"Wait! Let's observe the situation!"

Gautam shouted at the people running madly to the green intersection.

"Run! Run! There are only 50 slots available!"

Though his scream went in deaf's ear, as the wild roar of Niamh further increased the pace people were running at.

"Ahh! Move aside!"

"Bastard! Don't push me!"

"Wait! Somebody help this old lady."

"No! Damn it! Don't run over me!"

"Ahhhh!!"

A scene quite familiar to Alaric took place. People pushed one another throwing them left and right, they extended their hands; shirts, pants, hairs, underwear caught hold of anything their hand reached, pulling the owner backwards.

They couldn't just watch someone running past them, could they?

No! They couldn't, they had to pull that person back, throw him out of their way, secure the position that may keep them safe.

They weren't sure what was happening, they didn't know if staying inside the green barrier would protect them from the beasts roaming outside. But they were willing to bet their everything at even the smallest possibility that keeps them safe.

"Damn it all of you! Stop!"

They wouldn't stop and listen to the leader that had saved their lives many times, they would first secure that life.

"Ahhhhhh! Stop!!"

They would step over anyone to secure their position, they didn't care if the one they were stepping on survived or not, they had to first make sure that they survive. The place which once had zero was increasing, and decreasing their morality.

[ 31/50 ]

They could see the look of relief the people inside had, they too wanted that relief, and they would do anything to get that. One life wasn't enough for them they weren't satisfied, they wanted more. They were jealous, so jealous... They wanted to push... No, kill all the people insi-

"Everyone! Stop this instant!"

A loud voice echoed through the barrier, surpassing all the screams.

A silence followed.

Surprisingly everyone stopped on their track, clarity flashed through their eyes as they suddenly became calm. Looking around they become horrified at the sight of their companions laying on the ground with footsteps all over them. Blood flowed through their body, some breathing ones were mumbling 'stop' and 'please' over and over.

The people couldn't take it anymore, they looked away staring at the source of the scream.

*Pant* *Pant*

Gautam clenched his heart through his shirt as he panted heavily, the scream just now seemed to have pushed all the air out of his lungs, leaving him panting.

«A startler is has taken interest in you.»

«A startler has taken interest in you.»

«A starler has taken.....»

He was in no mood to look at the system messages.

Feeling a touch on his shoulder he looked at his sister and his sworn brother beside him. He felt his fatigue decreasing.

"Please... Stop. Look around you... This... This isn't humanly.

I know everyone wants to stay safe, but... We don't know for sure... that staying inside the green barrier would be... safe."

Gautam looked at the people inside the barrier and people in the way to the barrier on both sides.

"Let's try to understand the situation first."

"What's there to understand boy? This is a green barrier, and green means safe. There are 50 slots available, first come first serve."

A man inside the green barrier said as he looked at the kneeling boy. He was from the other barrier so he didn't have any sort of relationship with the boy.

Before the people went back to their mad charge Gautam answered...

"We don't know for sure if green's safe, even if it is then this is not the way we should be acting. Just look around you..."

"Then what do you suggest us to do boy?"

The same man asked.

"I suggest that we try to understand the situation first, whether a person who is inside can get out or no-"

"Damn he is stalling for time"

A person screamed interrupting Gautam as he looked at the system message on the barrier that now read...

[ 41/50 ]

As if the people couldn't think any they charged to the barrier.

*Ding!*

[ 50/50 ]

All it took were a few seconds and the number reached 50. Rest of the people running to the barrier...

*Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!*

Crashed on it, falling on the ground.

Alaric looked at the entire situation from the green barrier. He couldn't help but wonder how different leaders were. On one hand, Gautam shaken by the cruelty of humans couldn't take it anymore and screamed at top of his lungs. While on the other hand people like Niamh and the man used him as a distraction for their men to pass through.

Haa... People like him don't survive for long. Alaric shook his head, deciding to observe the situation.

"Damn! It's all your fault."

"You guys are together in this aren't you?"

"I should have never listened to you."

