The group approached the small village as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and red. The streets were empty, the windows of the houses dark. Even the wind seemed to avoid this place, leaving the air unnaturally still.
"This doesn't feel right," Lila muttered, her hand resting on the hilt of her dagger.
Makoto stayed close to her, his eyes darting nervously to the shadows. Lily walked beside him, her usual cheerful energy subdued. Jasper and Nico brought up the rear, their movements tense and quiet.
"We should leave," Makoto said softly. "Something's wrong."
Lila hesitated, her gaze sweeping the silent streets. "We need supplies," she said, her voice steady but low. "If it's Akuma, we'll deal with it."
Makoto's stomach churned. He wanted to trust Lila, but the weight in his chest told him this was a mistake.
They reached the village square just as the first roar echoed through the air.
Makoto spun around, his heart pounding as dark shapes descended from the sky. Akuma. Dozens of them. Their twisted, metallic forms gleamed in the fading light, their red eyes glowing with malice.
"Run!" Lila shouted, drawing her dagger.
But the Akuma were faster. They swarmed the square, their claws slashing and their weapons firing bursts of deadly energy. Makoto ducked as an explosion tore through the ground beside him, sending debris flying.
"Makoto!" Lily's voice screamed, and he turned to see her hurling knives at an Akuma that had lunged toward him. The blades struck true, and the creature staggered back with a screech.
"Stay with me!" she shouted, grabbing his arm and pulling him toward the edge of the square.
Lila fought like a whirlwind, her dagger flashing in the dim light. She moved with precision and grace, her strikes aimed to disable or drive the Akuma back. But for every one she brought down, two more seemed to take its place.
"Jasper! Nico!" she called, her voice sharp. "Get the boy and Lily out of here!"
"We can't leave you!" Jasper shouted, panic evident in his voice.
"You don't have a choice!" Lila snapped, slashing at an Akuma that lunged at her. "Go!"
Makoto watched in horror as an Akuma's claws raked across her side, leaving a deep, jagged wound. She stumbled but didn't fall, her dagger still held tightly in her bloodied hand.
"Lila!" Makoto cried, his feet frozen in place.
She turned to him, her eyes fierce despite the pain. "Go, Makoto!" she yelled. "Don't look back!"
Another Akuma struck before he could respond, its claws piercing through her chest. Her eyes widened, a choked gasp escaping her lips as blood spilled onto the ground.
Makoto's breath hitched. "No... no, no, no!"
Lila collapsed to her knees, her dagger slipping from her grasp. She looked at Makoto one last time, her gaze softening. "Keep... moving..." she whispered, her voice barely audible.
And then she fell.
"Makoto, come on!" Jasper grabbed his arm, dragging him away from Lila's lifeless body. Nico ran ahead, his knives clutched tightly in his hands as he cleared a path through the Akuma.
Makoto stumbled after them, his mind numb with shock. Lila's words echoed in his head, but they felt distant, like a memory from another life.
"We're almost there!" Nico shouted, his voice strained. "Just a little—"
A clawed hand tore through his chest, silencing him mid-sentence.
Makoto froze as Nico fell to the ground, blood pooling beneath him. Jasper screamed, his voice raw with grief, and hurled himself at the Akuma. His strikes were wild, fueled by rage and desperation, but they weren't enough.
The Akuma struck him down in a single blow.
"No!" Makoto screamed, his Innocence sparking to life as he threw the spinning wheel toward the Akuma. It struck the creature, shattering it into ash, but it was too late. Jasper and Nico lay motionless, their blood staining the earth.
"Makoto!" Lily's voice pulled him back to the present. She was standing a few feet away, knives in both hands as she fought off an advancing group of Akuma.
"Run!" she shouted, her voice cracking. "I'll hold them off!"
"I'm not leaving you!" Makoto cried, running toward her.
But the Akuma were relentless. Lily moved with incredible speed, her knives flashing as she struck out at the creatures, but they were too many. One of them caught her from behind, its claws raking across her back.
She cried out, falling to one knee, but still managed to hurl a knife at the creature, striking it between the eyes.
"Lily!" Makoto screamed, his Innocence flaring as he charged toward her.
"Stay back!" she shouted, tears streaming down her face. "You have to keep going, Makoto! You're the only one who can!"
Another Akuma lunged at her, its claws poised to strike. She turned to Makoto one last time, her eyes filled with both fear and determination.
"Be strong," she whispered.
The Akuma's claws pierced her chest, and her body crumpled to the ground.
Makoto fell to his knees, his entire body shaking. "No... no... Lily!"
The village square was silent now, save for the crackling of flames and the faint hum of Makoto's Innocence. He sat in the midst of the carnage, surrounded by the bodies of his friends. His breath came in short, ragged gasps, his vision blurred by tears.
"This isn't real," he whispered, clutching his head. "It can't be real..."
But the blood on his hands and the stillness of their bodies told him otherwise. They were gone. All of them. Lila, Jasper, Nico... Lily. The family he had found, the people who had given him a home, were gone.
And he was alone.
The pain in Makoto's head surged, sharp and blinding. He screamed, clutching his face as his vision distorted. The world around him seemed to twist and blur, shadows and light merging into a chaotic swirl.
When he opened his eyes, they burned with an unnatural glow. The cursed eye had awakened.
Through the eye, he saw them—Lila, Jasper, Nico, and Lily. Their spirits hovered above their bodies, their faces filled with sorrow and love. They didn't speak, but their presence tore at Makoto's heart.
"I'm sorry," he choked out, his tears falling freely. "I'm so sorry..."
The spirits began to fade, their forms dissolving into the air. Makoto reached out, his hand trembling. "Don't leave me," he whispered.
But they were gone.
To Be Continued...