Ragnarok: Alpha and Omega-Chapter 28 - 27: Shadows of Survival

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a small table in front of me. A bottle of water and some painkillers sat on top of it. My body ached, the pain from our escape settling in now that the adrenaline had faded.

I scanned the room, searching for Jason. He was lying on the girl's bed, his wound patched up. His breathing was steady—good. At least he wasn't in immediate danger.

I looked around, but the girl was nowhere in sight. Pushing myself up, I immediately regretted it as pain shot through my legs, reminding me of the fall. Gritting my teeth, I leaned against the wall for support.

Where is she?

I forced myself to stand and moved toward the door, stepping into a dimly lit hallway. The faint sound of metal clanking caught my attention. I followed it until I reached the kitchen.

She was there, cooking, her back turned to me. Before I could say anything, she glanced over her shoulder, noticing me standing by the doorway.

You okay? she asked casually, as if we weren't two fugitives hiding in her home.

"Yeah, better now," I said. My voice was hoarse, my body still exhausted. Then I hesitated before asking, "Aren't you... a little afraid?"

She stirred whatever was in the pot, then looked back at me with a smirk. "Of course I am. There are two guys in my house who are clearly on the run."

I blinked. "Then why help us?"

She turned off the stove, crossed her arms, and studied me for a moment. "Because I recognize you."

I stiffened.

She tilted her head. You're the guys who made it to the finals of the Ranker preliminaries, right?

I exhaled. "Yeah... so?"

"So," she continued, "that means you were either chased by a rogue Ranker or an assassin." She leaned against the counter. "And judging by the state you two are in, whoever was after you must've been ridiculously strong."

I didn't respond. She wasn't wrong.

She waved a hand dismissively. Anyway, go back and rest. I'll bring you guys some food.

For a moment, I just stared at her. Someone helping strangers like this—without asking for anything in return—was rare.

"Thank you," I said, and this time, I meant it.

She shrugged. "Don't worry about it. Now go."

I turned to leave but paused. "Wait—I don't even know your name."

She smirked slightly. "Luna. Luna Nox."

I nodded, committing it to memory, then made my way back to the room.

The moment I opened the door, Jason stirred. He groaned, lifting a hand to his head. "Ugh... what the hell happened?"

He sat up, looking around in confusion. The second he noticed me, his body tensed, his instincts ready to fight.

"Relax," I muttered, tapping his shoulder. It's just me.

He exhaled, shoulders dropping. "Damn... what happened after we fell? Everything just went black."

"You blacked out. I managed to get us here. He lost track of us."

Jason rubbed his forehead. "Seriously? We actually got away?"

"Yeah, yeah." I let out a tired sigh and sat on the floor beside the bed. "Barely."

Jason looked around again. "Wait... where even is here?"

"Some girl's apartment."

He frowned. "Some girl—?"

"Look, man, can you stop for a second?" I groaned, shifting against the wall. "My whole body feels like it got run over, and your questions aren't helping."

Jason raised his hands. "Alright, alright. Just... damn. I can't believe we survived that."

Before I could respond, Luna entered the room, carrying three plates of steaming food and placing them on the table.

Jason immediately perked up. "Whoa. You made food for us?"

"Yeah." She pulled up a chair and sat down. "And don't worry about staying here. Just eat first. We'll talk after."

Jason didn't need to be told twice. He moved to the table, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten. Thanks for the food... and for letting us stay.

Luna simply nodded. "Don't worry about it. Now, let's dig in."

I barely managed a nod before grabbing my plate. The second I took my first bite, it was like my body remembered how hungry I was. I started eating like a man starved. Because honestly, after everything we just went through... I practically was.

After we finished eating, Luna looked at us expectantly.

"So... what exactly happened?" she asked.

Jason and I exchanged glances before I sighed and explained.

"After we won today's match, we went home to celebrate—nothing crazy, just food and a few drinks. Then, out of nowhere, there was a knock at the door. The moment I opened it, an assassin—or maybe a rogue hunter—was waiting for us. He attacked without a word, forcing us to run. We barely managed to escape, and somehow, we ended up here."

Luna listened quietly, her expression unreadable. When I finished, she didn't speak right away.

"Sorry for the intrusion," I said after a moment. "But... can we stay until morning?"

She blinked, then shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. Being a Ranker doesn't seem as glamorous as people make it out to be. I think I'd rather stick to being a businesswoman."

She said it lightheartedly, probably trying to ease the tension.

I gave her a small nod. "Okay."

She walked over to her closet and pulled out two mats and blankets, handing them to me. "You two can sleep here."

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I took them with a quiet thanks and offered to take the plates to the kitchen. Luna waved me off and left the room, but I could tell something was still on her mind.

Jason and I set up our mats on the floor while Luna got into bed. As I settled down, a question lingered in my mind.

"What about your parents?" I finally asked.

For a moment, she didn't answer.

I was about to tell her she didn't have to say anything when she spoke.

"It's not that I don't want to talk about it," she said softly. "It's just... they died in a rogue Ranker battle. After that, I lived with my aunt for a while, but she didn't want me. She kicked me out."

I stayed silent, unsure how to respond.

"But I was prepared for it," she continued. "I worked part-time jobs while I was still with her, saving up enough to rent this apartment. Now, I support myself and pay for school on my own."

She let out a deep sigh. "It's been tough."

I was dumbfounded. She had helped us despite everything she'd been through. And I was sure this was just the surface of her struggles—there had to be more she wasn't saying.

Jason, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke. "Wait... but you look like you're seventeen."

"I am," Luna said. "I turn eighteen next month."

She then turned to us. "What about you guys?"

I hesitated, then replied, "Jason and I grew up in an orphanage. We came to this city with the dream of becoming Rankers."

I let out a small chuckle. "But compared to your life, I guess we've had it easy."

The words left my mouth before I could stop them. Because I knew that wasn't true. Jason and I had struggled hard to get here—sleeping on the streets, getting robbed twice, fighting just to survive. It was anything but easy.

But at least we had each other.

Luna? She was alone.

And somehow, despite everything, she was still standing.