Another roar echoed throughout the Institute’s walls, mingling into a cacophony as the screams of those barricaded inside began to scramble. A massive hand extended through the hole where Rontu had stared down the eye, grasping onto the archway and tearing through the wall like paper. Stone and drywall crumbled away, one more swipe of the muscled arm completely exposing the Honno that lurked behind.

Rontu quickly dodged backward, taking a tumbling dive to avoid the meteor shower of the wall that was flying towards him. Dust and rubble quickly filled the lobby, the ground shaking violently as the Honno squeezed itself through the hole it had created. Rontu could see the pulsing, red muscles of the creature as they brushed against the now jagged structure, a distinct lack of skin stretched over its body to protect it. Even with the tall ceiling of the ground floor, its back almost brushed against it as it took a step towards the group. Thick, bulging arms extended from the front of the Honno’s long torso, like a hulking gorilla that was attached to a jungle cat’s body. Humanoid hands balled into fists as it walked forward on them, prompting a fearful scream from the young girl who was now hiding behind one of the displays.

The nostrils flared, smelling for dinner before it reached out to the survivors once more. An eyeless, serpentine head shook back and forth as if it was almost too excited to choose which person it would be feasting on first. Rontu was sure he had seen an eye before, a gigantic one at that. Was this even the same Honno?

The Honno froze for a moment, the hand it was standing on gripping the ground with such force that it split the floorboards into splinters. It smelled the air, raising its head ever so slightly before it began to reach for the old woman who was still struggling to her feet. An easy target. Slowly it reached forward, the tantalizing and impending doom of the situation merely causing the lady to shriek and panic, begging for her life as if the creature was up for bargaining. The meaty fingers were inches from her, placed on either side as it prepared to pick her up like a morsel. As they finally grasped her, a chunk of rock suddenly crashed against it. Or rather, a chunk of glass.

Rontu panted heavily, his eyes wide in fear as they slowly moved from the now still Honno to his palm.

‘What are you doing, you idiot!?’ he thought.

He fished into his bag for another, gripping the projectile like a pitcher and sending it flying towards the Honno’s head. It shattered against its snout, causing it to violently shake its head and leave the old woman be for a moment. Slowly it turned to face Rontu, the man becoming increasingly aware of just how large the thing was as it prowled towards him.

‘Why the hell would you do that?’

The geologist stood his ground, sizing up the monster as it towered over him. Both sets of simian arms stopped mere feet from him, firmly planted on the floor. The snake-like head softly gurgled, suddenly splitting into four triangular maws as it roared at him. Nestled right in the center of the four jaws was that eye Rontu had been wondering about. Rontu was already digging in his bag for another glass specimen, but he had little time before a simian arm suddenly sent him flying across the lobby and into one of the display cases.

Rontu groaned, doubling over as he held his back in pain. Fragments of busted glass and broken wood surrounded him, several pieces of them embedded in his jacket and piercing through his pants. Part of him was expecting to quickly be snatched up and sent right to whatever the Honno digested with, but as he looked forward he could see that it had returned its attention to the old lady from before. She had managed to get to her hands and knees but wasn’t making much headway in terms of escaping.

A foot suddenly crashed onto Rontu’s calf, causing him to yell out in pain as he looked to the source. The irritable man from earlier was doing his best to make a break for it, stumbling over the pieces of rubble that had fallen from the ceiling and littered the entryway. Several large chunks had blocked the doorway, to which he fervently tried to clear. The girl rushed forward, doing her best to assist as they grunted and shoved.

“Get over here and help me!” he demanded, scowling as beads of sweat ran from his forehead. He looked from Rontu to the teenager, grunting and pushing as they tried to heave the stone away from the door.

Rontu’s back was screaming, but he did his best to crawl forward. His hand scraped the bottom of his bag, feeling nothing but the cloth lining. He clicked his tongue in frustration, suddenly feeling a lump in the side pocket. He pulled out the strange discovery from earlier, taking one last look at it before grimacing and sighing. His hand trembled, gripping it so hard that he felt the edges dig into his palms. Despite everything that was happening in Lowlam, the strange thing hadn’t left the back of his mind. He always had hated that about himself. Even in the face of death and looking into the maw of a Honno, his miner’s curiosity was a constant buzz.

