A lucky break? Perhaps. Only the sound of their breaths was heard inside the confinement of the elevator. Neither talk with one another but Jason’s hand was still grabbing on to Maria’s arm. Staring at the sight for a quite a while, he wondered why he wasn’t feeling repulsive about holding hands with someone like her. The grip turned loose and he let go. Maria was silent like a doll. Her hair draped over her face blocking Jason’s view.

 

Shit, what do I do now?

 

He was supposed to get a car and right now he was just returning back to the starting point. The image of that quadruped reptilian was still fresh in his mind. Comparing the goblin he fought with these creatures was like comparing an ant with an elephant.

 

How the hell am I going to defeat those things?

 

A question that he desperately needed an answer.

 

I need my sword.

 

It took him a while and he remembered. He pressed the button to the 38th floor. He took a peek at Maria who was still sitting on the elevator floor with silence prevailing the whole situation. Taking out his phone, he tried to see whether he could make a call. He didn’t pay much mind to Maria since a while ago she seems pretty okay to him.

 

There’s no line. Go figure, I’m still in the elevator.

 

His line of sight brought him to the Glock in Maria’s hand. Jason didn’t expect her wielding a gun around. In his memories, he didn’t remember whether she was a pro-gun or not. Although she did have a dream of being in the police force.

 

It might be a way to fulfill a small part of her dream of being a cop. What am I thinking? That doesn’t make sense at all. She might bring it along for safety purposes. I did read about the increasing crime rate in the city.

 

“Mmmm...” a groan coming from Maria.

 

“Hey, are you okay?” he asked.

 

But there was no response. His hand stroked her hair to the side revealing Maria’s face. Her eyes were closed and blood still trickling down from the side of her forehead.

 

“Maria, listen to me,” he held her face with both of his hands, “You got to open your eyes, you need to stay awake.”

 

The back of his hand touched her forehead. It wasn’t hot nor cold. To be frank, he didn’t have a medical background to even deduce anything.

 

“I can’t feel anything,” Jason was clueless.

 

Gently, he massaged her face while he kept talking to her.

 

“Wake up Maria, wake up,” he said.

 

“Jason,” her voice came back.

 

Her eyes slowly opened, still hazy as if she just woke up from her sleep. She felt the warmth of Jason’s two hands, surprised seeing him doing so. A dream perhaps? Thought the lady with the gun.

 

DING...

 

“Get up, we’re here,” he helped her up and walked out of the elevator.

 

“Where are we?” she asked.

 

“38th floor,” said Jason.

 

“Why here? Wait, we need to get help Jason, I need to call backup,” her confident tone returned once more, shaking her head from the haziness of her head.

 

“To get something,” standing in front of the hotel room. He rummaged through his pocket searching for the card key.

 

It’s with Gina.

 

But time was of the essence.

 

“Maria, lend me your gun,” asked Jason.

 

Maria’s eyes narrowed by the sudden request. She knew better about guns more so in a dire situation like this. Holding on to one was a lot better than giving it to someone else.

 

“Why?” she asked.

 

Jason wasn’t a dunce, he noticed straight away.

 

“Then help me open this door, shoot it near the doorknob,” rather than taking it from her, he asked for her help.

 

She noticed it a bit too late, misunderstanding about Jason’s intention. Guilt was pasted on her face.

 

“Jason, I...” She didn’t know what to say, she was quick to distrust him. Him, of all people.

 

“Maria, a little help here,” Jason snapped her over her complicated thoughts.

 

He didn’t have time to indulge with petty thoughts at the moment. What he needed right now was a weapon to keep him safe. Shots were fired and the doorknob turned into a hole. Jason pushed the door opened and went to grab the elongated object on the bed. He unclothed it and revealed the sheathed katana.

 

A smile carved on Jason’s face. He didn’t know how he would fare against those reptilian with his katana but at least he had something. The blade left the scabbard as the cheap steel glistened in the eyes of Jason.

