The sound of Oud's boots echoed through the corridor as if every step had been engineered specifically to irritate me. I ran with my chest burning, trying to stay focused, when I noticed he had picked something up from a table against the wall—still running, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
— A table I had completely ignored because, you know, I was trying not to die.
He grabbed a rusty iron bar as if he were choosing fresh bread at a bakery.
Meanwhile, a swarm of one-armed mutations was chasing us.
I was running to survive. I was sick of that filthy, earthy-smelling laboratory.
Oud?
Strolling.
And I was trapped between two mysteries:
The Ulzors…
And Oud.
Then he opened his mouth, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
— Hey, blue — it looks like that thing is going to shoot at us… are you planning to dodge? — he said, in absolute calm.
I didn't even have time to answer. The emerald circle on the Ulzor's face began to glow, pulsing with that Cactus energy I was already tired of feeling on my skin—literally.
— Headache again, no… — I murmured, because the universe loves watching me suffer.
My corrupted chi activated before I could think. The dark wave rose along my arms with that familiar chill, as if someone were pulling a damp cloth through the inside of my skin.
Twisting the air around me as though I were wrapped in a cloak made of torn shadows, I threw my body to the left, dodging the green blast.
Except something didn't make sense.
Oud was directly in the path of the beam.
And… nothing happened.
The energy passed through him as if he had no mass. No impact. No burn. No flicker of pain. He kept running, breathing with the same lazy rhythm as always.
— Did the energy pass through him? Or did he pass through the energy? — I thought, not understanding it at all. — At the very least, he should've dropped to the floor screaming… or turned into smoke.
But no. Nothing.
— Why are you staring at me? — he asked, genuinely curious. — Am I dirty?
I nearly tripped from sheer disbelief.
Before I could form a response, an Ulzor jumped out of a side room and struck me with its left arm—just one arm, because they never bother with the other—throwing me to the ground.
Oud finally reacted. He hurled the iron bar. It passed so close to my face I felt the wind slice inside my ear. The monster dodged by mere centimeters.
I staggered to my feet, breathless.
— I know a way — he said, simply resuming his run. — If you want to follow, feel free… but I'm not sure.
NOT SURE.
My escape partner was a broken GPS with selective amnesia.
We followed the corridors until he spotted a door.
We went in.
— There are some stairs here. They slow down the… hey, why do you run crooked?
— Oud, why are you like this?! — I snarled. — Just tell me which way to go!
— Hm… I think it's the first door on the left.
Of course it was. And of course, when we turned, there was a creature waiting.
The monster went straight for Oud.
— Watch out! — I shouted.
Oud, in no hurry at all, pulled a lamp out of his pocket. Yes. A lamp. He flicked the switch, and a white light burst out. The monster recoiled, moaning, its eyes blurring under the brightness.
— You could've warned me that this works! — I snapped.
— Strong light. They don't adapt quickly — he said. As if it were obvious. AS IF I WERE THE IDIOT IN THE SITUATION.
— Why didn't you say that earlier?!
— We were running. And you didn't ask.
— Wow, we were running, Oud? Really? I thought we were flying, genius.
— AND HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO ASK ABOUT SOMETHING I DON'T EVEN KNOW EXISTS?!
He shrugged.
— And how am I supposed to know what you'd like to know, blue?
I took a deep breath. Not because I wanted to. But because, if I didn't, I'd probably punch him—and that's never productive when you're being chased by explosive mutations.
We went down a spiral staircase. Heavy footsteps appeared above us—Ulzors.
Yeah. It always gets worse.
We reached another door. I looked at it and felt an unpleasant déjà vu.
— I've been here before… — I touched the handle. Nothing. — Locked. I knew it.
— What are you looking at? — Oud asked behind me.
I didn't answer. Something was wrong.
Then I felt the wind. I ducked on instinct.
An Ulzor dropped from the ceiling and slammed into the door with such force that it dented the metal. It hit the floor, trying to recover—without success.
— Hey, blue… you're dirty — Oud commented. — Why are you still here?
I turned, eyes almost bulging.
— What are you talking about?!
He pointed.
The Ulzor… was inflating.
Oh no.
NOT AGAIN.
My spine went cold. I already knew what was coming.
— What are you going to do? — he asked with the same serenity of someone watching a cat sleep. — I can help you get out, if you want.
— Look… it's kind of beautiful. It looks like a lung opening.
— OUD, IT'S GOING TO EXPLODE! RUN! — I screamed.
I activated the corrupted chi with force. My vision darkened at the edges, but I leapt back at the right moment.
The monster exploded.
The wave of green energy tore through the corridor as if ripping the air itself. I was hit before I could protect myself. I was thrown against the wall. I felt a crack on impact—and prayed it wasn't my spine.
Everything went silent.
Dust suspended. Air vibrating. Cactus energy rippling through the corridor like living mist.
Me on the ground.
Motionless for a moment.
And then I heard the calm voice of the stranger beside me:
— Hey, blue… why didn't you absorb the energy?
I took a deep breath—or tried to.
Because, honestly, at that moment I didn't know what was more terrifying:
The Ulzors…
Or Oud.
Or the fact that I was starting to think that, in some twisted way… he was actually being useful.