As organized resistance against the beasts failed, authority rapidly dissolved. With no means of coordination and no safe lines of communication, governments collapsed alongside the nations they once governed.
Survival became the only priority. Across the world, civilians and remnants of military forces alike abandoned the surface, retreating into underground shelters, caves, and sealed facilities wherever refuge could be found.
-Varyn Ignivar,A General History of Rifts
----------
The city was a ghost town.
That didn't surprise Cas. One glance at the ruins was all it took for him to know that anyone who had once lived here was long gone. The amount of dirt that covered the lower halves of a majority of the structures was enough to prove that.
He wasn't sure how long it took for nature to swallow a five–story building, but he guessed it had to be at least a hundred years.
He and Max walked carefully through the ruins, making sure not to trip over the scattered concrete or impale themselves on exposed steel rods.
Whenever they came across a building that looked structurally safe to enter–as safe as a ruined building could be–they climbed inside and searched for anything useful.
So far, they had found nothing of any real value.
A few rusted tools. Fabric that crumbled as soon as either of them laid their hands on it. Scrap metal.
It seemed anything that might have once been useful had either been claimed by nature or possibly looted long ago.
They did manage to find some old newspapers in a half-buried wooden chest tucked into the corner of one of the buildings, though most of the pages had fused together, and the words were extremely faded.
Still, Cas thought he could make out a few of them.
Warning. Beasts. Evacuation.
"Beasts?" he murmured. "What the hell happened here?"
"What about beasts?" Max asked, looking over his shoulder to get a look at the newspaper Cas was holding.
Cas tilted the page in his direction so he could see and pointed at one of the words. "Look here."
Max squinted, leaning in closer to try to get a better look at the faded ink. "That say... warning?"
"Yep," Cas affirmed, then shifted his finger to the middle of the page where the second word he could make out was. "And this says beasts, I think."
"And that last one, near the bottom of the page, says... evacuation?" Max asked.
Cas nodded. "Yeah."
Max leaned back and scratched the back of his head. "Huh," he said. "That's not good."
"Definitely not," Cas agreed.
For a moment, neither of them said anything, both lost in thought.
"You think it's talking about animals or something?" Max asked. "Maybe a stampede?"
Cas pondered momentarily. "I doubt it," he said. "You don't evacuate an entire city over animals."
Max hesitated, glancing back at the newspaper. "Then what do you think it was?"
Cas shook his head. "No idea." He looked out over the ruins. "But whatever it was… it emptied this place for good."
Max, following his gaze, nodded solemnly. "Let's keep moving."
They left the building and stepped back out into the street–or at least where they assumed a street once was, as dirt and debris had long since buried it.
Cas scanned their surroundings. The city stretched vastly in every direction.
After a moment, he picked a direction and started walking.
They moved from building to building, checking anything that looked even remotely intact. Most of what they found was useless–containers long since cracked open, shelves picked clean, anything that might have once held supplies was either destroyed or empty.
As time passed and the sun began to set, the boys started to tire.
Max let out an exhausted breath. "This place is a bust," he muttered.
Cas didn't need to respond.
He stared at the next building with contempt, its half-collapsed frame barely holding together, much like the others they had already searched.
Noticing the expression on his friend's face, Max let out a sigh. "Last one," he said. "Then we call it and find somewhere to rest before it gets dark."
Cas nodded. "Yeah."
They stepped inside.
The building must have once been some kind of storage space, Cas figured. Collapsed heavy-duty shelves were scattered throughout the room, and broken crates lay split open across the floor.
Cas stepped over a fallen beam and surveyed the room. Much like the other buildings they had scoured, he didn't expect their search here to yield anything of value.
He was already turning away when something caught his eye.
Tucked beneath one of the collapsed shelves on the side of the room was a small cylindrical object.
He ran over, careful to avoid debris, and dropped to a crouch beside the collapsed shelf.
"What is it?" Max shouted from across the room.
Cas didn't answer right away.
Pushing aside the fallen shelf, he grabbed the object, which he could now see was metal.
As he pulled it free, his eyes widened.
A canteen.
One that clearly wasn't empty. He could feel the liquid inside shift as he lifted it.
Max, who had now crossed the room to see what Cas had found, stared at the canteen in disbelief. "Water?"
"Don't know yet," he said, unscrewing the cap to check inside. Hopefully, it was actually water and not some other useless liquid.
He removed the cap and tilted the canteen towards the dim light from where they had entered to take a better look.
For a moment, he just stared inside.
"Well, what is it?" Max asked, unable to hide the anticipation in his voice.
Cas couldn't keep the smile from forming as he let out a sigh of relief. He held the canteen out for Max to see. "It's water."
It wasn't much, but it was enough.