 

“A sword? Where did you get a sword?” asked the dumbfounded Maria.

 

He sheathed it back inside the scabbard satisfied after seeing his weapon.

 

“That doesn’t matter,” said Jason as he pointed at the edge of the bed, “sit down.”

 

“Why?” Maria asked.

 

“Just sit,” He grabbed her arm and dragged her down to bed.

 

She didn’t resist and sat there with a blank look. Jason left her alone and went to the bathroom. He came back with a few small towels in his hand along with a first aid kit.

 

“Lie down,” said Jason.

 

She still had that vacant look confuse about what Jason was doing. Yet she still did what she was told. Jason fiddled with her hair a bit, revealing her forehead. Taking the wet towel, he cleaned up the blood.

 

“Ouch,” Maria winced in pain.

 

Realizing she was hurt, she didn’t know how it happened.

 

“Wait, I’m hurt?” She saw the bloodstain on the wet towel, “am I bleeding?”

 

She started to get nervous seeing blood coming from her. Her hands couldn't keep still as she probed around her head trying to see where it hurt. But Jason swatted her hands at bay as he was cleaning the wound.

 

“Don’t move,” he said.

 

Maria pouted puffing her cheeks out. For a grown-up, she was acting like a child. Her act wasn’t left unnoticed by Jason, yet he kept silent and focus on the task at hand. Those emergency seminars he took on behalf of his parents was really becoming useful. At least he knew how to at least treat minor injuries. The cut on her forehead wasn’t big. He took an alcohol swab and warned her beforehand.

 

“It’s going to sting a bit,” said Jason.

 

“Eh?” before she can even ask, she winced as it stung quite a bit.

 

The alcohol swab swiped over the small cut. After making sure it was clean, he bandaged it up.

 

“Are you sure this is how you supposed to do it?” asked Maria in doubt.

 

His bandaging skill was a bit lackluster seeing how messy it made Maria look but at least he got the job done.

 

“Yeah, at least it stops the bleeding,” he packed the first aid kit and prepared to go out.

 

“Where did you find a first aid kit?” asked Maria with her hand kept touching the bandage on her forehead.

 

“Don’t you know? Every hotel room has one, it’s kind of like a law,” he replied.

 

“and how do you know that?” Maria remained skeptical.

 

“Don’t everyone know that?” he asked her back.

 

Her eyes narrowed, still doubtful about that fact.

 

“Where’re you going?” she asked.

 

“I need to go check up on Gina, as well as the others,” he replied.

 

“I’m coming along,” she got up with resolute looking eyes.

 

Jason stared at her for a while, unsure of what he was feeling. It was complicated but seeing the situation was rather chaotic at the moment, he decided it would be best to stick together.

 

“Go change your clothes, there’s a bunch of new clothes in those shopping bags. Wear whatever you like,” her clothes were all bloody and rather unsuitable attire for a doomsday situation, it made sense to let her changed clothes.

 

“I’ll be waiting outside,” he left the room leaving Maria alone.

 

He waited outside with eyes darting around the corridor. It was silent yet he could hear a faint chaotic sound coming from outside of the hotel. Five minutes passed, then it was ten minutes. Maria was still inside the room, Jason was getting impatient with his finger kept on tapping the hilt of his katana.

 

He didn’t bother asking the woman inside as he walked towards the end of the corridor. Standing in front of the glass wall, the scene in his eyes felt surreal. It was night yet the street was like bright as day. Raging flames and black smoke were scattered across the city.

 

Buildings and cars were burning. People were running around the streets chased by creatures beyond their wildest imagination. Jason couldn’t see it well from above but at least he knew that they, the humans are now the prey. He waited and watched from above, waiting for time to pass. Slowly, he was becoming out of tune with the world itself. Drowning in the chaotic sounds of the city being ravaged. Then the sound of a door opened.

