Those lights flew over the entire dry field, circling every beast corpse they found. They were as beautiful as they were terrifying, so hypnotic that it was hard to look away.
Sofía grabbed my arm.
—Don’t look at them.
—What are they?
—I don’t know. Some say they’re creatures that wander at night. Others believe they’re souls. No one has managed to get close enough to find out… because those who tried never came back.
The lights drifted between the motionless bodies. Some descended until they touched the beasts’ skin; others floated above them, trembling like tiny moons trapped in the air. Every time one settled on a body, the corpse seemed to shudder.
A chill ran down my spine.
—But they’re eating the beasts —I whispered.
—No. —Sofía tightened her grip on my arm—. That would be better.
Before I could ask what she meant, a scream tore across the field.
Tommy, who had been assessing the damage and searching for survivors, had found something among the remains. We ran toward him, dodging rocks, dried blood, and fragments of the creatures that had attacked the camp.
—There’s someone here! —he shouted.
He knelt beside one of the fallen beasts and carefully moved aside a hardened slab of flesh. Beneath it was a boy. He was covered in dust and had a deep wound in his chest, but he was still breathing.
Tommy grabbed him by the shoulders.
—Can you hear me? Hey, wake up!
The boy opened his eyes for barely an instant. His pupils reflected the lights floating above us.
Then he smiled.
It wasn’t a smile of relief. It was a calm smile, as if he had been waiting for that moment.
—They’re coming —he murmured.
Tommy frowned.
—Who?
The boy raised a trembling hand and pointed at the sky.
All the lights stopped at the same time.
For a few seconds, the field became completely still. Not even the wind dared move the dry grass. Then, one by one, the lights began turning in our direction.
Sofía went pale.
—We have to go.
—Tommy, we can’t leave him here —I said.
—I’m not leaving him. —He lifted the injured boy into his arms—. But if those things are coming for him, we’ll have to move fast.
The boy opened his eyes again. This time, he looked directly at me.
—Don’t worry about me. I’ll be better off —he whispered—. At last, I’ll escape this hell.
Tommy froze.
Then he understood that he couldn’t interfere with a dying man’s wish. He gently laid him on the ground and knelt beside him.
—I’ve known you for several months, Gabriel —he said—. You always fought to find food for everyone in this fortress. The least I can do is grant your wish. I hope you find peace.
He clasped Gabriel’s hand, as if neither of them wanted to say goodbye. Tommy stood and, without looking back, said to us:
—Let’s go. There are still a lot of people who need help.
Sofía smiled at Gabriel.
—You were right. Coffee tastes awful, but its aroma makes you feel like you’re in another place. Safe travels.
I only looked at him before turning away. I didn’t know what to say. Gabriel remained there, a smile on his lips and tears in his eyes, ready to face whatever was about to happen next on his own.
We moved quickly, before the light descended upon our fallen companion. We didn’t stay to watch what happened. We kept moving through the fortress’s rubble, gathering the survivors we found along the way.
First, we found a couple of women. Then, a group of six people. Tommy began giving orders, and little by little, we became a rescue team. Many were trapped beneath the rubble; others remained hidden, too terrified to come out.
There were almost twenty of us when, after a while, another man arrived with seven adults and eight children. They came from the underground passage area where we had hidden. They had managed to get the children out of the room where they had been hiding.
In the end, the group grew to nearly fifty people—men, women, and children. Even so, about fifteen were still missing.
We took shelter in what had once been a house, now reduced to a pile of crumbling walls. Some lay down on the ground; others took up positions at the windows and holes in the walls to watch and make sure the lights didn’t come too close.
We lit makeshift fires and huddled around them to fight the cold. For a long while, no one dared speak. The only sounds were the children’s muffled sobs, the crackling wood, and, in the distance, the murmur of those lights.
At last, they finished inspecting the field. They floated among the corpses, glided over the remains of the beasts, and then began to move away, one after another.
They never came near us.
That should have reassured me.
But as I watched the last light disappear behind the ruins, I wondered what had become of Gabriel. The warmth of the fire no longer reached me.
Sofía, Tommy, and most of the survivors exchanged glances. I understood then that they were all anxiously waiting for dawn so they could examine Gabriel’s body and find out whether there was any clue. Perhaps, deep down, they were all thinking the same thing: that when he died, he might have returned to his former life, before he came to this place.
Suddenly, I remembered that the guardian was lying in a room, vulnerable to anyone’s curious gaze. However, no one dared approach.
A man broke the silence.
—Tomorrow, we should bury the dead. If we leave them here, they might attract something else. We also need to search for our companions’ remains.
A woman raised her hand.
—I’ll take care of sealing the room where the guardian is. I’ll only need ten volunteers.
—I’ll check the supplies with anyone who wants to come with me —another young woman added—. We’ll salvage everything that might be useful.
Tommy listened to the suggestions and nodded.
—The rest of us will reinforce the collapsed walls. It’ll take time, so when you finish those tasks, join us so we can work faster. Then we’ll decide where we’ll stay, because the great hall is occupied.
Everyone agreed.
Since Sofía had a natural gift for protecting others, she took charge of the children. She grabbed my arm and asked Tommy to leave me with her to help. He agreed and, taking advantage of the fact that we were all gathered, introduced me.
—Attention, everyone. This is Abigail, the newest member of our community. She arrived today, just before the beasts attacked. Treat her well. Remember how you felt on your first day in this world.
Everyone welcomed me, but the murmuring died down almost immediately. Sofía spoke firmly:
—Try to get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day, and there are still a couple of hours until dawn.
In the morning, I woke up almost at noon. I was surrounded by children. Sofía was telling them stories, and watching them laugh made me feel as if something inside me had grown lighter.
—Well, look who finally woke up —Sofía said cheerfully.
The children laughed.
I blushed and apologized.
On a small table with one short leg sat a cup of lukewarm coffee and a piece of somewhat stale bread.
—It’s your breakfast, Abigail. In a little while, we’ll head to the wall to see how we can help.
I nodded, still chewing on the bread.
—Any news about Gabriel? —I asked.
Sofía lowered her gaze before answering.
—We’ll have all the information tonight, when we’re gathered together.
I didn’t ask anything else. But as I finished my coffee, I realized that none of us was truly waiting for sunset.
I still don’t understand whether we’re safe during the day or if we can simply see what’s attacking us more clearly.