Church

Dionisus, Elizabeth and Hector had all ran away from the confrontation, leaving their companion behind. They had ran as fast as they could and nested themselves inside an abandoned building.

The house the group accomodated themselves into was the best option out of all the buildings they surveyed. It was decently big and was at least usable, the door was still in its hinges and the walls werent as worn out in comparison to the other buildings they looked at.

As the three travelers caught their breath inside the abandoned house, they took a moment to assess their surroundings. The air inside was stale, a lingering scent of decay mixed with the musty odor of neglect. The walls, though weathered, still held traces of faded beauty, hinting at a time long past.

Dionisus leaned against a sturdy wooden table, its surface covered in a thick layer of dust. Elizabeth found a corner of the room to sit, her eyes scanning the dimly lit space for any signs of danger. Hector stood near the window, peering cautiously through the cracked glass, keeping a vigilant watch over their surroundings.

The room, once a gathering place for laughter and warmth, now held an eerie silence that echoed through the empty halls. Shadows danced on the walls as the flickering light of a solitary candle fought against the encroaching darkness. It was a stark reminder of the precariousness of their situation.

Elizabeth broke the silence, her voice echoing through the desolate house. "We need to find Edward. We can't leave him behind." As she said this, Hector made his way towards her.

"We should gather whatever supplies we can find here and prepare ourselves," he suggested. "We need to be ready for whatever lies ahead." With a new objective in mind, the trio began searching the house, looking for any items which could serve as usable.

They came across several pieces of rotten food, scraps of metal such as corks or screws, a rusted blade and most importantly a weathered map. The map was full of tears and was quite dirty, full of dust and sploches of brown. Nonetheless, it was still usable to navigate through the treacherous city.

Elizabeth examined the map, even though there were pieces of it missing, she could still identify the most important landmarks. With the map held tightly in her hands she looked out the window, in the distance the top of a church was barely visible, lit up by several lanterns .

The faint glimmer of moonlight reflected off the stained glass windows, giving the ancient structure an ethereal glow. Elizabeth's eyes narrowed as she studied the map, comparing the landmarks etched on the parchment with the visible silhouette of the church. "There," she whispered, her voice filled with a mix of excitement and determination. "That's our next destination."

Dionisus and Hector, who had gathered near the window, followed her gaze. Their eyes locked onto the distant church, "If Edward managed to escape the horde, he might have sought refuge there." Hector proposed. The trio agreed with his theory, they quickly gathered their meager supplies and prepared to face the unknown.

As they stepped out into the night, the cold air embraced them, and the sounds of the city's desolation echoed in their ears. Navigating through the overgrown streets, they moved with a careful urgency, their eyes constantly scanning their surroundings for any sign of danger.

The deeper the group ventured into the heart of the city, the stronger the presence of the undead creatures grew. Their ghastly moans and shuffling footsteps filled the air, a constant reminder of the imminent dangers that lurked in every shadowy corner.

In the eerie silence, they suddenly found themselves confronted by a small group of undead creatures. The grotesque figures shuffled towards them with an insatiable hunger in their lifeless eyes. Dionisus and Hector instinctively drew their weapons, but the realization dawned upon them that they were ill-equipped to face these formidable foes. Without Edward's fire magic, their chances seemed slim.

Dionisus took the vanguard, leaving Hector the important job of covering his younger companion with his crossbow. Elizabeth fell behind, searching for any advantages the group could use to win in this situation.

A volley of quarrels shot towards the five undead blocking the travelers' way. Hector had officially iniciated combat, he knew that they had to finish these ones off before others came to their aid. Like the roots of a plant, Hector assumed that the undead were all connected to each other somehow.

The shots were aimed with meticulous precision, and they struck true. However, the zombie-like creatures continued their advance regardless of the injuries sustained on their bodies. The undead resumed their assault, jumping towards Dionisus. With quick thinking, he slashed away at the creatures, but it did nothing except keeping them at bay.

"Use your torch on them!" Elizabeth shouted from afar, the conclusion she came up with was to sacrifice the torches. Even if it would make it much harder for them to navigate later on, fire was the only thing that managed to damage these creatures so far.

Consecutively, Dionisus set the zombie that had pounced on him ablaze. Hector was busy keeping the enemies from reaching the group's temporary leader by pinning the undead's feets to the ground with his bolts. Before the torch fully extinguished itself Dionisus hurled it towards the remaining four undeads, and so did Elizabeth.

Hector was the only one with a torch left, if his companion's endeavors were to fail then he would have to sacrifice his own torch aswell. Hopefully, just the two torches were enough to figuratively turn the moss covered zombies into ash.

With the threat extinguished, the group stood amidst the dissipating smoke, breathing heavily but relieved. The sacrifice of their torches had paid off, ensuring their survival against the formidable undead horde. Hector handed Dionisus the last torch and told the group to bundle closer together. With Dionisus and his remarkable eyes leading the way, the group would safely reach the church in no time.

As they finally reached the vicinity of the church, they noticed a hushed stillness in the air. The moans of the undead seemed to fade into the background, replaced by an eerie silence that sent shivers down their spines. It was as if the presence of the church commanded a temporary respite from the encroaching darkness.

Elizabeth led the way, cautiously pushing open the church doors. The hinges creaked in protest, disturbing the tranquility that had settled upon the scene. The interior of the Church was spectacular, massive stone pillars rose towards the vaulted ceiling, supporting the weight of history and faith.

The walls were adorned with ornate carvings, depicting scenes from biblical stories and saints of old. Every detail was meticulously crafted, showcasing the skill and devotion of the artisans who had left their mark on the church. Dionisus read, "Ego Sum Via Veritas Et Vita," as he gazed at a sculpture with those words intricately engraved, among the detailed sculptures. That particular sculpture stood as a testament to the guiding principles of faith, translating to 'I am the way, the truth, and the life.' But of course, Dionisus did not possess the knowledge of the latin language.