Apocalypse: Rise of the Last Survivor
Chapter 6: Traitor's Price
Kael Draven's body was a ruin, sprawled against the garage wall, the Bloodfang Dagger inches from his limp hand. The Overlord-Class rift above roared, its clawed hand—bigger than a Rift Alpha's—tearing through, shaking the city. Vren Thalor, the Covenant elite who'd watched Kael die in his past life, stood over him, pulse cannon glowing, ready to finish the job. Mia Chen crouched beside Kael, her bloodied shoulder trembling as she shielded him. The Codex screamed: Rift Entity: Overlord-Class. Threat Level: Apocalyptic. Survival Odds: 1%.
Chronoshift Hidden Cost: Each Rewind Shortens Lifespan by 1 Month. Total Rewinds: 2. Lifespan Remaining: 22 Years. Lara's voice crackled through Vren's comms: "Kill Draven now, or the Erythra take us all!" Kael's heart stuttered, but surrender wasn't an option. He'd Rewind, even if it killed him.
His mind triggered Chronoshift, the world snapping back 20 seconds. Pain seared his chest, his lifespan shaving down another month. Lifespan Remaining: 21 Years, 11 Months. He was back on the floor, Vren's cannon charging, the Overlord's claw still emerging.
Mia was grabbing his arm, shouting, "Get up!" The Codex blared: Stamina Overdrawn. Vitality: -20%. System Failure in 45 seconds. Kael's body screamed, but the Rewind had reset Vren's shot. He lunged for the Bloodfang Dagger, its red glow flaring. Vitality Drain: -5% per minute. He had minutes, maybe less, before he collapsed.
Vren's Overdrive skill blurred his form, dodging Kael's weak slash. "You're a dead man, Draven," Vren snarled, cannon humming. Kael's Codex scanned: Kinetic Overdrive: 5-second speed burst. Cooldown: 20 seconds. He had to outlast it. Kael rolled, dragging Mia behind an oil drum as Vren's pulse wave blasted the wall, showering them with debris. The Overlord's claw slammed through the ceiling, crushing the van, its roar deafening. Smaller Voidlings poured from the rift, their black cores pulsing, skittering toward the chaos.
Kael's vision flickered, but the Codex offered a plan: Overlord Weakness: Neural Core, head. Requires System-enhanced weapon. Bloodfang Dagger Viable. The dagger was his only shot, but Vren was the immediate threat. Kael whispered to Mia, "Stay low. Find cover." She nodded, slipping behind a crate, her eyes fierce despite her wound. Kael gripped the dagger, its drain pushing him to Vitality: -25%. He baited Vren, staggering into the open, feigning weakness. Vren took it, blurring forward with Overdrive. Kael activated Kinetic Pulse, the blue shockwave catching Vren mid-stride, slamming him into a wall. Vitality: -35%. System Failure in 30 seconds.
The Overlord's claw swiped, forcing Kael to dive. Voidlings swarmed, their mandibles snapping. Kael slashed one's core, its explosion spraying black ichor, but another grazed his leg, tearing through his Kevlar. Codex Update: Voidling Eliminated. XP Gained: 200. Vren recovered, his cannon charging, but the Overlord's thrashing kept him pinned, its claw smashing the ground between them. Kael's Codex pinged: Escape Route: Sewer access, 10 meters west. Risk: Voidling Nest. The sewer was a gamble, but staying meant death.
He grabbed Mia, sprinting for the sewer grate. Vren's cannon fired, the pulse wave missing by inches, blasting a hole in the wall. Kael pried the grate open, shoving Mia down first. "Go!" he hissed, following as Voidlings skittered after them. The Overlord's roar shook the garage, its claw tearing through, collapsing the roof. Codex Warning: Overlord-Class Rift Expanding. City-Wide Threat. Kael's vision blackened, his body at its limit. Vitality: -40%. Shutdown in 15 seconds.
