Encounter

•America, New York City, Queens•

•2/07/2025, 6:31 PM•

'Shit. What the hell even is that thing?' Lilith thought as she straightened her back. Her gaze was drawn to everything around her. Lilith raised her brows and looked up again. 'How come it isn't attacking?'

The massive spider was staring directly at Samantha and Rian but had yet to make a move. It was only clinging to the ceiling and moving its legs around a bit. It was clearly visible to the four. It shifted its head towards a wall, its purple eyes glowing.

They were all completely perplexed by this creature, unless they were too insignificant for it to notice. If that were the case, none of them would mind, but the situation wasn't that simple.

Lilith decided to make a move while it was looking away. They were on a tight schedule, and the creature wasn't leaving anytime soon. She took a small step forward, holding Miya's hand, trying to keep her steps quiet. Regardless, the moment her feet touched the ground, it's head spun around and pointed in their direction.

Lilith and Miya gulped, while Samantha and Rian looked beyond worried. Rian was about to do something when Lilith shook her head. Fear filled his heart as he looked at the girls. Lilith hugged Miya close.

"Listen, I know this sounds ridiculous, but I need you to hand me the rock behind you. However, do not lift your feet or touch the ground." Lilith muttered something. "If I'm correct, we should be able to get out of this fairly ease... Maybe."

Miya looked at Lilith with wide eyes, almost as if she was wondering if the girl in front she was even sane at this point. Which she was.

"You've gone insane." Miya nodded in confirmation.

"Please?" Lilith inquired. Unless she was speaking to her mother, she never said please or apologized. Miya gave her another look before turning around. She noticed a rock that would perfectly fit in their palm. Miya sighed and knelt as slowly as she could.

She took Lilith's advice and avoided touching the ground. Getting the rock was a little difficult because it was barely within arms reach. Miya mugged it towards her, shivering as she heard the spider move a little.

The girl paused for a moment to let the thing lose interest before returning to it. Miya quickly reached over and graded it. She stood up and handed it to Lilith quickly. Such a simple task now felt life treating in front of the beast.

Lilith looked at their parents, who were already looking at them with concern. She averted her gaze and tossed the rock into the other path. The spider instantly went over, still clinging to the ceiling.

When the rock landed and it growled looking down. It opened its mouth and emitted a stream of purple liquid. When it reached the ground, the stone, wood and steel of the tracks began to melt gradually.

The group looked on MUCH more terrified than before. Lilith blinked a few times, glad she didn't test that closer to them

She took another step forward making sure to keep her eyes on the spider. Again, the moment her foot hit the ground, the spider looked in her direction and slowly made it's way to it's previous spot.

Lilith tilted her head looking at the spider. The text formed analyzing it again. Everything single detail. It even started to calculate the things weight and estimated speed.

'It's blind,' Lilith reasoned. Everyone shivered as a grin began to form. They didn't know who, but whatever Lilith planned to do would almost certainly result in their death. Lilith took a deep breath and did something that should never be done in this situation.

"HAAAAA..." She screamed at the top of her lungs. Miya quickly covered her mouth, threatening to slap the girl if they survived this.

"Lilith..." Samantha spoke out unconsciously, but Rian covered her mouth as well. Miya noticed Lilith's smile against her hand and regarded her with suspicion. Lilith sighed and moved the girl's hand, thankful that she was correct.

"We good! No need to look at me like that. My incredible mind as figured it out!" She yelled. "It's deaf and blind."

"No shit." Miya scuffed. "After what you did, that's pretty fucking obvious."

Rian, like Samantha, were stunned silent. Not only as a result of Lilith's discovery, but also as a result of Miya's words. She hardly ever swore, so this came as a surprise. However, there was a glimmer of hope in their eyes.

If the monster couldn't see or hear, they would have a much better chance of escaping this death tunnel alive. However, what she did could have cost them not only her own life, but also Miya's. They both sighed. Rian was aware that her recklessness would land them in hot water later, but for the time being, he was silently praising her intellect.

"Well, that worked out better than I expected." Lilith's smile earned her a smack on the head from the girl behind her. "But, really, we need to get out of here. Without coming into contact with the ground or the walls."

"Why is that?" Samantha asked.

"I'm not too sure, but I think this thing is sensing vibrations around it." Everyone sighed, groaned, and sighed again. They had just received a divine intervention, but it was quickly reversed.

How were they supposed to leave if they couldn't even move without it knowing where they were? They couldn't just walk quietly because Lilith had already tried it and it didn't do much. When they make contact with the floor, it will know exactly they are.

It was an odd ability, especially for Lilith, who possessed one as well. But she didn't believe it was. She was beginning to suspect that the monster was born with them because the spider was able to spray out some aside-like liquid earlier.

Plus, it seemed way to good at using them. If those creatures were a byproduct of the meteors somehow, then maybe they have abilities too. Lilith was sure she wasn't the only one with a weird power. Her mother had told her that she wasn't the only one that vomit blood at when everything started.

Even if the spider was way more knowledgeable than her about it's powers, there was a slim chance it could master it already.

Lilith shook her head, looking at the spider, which was clearly not going anywhere anytime..

"What should we do?" Miya inquired.

