

BANG!

The shot echoed through the backyard of the house, but I was not prepared for the recoil, and my arm flew upward, missing the shot and hitting a tree.

"Congratulations! You showed that poor tree who is the boss! Unfortunately, there isn't a SHADE here, because if there were, you'd be dead by now!" Novi said sarcastically while clapping her hands.

"I will make you eat those words!" I replied angrily, pulling the hammer and aiming at the bottle, bracing myself for the recoil.

BANG!

I missed again but almost hit the bottle.

"Sorry, what did you say? Were you going to make me eat my words? Well, I'm waiting for you to do it!" Novi said mockingly, stopping beside me with her face close to mine.

"Wait and you will see!" I aimed at the bottle again, trying not to blush at the closeness.

"Of course, as if you were…" Novi spoke, but the gunfire interrupted her.

BANG!

CRASH!

"Who would know? You did better than most!" Novi said, looking at what remained of the bottle in surprise.

"What can I say? I learn fast." I replied, smiling cockily with the gun pointed up and smoke pouring from its barrel.

"Of course, but you still have a lot to learn before you reach my level." Novi said, walking past me and facing the bottles.

Then Novi did something that I only thought possible in old West movies. She drew her revolver in the blink of an eye, pulled the trigger with her right hand, the hammer with her left hand, and fired the gun from her hip, hitting all the bottles accurately.

BANG!

CRASH!

BANG!

CRASH!

BANG!

CRASH!

My eyes widened, and my mouth hit the ground. Novi then twirled the revolver around on her index finger and put it back in the holster, approaching me with a smug smile right after.

"Keep trying and you can do it someday, maybe." Novi said, pinching my cheek and flicking my face left and right. I quickly grabbed Novi's hand, wrapped my hands around it, and brought my face close to hers.

"Teach me this, please." I begged, looking Novi in ​​the eyes. Novi stared back for a few seconds. Suddenly, her face turned red and she escaped my grip.

"Focus on your training, you idiot! I'll teach you how to do this trick if you do well."

"Leave it to me, I will not disappoint!" I smiled.

"I will wait for it." Novi smiled back.

I practiced shooting bottles at different distances for months, but not without some difficulties.

-XXXXXX-

"3, 2, 1, Go!" Novi screamed.

I removed the carbine from my back, reloaded it, entered into a firing stance with the gun resting on my shoulder, pumped the carbine, aimed at one of the bottles, and pulled the trigger.

BANG!

The carbine flew out of my hands and landed somewhere behind me. I stood in my previous stance, trying to process what had happened while a smoke cloud was the only thing in front of me.

SLAP!

A slap on the back of my head pushed me forward. It was Novi, looking at me disappointedly.

"Looking for this?" Novi asked, showing the carbine in her hands. I did not answer; I just accepted the gun embarrassed. Novi then sighed and patted my shoulder

"Keep trying." Novi said, walking away.

Luckily, Novi didn't just tell me what to do, she also helped me practically, but I needed to control myself sometimes, that practical help often involved proximity and it can create an embarrassing situation if I let my imagination run wild since I am alone in a city with a pretty girl beside me.

-XXXXXX-

I had my rifle ready to shoot at a bottle further away. According to Novi, this part of the training served to learn how to hit distant SHADES.

"3, 2, 1, Go!" Novi screamed.

I removed the rifle from my back, reloaded it, pulled the lever on the side of the gun near the trigger, and assumed a firing stance, but Novi interrupted me before I could shoot.

"Wait!"

"What's it!" I asked, turning toward her.

"Your posture is wrong." Novi replied, approaching and correcting my posture. I felt her body pressed against my back, my face heating up, and her hands touching mine.

"Okay, try it now." Novi spoke close to my ear. I shuddered a little at her voice. Let us try it now, I held my breath, aimed at the bottle, and pulled the trigger.

BANG!

CRASH!

"You are getting better." Novi complimented me.

"What can I say? I have a great teacher." I replied.

I noticed something, Novi still held on to me. We stayed like that for a few seconds without saying anything, so I broke the silence since it got awkward.

"Novi?"

"Yes?"

"Can you let me go?"

I felt Novi flinch slightly before her touch left me; I turned toward her and saw her red face.

"If you want to hold me that badly, then be my guest." I said playfully.

