Chapter 24: A Bit Lore
They retreated to a relatively intact room deep within one of the abandoned buildings. Fin barricaded the door with a heavy cabinet, while the girl slumped against the wall, clutching her injured side.
"We should be safe here, at least for now," Fin said, scanning the dusty space. Light filtered through cracks in the boarded windows.
The girl watched him warily, her hand never straying far from her weapon. "Who are you anyway?"
"Name's Fin. I'm from the Hunters Guild," he replied, settling down across from her. "And you?"
She hesitated before answering. "Juliana." She gestured at the ruins around them. "This was my home."
Fin's eyes widened. "You lived here? How is that possible? This is a dungeon that just appeared a few days ago."
She shook her head, confusion written across her face. "Dungeon? This city has been here for generations. I was born here." Her expression darkened. "And I watched it fall three years ago when that thing arrived."
"What thing?"
"We never saw it clearly. Something ancient that came from beneath the old temple." Her voice grew quiet. "It released a virus. Within days, people started changing. Those vines appeared under their skin, and they... they weren't themselves anymore."
As she spoke, her body trembled slightly. Fin noticed how her eyes darted to the shadows, as if expecting monsters to emerge at any moment.
"Everyone I knew turned. My parents, my friends..." She trailed off, lost in painful memories.