Taking the canteen from Cas, Max glanced inside before bringing it to his lips. He hesitated for a brief moment, then took a careful sip.
He grinned.
"It's good," he said, holding it back out for Cas to take. "Here."
Cas took the canteen back, lifting it to his lips and taking a small sip of his own before resealing it.
"Alright, this should last us a couple of days if we drink sparingly," Cas said, tightening the cap. The last thing he wanted was to spill their lifeline everywhere.
Max nodded. "We should find a place to crash before it gets too dark."
Cas nodded. "Yeah."
They stepped back outside, the dimming light casting the long shadows of the buildings across the ground.
After checking a few of the adjacent buildings, they managed to find a building that seemed to have once had a small sitting area.
Inside, two worn couches sat against opposite walls, their fabric faded and torn but still intact enough to use.
Max didn't waste any time. He dropped onto one of the couches, lying back, and let out a satisfied groan. "Man, you don't know how good it feels to finally lie down."
Feeling the soreness in his own legs, Cas collapsed on the couch across from him, letting his head fall back as he stared up at the ceiling.
The room was absolutely littered with dust, but at this point, Cas didn't really mind. He just hoped the walls wouldn't collapse on them in the middle of the night.
"You think one of us should keep watch?" Max asked. "I'm a little on edge after reading that newspaper earlier."
Cas kept his eyes on the ceiling. "Yeah, probably," he said. "Better to be safe than sorry."
"Okay, good," Max said, sounding relieved. "You want first watch or second?"
Cas glanced out of the partially collapsed doorway to where the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon.
"I'll take first," he said.
Max nodded. "Alright, cool. Wake me up in a few hours. Don't wait too long, though; you need some rest, too."
"Trust me, I will," Cas laughed. He was completely exhausted after everything they had been through that day. He hadn't had a decent night's rest since before he got here.
"Alright, cool," Max said as he shifted on the couch. He put one arm under his head and closed his eyes. "Wake me if you see or hear anything."
"I will," Cas said.
Within a couple of minutes, Cas could hear that Max's breathing had evened out, so he walked to the doorway and sat down, propping himself against the wall.
He stared out at the ruined city as he organized his thoughts. He was a little nervous, but at least this was the most secure place they'd slept since arriving.
While he watched, he almost expected something to happen.
But the same eerie silence that had filled the forest stretched on here.
Time passed.
He didn't know how long it'd been since he started watching when he felt a hand rest on his shoulder.
Cas turned slightly, immediately alert.
Max stood over him, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Cas hadn't even heard him get up in his own exhaustion.
"I've got it," Max said quietly. "Get some rest."
Cas nodded sleepily and pushed himself to his feet before making his way back to the couch, collapsing onto it.
The second his eyes closed, he was asleep.
----------
Cas awoke to a hand urgently shaking him awake.
"What…?" he started to say groggily, but a hand covered his mouth, followed by a sharp shush.
Cas stilled as his vision focused. He saw Max crouched above him, his eyes trained on the doorway.
Slowly, Max pulled his hand away. "I heard something," he whispered.
Cas listened carefully.
For a few seconds, there was nothing.
Then he heard it.
A loud, familiar roar in the distance.
Cas froze. "You think that's the same thing that we heard in the forest?" he asked quietly.
Another roar echoed through the city before Max could respond. This one closer.
"I think so," Max whispered. "And I'm starting to think it's not a bear."
Cas let out a slow breath, his eyes fixed on the doorway.
Another roar resonated through the city.
Then another, but this one coming from the direction behind them.
Then another from their left.
"There are multiple of them?" Max hissed.
Cas's chest tightened.
As the roars grew closer, Cas began to pick out more detail in the sound.
It wasn't just a roar. There was a sharp, shrieking edge to it.
Soon, the city was filled with shrieks coming from every direction. The sounds overlapped, echoing off the ruined buildings.
His pulse quickened, a cold dread settling in his stomach.
Max's voice cut through the noise, snapping Cas out of his stupor. "We need to move."
Cas nodded immediately.
They backed away from the doorway, careful not to knock anything over or disturb any of the debris on the floor.
Another shriek echoed outside, far closer than before.
Too close.
Cas's eyes darted around the room before landing on the stairway in the far corner of the room.
"There," he whispered.
Max followed his gaze and quickly nodded.
They moved as quickly as they could without making a sound across the room. When they reached the stairs, they didn't hesitate. Max took the lead, slipping into the stairwell, with Cas right behind him. The space was narrow and dark.
Another shriek echoed through the building, louder than before, causing Max to pick up his pace. Cas followed close behind, keeping his steps light as they continued upward.
A few times, Max suddenly stopped, narrowly avoiding sections where the stairs had partially collapsed.
Each time, Cas nearly ran into him, having to catch himself at the last second.
