Escape

As Finn and Tim emerged from the alleyway, they were met with a desolate landscape. The town lay in ruins, buildings reduced to rubble, and debris-filled streets. The air was thick with the acrid smell of smoke and ash.

Finn's eyes scanned the horizon, taking in the sheer scale of the destruction. "It's... it's all gone," he whispered, his voice trembling. The whole town was under attack, not just their school.

Tim's face was pale, his eyes sunken with pain and exhaustion. "We need to keep moving, Finn. We can't stay here."

Finn nodded, his grip on Tim tightening. "We'll find a way out of here. We just need to—"

A loud roar interrupted Finn's words, as a massive humanoid monster emerged from the ruins, its eyes fixed on the pair. Finn's heart sank, his mind racing with the realization that they were surrounded by monsters, with no clear escape route in sight.

Lui, still perched in Finn's pocket, let out a tiny growl, as if sensing Finn's fear. Leo stepped forward, its eyes blazing with a fierce determination.

Finn's eyes locked onto the monster, his mind racing with a desperate plan. He reached into his pocket and gently coaxed Lui out.

The tiny salamander stood on Finn's palm, her beady eyes fixed on the monster. Finn could sense Lui's eagerness, her body tense with anticipation.

"Can you do it, Lui?" He asked but the tiny creature didn't reply. Still, Finn could see the burning determination in her eyes

"Go, Lui!" Finn whispered, his voice barely audible.

Lui sprang into action, her tiny body glowing with an intense, blue light. The salamander shot forward like a miniature arrow, striking the the monster with an incredible force.

The monster let out a deafening roar as Lui's venomous fangs sank deep into its flesh. The monster stumbled, its massive body crashing to the ground.

Finn and Tim watched in awe as Lui continued to attack the the monster, her tiny body a whirlwind of fury. Leo decided to join the fray, his ethereal fur glowing with an intense, blue light as he struck down a nearby winged monster.

With Lui and the Spirit Wolf fighting off the monsters, Finn and Tim made a break for the outskirts of the town. They stumbled through the ruins, desperate to escape the carnage.

As they fled, Finn glanced back, watching as his Salamander and his Spirit Wolf fought valiantly, their bond and determination inspiring Finn to keep moving forward.

As the night darkened, Finn and Tim finally reached the safety of the woods. Thanks to the bright full moon lighted up their way, they didn't have to bother about seeing. The dense foliage of the woods enveloped them, providing a sense of security and seclusion.

Finn gently set Tim down on a soft patch of grass, staring at him for moment."You need to rest."

Tim nodded weakly, his eyes scanning their surroundings. "This place looks safe... for now."

Lui, still glowing with a soft, blue light, crawled onto Tim's chest, her beady eyes watching over her injured friend. Leo stood guard, its eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger.

And as morning began to approach, Finn and Tim huddled together, their bodies exhausted but their spirits buoyed by their narrow escape. They knew that the road ahead would be fraught with danger, but for now, they had found a fleeting sense of peace.

-------

The sun was shining upon them from the east and the sound of approaching steps woke Finn up from sleep.

He opened his eyes instantly and saw a young girl staring at them. She had a blue hair, blue eyes and an innocent look.

"Who are you?" He asked and the girl moved away quickly as if scared.

"M-my name is Lily," she muttered.

Finn looked around, Leo had returned to his domain while Lui was hiding inside his pocket. "What are you doing here?" He asked Lily.

"G-gathering herbs," she stammered.

"Why do you to speak like that? It's not like I am going to hurt you," Finn mumbled and then someone chuckled as he approached them.

"It's because you are a stranger. She's just shy," the tall boy with similar features like Lily said to Finn. "My name is Ashan, Lily's twin brother."

"My name is Finn and this is Tim, my friend," Finn introduced themselves.

"W-what is wrong with him?" Lily asked, staring at Tim.

"He is sick but it's not something medicine can work," Finn replied with a sad expression on his face.

"Is he under a curse?" She asked.

"How did you know?" Finn was surprised that Lily knew that Tim was suffering from a curse.

"Because she's a healer," Ashan replied. "My sister here treats all kinds of ailments."

"Really?" Finn breathed out. It's no wonder he felt a kind of calmness and pure air around her. She was nothing like the nurse back in the school... Talking about the school, a frown settled on his face as he tried to imagine what the school will be like now. He glanced back, to the route they had taken all the way to the woods.

"If you are worried about the school, you can go take a look," Ashan, noticing him said to him. "I heard help arrived before the entire school was wiped out."

Hearing this, Finn sighed. "No. It's enough that the school wasn't completely wiped out. I and my friend can't return."

"Oh," Ashan sighed.

"Is there a way you can heal my friend and remove his curse?" Finn asked Lily.

"Yes, but it will take months for him to be completely healed," she replied.

Relieve washed over Finn like spring. Finally, his friend was going to get healed, this was good news to him.

"Is there anything you would like me to do for you? Tell me and I'll gladly do it," he said to the girl.

"My sister doesn't need anything from you. She's the reason why we are here in the first place," Ashan replied.

"Huh? Why?" Finn asked.

"Because, she likes—"

"Brother!" Lily yelled, her face turning red.

"Sorry, sis," Ashan apologized while covering his mouth with his hand to prevent him from laughing too much.

Even without being told, Finn had already understood but he could not help but wonder how it happened. He glanced at the sleeping Tim who was unaware of what was happening and felt like giving him a slap.

'Look at you, you've found yourself a wife'

"We need to leave the woods now," Ashan said, it was a matter of urgency. He summoned his beast, a large silver bird with tail. "Get on!" He said to Finn who nodded and carried Tim with him. They all climbed on the bird's back and it flew away.

"Is there anything wrong?" Finn asked Ashan as they flew away.

"Yes, I need to empty my bowels," Ashan replied and Finn was short of words.

"Brother..." Lily could not help but be embarrassed by her brother. If it were just the two of them, she wouldn't mind it but now that they had companies, she could not help but want to hide her face way in shame.

Ashan chuckled, he loved seeing his sister's face turning red every once in a while.

"That's a lie!" Finn suddenly said while looking down at the woods. Everyone turned their attention to the ground beneath them and saw the same monsters that had destroyed the town. They were all over the place, destroying everything. "How did you know?" Finn turned and asked Ashan.

"Well, I didn't even know they were coming. I just followed my instincts, that's all," Ashan replied and smiled faintly. 'I didn't expect them to be this much, damn it'

"Still..." Finn muttered. "Thank you for saving us."