Novi's face turned even redder. Suddenly, Novi tripped me, knocking me to the ground.

"Idiot!" Novi exclaimed, walking away.

I laughed at Novi's reaction; life in the far future is not so bad after all. Therefore, time passed and my training continued.

-XXXXXX-

Novi and I practiced hand-to-hand combat, and once again, I could not lay a hand on her. She threw me to the ground repeatedly.

Then came the training to improve my physique, like squats, push-ups, running around town, and much more, but the training got easier as time went on, making Novi step it up.

It was hell, but the muscles formed in my body, I wish I had this body while I still lived in the past I wish I knew Novi in ​​the past. What would our life have been like in a normal world? Sometimes the SHADES could be a problem.

-Kingdom of Night, 4192-

The SHADES were a problem!

"Pedal faster!" Novi yelled behind me.

"I am trying!" I yelled back.

How did it get so bad? I thought as we fled on a bike. Novi stood behind me, with her feet on the racks on both sides of the rear wheel, and her hands gripping my shoulders.

My mind raced back to the strange events that took place over the past few days. The SHADES were disappearing; we saw less of them each day, until Novi and I walked through streets in search of some animal to hunt one day.

It was quiet, very quiet; we both had a bad feeling about it. Suddenly, the manhole covers popped off, shop doors opened, and screams came from the alleys, it was a horde of SHADES, and we fell into their trap.

We had to get away somehow. I saw a bike lying on the street next to us, it looked to be in good condition, so Novi and I got on it and fled with the horde after us.

"They are coming!" Novi screamed.

"I know!" I replied.

A SHADE jumped out of an alley ahead of us.

BANG!

The SHADE lost a piece of its head, but my ears hurt from the noise. I saw Novi holding her revolver from the corner of my eyes, and shooting the SHADES.

"Keep pedaling, I shoot the ones in the way!" Novi screamed as she fired at another SHADE, hitting a headshot.

BANG! 

Therefore, I pedaled; dodging cars, and debris, and taking sharp turns, but the SHADES still chased us.

"Over there!" Novi said, pointing to an alley to our right.

I pulled the brake on the bicycle's rear wheel as we approached the alley, sliding it along the street in an arc until we faced the entrance. I would move forward, but Novi stopped me.

"Stop!" Novi yelled.

"What do you mean by stop?!? The SHADES are coming!" I yelled back. Has she gone mad?

Novi then took a stick of dynamite from one of her pockets and lit the fuse.

"Novi, what are you doing?!?" I screamed as the SHADES approached.

"Wait for it." Novi said, holding the dynamite and watching the horde while the fuse burned.

"Novi, just throw that thing away, and let's go!"

"Wait for it." Novi replied.

Then Novi dropped the dynamite right behind us at the entrance to the alley, grabbed my shoulders tightly, and screamed.

"GO! GO! GO! GO!"

It took a while for me to process what Novi said, but my brain finally kicked in and I pedaled down the alley.

Looking back over my shoulder, I saw the horde arriving at the entrance of the alley, and being stuck in due to their numbers. Some SHADES passed through the dynamite on the ground, but they did not get far since…

BOOM!

The dynamite had exploded. Pieces of SHADES flew away, shop windows shattered, and a crater opened in the alley. Everything went silent for a moment, but the rest of the horde broke through the resulting smoke cloud.

"Holy crap!" I kept pedaling, the horde chasing us furiously.

We fled through the alleys, eventually entering a main street, but we faced a wall of SHADES upon turning a corner. I pulled the bike brake, making us slide down the street due to the speed; we rolled across the ground until we stopped in front of a building.

"Motherfucker!" Novi screamed, getting to her feet.

"I'm very sorry!" I replied.

The SHADES surrounded us, the wall to our right and the horde to our left. Looking back, I saw the entrance to a building, there is only one place to go now.

"This way!" I called out to Novi as I ran towards the building.

"I am coming!" Novi replied.

A SHADE jumped towards her, but Novi quickly drew her carbine and shot the SHADE in the chest.

BANG!

Holes riddled the SHADE's body. Novi removed the empty shells from her carbine, reloaded her gun, and followed me into the building.

I hated modern architecture for the first time in my life. The entrance door of the building was a sliding glass door. I closed the door behind us with some effort, entering the reception of the building.

