The bus ride dragged on. The engine hummed beneath the floor while the streetlights outside passed by in long, golden streaks. Rudo, still wearing the sunglasses and hat Leo had given him, sat stiff and uneasy.
"How much longer until we get to our destination?" Rudo asked, glancing at the passengers.
"I'd say we've still got a long way to go," Leo said, eyes glued to the phone screen.
Rudo groaned. "I don't think I can stay here a minute longer with that guy on board."
"There's not much we can do until the bus stops," Leo replied, voice low.
Rudo adjusted his shades and sighed. "Got any snacks in that bag?"
Without looking up, Leo tossed him the bag. Rudo caught it and unzipped it, pulling out two Snickers bars and a bottle of water. He passed the bag back by nudging it with his foot. Leo caught it, but as he did, his stomach let out a deep growl that nearly made him wince.
Great. Now even my stomach's turning against me.
He tried to keep quiet, but the hunger clawed at him. Still, when he looked up, he instantly regretted it—Rudo had already unwrapped a candy bar and was biting into it with loud, exaggerated crunches.
Leo's gut twisted, not just from hunger but from something… else. A wave of nausea rolled up through him like his insides wanted to crawl out of his throat.
He clenched his jaw, turned his eyes away, and tried to focus on his phone again. The sounds of chewing filled his head, echoing louder and louder.
Please stop. Stop it. Please just—
He couldn't take it. He jammed the phone into his pocket and shoved the window open. Cold night air hit his face just before he leaned out and vomited. It splattered across the side of the bus and dripped onto the seats below.
"Leo?!" Rudo jumped from his seat, worry flashing in his eyes.
The entire bus turned to look at them.
"Come on, kid!" someone shouted.
"Great, now the bus is gonna smell like shit!" another groaned.
Leo groaned inwardly, gripping the seat. Perfect. Way to make a great impression.
The bus rolled on for a couple more minutes filled with complaints and muttered curses before the driver finally pulled over near a lighthouse overlooking the sea. The bus gave a tired hiss as it came to a halt.
The driver stood and turned, looking back at the passengers. "Alright folks, we'll be taking a short stop! Seems like someone got sick, so I need to clean things up. Step off the bus for a bit—once I handle this, we'll be back on the road."
Crap. I didn't mean for this to happen. I don't even know what triggered it.
"Leo, you okay?" Rudo asked, patting him on the back.
"I'm fine," Leo muttered, wiping his mouth. "Just felt a little sick, that's all."
As they got up to leave, Leo stopped beside the driver. "Hey, sorry about that. Let me clean it up—it's my fault."
The driver chuckled, shaking his head. "Nah, it's my job, and bus kid. Technically really the company's bus, but it's still my mess to handle. Go clean yourself up before we leave without you."
Leo nodded, guilt lingering in his chest. The night air outside was cold, carrying a faint scent of sea salt and gasoline.
As the two stepped off the bus, Rudo tapped Leo's shoulder. "I gotta hit the bathroom. You gonna be alright?"
"Yeah," Leo said. "Go ahead."
Rudo jogged off toward the lighthouse, leaving Leo standing under the flickering lights of the small rest stop. That's when Leo saw him — the same security guard from before. The one from the gate. The one Rudo swore was a monster.The man was leaning against a light post, half-hidden in shadow.
That's him… How did he lose his hand? Leo thought. Rudo couldn't have done that, could he? He didn't even have a weapon.
Leo kept his eyes low, pretending to check his phone as he watched the man from the corner of his vision. The guard seemed restless, rubbing his forehead before taking a small bottle from his pocket and swallowing a few pills.
Painkillers? Or something else?
Before Leo could think too deeply about it—
Bzzt!
The phone vibrated in his hand. He frowned and glanced down at the glowing notification.
[+25 points]
"What the hell does this mean?" he muttered under his breath.
"Yo! The bathroom's sooo sticky in there!" Rudo shouted as he came running back.
"It's a bathroom, Rudo. Of course it's gonna smell."
"I know, but you'd think public places would be more… accommodating! I'm not asking for much—just a bit of cherry blossom air freshener or something."
Leo sighed. "And you're living in fantasy land."
"Why can't I? You saw the day we had—at this point I deserve a fantasy."
Their light banter broke some of the tension, though Leo's mind remained elsewhere. The sea wind was getting colder, and something about the air around the lighthouse felt… heavy.
The bus driver poked his head out of the doors and waved for everyone to board again. Rudo started walking back, but Leo felt an uncomfortable pressure in his gut.
"Hold the bus for me," he said quickly. "I need to use the bathroom too."
Rudo gave a lazy salute. "Got it, don't fall in."
Leo jogged off toward the lighthouse.
Why the hell didn't I go when Rudo did? he thought irritably. Now that he brought it up, my bladder decided to join the rebellion too.
Inside, the lighthouse was worse than he expected. The hallways smelled of mildew and rust. The floor was coated in grime, and small bugs scattered as he stepped inside. Two doors sat ahead — one for men, one for women.
He entered the men's room, which looked even worse. The floor was a sticky brown, the trash can overflowing, and clumps of hair clogged the sink. The stalls had no doors.
"Classy," Leo muttered, moving to a urinal.
As he finished, the door creaked open behind him. A man wearing sunglasses and a striped shirt stepped in, closing the door slowly.
"Uh… ocupado," Leo said nervously.
The man stopped mid-step. His voice was calm at first. "It was you, wasn't it?"
Leo blinked. "What was me?"
"The vomiting incident." Veins started to pulse along the man's forehead.
"Yeah, I—"
The man slammed his hand against the wall beside Leo, making the tiles rattle. "Do you have any idea how screwed up my day has been!?"
Leo just stared. Oh, I'm sorry, you think you've had a bad day? he thought bitterly. I missed my bus, had a half goat-man for a teacher, almost got killed by a hydra,watched as my teacher sacrificed himself and now I'm babysitting a guy who thinks bathrooms should smell like cherry blossoms,all in one day may I remind you.
He raised his hands slightly. "Listen, I—"
"No, you listen!" the man barked. "I'm about to lose my job because of being late, and you just made it worse! So here's how this goes: you're not getting back on that bus. Got it?"
Leo blinked. That sounds like a you problem, buddy. At least you'll still be alive after you get fired.
Then—
Bzzt!
Another vibration from the phone. He pulled it out slowly, frowning at the glowing text.
[Threat detected]
[Clear condition: Escape from the upcoming threat.]
[Failure: Death.]
"What the hell does this even—"
"Are you even listening to me, you little shit!?" the man snapped, reaching for Leo's collar.
The door behind them creaked open again.
Both of them froze.
Standing in the doorway was the security guard from earlier. His eyes gleamed gold in the flickering light. The air around him thickened with that same, suffocating pressure Leo had felt before—something inhuman hiding under his skin.
The hook glinted.
Leo's breath caught in his throat.