They kept climbing until, a few stories up–at least seven or eight above ground level–the staircase gave way to a partially collapsed floor. Max pulled himself up first, gripping the edge and testing his weight before turning to help Cas up beside him.
From there, they were able to see out over the city through a couple of open windows.
Cas moved closer, careful with his footing so he wouldn't fall to his death as he looked down at the ground below.
After a couple of seconds of careful scanning, he saw a dark shape dart between two collapsed buildings, disappearing almost as quickly as it appeared.
Cas narrowed his eyes, trying to follow it, but it was gone.
Another shriek echoed through the city, and his eyes darted in the direction it came from.
Something crossed the street below, slipping through the rubble and vanishing behind a pile of concrete.
Max stepped beside him. "You see that?"
Cas nodded. "Yeah."
Now that he knew what to look for, it was easier to spot them.
Another shape moved between two buildings. Then another, farther down the street.
They didn't stay in the open for long, just quick moments of movement before disappearing back into the ruins.
"There's a lot of them," Max said, his voice low.
Cas didn't respond. He was still watching.
Max shifted slightly beside him and rested a hand against the edge of the window frame, causing a small piece of concrete to break loose.
Neither of them reacted fast enough to stop it, and the chunk fell, striking the ground below with a sharp crack that echoed through the city.
Both of them froze, staring at the ground where the concrete had shattered.
For a moment, the shrieks stopped, and the city went quiet.
Cas's stomach dropped.
He couldn't see any more movement down below.
Then a loud crash broke through the silence, this time from the side of the building. The wall beneath them shuddered as something slammed into it, sending loose dust drifting from the cracks around the window.
Cas's head snapped toward the sound as another impact followed, then a third.
The beasts were climbing.
Cas stepped back from the window, his pulse quickening. "They're climbing…"
Max moved up beside him and glanced out before immediately pulling back. "Yeah," he muttered, "I'm starting to wish they were bears."
Cas forced himself to look again.
A shape moved just below the edge of the window, and then a limb came into view. As more of it pulled itself up, Cas realized it looked like some twisted mix between a wolf and a bear–except its body was covered in rough, hardened skin instead of fur, and its limbs were longer than they should have been.
More of it came into view as it climbed. It had massive claws that hooked deep into the concrete, holding it for a brief moment before dragging the rest of its body upward.
Then its head lifted, and Cas froze in shock.
Four faintly glowing eyes stared upward at him.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Then the creature shifted, reaching one of its claws up, hooking it over the edge of a window as it began to pull itself up.
Cas stumbled back. "It sees us."
"I figured that part out," Max muttered, already backing away.
More impacts struck the building below them, followed by the sound of claws scraping.
Max, who had moved to an adjacent window, glanced out. "They're everywhere."
Cas didn't need to look to believe him.
"They're going to reach us," Max continued.
Cas's mind raced, but there was nowhere to go. Not this high up.
Both boys backed away from the window.
Another impact struck just below them, close enough to send a crack through the wall. Then, a claw shot up past the edge of their window and hooked into the concrete.
A second claw followed, digging in beside the first. The creature began to pull itself up, and its head slowly rose into view.
"Oh hell no," Max said, grabbing onto Cas's arm.
Cas didn't respond. His eyes were locked on the creature as it pulled itself higher, all four of its eyes fixed on them.
They took another step back, and Max's grip tightened. "You think we'd be better off jumping and dying quickly?" he asked seriously.
"No," he said with a confidence he did not feel. "We're not doing that. We'll fight until our last breath."
Max stared at him for a second.
Then he nodded slowly. "Alright," he said. "That sounded cool. Still think the jumping idea had merit, though."
Cas flashed a small grin, but it vanished quickly.
The creature pulled itself higher, its upper body now fully level with the window as one of its claws dragged over the edge.
"Well," Max said, stepping forward, cracking his knuckles like he was straight out of a teenage action movie. "Time to kick some monster butt… or more likely die. But that's beside the point."
The creature shifted, preparing to pull itself through.
Then it was blasted off the window as an explosion of fire tore across the side of the building, slamming into it. Flames erupted across its body as it was ripped free from the wall and sent crashing down into the street below.
Both boys flinched, and Cas raised an arm to shield his eyes from the sudden light that lit up the night as heat radiated across his skin.
A violent gust of wind followed an instant later, slamming into the building, knocking them off their feet, and sending dust and debris scattering into the air.
Cas hit the ground hard, the air knocked from his lungs, and Max went down beside him, sliding across the concrete.
"What...?" Max moaned in confusion and pain.
Outside, more impacts followed in quick succession. The beasts shrieked as they fell, the sound sharp and distorted as it echoed through the city before cutting off abruptly with a crash.