"Help me here!" Novi yelled.

Novi pushed the wooden reception counter towards the door; I quickly helped her, placing the desk horizontally in front of the glass door, forming a barricade. That gave us a few seconds of relief, but…

CRASH!

A SHADE threw itself towards the glass door, staining it with blood. I stepped back; jumping scared upon feeling a hand on my shoulder. Looking back, I saw that it was Novi.

"Follow me!" Novi said, pointing to the stairs leading up.

We ran up the stairs, hearing the SHADES throwing themselves against the door.

We went up until we reached the fifth floor, entering a room and closing the door behind us. Looking around, I a room of cubicles, this was an office building.

CRASH!

We heard the sound of the glass door shattering.

CRASH!

That must have been the wooden counter.

"Let's barricade the door!" Novi yelled. Therefore, we blocked the door with tables, chairs, computers, and the coffee machine.

"Well, that seems to be it. We will probably die today." Novi said, pointing her carbine towards the door.

"Hm… There must be something we can do!" I approached the office window, which went from the ceiling to the floor. Looking down, I saw the entrance of the building and the SHADES in front of it.

I have an idea; I looked around the office and ran towards a large printer.

"Novi, come here!" I yelled.

"I am coming! What's your plan?" Novi asked, stopping beside me.

"Help me throw this down there!"

Novi nodded and together we pushed the printer towards the window, picking up speed, then…

CRASH!

The printer fell from the fifth floor towards the SHADES below, crushing several members of the horde.

"Quick, start throwing heavy stuff down there!" I exclaimed.

We threw tables out the window, smashing the SHADES, slowly lowering the horde numbers down. There was a small kitchen in the office, Novi and I ripped one of the kitchen cupboards off the wall and threw it too, killing more SHADES.

"Anything else left?" Novi asked, looking around. I looked around the office too, but there was nothing left to throw.

"No." I sighed disappointedly.

"Well…" Novi took dynamite out of her pocket, lit it, and threw it out of the window. A few seconds passed before…

BOOM!

The dynamite exploded, tearing several SHADES apart.

"Do you still have dynamite?" Novi asked and I checked my pockets.

"I have three!" I replied, showing the sticks.

"Pass it over!" Novi said, outstretching her hand. I handed her the dynamite and she proceeded to light the fuses and throw the explosives down in intervals.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

The dynamites exploded, opening holes in the facade of the building and leveling the horde. Novi then drew her rifle and shot at the SHADES below. I would do the same, but the barricade swaying interrupted me.

CRASH!

The SHADES have reached this floor.

"They are here, aren't they?" Novi asked me, still shooting.

"Yes." I replied, looking between the door and Novi.

"Hm… So this is how we will die?" Novi asked emotionlessly.

"Probably." I replied, pointing my carbine at the door.

"It's not that bad; at least we will die fighting." Novi spoke, trying to change the mood.

"I would rather die old, in my sleep, without pain, and knowing I've lived a good life!" I replied, not sharing her worldview.

"Wow, what a boring death!" Novi replied sarcastically.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have a warrior mentality like you do!" I screamed in frustration.

"That's proof you're a softie!" Novi screamed back between gunshots.

"Wow, how encouraging, I'm glad to hear what you think of me!"

"If we survive, I will tell you what I think of you!"

"What did you say?" I asked confused.

"Nothing!" Novi quickly corrected herself.

CRASH!

The door cracked.

"You know, I'm glad I have met you." Novi said happily.

"I am also glad to have met you." I replied in the same tone.

"I will not lie; the loneliness almost killed me. I felt a little bit of happiness when I met you at the hospital."

"I will be honest, I am grateful that you taught me how to survive. I would have died a long time ago if not for you, so thank you."

CRASH!

A hand made of darkness burst through the door. The hand moved away, revealing a SHADE's white eyes staring at me.

"Hey!" Novi called me.

"Yes?"

"W-would you like to go out with me if we survive?" Novi stuttered.

"L-like a date?" I stuttered too, surprised by her question.

"Y-yes."

"I-I would love it." I replied nervously, this was the first time someone called me out for a date.

"Then survive, it wouldn't be fun to go on a date alone."

"Same goes for you; let's go out to dinner when this is all over."

"You'll pay the bill."

