"It's been almost a week now. Do you think they're still alive?" Kimberly asked from her spot on the floor.
Leaning against the wall, I was engrossed in my S-Device when I couldn't help but overhear the conversation between Kimberly and Summer nearby.
"What do you think? Roger is right! We shouldn't be concentrating on feeding a bunch of freeloaders. We should be thinking of ourselves! Not the well-being of others!" Summer grumbled, her voice mirroring the ideals of Roger and his growing band of followers.
Over the past week, more individuals were beginning to adopt their perspectives. One night, I even had to ask myself if he was wrong. The world outside had turned upside down. Despite how much I hate to say it, we should be looking out for ourselves.
"Kid, not everyone is built to be a leader. We have elders, children, and people experiencing trauma and grief in this building. Roger is neither right nor wrong. But I refuse to ignore the weak, even when others do."
I recalled Mr. Barry telling me this once after a disagreement he had with Roger. While Roger may have had a point when he spoke about looking out for himself, that didn't give him an excuse to act like a tyrant and an asshole.
Ever since James and Mr. Barry left, the stability they upheld in this place had been slipping away. The atmosphere turned chaotic as people, driven by hunger, resorted to fighting over the remaining canned food and snacks in the vending machine. Amidst the commotion, Roger and his group managed to secure the majority of the snacks, leaving others disappointed and frustrated.
Before I got caught up in the chaos, I quickly grabbed a couple of granola bars to keep my energy up. I also made sure to grab a water bottle since the water supply in the building seemed to be malfunctioning.
As the week drew to a close, I held onto the hope of Mr. Barry's return. I could almost picture him bursting through the doors with his usual easy-going smile that brought people comfort. But when that day finally arrived, my hopes were shattered to dust when the doors burst open. A lone member from the hunting team, a man covered in blood, entered.
"They're dead! All of them are gone!"
He shouted like a lunatic before passing out on the ground. Various expressions crossed the faces of the people inside. I stood there rooted to my spot. No. It couldn't be real.
"He's not breathing! I think he's dead!" someone shouted about the man lying on the floor, but I was consumed by thoughts of Mr. Barry and how I would never hear his comforting words of wisdom again.
Since this nightmare of hell started, Mr. Barry had been my protector. He was a good man. A man who risked his life to save me and the people here. With him no longer present, would I still have the strength to stand on my own two feet and survive this hellhole?
My scattered thoughts were interrupted by someone clapping their hands, followed by a burst of laughter.
"Alright, people, there's a new chief in town!" Of course, it would be Roger. He never liked Mr. Barry or James.
"Unlike those goody two fools, I will not risk my life for the rest of you! If you want to stay here, you'll have to earn your keep by scavenging food to bring back." Roger made his announcement to the crowd, causing instant unease and sparking a flurry of angry opinions.
"You can't do this to us! You can't just order us around!"
"Yeah! Who died and made you leader!?"
One of the guys from the crowd stood before Roger and shouted in his face. It happened in a split second; an evil smile crossed Roger's face before a sword stabbed through the man's chest.
Before I could even comprehend what was happening, a sudden outcry echoed through the air, and chaos swiftly followed.
It was Roger's group against the protesters. I covered my ears, trying to block out the screams as I watched blood stain the floors. I watched a mother gather her daughter into her arms and run to a safe spot.
I moved out of the way, finding a safe place against the wall. When it all ended, people were crying, people were drenched in blood, and bodies were lying motionless on the floor.
Roger and his group stood victorious, armed with the weapons they had obtained from their S-Device. I watched as blue screens appeared in front of their faces, and from my spot, I could read what it said.
{You have killed a human life. The price of one Human life is 45 star coins. The system is currently in the process of calculating the value of the coins that have been acquired.}
Star coins?! I'd never heard of that currency, but let's put that aside for now. Were there prices placed on our lives? Who would do such a horrible thing?
But wait… I'd seen that term before.
While I was deep in thought, it suddenly dawned on me. It was yesterday, while I was experimenting with my S-Device. Upon tapping the Store icon, two intriguing options popped up on the screen.
{Food} or {Clothing}
When I selected the "food" option, a tantalizing display of diverse food items and meals appeared on the screen. The sight of it immediately triggered a physical response - my mouth watered, and my stomach audibly protested its emptiness.
It had been quite some time since I indulged in a satisfying meal. Intrigued, I decided to explore the cheeseburger combo option, and as I clicked on it, a new screen materialized before me.
{In order to acquire this item, Star Coins are required. As of now, there are no Star Coins in your possession, thus preventing you from making the purchase.}
So this was what the S-Device was talking about. It seemed Roger and his crew were just as taken off guard by the floating notification windows. Right after the screens disappeared and people were still in shock, Roger and his twenty followers left, most likely to discuss what had just happened, before ordering some people to clean up the mess they left behind.
About three hours later, after the bodies were moved and the blood was cleaned, Roger stood before the mass with his followers standing proudly behind him.
"While we were in the middle of our discussion, we found out some pretty neat tricks with these devices that Angel gave us. So, either you get sacrificed outside" —Roger pointed his sword at the masses and grinned evilly— "…. or by my sword. The choice is yours. But you can save yourself by donating coins."
"Donating coins? What are you talking about? Barely any of us have any money!" a woman, the mother I spotted earlier, shouted in distress, shielding her child.
Roger chuckled. "That's not entirely true. If you press the icon for {Stream}, you'll see videos of people fighting those monsters and getting showered in coins after taking out those beasts."
I hurriedly pulled out my S-Device, and was taken aback by what I saw. A series of videos had been posted. The footage showed individuals in different locations across the continent engaging in intense battles with the monsters that lurked outside.
But what struck me was the gleaming gold coins cascading down upon those who managed to defeat those god awful creatures lurking outside.
"It turns out, if you kill a life, you get paid. The world, even in the event of an apocalypse, will always be run by money." Roger's face twisted into a sinister grin, his eyes glinting with a menacing light as he reveled in the unfolding situation.
"It's simple. Kill a few monsters. Win coins. Donate half of those coins to us and you get to stay here with a safe roof over your head. If you don't want to go outside, there is something else you can kill… Which is each other. So, who will be our first sacrificial lamb?"
Roger paced back and forth, as the hushed whispers of the remaining survivors filled the air alongside their fear.
They kept their distance, unwilling to challenge him after witnessing the horrifying events that had just unfolded.
"What about you? I think you'll make a beautiful sacrificial lamb." Summer let out a small, high-pitched squeak of fear as Roger loomed before her, his figure casting a shadow over her trembling body.
"No! Please don't do this! I'm not a fighter! Please…" Summer pleaded for her life, frantically searching for a means of escape when her eyes suddenly lit up with an idea.
"I'm certain there are other methods by which I can provide assistance to you," she murmured to him in a sultry tone, her eyes locked with his. She pressed her body against his chest, making sure he could feel her curves and ample bosom.
Standing on her tiptoes, she whispered something in his ear. Whatever she said made Roger's face turn red with lust in his eyes before he pulled away with a smile.
"So instead of me, why don't you pick…" Summer regained her balance and stood firmly on her feet, her sharp eyes carefully sweeping the room until they landed on their target. A cruel smile slowly spread across her lovely face, revealing her intentions.
"Her! She will be the perfect sacrificial lamb for you!" Summer pointed her finger directly in my direction.
You gotta be shitting me!