Title: The Curse of Empathy

Summary: Lyner, Zelos, York, and Lazarus all end up in the Human World. But something is terribly wrong. The region they find themselves in is empty, devoid of humans. Yet, when a fog rolls in, so do terrible creatures lusting for flesh. Lyner, for some inexplicable reason, has been given the gift to fore-sense these creatures arrival. But as days go by, Lyner starts to grow weaker. His survival seems to depend on his developing relationship with Zelos. Will Zelos be able to keep Lyner alive? Will the boys figure out what happened to this region?

Pairings: Zelos/Lyner

Genre: Mystery/suspense/action/adventure/romance/horror

Warnings: Mentions of death, depictions of violence, insinuations of human experiments

Author's Note: Alright, this novel is bit of a self-challenge, I suppose you could say. I wanted to write a novel with a limited cast. I'm used to having a cast of ten or more characters to interact with each other. I kinda wanted to see if I could write a mystery novel with just four characters. Of course, there are random characters mentioned off screen, but the four mentioned in the summary are the main four. And from what my outline looks like, this will be a very long novel. Perhaps my longest yet. So, be ready!

Also, the chapters are likely to be very long. 4k+ more likely than not. Let me know if you prefer the long chapters or if I should shorten them to about 2k. It honestly doesn't matter to me.

Important: Also, you don't need to know a single thing about the CrossEdge game or fandom. I've taken them out of that world and plopped them straight into the "Human Realm", so everything is completely original and brewed from this ol' brain of mine. So, do give this story a chance. I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

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Chapter 1:

"...It'll be too much...He's not from here..."

Voices...

"...It's the only way...Only he is strong enough..."

"...Why must he bear the burden...?"

"...We are not at liberty to be selective..."

Voices that Lyner did not recognise, far off in the distance in the dark void of which he seemed to reside. They spoke to one another, as though they were arguing about something, rather about someone. The matter felt important, something beyond his reach and understanding. Yet, part of him felt that it was significant to him.

"...It has begun..."

Sharp, jagged pain resonating in the middle of his forehead greeted Lyner as the black void converted to a dull, but somehow familiar light. He pinched his eyes shut to block out the light, only to flutter his eyelids open a moment later.

A canopy of tall trees and green leaves left him mildly confused. The leaves swayed softly in a quiet, slow breeze. The air was mild, neither too warm nor cold. The light was tempered due to the dense leafy shelter above him.

The soft tickle of grass against his ears and cheeks reenforced the realisation that he was somewhere outside. Within a forest. Not a particular dense one, but a lush one all the same.

What happened?

With him laid flat on his back, Lyner lifted his right hand to rest it against his forehead as he tried to remember the events leading up to his current state. His head positivity ached, making it difficult to concentrate. He was...away from camp. With three others. Just the four of them. There was not for a special purpose or reason for them to be away from. Just...gathering supplies.

When there was a bright light. It caught them off guard. There was confused shouting. And then...

The sensation of falling.

He did not remember anything after that.

Lyner dropped his arm to the ground to stare up at the swaying branches for a moment, to simply gather his thoughts. Yet only questions raced through his mind. Were they ambushed? What was that sensation? Had they somehow been transported elsewhere?

More importantly, what of the others?

Lyner pushed himself to sit up and immediately surveyed his surroundings. He had hoped to spy his traveling companions in the same area as he, but a sinking feeling settled in the pit of his stomach when he realised that he was alone.

They...had to be somewhere close by, surely.

"Guys? Is there anyone there? York? Lazarus? Zelos?"

He received nothing but silence.

Until a crack of a twig caused him to tense.

"Yeah, I'm here."

Lyner immediately swivelled around to look over his shoulder as Zelos appeared from further in from the forest. He appeared slightly haggard, but otherwise unharmed, drawing a sigh of relief from him. "You all right?"

"Yeah, fine."

"Where are we?" Lyner asked as he pushed himself to his feet, something that took longer than usual due to his headache.

Zelos shook his head, a scowl on his face. "I don't know, but I don't think we're in the World of Souls anymore."

Lyner turned to look at him, bemused as to how he came to that conclusion, only to pause when he realised that he, himself, felt that there was something...strange to the atmosphere around them. Compared to how he felt before that anonymous bright light, the air, the world around him felt denser somehow.

"No..." Lyner shook his head as he unconsciously tested the location of his sword, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief to have it in its usual place. "Have you seen York and Lazarus?"

Again, Zelos shook his head. "No. They're not here," he replied gruffly. He must have awoken far sooner than Lyner had and had instinctively inspected his surroundings.

