Adam followed Sarah into the apartment. The inside was cramped but livable—a small kitchen and living room combined into one, a single bedroom, and a tiny bathroom. Everything looked a little worn down, but clean enough.
Sarah set her groceries down on the table, filled a glass of water, and carried it into the bedroom.
Adam followed and spotted a young man lying weakly on the bed, drenched in sweat. He gives off a scholarly vibe, with a bright curly auburn hair.
"Thanks for the medicine," the young man rasped. "I don't think I have anything left to vomit."
He gulped down the pills and chased them with water. Then, noticing Adam, he frowned.
"Huh? Who's that?"
Adam raised a hand in a casual greeting, but Sarah answered first.
"Adam. He's the guy who saved me last night."
She gave Adam a brief glance before disappearing into the kitchen, muttering something about preparing food.
Adam and the bedridden man stared at each other awkwardly.
"Heya," the guy finally said. "I'm Ben. Sarah's cousin. Thanks for saving her. Honestly, if she hadn't bumped into me, I probably would've died this morning."
"This morning?" Adam asked, confused. "I thought the MallMart attack happened in the afternoon?"
Ben waved a hand wearily. "Oh no, different thing. I met Sarah earlier today. I was on my way to the city library when I got attacked by these rabid dogs. I'm terrified of blood, man—barely kept it together. Did Sarah tell you that?"
"No," Adam said. "I saw it on the news. I knew about Sarah's powers, though. I take it you're the sword guy?"
"Yeah, that's me." Ben chuckled weakly, then winced as he shifted in bed. "Anyway, Sarah showed up outta nowhere and boom—she exploded right in front of me! Thought I was dead for sure. Didn't even recognize her at first."
He leaned back against the pillow, sighing.
"Her family's been looking for her, you know. I had no clue she was even in the city. She's been missing for, like, a month—"
Before he could finish, Sarah stormed back into the room, carrying plates of food.
"Ben," she said in a dangerously sweet voice, "if you keep running your mouth, I'm breaking your legs."
Ben froze mid-sentence, glancing desperately at Adam, who just stared back, confused.
Sarah grabbed Ben by the ear and twisted it sharply.
"Ow! Ow! Ow!" he yelped.
"Learn to keep your mouth shut," she growled.
Adam stood awkwardly to the side, unsure whether to laugh or back out of the room.
After a moment, he cleared his throat. "That reminds me... What actually happened at MallMart? If you don't mind telling me?"
Sarah and Ben exchanged uncomfortable looks.
Finally, Ben sighed.
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Ben and Sarah had just finished picking out new clothes for her. Ben glanced at Sarah with a worried expression as they walked toward the checkout.
"Are you really not going back home?" he asked. "I mean... I get it, your parents suck, but Ma's been worried. She thought you got into some serious trouble."
"Tell Auntie I'm fine," Sarah said, not slowing down. "I can take care of myself."
"...You say that, but you stank when I first saw you," Ben muttered.
Sarah shot him a death glare that froze him mid-step.
"I'll pay you back. For the clothes. And the bath," she said flatly.
Ben held up his hands in surrender. "It's fine! Just think of it as Ma's gift. Besides, with everything going on these days, I don't think school life's gonna stay peaceful much longer."
Sarah grunted in response.
"Oh, right!" Ben said, perking up. "I'm applying to the same course as you. Maybe you can tutor me or something. I'll pay you! And I won't tell Ma you're here."
Sarah's expression softened slightly. "Thanks, Ben."
"C'mon," Ben said with a grin. "We're family, after a—"
Suddenly, the sharp sound of screams echoed from deeper inside the mall.
Ben's words died in his throat. He and Sarah locked eyes for a split second—and then they ran toward the commotion.
Ben and Sarah stumbled upon the chaos—a towering metallic golem rampaging through the mall, scattering bodies in its wake. Blood stained the tiled floors, and Ben's face twisted in fear as he saw the carnage.
Sarah's eyes locked onto a small figure trapped in one of the aisles, just behind the golem. A child—terrified, frozen in place.
If it notices the kid…
Sarah gritted her teeth, steeling herself.
"Ben," she said sharply, "how many swords can you summon? Can you pierce that thing?"
Ben trembled, swallowing hard. "Four... but I don't think I can kill that monster!"
"We're not killing it," Sarah said, voice tight with urgency. "I'll get close and hide around a corner. I need you to grab its attention. I'll hit it with an explosion when it charges. That should cripple it—and give the survivors a chance to escape."
"But Sarah, I don't think—"
"Stop moping and go!" she barked, already moving to flank the creature.
Ben gritted his teeth, heart pounding, and sprinted toward the metal behemoth.
"Hey, ugly!" he shouted while pointing at the metal golem, voice cracking. "Eat shit!"
Four ethereal swords blinked into existence, spinning and slicing through the air. They streaked toward the golem, slashing and stabbing into its metallic form. The creature stumbled under the assault, turning away from the civilians it was about to butcher.
Its hollow eyes locked onto Ben—and it charged.
Ben's courage broke and he bolted, barely keeping ahead of the thundering footsteps.
Halfway through its charge, Sarah darted out from cover.
Light flared around her.
BOOM!
The explosion rocked the mall, the shockwave blasting outward. The metallic golem was hurled backward, crashing into a wall with a deafening crunch. Half its torso was obliterated, and its limbs twitched uselessly, metal groaning and deformed.
In the smoking crater, Sarah collapsed to her knees, gasping for breath.
Ben skidded to her side and hauled her up. "C'mon! We have to move!"
Sarah shook her head clear, stumbling along with him. Together, they fled into the crowd of panicked survivors.
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Ben took another sip of water, grimacing. "We were lucky. The exit we used didn't have any cops. We just slipped out with the crowd."
Adam sat back, silent, connecting the dots in his mind. A creeping unease prickled at him. He frowned.
"There was no one... inside the golem?"
Both Ben and Sarah stiffened.
"I didn't see any blood," Sarah muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I... I didn't even think about it," Ben added slowly, his face draining of color.
A heavy silence settled between them, the weight of the unknown pressing down like a storm about to break.
To break the heavy atmosphere, Ben forced a smile and changed the subject. "Say, where have you been living this past month?" he asked Sarah.
Sarah scrunched up her face. "There's a cheap internet café with private rooms. I stayed there... until I ran out of money two days ago."
Ben frowned in concern. "... And where have you been sleeping since then?"
"Anywhere," Sarah replied flatly, her tone deadpan.
Ben sighed heavily. "You can stay here. I don't even use the couch in the living room. Ma paid extra for it when she made the lease deal with the landlord. I'm fine here in my room with just my laptop."
"...I'll think about it. Unless I find a job first," Sarah muttered.
"Man, you're so stubborn, you know that?" Ben said wearily, earning a sharp glare from her.
Adam, listening quietly, was struck by an idea.
A job...
"I run a bar," he said. "You can work there. There's also a spare room we rent out for guests—you could stay there too. Wait, you're not underage, are you? I don't need that kind of trouble."
Sarah looked up. "I'm turning twenty this year."
"Good," Adam said, nodding. "You can drop by the bar later. Here's the address." He quickly rattled it off, and Sarah gave a small nod.
"I wasn't planning to open today, but you can still come over. I'll teach you the ropes."
Sarah kept her head low but said, "...Thanks. I'll be there."
Adam gave her a casual wave and headed for the door. As he walked back to his apartment, his thoughts churned.
First, gather information. Understand what the hell's going on. Familiarize myself with my power. Keep the bar running as a front, business as usual.
The detective will probably visit again soon. I can talk to Sarah about what we should do when that happens.