Lilith groaned as she looked back at the tunnel where they had emerged. She wasn't sure if she'd make it through what she was about to do, but she was doing it for her family. Miya and her had grown close in the last few hours, and she could tell Rian cared about her mother.

If she can do something to ensure their survival, she will. Lilith returned her gaze to her mother and Rian, a sad smile on her face as she heard them discussing what to do. They'd have to make a move sooner or later.

"Mom!" Lilith yelled to get their attention. "I just wanted to apologize. I'm sorry I couldn't take you to Japan, as you had always wanted, and I'm sorry you had to waste your life on me." Lilith said, her gaze briefly drawn to the spider.

"Lilith, what are you..."

"Rian, you're a nice guy. Thank you for brightening her day." Lilith looked back and patted Miya on the head. "I hope you'll be able to tell them one day, Miya."

Miya's eyes widened as she looked at Lilith, but the girl shoved her bag into her chest and shoved Miya to the tunnel wall. Samantha and Rian were stunned frozen, and then it hit them all. Lilith smiled and ran away from them. She stomped her feet to attract the monster's attention away from Miya.

"Lilith! Stop!" Rian yelled, ready to go get her, but she had already left. For her, there was no turning back now. The man refused to let her go, but he was powerless to stop her not the spider.

The spider jumped down, right in the middle of them all. It roared and turned to face Lilith. The thing ran forward, leaving a trail of debris in its wake. It collided with the walls on its way, causing it to break apart and some rock to fall.

'Anything for them.' Looking ahead, Lilith knew that if she caught a glimpse of their expressions, she would reconsider her decision. She knew she could have figured out a way to get them out of there, but there wasn't enough time.

The text around her started calculating everything, trying to figure out how she was going to survive this. Despite having a head start, the spider was miles faster than the girl, but she had mobility to assist her.

Lilith tried to avoid running in a straight line. She barely avoided the aside for what seemed like an hour, but it wasn't even five minutes, and the spider was closing in on her.

Lilith took a step to the side, avoiding more aside. She landed on her feet but almost fell over. The spider was able to reach her in the fraction of a second it took her to do so. It remained standing, pairing down. One of its legs rose and fell directly in front of Lilith.

She took a step back, but the force of the impact shattered the ground beneath her, throwing her back several feet. Lilith laid there for a second, her mind racing with pain. She tasted the blood in her mouth. It felt just like earlier when this whole thing just started. Every bone in her body felt broken right now. She tried to force it, but all she could think about was her mother.

What would they do if she wasn't there? She also didn't want to make them too sad and wanted to see them again, wanted to at least see that what she didn't helped them get out alive. Even if she was a shattered mess. Lilith rolled out of the way as she saw another aside stream coming at her.

The spider must really want her dead. Lilith, on the other hand, did not escape this one. The aside had made contact with her right arm, burning through the fabric and burning her skin and flesh. A blood curriculum scream escaped her mouth and traveled deep into the tunnels.

Lilith's eyes welled up with tears as she pushed herself up with her other arm. Her legs swayed as she gazed ahead. When she saw the spider approaching her, she groaned. The pain was unbearable, she didn't have long for she fell unconscious and most likely die. Her tears blurred her vision, and the purple text began to distort.

Lilith rested her right arm in front of her. She hissed as the fabric of her clothes touched the exposed skin. The girl took a step back almost falling back down.

Her brow furrowed as she felt she had collided with someone. Lilith turned around to find something scarier than the spider, at least to her. It was a woman with blue hair wearing a blue and black dress, but she had no face. It was completely dark.

The woman's head tilted down to face her and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl. Lilith flinched when her arms came into contact with the flesh of her arm, but that was it. At this point, she didn't have the energy to scream.

"Who... are...?" Lilith attempted to speak, but the woman covered her mouth with her hand. She tilted her head toward the spider, drawing Lilith even closer.

"Be... gone." The woman muttered. Lilith blinked as she noticed her white teeth; she didn't think the woman had a mouth.

The spider's body began to shake violently as her words echoed through the tunnel. It let out an agonizing yell before collapsing to the ground, not moving an inch after. Lilith shivered when she saw the display.

"W-Who the h-hell are you?" Lilith stuttered and looked at her, but she received no response. The woman led her to the wall and placed her down. Lilith's mind was too foggy to comprehend much of what was going on.

The woman removed two rings and placed them on Lilith's index and middle finger of her left hand. She clutched the girl's cheeks, drew her face closer and planted a kiss on her forehead.

A purple medium diamond-shaped gem appeared seemingly out of nowhere in her forehead. Lilith's mind was filled with mountains of information as the gem glowed bright purple. She clenched her teeth and gripped the woman's arm, unconsciously seeking some type of comfort. The woman smiled as she looked down at her.

"Return to us, my love, we miss you." The woman muttered. "We've been waiting for so long. You have six months until the Gem of Body appears; the Gem of Mind will assist you until then. Prepare yourself."

Water formed in the air and started to clinging to Lilith's wounds and healed them at a speed visible to the eye. Lilith's eyes closed as the gem in her forehead dimmed. The woman rose and walked away, giving the girl one last smile before disappearing with the spider corpse.