If York and Lazarus were not in the same area, then there was little to no point in hanging around here. They needed to get a move on. The sooner they found their companions; the sooner they could plot a way to return to the World of Souls.

Hopefully.

"Well, first thing we need to do is to get out of this forest," Lyner said. "Is there anything around here?"

Zelos jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. "Saw signs of what could be a path or road in that direction. I was going to investigate until I heard your voice."

Ok, good. At least they had something to focus on. "Lead the way. Let's see what we've got."

Wordlessly, Zelos turned and headed in the direction he had indicated and Lyner dutifully followed. They walked mostly in silence, with Zelos occasionally using his sword to hack away at swarths of thick shrubbery, with him opting for a direct path. Yet, as they walked, Lyner could not help but noticed just how quiet it truly was around them.

There were no birds. No insects. Other than them moving, the sound of their feet shuffling against the grass, occasionally breaking a twig or two, or Zelos swinging away with his blade, it was silent. It seemed so unnatural. Even the World of Souls had the sounds of nature.

Here, there was nothing.

Finally, the trees opened up and revealed a decently constructed paved road. A well maintained one, from the looks of it. They jumped from the slight berm from the forest and onto the road. Again, no sound greeted them as they stepped cautiously and curiously out onto the bitumen.

The road was unremarkable in every way. Nothing at all to indicate anything about their new surroundings. Only that the left lead to an incline while the right led to a decline in terrain.

"Which way?" Lyner asked.

Zelos shrugged. "Let's just pick a direction and start walking."

Well, that was all they could really do.

They both instinctively chose to walk right. Downhill. Easier for them to traverse, he supposed. But there was also the possibility that civilisation seemed to prefer settling in valleys and gullies, rather than at alleviations.

Or something.

"York and Lazarus were with us," Lyner mused. "Where could they be?"

"How would I know?" Zelos snapped in response.

Lyner sighed. "I'm just wondering out loud. I don't actually expect you to have the answers."

Zelos was such a guarded and prickly guy. Lyner wondered if it was possible to have a conversation with him without Zelos being edgy and suspicious. He had a reputation to uphold, after all. Though, Lyner could not blame him for being on edge about their situation. His unease came out in aggression. Trying to pick a fight with the guy was not going to help them in anyway.

He just needed to ignore Zelos' prickliness for the time being. Their main concern was finding York and Lazarus.

They continued in silence once more, with the stillness being particularly potent. The forest retained its density, and the road remained empty, despite how well maintained it appeared. It certainty did not look like a road that was infrequently used.

Maybe he was thinking too much into it.

As they rounded a bend in the road, the forest opened up once more to reveal a structure in the distance. A building, two stories by appearance, with a half circular driveway, and a stone sign situated out front. A business of some kind.

Lyner and Zelos wordlessly shared a look before they quickened their pace and headed for the structure. Though the building was the first civilised structure they had encountered, they still approached it cautiously, choosing to inspect the stone sign out front before heading toward the main entrance.

The language written across the sign was foreign, the lettering of seemingly both random and deliberate lines and positions completely unrecognisable to him.

And yet...

"What language is this?" Lyner questioned.

"I don't know," Zelos replied as he shook his head. "But for some reason, I can read it."

"Yeah..."

The lettering, the lines, the characters were completely foreign, yet they seem to filter through his mind and translate seamlessly regardless. He...supposed it made sense in a way. A gift of sorts. After all, three worlds had merged together in the World of Souls and everyone was able to communicate effortlessly, despite their differences.

He...suppose he should not question it. It made things a lot easier that he could read the local language.

"I think we're in the Human Realm," Zelos stated, not entirely pleased.

"I think you're right." Lyner idly trailed his fingers along the armour around his neck. "I better find a way to hide my armour. I pretty sure this isn't the normal attire around these parts."

Zelos frowned as he looked down at his waist, where his weapons resided. "I doubt having massive swords and guns are the norm, either." He roughly raked his fingers through his hair. "Shit. This makes things complicated."

Yeah. If they were indeed in the Human Realm, then they needed to abide by their rules and customs. Whatever they were. York's knowledge would be really handy right about now.

Just as Lyner mused whether he should remove his armour and hide it somewhere, his gaze shifted to his surroundings. And once more, he was put off by how quiet and still everything appeared to be. Not a bird. Not an insect. Not a sound of a vehicle in the distance. Barely even the sound of the wind. And the business itself was eerily silent. No one fussing about cleaning or straightening things up.

Nothing.

"It's...very quiet." Lyner turned his attention back to Zelos, unable to hide his unease. "Do you want to see if there's anyone inside first?"

"Yeah," Zelos replied immediately, which was somewhat of a surprise. "Something feels...off."