Gautam couldn't believe it the people he thought of as family were screaming at him as if he was their worst enemy.

Suraj stepped forward pushing the complaining people away from Gautam.

"What you want to resort to violence!"

"You think we would stay quiet?"

"You won't be able to hide the bastard behind your gorilla body"

Suraj was offended, not because he was called gorilla, but because Gautam was abused. He considered Gautam his little brother and he couldn't tolerate him being misspoke.

Before Suraj could resort to real violence, a soft voice stopped his club.

"Please... Leave us alone."

Looking back, Suraj felt his heart-melting seeing Tanya bowing to these ungrateful people.

"Tanya stop."

He couldn't take it anymore he straightened her up.

"Oi! I just found an amazing fact!"

Before the people could vent any further, the hateful voice of the man sounded again.

"It turns out that a person can exit from the green barrier, and never enter again..."

He sounded amused as if enjoying the whole situation. The people didn't dwell any further as they ran to the barrier to confirm if it was true or not.

"I am sorry guys... Because of me, you are le-..." Before Gautam could continue his apology his sister interrupted him.

"Stop! This is not your fault. It's our choice to follow you, and we will do it till the end."

"As she said."

Suraj nodded in acknowledgement.

"So, stop wailing like a baby and get up, let's find a way out of this."

Tanya said as she extended her hand to the kneeling Gautam.

Looking at his sister's and brother's smiles, Gautam felt a new surge of energy. That's right this is not the time to cry. I have something important to do...

"Yes, you are right. As long as we are together we can find a way out of this."

Suraj caught his sister's hand as he got up.

There is a way out of this. Tanya thought as she looked inside the green barrier.

Sitting on the ground with a wooden spear in his hand, a man in his twenties wore tatted clothes showing off the toned body they were supposed to hide.

His black eyes looked around as if an eagle observing its prey.

But no matter where his eyes went, she always felt his gaze on them.

"I am sorry for your loss, I wasn't able to save you, please never forgive me for that. But I have a family to protect, so please excuse me..."

Gautam said as he bowed to the dead bodies. Felling a pat on his shoulder he looked at Suraj, resolve flashed in his eyes as he let go of his guilty expression.

"Let's start from the boundary of the yellow barrier."

Gautam said as he walked towards the yellow barrier, which was nearing every second.

"I would be back in a second"

Tanya said as she nodded at Suraj with determined eyes.

"Be careful."

Gautam replied continuing on his track.

Tanya turned around looking at Tonny, she took a deep breath and walked forward...

.

.

.

.

"Nothing! There is no way out."

"We are done for."

"What if the barrier doesn't stop moving, we would tu-"

"Shut up! You bastard. You think they would do something as inhuman as that."

Suraj was irritated, he would have lashed at these people if not for Tanya holding him back. These desperate people even after all the abuse they have thrown started following Gautam the moment they saw his trying to find a way out.

"Passing through the barriers is not possible, even digging the ground is no use because for some damn reason the barrier is even underground! Begging to the people inside the green barrier would do nothing because those heartless people just turn around. What the hell am I supposed to do!?"

A woman screamed as he grabbed her head, falling to the ground.

Looks like there is only one way. Tanya steeled her resolve as she looked at Gautam who was deep in thought not willing to give up.

"The hell's up with you man?"

"Wow! Put the spear away dude."

Screams sounded from the place everyone had their eyes on. They abandoned whatever they were doing as they walked to the green barrier.

Tanya briefly glanced inside the barrier and nodded at Suraj.

Inside the barrier, a conflict had started between a group and a man.

"Damn! The hell's your problem attacking us out of blue."

A tall man from the group screamed at the man holding spear. The man who screamed was familiar to all the people by now, he was the one who had used the boy to stall for time.

The man didn't respond, he looked at the tall guy.

Suraj stood silently as he looked at the pondering Gautam.

The man tightened his grip on the spear and out of the blue...

Suraj loosened his grip on the club dropping it, he tensed the muscles on his palm and out of the blue...

Thrust/Struck his spear/palm at the man's/Gautam's...

Head!!