The cylinder then pulsed, a fierce vibration rippling through Rontu’s hand and arm. He gasped in surprise, and even the Honno seemed to pause stalking after the old woman. The Honno let out a deep growl, long and aggressive as it suddenly whipped its head around to face him. Rontu flinched in response, standing on his knees as he took one last breath. This was all he had left. One last throw to distract the creature and hopefully prevent anyone else from getting eaten.

The Honno stepped towards him, lowering its head until it was eye level with Rontu. Saliva dripped from the bottommost jaw, twisted and curled teeth lining it. The massive eye stared him down, unblinking. From this close Rontu could see down the pupil, realizing that it also doubled as the creature’s throat.

Rontu swallowed, lifting his arm as he prepared to throw his last rock. He had lived an alright life. He made friends, he found passion on the Glassway. If he was able to give himself up so that others could live on, could anyone ever really remember him badly? Not that there was anyone really left to remember him. Maybe that Shutok, or Archie possibly if he had already left Rontu behind. He slowly closed his eyes as he prepared for his last stand.

Another jolt of energy flowed through his arm, this one stronger by tenfold. It didn’t feel like the grinding of teeth and flesh he was expecting. He opened one eye, a morbid curiosity overcoming him. The sight before him caused him to gasp, the other eye shooting open as he looked around the area.

Rontu was in a pitch-black void.

Was this the afterlife? Had his death really been that painless?

He looked at his hand, still holding onto the cylinder rock. It pulsed and vibrated continuously, the sensation growing stronger and stronger until the glass around it shattered.

“You wish to live?”

Rontu whipped his head over his shoulder, his breath catching in his throat as he watched a figure walk towards him. It seemed unimpeded by the lack of a floor, softly stepping as if the air was plenty to hold it. It was vaguely humanoid, though it seemed to be coated in shimmering green energy. It grew brighter as it walked closer, stopping a few feet behind Rontu as it tilted its head down to look at him.

Rontu slowly turned around on his knees, now clutching the tube in his hands like he was fearful it was going to be taken from him. A stark contrast to how he was so ready to rid himself of it to save his life.

“You wish to live?” it asked again, the distorted male voice directly entering Rontu’s mind as it ‘spoke.’

Rontu blinked a few times, trying to grasp the situation. Wasn’t he already dead? “H-huh? What are you talking about? A-aren’t I…”

The figure squatted down, inches away from Rontu’s face as he felt the heat radiate over him. “Say it. Tell me the truth. You don’t want to die a martyr.” it seemed to almost demand, the voice stern as it seemed to break Rontu’s conscience down.

He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with whatever air this void held. Tears suddenly burst from his eyes, the advent of this being Rontu’s final day weighing heavily on him. “No! I don’t!” Rontu cried, his knuckles white as he held onto the cylinder. “I don’t want to go out like this, not powerless and scared!”

The green entity nodded once, seemingly given a satisfactory answer. “Then don’t die a martyr. Live like a hero,” it told him, suddenly grasping Rontu by the hand that held the tube. “And maybe...you can change everything.”

A sickness washed over Rontu, bile and blood erupting from his throat as he doubled over. He gasped for air, clutching his chest as an immeasurable pain began to fill it. The tears continued to flow as he closed his eyes, streaking down his face as he tried to fight the pressure building within him. His skin felt like it was boiling, bubbling, and rippling violently as something inside his very core changed. He cried out in pain as he retched, his blood growing dark and silvery as it splattered across his fingers.

The entity softly grasped him by the cheeks, causing Rontu to open his eyes briefly. Slowly it moved forward, the radiant warmth soon encompassing him as the figure dissolved into his essence and blurred his vision. Rontu let out a cry, it soon morphing into that of a roar. Then bit by bit, his vision blurred into a vibrant green.