Cas forced himself up onto an elbow, coughing as he tried to catch his breath. His ears rang as chaos continued outside.
Another impact echoed through the city, followed by more shrieks.
Max pushed himself up beside him. "Please tell me that's not more of them."
Cas didn't answer. He was still trying to steady himself, his gaze drifting toward the window.
Another flash lit up the room, and Max quickly pointed to the rooftops of the surrounding buildings.
Figures moved along them, their silhouettes barely visible as bursts of fire and wind cut through the darkness, striking anything still clinging to the building.
Cas pushed himself up a little more, his eyes fixed on the rooftops as another burst of fire lit up the night.
"I think those are people, Cas," Max said, his voice still unsteady.
Another burst of wind slammed into the side of the building, forcing the large window frame inward. It tore free and slammed into them, knocking both of them to the ground and pinning them against the wall.
Cas hit the ground hard, his leg twisting and head striking the concrete with a crack. Pain erupted through him.
He let out a sharp breath, his vision blurring for a moment as he tried to focus. If they didn't stop slamming the building with whatever they were doing, the whole thing was going to collapse. Cas was honestly surprised it hadn't already.
Max groaned beside him. "Okay," he mumbled. "That hurt."
Cas didn't respond. He stayed where he was, one hand pressed to the side of his head. He thought he could feel the warm sensation of blood on his fingers.
For a few minutes, they both just lay there, tense, waiting for another impact.
But it thankfully never came.
The wind outside began to die down, fading until all that remained was a light breeze. The crashes stopped, and the shrieks that had filled the city moments ago disappeared.
Cas breathed heavily as his body ached in pain, sweat glistening on his skin from the earlier blasts.
He thought briefly of the canteen still sitting back on the lower level of the building. Not that it mattered now. The large frame still pinned both of them to the ground, too heavy for them to lift.
The city returned to its eerie silence.
Max let out a shaky breath. "What an exciting week, huh?"
Cas tried to let out a laugh. "Yeah–" but he broke into a fit of coughs as the dust lingering in the air caught in his throat. "But I think I may have broken my leg."
A sharp pain flared through his leg as he shifted slightly, and he winced.
Max let out a sigh beside him. "Yeah," he muttered. "I think I've got a few cracked ribs myself."
Cas groaned, tilting his head back and closing his eyes. "We are so screwed, dude."
Max shifted slightly, then immediately grunted in pain. "How are we even supposed to get this thing off of us?" He glanced down at the frame pinning them in place.
"I don't know," Cas mumbled. "Just give me a second. I can't think straight."
Max let out a slow breath. "All of this, just to die pinned to a wall."
They sat in silence for a while, only the sound of their uneven breathing filled the air.
Then, footsteps sounded from behind them. They turned their heads toward the sound.
Cas opened his eyes blearily.
A small group of people stepped into the room from the stairwell, taking in the scene.
"I knew I saw something," one of them said as their eyes landed on Cas and Max.
The group approached.
"Holy shit," another said. "They're just kids."
A brief pause followed before one of them glanced toward the stairwell and called out, "Yo boss, you should come take a look at this."
Footsteps echoed up the stairwell a moment later.
Another figure entered the room. A tall man. "I told you not to call me that," he said, his tone serious. Then his eyes landed on the two boys pinned beneath the frame.
The man's expression hardened as he looked at them, likely taking in their bloodied and broken state.
One of the group spoke up. "How are they even still–"
"Focus," the man said, cutting them off. He stepped forward. "Don't move. We're going to get that off you."
Max blinked. "That would be nice."
The man gave a small gesture, and two of them stepped forward, moving to either side of the frame.
"On three," one of them said, getting a good grip. "One, two,"
The frame shifted with a harsh scrape, and the pressure pinning them down finally disappeared.
Max let out a groan. "Okay, yeah. That's nice."
Cas sucked in a sharp breath as he pulled his leg in slightly.
The man noticed and stepped closer. "Can you stand?"
Cas shook his head. "I don't think so. I think my leg's broken."
The man nodded once, unfazed. "Don't worry about it. We'll carry you."
"Yeah. I'm definitely not walking anywhere either," Max added, clutching his chest.
Two of the group moved in without hesitation. One crouched beside Cas while the other helped lift him carefully, supporting his weight as they pulled him up.
Cas let out a strained moan as they adjusted him.
"Where are we?" he rasped, his voice weaker now. "Who are you guys?"
The man glanced at him briefly. "Save your energy, kid. We'll talk later."
They started moving.
The motion made his stomach turn almost immediately. The world shifted as his vision struggled to keep up, and the pain in his leg flared.
He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to steady himself, but it only made the dizziness worse.
The last thing he felt was their movement slowing as they reached the stairwell.
Then everything went dark.