There really was no need to explain further. So, wordlessly, they headed toward the building that the sign had stated was a museum. A place that would no doubt be useful to them should it be true.

The entrance was comprised of two doors, one was jimmied half opened, while the other was fully drawn back, allowing for them an unimpeded entry into the building. And as they stepped inside, what greeted them was truly a surprise.

The place was a mess. Exhibits broken, dismantled, and destroyed, as if done so in a hateful and violent rage. Papers and documents strewn about, seemingly thrown about in frantic haste. Fragments of walls and ceiling tiles littered the floor like confetti. It was not an accident or minor mishap; it was a disaster.

"What happened here?" Lyner questioned as they ventured further into the building, he idly minding where he placed his footing. "It doesn't look old enough to be abandoned."

Zelos, however, kicked at the debris with his feet, a deep furrow marring his brow. "No, it's been trashed."

"Not robbed?"

"No." Zelos was confident in his response. "It's too chaotic."

Lyner turned his attention back to the chaos around him when his gaze fell upon a feature that resided upon a wall. One of the very few things that remained remarkable untouched, saved for a minor tear or scrap here or there. He immediately wandered over to it to inspect it further.

It was a map that seemed to be focused on the mountainous region that the museum was a part of. And it, too, was written in that foreign language.

"Well, from this map, I think you're right," Lyner said as Zelos joined him to scrutinise the map. "We're definitely not in the World of Souls anymore."

Zelos took a moment to trail his eyes over the names and places, only to frown. "I don't recognise it."

"Neither do I. We're definitely in the Human Realm. It's far too peaceful to be the Demon Realm."

He had heard all sorts of horror stories from Prinny about what kind of destruction and carnage (and ultimately stupidity petty battles) demons could get up to in the Demon Realm. He'd imagine four strangers from different worlds would quickly gain the interest in a few 'Overlords' and whatnot. Just so they could, ya know, fight them for the hell of it.

Lyner turned to Zelos to ask him something, only to pause when he realised that the other man was staring out away from the map. Toward the main floor of museum, where the bulk of the destruction laid. His eyes were narrow, and his jaw appeared tight. He appeared troubled.

"Something wrong?" Lyner asked, though a part of him knew it was a fruitless question to ask.

"It's nothing," Zelos automatically replied. A dishonest response, something uttered to brush him off. "Let's look around," he said instead. "Since we've been shanghaied here without supplies, we've going to need to gather some."

"Sure." Made sense. Though, he was not sure what kind of supplies they could gather from a museum.

Still, he followed Zelos as he wandered through the museum. They traversed through the rooms on the first floor, each differing on how damaged they were. Some were relatively untouched, seemingly frozen in time, while others were completely destroyed, with furniture upturned and walls and windows broken.

Eventually they found a door that was shut, and upon opening it, lead them to a space that was semi-outside.

It looked like a parking garage. Where a singular vehicle resided. Rather primitive. No roof, but with a roll bar. Two seats up front and possibly allowing three to sit in the back. A bit of trunk space. It had large wheels, though. The thing looked like it could handle most off-road terrain.

Zelos immediately walked over to it and looked over the driver's seat, to look at the dashboard, Lyner assume.

"Well, at least we don't have to do much walking," Zelos suddenly announced as he pulled back, a satisfied smirk on his lips.

Lyner walked over to the vehicle and tapped his fingers idly against the hood. "Ah, you can drive this?"

"Yeah, no problem." Zelos' smirk grew slightly more...smirkier. "Even without the keys."

Lyner folded his arms across his chest and leaned to rest his hip against the side of the vehicle. "It doesn't surprise me that you know how to hotwire it. But let's look for the keys first. Let's try to limit our criminal record, ok?"

Zelos sniffed, clearly displeased. "Suit yourself."

"In any case," Lyner began as he pushed away and moved to head back inside. "I'm going to go in search of some plain clothes to wear. Just in case."

"Oh, so theft is ok?"

"Hey hey, I'm borrowing them."

With the first floor of the museum proving to hold very little in regards to what would be useful to them, Lyner ventured to the second floor. There were a few exhibits, rather alcoves where there should have been exhibits, the floor appeared more for storage and residential use. The caretakers of the museum appeared to live on site.

As Lyner wandered the rooms, he soon came to notice an oddity. The windows were boarded up. But the planks of wood were nailed from the inside. It was as though they wanted to ensure that nothing and no one could tear those board down from the outside.

From the wreckage that the first floor sustained, they clearly wanted to keep something out.

But what?

As he turned down a hallway, he found himself stopped dead in his tracks. The walls were damaged. Badly. Gouges? No, they looked like tear marks. From a sturdy and sharp object.

