"You must hate me." Dawn spat out bitterly as she stumbled behind Hezekiah, envying the ease at which he moved through the knee-deep snow that had blocked their path, his hair coated with the white flakes that fell from the sky.

It wasn't supposed to snowing yet. It was not supposed to be snowing at all. The shields around the entire nation must have been down by this point for this to have happened, a snowstorm.

Auro, the golden city, was the capital for a reason. The skies above it were programmed to stay in summer, forever blessed with warmth and tranquility. And yet here it was, both the scene of unspeakable tragedy and a frozen wasteland simultaneously.

Dawn scowled as the cold bit at her flesh. She shivered as she forced herself to preserve and push past the thick snow.

They were completely defenseless now, anything could attack them. Asteroids could decimate the planet. Foreign viruses from space could invade.

The professor frowned in worry. It would take years to rebuild it all.

Shoving her hand under her armpits to keep them warm, Dawn looked up to the sky. The impressive shimmer of millions of shields overlapping each other had long faded, and now she could not even see the sun.

At least there's no fog. She let out a disgruntled sigh and realized that, again, Hezekiah had not said a thing to her. His eyes were vacant, drawn to something far ahead of them.

Passing her tongue over her parched lips, the professor followed his gaze, curiosity burning deep within her. Just what is he looking at?

Now she wished she hadn't asked, for what she saw before her was enough to make her forget her current discomfort. It was enough to make her pause and question all her actions since the first signs of fog were discovered.

When did it get to this point? Her fingers dug into her side as she hugged herself tighter, making her gasp in pain as her nails scratched her sore skin. When did we lose so bad?

The enormity of what had been happening hadn't hit her until now. Half a population, it had just been many zeros on her paper. Of course, she had felt anger and hatred, regret even. But she had never imagined what they had been through.

Picturing millions of people just vanishing into thin air had been easier, too easy in fact. It was different from seeing severed limbs and bloody guts scattered along a field of snow. It was easier to just imagine humans of flesh and blood disappearing mysteriously.

It was easier than seeing monsters rip them apart and eat them alive. But now she didn't have to imagine or guess, it was right in front of her.

Corey can't know about this, Dawn's hands shifted to her stomach, he'll be devastated.

She felt like throwing up.

The golden gate that signalled the beginning of the long road to the capital seemed just a stretch away. It looked splendid, brushed with the white of snow. Something out of a fairytale ending—the path to heaven, some called it.

But that wasn't what knocked the breath out of her. Because the sight of the magnificent entrance did not fill her with the usual awe, instead dread started to creep up her chest until it was swiftly replaced by pure, unadulterated terror.

"Dear Code," she took a step back, unable to drag her gaze away from the giant monstrosity that rested on the gate, using the structure to prop itself up as though it was a stool.

Still holding down her inexistent dinner, Dawn turned from the gore-speckled snow to Hezekiah. "What the hell is that thing?"

It appeared humanoid but its skin was covered in a light coating of coarse fur. It was a malnourished thing with gnarly limbs and a massive trunk. Its head was so up in the clouds that Dawn couldn't be sure, but she could tell that it was almost featureless. Nothing that resembled eyes or ears on the beast.

Dawn could see the gaping hole that must have been its mouth. It had no lips but many teeth to make up for it.

The creature seemed to be excited, panting as it savored the cool air.

Hot drool dripped down its jaw and fell on the mounting snow by the quivering legs of the golden gate. The resulting force melted the snow and sent the liquid slush splashing everywhere until it hit the ground again and froze over.

The professor took another step back, once again noticing that Hezekiah hadn't answered her, again.

Oh no. She spun around and soon she was back-to-back with Hezekiah, her eyes shifting between the other creatures that had suddenly encircled them, miniature, less human, versions of the one who sat over Auro.

These things are as large as a standard FCM. . . Dawn gulped and tried to stopped her quivering heart. They were going to die today, she was sure of it. Even if they managed to break out of the encirclement, how were they supposed to defeat the beast that barred their exit?

She could see their bodies joining the sea of scattered limbs and brain matter behind her. The guilt began to bubble underneath her skin. So many people eaten. . . tortured. And I didn't feel a shred of compassion or sympathy.

