The Extra becomes the Villain's Bodyguard-Chapter 38: Paths

[PRE BLACKOUT]

"Come to think of it, it’s been four months and I haven’t heard anything from him, nor has he been coming by the restaurant," Teresa said to Evelyn, a furrow creasing her brow. The clatter of cutlery and conversations around them faded into a background hum as her worry intensified.

They were at Evelyn’s uphill branch hotel...

"When was the last you heard from him?" Teresa asked, her voice laced with concern.

Evelyn paused, a thoughtful expression on her face. "The night we all had dinner..."

A knot tightened in Teresa’s stomach. The memory of that evening, the unresolved tension with Jess and Gerald... her meeting Neville again too. It must have been too much... could Neville have spiraled? He is a good man, but his past... it had left scars. The thought of him doing something reckless, something irreversible, sent a shiver down her spine.

"You have his contact info, right? Can you check up on him?" Teresa urged, her anxiety palpable.

"Sure..." Evelyn began, reaching for her phone, then hesitated. "But... you don’t have his number?" she asked, a hint of surprise in her voice.

Teresa’s gaze flickered away, a blush rising on her cheeks. "Our relationship is still..." she trailed off, unable to articulate the complicated, undefined space she occupied in Neville’s life.

"Oh, sorry for asking," Evelyn said softly, understanding dawning in her eyes.

"It’s fine," Teresa replied, though the unspoken truth hung heavy in the air. Evelyn scrolled through her contacts, her thumb hovering over Neville’s name. She pressed the call button, holding the phone to her ear. They waited in silence, the restaurant noises seeming amplified in the tense atmosphere. After several rings, the call went to voicemail. Evelyn tried again, with the same result.

Teresa’s worry morphed into fear. Evelyn, noticing her distress, placed a comforting hand on her arm. "Maybe he just has his phone off. Let’s go to his place."

A flicker of surprise crossed Teresa’s face. "You have his address too?"

Evelyn’s expression turned slightly sheepish. "Well... I kinda pestered him to tell me after he and Jess broke up. I wanted to look after him." She rummaged in her purse, getting her keys.

The drive to Neville’s was a silent journey with Teresa seemingly looking outside as if to memorize this path, her intentions... only she knew. As they turned into his street, the stark contrast between his life and Gerald’s became immediately apparent. They were in an area of cramped single-unit apartments with laundry hanging from small balconies.

"This is where he lives?" Teresa asked, her voice barely a whisper, a hint of surprise and something akin to sadness in her tone. It was a far cry from the manicured lawns and quiet cul-de-sacs of Gerald’s suburban home.

"Yeah..." Evelyn said awkwardly, sensing Teresa’s unspoken observation.

Evelyn parked her car along the curb, the engine ticking as it cooled. They walked towards one of the more rundown buildings, Evelyn leading the way with a hesitant step. She found the right door.

The door creaked open, revealing a young woman holding a baby wrapped in a soft, blue blanket. The woman looked tired, her dark hair pulled back in a messy bun. Her eyes, though, were sharp and wary as she took in the two unfamiliar faces on her doorstep.

Teresa and Evelyn exchanged a bewildered glance. The same thought, unbidden and slightly shocking, flashed through both their minds: That couldn’t possibly be Neville’s kid. Right?

"Excuse me, what do you want?" the young woman said, gently rocking the child in her arms, her gaze fixed on them, making Teresa and Evelyn abruptly stop their silent communication.

Evelyn cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure. "Uh, hi. Who are you?"

"I should be asking that. Who are you and what do you want?" the woman retorted, her tone becoming increasingly irritated. The baby stirred slightly in her arms.

"I’m sorry, we are looking for someone. Does Neville live here?" Evelyn asked, trying to sound casual despite the knot of unease tightening in her chest.

"Never heard of him," the woman said flatly, already reaching to close the door.

"Wait," Teresa interjected quickly, stepping forward. "Yeah... he used to live here. Can I ask you when you started living here?"