 

“Jason?” a voice familiar to his ears.

 

“Here,” he said, walking back to the room. Looking at his watch, he only shook his head.

 

Typical of a woman, even during an invasion they still took way too much time changing clothes.

 

A comment best kept inside. He waited thirty minutes and it was enough to irritate him.

 

“Let’s go,” said Jason.

 

“By the way, whose clothes is this? and these sports shoes I took it from the suitcase, I hope you won’t mind. Running in heels is a bit of a pain right now,” Maria said.

 

“It’s Gina’s, come on we’re running out of time,” Jason walked over towards the elevator.

 

Maria stood beside him while eyeing him from time to time.

 

“So she’s your girlfriend?” a sudden question.

 

“Huh?” a confused look appeared on his face with both his brows drawing together.

 

“She’s your girlfriend?” she asked him again.

 

“Who?” still oblivious to who Maria was referring to.

 

“Gina,” she said with her body leaning towards Jason.

 

“She’s my cousin,” he replied.

 

“Oh,” she dragged her voice with Jason not knowing what she was thinking about.

 

DING...

 

The elevator was just in time, yet the moment it opened. A strong smell attacked his nostrils as he backed away in disgust.

 

“This is...” Maria lost her words as she couldn’t say any words regarding the blood and gore within the elevator.

 

Even the most horrifying thing she saw in her line of work never reached up to this level.

 

“Let’s take the stairs,” said Jason.

 

Reaching the staircase, compared to before it was pretty lax. Only a few people were running up and down the stairs. Minding their own business. After a while, they reached the 50th floor, the event hall floor. Stepping inside the lobby, he heard something.

 

“Kyaaa,” a woman’s voice.

 

He came closer with wary steps.

 

“What are you doing? We need to help them,” said Maria. For some reason, justice was flowing from inside of her.

 

“Shh,” he shut her down with a simple gesture to his lips.

 

Both of his hands grasped tightly on the katana. He was ready for action. Yet the sound of a woman crying filled the lobby. It sounds familiar to Jason.

 

Soon the elevator entered his view. He saw someone sitting on the floor in front of an open elevator. Jason noticed the reddish color from the elevator wall and knew what had happened. He relaxed and walked over. Noticing the dress of that person, Jason called out to the person sitting on the floor.

 

“Eugene,” he called.

 

The person sitting on the floor turned her head around. Eyes were red with tears trailing down her cheeks. Eugene definitely had a difficult time.

 

“Oppa,” she stood up and rushed at Jason.

 

With her arms opened wide, she hugged him. She cried letting out her frustration while hugging this ‘Oppa’ of hers. Jason wasn't used to this, but he let it be since he knew that she must have gone through a lot. He hugged her while patting her back. On the other hand, a woman had a sullen look with her hands on her hips, staring at the sight of these two people.

 

“Where're your parents?” Jason asked.

 

“Mom’s fine, but dad sprained his ankle,” her eyes started to turn teary. “Oppa, I can’t find Emily.”

 

She started to cry once more, leaving Jason dumbfounded. He really didn’t know how to handle this sort of situation.

 

“It’s fine, let’s go treat your dad first,” he didn’t ask about why she was at the elevator. It must have been to search for her younger sister, Emily.

 

Jason and Eugene walked a few steps together and he stopped. Glancing backward at Maria, he said.

 

“Cousin,” no need for an explanation just a simple fact. It caught Maria off guard as she didn’t know how to react to that. But then loud screams were heard not far from where they stood.

 

A few people rushed out of the event hall. Jason recognized a few of them and they definitely came from their event hall.

 

“Oppa,” Eugene started to panicked seeing the sudden event. She ran, worried about her parents.

 

Jason and Maria followed her from the back. The moment they reached the door both Maria and Jason were shocked. A creature was dragging a body towards the broken glass wall. Jason's eyes narrowed focusing at the body and in an instant, he knew who it was.

 

“Gina!”