My citizens. . . I—

"They are Colossi," Hezekiah finally answered, spreading apart his fingers with an easy shrug, "grunts the nobility of Paradise enjoy rearing to fight for sport."

"And now we have to fight them?" Dawn felt her spirit deflate, knowing that Paradise had something to do with the Genet. Though she was a bit curious, this was not the time to ask questions. She started to calculate their chances of survival.

As much as she wanted to go to the capital and find Corey, she didn't know where in Auro he was. She didn't know if Rhea Lee had found him. She didn't know if he was still—

She quelled the thought and focused on something else, anything else.

"What are we going to do?" Now of all times, Dawn wished she had been graced with as many powers as Rhea Lee. Maybe then she would have been able to defend herself or at least give them a chance at escaping.

Hezekiah turned to her with a glint of emotion in his eyes, the corners of his mouth creased in a slight smile. Dawn watched him, shocked as he cupped her cheeks in his warm hands, their lips almost touching. "Find my son," he whispered and pushed her behind him with a gentle nudge of his power.

Dawn found herself already missing the heat of his body, shivering as the Colossi moved in to tighten the circle they were trapped in.

"I'll handle things here." The man let out a breath and took a step towards the beast directly in front of him.

For a moment there was silence, then chaos broke through and Dawn screamed, a pounding pain springing up in her head and pulling her to her knees. All six of the Colossi lunged at them with Hezekiah using his body shield her.

No, no. Dawn squeezed her eyes as images flashed behind her lids. Not again.

She could see it clearly, but she didn't want to. In that moment she wished the Code would blind her. What she saw would haunt her forever, especially if it came true.

Hezekiah's body sprawled in a pool of red snow. His skin ashen and lips tinted blue as he laid there with his limbs twisted at odd angles. His eyes begging her to run.

It's impossible, she almost shouted, he's immortal!

Then it was over, the light returned to Dawn's eyes and the darkness faded. The monsters were sinking, she realized as her gaze shifted to Hezekiah's sturdy back.

He had his hands outstretched and as though there was an invisible wall in front of him—no, around him—the monsters could not advance an inch.

Now she heard his chuckle. "Dear girl Did you think I would be that easy to defeat?"

She watched on as he flicked his wrists and all six of the monsters writhed in agony. Dawn noticed the blood that pooled at their knees, the rest of the limb lost below the snow.

They aren't sinking anymore.

She had thought that it was because of their weights but now she shook her head at her stupidity. The snow wasn't that deep.

Dawn watched as the beasts fell forward, faceplanting in the snow, bluish stumps where their knees had been. From where she stood she could see the rest of their legs beneath the ice.

Wait. . . ice? She blinked and refocused her gaze but the scene in front of her remained the same. Ice had formed where the Colossi had stood.

The only explanation would be that Hezekiah had melted the ice then froze it back around the monsters' legs to hold them in place. The force of the Colossi's struggles must have done the rest of the damage.

Dawn turned back to Hezekiah. That's right. I never asked about his powers. Maybe now is a good time. . .

Before she could dare the thought any longer, the massive Colossi by the gate of Auro let out an ear-piercing screech.

Dawn's sight darkened for a moments before she saw the previously fell Colossi struggle to stand up. They had more leg than stump now.

Shit. The professor shot Hezekiah a panicked look. Why do they have healing factors?

Hezekiah stayed calm as ever, seemingly unruffled by the turn of events. "I'm leaving the massive one to you, so you better get a move on it."

Dawn was already walking towards the gate before she could fully process his words. "Wait. What?" She spun on her heel and glared at him. "How in blazes am I supposed to that?! I don't have any powers, for Code's sake."

And that, girl, a cool voice echoed in her mind, is where you're completely wrong.

Dawn was at a loss for words but she recognized the voice almost immediately. "Eva!"

At her exclamation, all the ice around her began to turn into steam. Soon all of the battlefield was shrouded in a curtain of superheated ice, affecting the visions of everything that stood in the snow.

Now, listen to what I say, girl, Eva said coolly, if you deviate by even an action I will shred your insides to ribbons.

†