The woman’s eyes narrowed. "Four months ago. Now bye," she said impatiently, and the door clicked shut, leaving Teresa and Evelyn standing on the worn welcome mat.

"Now what?" Teresa thought, her mind racing. Four months. That was around the same time...

Evelyn turned to Teresa, her own face etched with worry. "I’m so sorry, I didn’t know he moved. He always took odd jobs, and sometimes they would last for weeks, so I just assumed this was one of them and didn’t check up on him." A wave of guilt washed over her.

"It’s fine, it’s not your job to be checking on him..." Teresa said, her voice surprisingly calm, though inside, a storm of anxiety was brewing. It should be mine, she thought gloomily

"Let’s head back," she said to Evelyn, a newfound resolve hardening her gaze. "We’ll look for him. I’m sure he has his reasons." But even as she spoke the words, a cold dread settled in her heart. Four months. No contact. Moved without a word. Something felt terribly wrong.

***********************************************

The air in Gerald’s living room was full of the scented wax. Outside, there was silence which was often interrupted by guttural roars and skittering sounds that clawed at their nerves. Gerald stood by the barred front door, his shotgun held in a steady grip, the dim candlelight glinting off the cold steel. Jess sat huddled on the sofa, clutching the baby monitor, her face pale in the flickering light. Teresa and Evelyn were close beside her, their hands clasped tightly.

Hours had crawled by since the lights had died and the monstrous incursions had begun. Luckily for them this area didn’t have a huge monster outbreak. Gerald had acted swiftly, securing every entry point, sealing them. Now, they waited, a small island of fragile light and forced calm in the encroaching darkness.

Teresa’s voice, barely a whisper, broke the heavy silence. "He’s been asleep for a while now... maybe you should check on him, Jess?"

Jess’s eyes clearly indicating her anxiety and exhaustion, flickered to the baby monitor on the coffee table. It remained silent.

"You’re right." She rose slowly, her movements stiff, and made her way towards the dimly lit staircase. Each creak of the wooden steps seemed deafening in the oppressive quiet.

Gerald’s gaze remained fixed on the front door, his ears straining for any sign of a breach. Teresa and Evelyn watched Jess ascend, their own anxieties mirroring hers.

Then, it happened. A faint shimmer materialized in the air before them, growing brighter until a translucent screen hung suspended before everyone’s face.

[SYSTEM INITIALIZATION]

Below it, stark white text appeared:

[USER IDENTIFICATION]

A collective gasp filled the room. Gerald lowered his shotgun slightly, his brow furrowed in confusion. Teresa and Evelyn stared, their fear momentarily eclipsed by bewilderment.

Beneath the error message, miniature 3D models flickered into existence – small, ethereal representations of each of them, rotating slowly. Teresa saw a ghostly version of herself, her features etched with worry. Evelyn’s avatar looked equally concerned. Gerald’s even had the faint outline of his shotgun.

At the end of each name string, a small, glowing pen icon appeared.

Editable?

Before anyone could speak, Jess’s terrified scream echoed from upstairs, cutting through the surreal display like a shard of glass. The fragile bubble of their bewildered silence shattered, replaced by a primal surge of fear. Whatever this system was, whatever was happening, it was secondary to the immediate, terrifying sound of Jess’s terror. Gerald’s shotgun snapped back up.

They later found out Jess was startled by a monster she saw on the neighbor’s roof. Luckily everything was fine.

************************************

Amidst the carnage, a group of survivors huddled together, their eyes fixed on the flickering status panel that hovered before them.

The numbers remained but were growing with decimal figures, a grim reminder of their vulnerability in this new, terrifying world.

But as they fought, a strange sensation began to stir within them. With each fallen monster, a surge of energy, foreign and exhilarating, coursed through their veins. It was as if they were tapping into a hidden reservoir of strength, their bodies responding with an unfamiliar vigor.

After a particularly fierce battle, as the tenth monstrous creature lay lifeless at their feet, the status panel flickered and transformed.

A new line of text appeared:

Path Available...

It showed a hierarchy of skills based on the fighting style and other factors that suggested the skills the combatant should acquire.