"My wallet will become lighter considering how much you eat"

"Are you calling me fat?!?" Novi demanded.

"N-no." I quickly corrected myself.

"That's what I thought!"

CRASH!

The SHADES knocked the door down and entered the room. Alan that is what you have been training for all this time, better not fuck it up!

The first SHADE ran towards me, a being made of darkness with claws on its hands and feet, it wore a manhole cover as a chest plate and carried a metal pipe in its right.

I realized I could not fire as I aimed my carbine at the SHADE. What happened? Shoot, Alan, Shoot! However, I could not pull the trigger. My hands shook as the SHADE approached. Shoot, Alan, Shoot!

Is not this what I trained for? Why am I standing here? Then I realized what happened, I was afraid. Training to fight SHADES was one thing, but fear took over my body upon seeing one running towards me.

Shoot, Alan, Shoot! Otherwise, you will die!

Do you want to be ripped to shreds by that thing?!? Shoot!

Do you want a pair of empty white eyes to be the last thing you will see before you die?!? Shoot!

Don't you want to know how you got here?!? What happened to the world after the dragon and the giant appeared?!? Shoot!

Shoot or Novi will die! I pulled the trigger when the SHADE leaped onto a table and jumped towards me.

BANG!

-Kingdom of the Night, Year 4192-

I ran through the sewers, the thing still after me, with its hissing getting closer and closer.

"SSSSHHHH!"

I pointed my carbine behind me and pulled the trigger without looking back.

BANG!

"RRROOOAAARRR!"

The thing roared in pain, slowed by the shot, which gave me time to get away. I heard Novi's voice again as I ran.

"Alan!"

She was close by! I ran until I entered a large square sewer chamber.

"Novi!" I screamed.

"Alan! Here!"

Looking up, I saw Novi standing on an X-shaped metal walkway above me. Novi waved at me and I waved back, but the thing approaching cut our joy off.

"SSSHHHH!"

I walked away from the entrance to the chamber and saw the thing in its entirety. It was a large serpent with black scales and bright yellow eyes staring at me.

"Novi, is this one of the monstrous SHADES you spoke of?"

"Yes!" Novi shouted from the top of the walkway, drawing her rifle and aiming at the serpent. The serpent opened its mouth to reveal two large fangs and a forked tongue, ready to attack.

BANG!

"RRROOOAAARRR!"

Only for Novi's shot to rip that tongue off.

"Do you like this motherfucker?!?" Novi shouted from the walkway.

The serpent recovered from the shot and slid across the ground towards me, I rolled to the left, letting the serpent pass right by me, and then I realized that I was not the serpent's target. The serpent raised its body as it approached the walkway and tried to bite Novi.

"Shit!" Novi screamed, leaping back, letting the serpent bite the walkway. Taking this chance, I aimed my carbine at the serpent's back and fired.

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

"RRROOOAAARRR!"

The serpent swung its tail towards me, throwing me against a wall. The air left my lungs and the corners of my vision darkened, almost passing out. I started to hyperventilate trying to recover my air, but I saw Novi drawing her revolver and shooting the serpent in the eye amidst my blurred vision.

BANG!

"RRROOOAAARRR!"

The serpent let go of the walkway and struggled, its large body colliding with the ceiling and the walls of the chamber causing everything to shake.

Looking up, I saw dirt and dust falling on my head; I also saw a piece of the ceiling falling toward me. I rolled to the left, letting the piece of stone shatter against the ground.

"This bastard is going to bury us alive!" Novi screamed, trying to keep her balance.

I managed to get up with difficulty, the air slowly returning to my lungs and my vision clearing. I pointed my carbine at the serpent and fired.

BANG!

BANG!

The serpent focused on me this time, spitting something from its mouth. I ran away as the green goo flew towards me, melting the stone when it hit the ground.

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

Three rifle shots hit the serpent's back, the serpent then turned towards Novi, but I fired two more shots at its back before it could do anything.

BANG!

BANG!

Now I only have three carbine shots left, so I switched to my rifle. We went on like this for a while, Novi and I took turns getting the serpent's attention, never letting it focus too much on one of us, but it was not going anywhere, we did not have enough ammo to kill this thing.

BANG!

Novi shot once more at the serpent, getting its attention. I used my rifle when the serpent turned around, but nothing happened when I pulled the trigger.

