Chapter 9: Road to Ruin
A warm ray of sunlight crept through the dusty van window, spilling across Ethan's face like a soft hand nudging him awake. He stirred, blinking groggily as the sound of the engine hummed beneath him.
Beside him, Nolan sat cross-legged, munching quietly on a protein bar. "Morning, sleepyhead," he said with a grin. "You've been out for like… five hours. Almost afternoon now."
Ethan rubbed his eyes and sat up straighter. "Damn. That long?"
From the driver's seat, Lira glanced back, stretching her shoulder with a wince. "Can you take over for a bit, Ethan? My back's killing me."
"Sure," he said, climbing up front and gently taking the wheel. Nolan hopped into the passenger seat beside him.
The cracked highway stretched endlessly ahead, flanked by golden fields of dead grass swaying in the breeze. The silence outside was haunting—so still that even distant birdsong from the forest beyond echoed like whispers.
"So," Nolan leaned back, glancing at Ethan with a smirk. "What should I call you, mister mysterious driver?"
Ethan laughed. "Call me whatever you want, brother. Ethan, weirdo, apocalypse chauffeur... take your pick."
Nolan chuckled. "Alright, 'bro' it is."
Ethan mock-bowed behind the wheel. "My pleasure, little dude."
Nolan pointed to the blue-tinted glasses perched on Ethan's nose. "Those gamer specs just for fashion, or is there a tragic backstory?"
"Not tragic," Ethan said with a smirk. "Just... nostalgic. I used to be a hardcore gamer when I was a kid."
Nolan gasped. "No way! Were you an otaku too?"
Before Ethan could answer, Lira cut in sharply, "Nolan! Don't be rude."
"It's fine," Ethan said, chuckling. "He's not wrong." He looked at Nolan with mock suspicion. "But... how'd you guess?"
Nolan grinned, shrugging. "Just a hunch. You've got that ex-anime-protagonist vibe."
"Fair enough," Ethan said, shaking his head with a laugh.
"Alright, enough chit-chat," Lira ordered, though her tone was softer than usual. "Eyes on the road."
"Aye aye, captain," Ethan and Nolan said in unison, saluting dramatically.
Lira blinked in surprise, a faint blush touching her cheeks. For a moment, her mind wandered—back to a time when she wore a uniform and that title meant something. Captain. It had once been more than a joke.
Shaking the memory off, she cleared her throat. "So... what did your 'Astraeus' say to you, Ethan?"
Ethan's smile faded slightly. He kept his eyes on the road. "He told me a few things. Not everything, but enough to scare me. Said the SCP breach is linked to something called the Gate—where all the anomalies are flooding from. And to stop it, we'll have to kill... whatever's guarding it."
Lira's brow furrowed. "So a slaughter mission? Typical. And this Astraeus... what is he? Human? Monster? A god?"
"I asked," Ethan said. "He dodged it. Said 'time will tell.' Real cryptic."
"Figures."
Suddenly, Nolan leaned forward, squinting at the dashboard. "Bro, we've got a problem. Fuel's running low. Those Walmart cans weren't enough—we'll be dry in a few miles."
"Shit," Ethan muttered, tapping the gauge. It hovered near empty.
Lira stiffened. "Check the map for a nearby station."
Nolan pulled out a crumpled road map, his finger tracing the highway. "There's one about a mile ahead. If we're lucky, it hasn't been looted."
The van rumbled down the broken road, tires crunching over fractured asphalt. Rusted, abandoned cars dotted the way, many with shattered windshields and bloodstains dried like ink. A few still held their unfortunate owners—skeletons slumped behind the wheel, faces forever turned toward the sky.
Despite the grim sights, the day was strangely beautiful. The sky was a soft blue, cloudless, with gulls soaring above in slow, lazy spirals. The wind that drifted through the open windows was warm and smelled faintly of pine and old gasoline.
"Good job, navigator," Ethan said, ruffling Nolan's hair.
Nolan puffed up proudly. "Thanks, bro."
"I'm gonna catch a nap," Lira mumbled. "Wake me when we get there."
Nolan nodded. "Sweet dreams, sis."
But her dreams were anything but sweet.
--
The screaming came first—raw, guttural, and wet.
Lira was back in the ruins of her squad's outpost, surrounded by smoke and fire. Her teammates were falling one by one, shredded by something that moved like a shadow. Long, sinewy arms lashed out from the dark, tipped with fan-like blades that sliced through armor like paper.
She turned—and saw him.
The squad captain.
Bleeding, coughing, using his body to shield her.
"You have to protect your brother, Lira!" he choked, blood pouring from his lips. "Go!"
"No—NO!" she screamed, grabbing at him. "Don't—don't die—!"
But he shoved her back with the last of his strength. The shadow descended. And then—
Silence.
Lira gasped awake, her body slick with sweat. She looked up into concerned faces.
"Hey," Nolan said, touching her arm gently. "Sis... you're crying."
She blinked, then quickly wiped her face. "Just... a dream. It's nothing. Don't worry."
Ethan's voice cut in sharply. "Cops, gear up. We're here."
---
The van rolled to a stop in front of a derelict gas station, its windows shattered, its sign hanging by a single rusted bolt. Tall weeds had grown through the cracked pavement. The place was silent—too silent.
Ethan grabbed his rifle from behind the seat, checking the chamber with a soft click. Lira clipped her holster around her waist and took a deep breath. Nolan picked up his short blade and tucked it tight under his arm.
They stepped out together, eyes scanning the shadows. The air was still, like the world itself was holding its breath.
"We'll sweep the storeroom first," Ethan said. "Maybe we'll get lucky. Then we top off the tank and get the hell out."
They moved forward, boots crunching gravel, From the ridge above, a flock of crows were watching them very intensely.
Silent.
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To be continued...
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[ brothers pls let me know where i can improve the story and discord server link in my bios]