Myles and Nadine stayed at the window for a few long minutes. They didn't speak. They simply watched the empty street until the chill crawled into their bones and neither of them saw anything new.
Finally, Myles lowered his head. "I think it's alright now. Kind of."
"I need to warn the others about that blue giant in the apartment," he continued. He blinked, then looked at Nadine with an expression that softened as memories about her injuries resurfaced. "Are you really all right?"
Nadine's lips trembled into a small, guarded smile after hearing his concern.
"I'm fine," she said, but her voice broke on the last word.
Her hands moved reflexively to the places where bone tendrils had torn at her skin in the Grave of Imprisonment. She had healed after everything was done, but the memory still flared like a fresh wound.
Myles watched her fingers, the way she flinched, and his jaw tightened. He had no words that would fix whatever the battle had given to her.
He only knew the truth that haunted them all. This was how things would be from now on. Danger would come, and it would leave marks. Enemies would also become stronger.
Nadine met his gaze and forced a steadier tone.
"Honestly, I'm scared," she admitted. "I thought I was going to die before. But I'm stronger now. Don't underestimate me."
Myles let a thin smile break. "Right. Sorry. Let's get the others then."
He moved through the house and gathered everyone in the living room.
They formed a tight circle on the floor, voices low so any creatures beyond the boarded windows wouldn't listen.
Nine faces turned toward Myles as he spoke. They were alert and tired.
"I'm going to tell you what we think happened at the university," Myles said. He kept his words short and careful. He described the torn bodies, the tracks, and his suspicion that the same blue-skinned giant that they had fled from in the apartment might be the culprit.
Ethan, Daniel, George, Clara, Samantha, Kade, Ryan, and Victor listened in varying degrees of shock and calculation.
Fear flickered across their faces, but so did readiness. The new weapons at their hands seemed to vibrate in agreement.
"Is that giant strong?" Ethan asked, with equal parts of fear but also eagerness in his voice. He wanted to test his new magical weapons in real battle.
"Very strong," Myles answered plainly. "He can still show intelligence as a human and brute force. He nearly overwhelmed us before."
Victor added, "He still looks human underneath, but his body is enhanced by the mutation. He didn't fight like a mindless beast."
"Could anything else have done this?" Ryan asked.
"Maybe," Myles said. "But my feeling points to that giant. We should plan as if it's him."
They fell quiet for a moment, weighing options. Finally George spoke. "So what's the plan?"
"We hunt him down," Myles said without hesitation. "But we can't just rush in. We must prepare. George, I need you to start forging. Make us gear because we'll need it soon."
George nodded and placed his hammer beside him. "Okay. I'll need metals or anything heavy and hard. My Forgemind and the hammer should do the rest."
Myles listed the supplies they could gather arlund the city like scrap metal from collapsed cars, rebar from ruined buildings, tools and fastenings from nearby workshops.
They discussed routes, fallback points, and how to move quietly for tomorrow.
"Good. Tonight we must sleep," Myles said. "Tomorrow we gather materials and search fir that giant. We also need to train with these weapons."
One by one, tired heads bobbed in agreement. They stowed their Bone Core Fragments away, packing them into temporary storage around the house for a time when luck and skill could favor them.
They arranged watch shifts, stacked boards and more stuff against doors, and checked their weapons once more.
Outside, the ruined city breathed in waves of cold night air. Inside, for a few hours, the ten of them let exhaustion take them.
They slept with weapons within reach, dreams jagged and brief.
Myles lay awake the longest. He watched his friends sleep, listened to the faint sounds and thought of the Undertaker's warning — prepare yourself.
He felt the weight of leadership settle on him, hard and steady.
The next day, they woke after only a few hours of sleep.
The light outside was still dim, the sun not yet high over the broken horizon.
Myles stood first. He rolled his shoulders, shook the fatigue from his head, and began giving orders.
"We'll move in pairs," he said. "Gather as much metal as you can from cars, fences, or any scrap. When you can't carry more, come back here and drop it off, then head out again. If anyone sees the blue giant, don't fight or shout. Just run and regroup."
Everyone nodded in understanding. Their faces were pale with fatigue, but their eyes burned with purpose.
They split into pairs. Myles with Nadine, Victor with Kade, George with Ethan, Ryan with Clara, and Daniel with Samantha.
The groups slipped out into the cold streets and moved quickly and low between the buildings.
Myles and Nadine took the main road, where old cars lay crushed together in long lines. Their bodies moved with precision.
With their enhanced stats now they tore through car doors, bent metal frames, and ripped free chunks of steel that once would've needed tools to move.
The city stayed silent. Only the sounds of metal snapping and glass cracking echoed faintly through the empty streets.
Neither of them spoke. They didn't need to. They need to be cautious. The thought of the blue giant who could be lingering around makes him anxious.
They filled their bags and arms with scraps, then hauled them back to the house.
Each group did the same, taking different routes but returning through the same narrow alley.
Piles of twisted rebar and vehicle panels began stacking up inside the house.
When the sun finally rose to its highest point, George stood among the gathered metal, wiping sweat from his face with the back of his wrist.
His eyes glinted with satisfaction.
"This should be enough to start," he said, tapping the head of his hammer against a pile of scrap. "I'll need time, but I can already work with this."
Myles nodded. "Good. Start right away. We'll keep gathering more in case you need it."
George set down a flat surface near the center of the room, clearing space for his forgework.