He trailed his fingertips over the deep indentations. The marks were not smooth. They were jagged, with the purpose to rip and tear.

It was not made by a weapon.

Lyner followed the markings, which grew in intensity with each step he took. The hallway finally led him to a single door. A door that was broken and shattered, the wood splintered. Broken inwards. Yet, there were numerous woodchips located several feet on the floor outside the room.

He peered into the room. It appeared to be a storage room. Yet, there was a makeshift bed in the far back corner and numerous cans of food piled in the other. There were no windows, only a single light in the centre of the room. However, the lightbulb had been removed.

Though, it was hard to tell since it had been upturned, the items found within scattered about, the walls adorned with the same gouges and indentions as those found outside.

It was clear that something terrible had happened.

"Zelos?" Lyner called out and waited where he stood for the mercenary to appear. Soon, he stepped out of one of the rooms, his face twisted in his perpetual scowl. Yet, he looked curious, nevertheless. So, Lyner nodded his head direction toward the room as the other man approached him. "Have a look at this. What do you think?"

Zelos stared into the room and took in the sight of the walls in silence for a few drawn out moments. "Something definitely attacked this place," he finally said. "And it looks like whoever lived here tried to barricade themselves in this room."

That was what Lyner thought, too.

"Let's grab some supplies and get out of here," Zelos stated as he turned on his heel and moved away from the destroyed room. "The last thing we need is the law enforcement of this place thinking we had anything to do with this."

"Right."

Lyner moved away from the unnerving hallway and ventured elsewhere. He soon found a room that looked promising. It appeared to be a bedroom. The bed pressed to one corner gave it away.

A folded piece of paper sat on the bed. Curious, he walked over and picked it up. A map? Hopefully, it was of the region they were in. It would help them immensely.

He replaced the map upon the bed, promising himself to pick it up when he was done with the room. His attention soon focused on the wardrobe, and he pushed aside the doors. Thankfully, the clothes appeared to be around his size.

It did not feel right, at all, to rummage through someone else's belongings. It felt downright wrong in his opinion. It felt even worse knowing that the people he was scavenging supplies from where unlikely to still be alive. But he needed clothes to blend into this new world. He would just borrow a couple of shirts and a jacket.

Though, he might need to find something for Zelos, too.

He quickly changed from his dark purple turtleneck for a dark blue sleeveless hoodie, which happened to be a size too big. He also grabbed a couple more pieces of clothing that may prove useful in the future and as he searched through the closet, he found a couple of empty duffle bags. He used one to place his old clothes and armour in, along with his new clothes.

The other would be handy for anything else they needed to grab.

As Lyner swung one bag over his shoulder and grasped the other, he paused when a dark scrawl on the wall caught his attention. Again, he was briefly surprised by his ability to read the foreign language so fluently, despite having no experiencing with the Human Realm. But that was soon pushed aside when the meaning of words filtered through his mind.

'They come in the fog.'

He must admit, they left him a little...unnerved. From the deep lacerations on the walls, to the obviously smashed in door of the desperate attempt at a saferoom. Something unsettling had occurred in this building.

In his world, there were plenty of creatures and monsters that were capable of such feats. Did they reside in the Human Realm, too?

He shook his head and quickly snatched up the map before he hurried out of the room. He noted that Zelos no longer resided on the second floor and was likely back in the garage. Either placing the gathered supplies within the vehicle or hotwiring it before he got there.

Lyner walked into the garage and just as he figured, he found Zelos messing around with their new vehicle. But he was seemingly searching around in the trunk space, either placing in supplies or removing out old junk they did not need.

"I managed to find some human clothes," Lyner said as he approached. "I also found a duffle bag for us to hide our weapons in."

"Before you asked, I managed to find the keys for the jeep," Zelos said in response.

Oh, good. That made things easier for future use.

Lyner tossed the bag containing his clothes into the trunk but decided that the bag that they were to hide their weapons in needed to reside on the backseat. For just in case. Those slashes and gouge marks on the wall back there left him nervous.

Zelos slammed the lid of the trunk down and moved toward the driver's seat. Lyner spent a moment ensuring that their weapons were positioned in such a way that it would require little effort on their part to remove from the bag should they need to before he placed it on the floor directly behind his seat. He then slipped into the passenger seat next to Zelos and pulled out the map.

"I also found a map." He partially unfolded it and leaned toward Zelos slightly as he pointed to a marker that should prove useful for them. "Here. According to this, there's a town south of here. And on the road leading to it, there's a gas station."

Zelos looked at the map for a moment before he leaned to his side and slid the key into the ignition. "Then we better head there first. This piece of junk doesn't have much left in the tank."

Hopefully, they would run into York and Lazarus on the way.