CLICK!

I pulled the lever on the rifle, trying to cock the next bullet, and then pulled the trigger again.

CLICK!

I was out of bullets and the serpent spat another wave of venom towards Novi. Novi ran to the right, but the venom melted the center of the walkway, leaving her with nowhere to go, so I drew my revolver and shot the serpent.

BANG!

The shot hit the serpent in the side of its head, making it slowly turn toward me.

"Novi, this is getting us nowhere! We need to end this thing!"

"And what do you suggest?!?" Novi screamed, drawing her carbine while I jumped to the right, dodging a serpent's bite.

"Do you still have that dynamite?!?" I asked Novi, running away from the serpent while Novi checked her pockets.

"Yes!" Novi replied, showing me the dynamite.

"Then light it up!" I screamed, running in circles across the room, the serpent nearly biting me.

"What?!?"

"Trust me, you only have one chance!"

"You better know what you're doing!" Novi screamed, lighting the dynamite.

Come on Alan! You will die if the plan fails, but there is also a chance you will die if the plan works! It is a pleasant situation, isn't it?

"Get ready Novi!"

I ran towards the walkway, passing by the melted part and stopping below the catwalk where Novi stood, drew my carbine, and waited for the serpent to approach.

The serpent opened its mouth to devour me, but that was a mistake, since I shot its open mouth, hitting its soft interior.

BANG!

"RRROOOAAARRR!"

The serpent threw its head back in pain. That is what I wanted and I fired two more shots to its chin.

BANG!

BANG!

The serpent raised its head even higher, stopping at the same height as the walkway where Novi stood.

"Novi, now!" I yelled, running from under the walkway and seeing Novi throwing the last of the dynamite into the serpent's mouth, jumping off the walkway, and rolling across the ground right after.

I grabbed her by the arm, and together we ran away from the serpent. The serpent shook its head from left to right, trying to recover from the shots, and then its remaining eye focused on us. The serpent hissed again and moved forward.

"SSSSHHHH!"

However, it did not get very far.

BOOM!

The serpent exploded in a shower of blood, covering Novi and me in red. It looks like it is over, or not since what remained of the serpent moved.

A SHADE came from inside the stump the serpent's head used to be. This SHADE missed both of its legs and its left arm, but slowly crawled toward me using its remaining arm. I drew my revolver and approached SHADE.

"Alan, what are you doing?!?" Novi asked, holding my arm.

"Ending it." I replied.

I approached SHADE and it stopped dragging itself, and stared at me with his white empty eyes. I pointed the barrel of my gun at its face and pulled the trigger.

BANG!

The shot threw the SHADE's head back, leaving a bleeding hole in its forehead, but the SHADE still approached.

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

The shots left three more holes in the SHADE's head, but its hand slowly approached my leg.

BANG!

The SHADE disappeared with one last shot, leaving an object behind. Picking it up, I saw that it was a family photo, a man, a woman, and two children. I kept the photo in my pocket. Why would a SHADE carry that?

"Alan, let's get out of here." Novi said softly, putting a comforting hand on my shoulder. I did not answer, just followed her out of the sewer.

-XXXXXX-

We had finally made it out of the sewer, removing a manhole cover, and stepping in the middle of a shopping district.

"I know this street; we can find my house from here." Novi said happily, grabbing my arm a pulling me away.

"Great, I don't know how long I can stay conscious." I replied in the same tone, smiling lightly.

"I hope you don't pass out before we have our date." Novi laughed, playfully punching my should

"OUCH! I promise nothing." I said, rubbing my sore shoulder. Therefore, we walked back to Novi's house.

-XXXXXX-

Time had passed; Novi and I had bandaged our wounds, and now we sat on a wooden bench at the back of Novi's house, watching the stars.

"Alan?" Novi called me, without taking her eyes from the sky.

"Yes?" I replied, doing the same.

Suddenly, I felt something touching my cheek. Novi had just kissed me.

"I-I like you" Novi stuttered, her face bright red.

"I-I like you too." I replied, my face burning in shame.

Novi then laid her head on my shoulder, and I laid my head on top of hers, so we watched the moon and stars in this eternal night. Years of peace came next; unfortunately, that peace did not last for long.

END OF CHAPTER