The sewer was a dark maze, ankle-deep in filth. Mia's flashlight flickered, revealing slimy walls and the faint glow of a Voidling nest ahead. Kael's Codex scanned: Nest Core: 20 meters. Destroy to eliminate Voidlings. He didn't have the strength, but stopping wasn't an option. Mia's voice was low, urgent: "You're dying, Kael. Let me help."
The Codex flagged her again: Mia Chen: Loyalty Probability: 90%. Hidden System Skill Suspected. Kael's paranoia flared—hidden skill? He'd deal with it later.
Footsteps echoed above—Vren, or worse, Lara's hunters. Kael dragged himself forward, the Bloodfang Dagger's glow his only light. Vitality Drain: Active. He sheathed it, switching to his empty Glock as a bluff. The sewer opened into a chamber, the nest core pulsing purple, surrounded by webbing and Voidling eggs. Mia froze, her breath catching. "We can't fight that." Kael's Codex disagreed: Nest Core Destruction: 80% chance to collapse sewer. Escape Window: 10 seconds.
He had no choice. Kael unsheathed the dagger, its drain hitting instantly. Vitality: -45%. He slashed the webbing, the blade's power cutting through, and drove it into the core. The orb shattered, purple energy erupting. Voidlings screeched, the nest collapsing. Kael grabbed Mia, sprinting back as the sewer walls buckled. Codex Update: Nest Destroyed. XP Gained: 800. Vitality: -50%. They burst into a side tunnel, debris sealing the path behind them. For now, they were safe.
Kael collapsed, gasping, his body shutting down. Mia knelt beside him, tearing her sleeve to bandage his leg. "You're insane," she muttered, but her eyes were steady. The Codex pinged: Secondary Safehouse: 0.4 miles north. Risk: Covenant Surveillance. Kael forced himself up, his vision a tunnel. "We move. Now." Mia nodded, helping him limp through the sewer. The air grew colder, the city above a cacophony of sirens and rift roars. The Overlord's presence was a weight, its rift expanding, threatening to swallow the district.
They emerged in an alley, the safehouse—a derelict auto shop—across the street. Kael's Codex scanned: No hostiles detected. Vitality Critical: Rest Required. He barricaded the door, collapsing onto a workbench. Mia scavenged a first-aid kit, patching her shoulder and his leg. "Why'd you save me?" she asked, her voice soft but probing. Kael didn't answer—trust was a trap, but the Codex's "key ally" tag kept him from pushing her away. Vitality: -45%. Stabilizing.
Before he could respond, the Codex flared: System Arbiter Approaching. Intent: Negotiation. The air shimmered, and the Arbiter materialized, its rune-covered form glowing in the dark shop. Its voice was ice: "Kael Draven, Chronoshift User. Your rewinds violate protocol, but Oversight offers a deal: Serve the System, enforce its rules, and your termination is postponed."
Kael's jaw tightened. Serve the System? The same one enabling the Erythra's harvest? "What's in it for me?" he rasped.
The Arbiter's runes pulsed. "Power. Survival. Knowledge of the Erythra." Kael's Codex scanned: Arbiter Offer: Access to System Core Data.
Risk: Subjugation to System Control. A trap, but the knowledge could expose Lara's plans. Mia's eyes widened, but she stayed silent, her hidden skill still a mystery. Kael was about to respond when the Codex screamed: Betrayal Alert: Survivor Enclave Compromised. Traitor Identified: Enclave Leader, Torren. Action: Transmitting Chronoshift Data to Covenant.
Kael's blood ran cold. Torren, the man with the hunting rifle, had seen him fight, seen the Rewind's effects. He'd sold Kael out. The Codex updated: Covenant Signal Intercepted: Lara Voss Receiving Chronoshift Intel. Location: Docks, 1.5 miles south. Lara knew his power now, and she'd weaponize it.
The Arbiter's mask glowed, its voice final: "Accept the deal, or face erasure. Choose now."
The shop's walls shook, the Overlord's roar echoing closer. Kael's vitality ticked up to -40%, but he was still a dead man walking. Mia grabbed his arm, her eyes fierce. "Whatever you're planning, I'm with you." The Codex flashed: Mia Chen: Hidden Skill Activated. Type: Unknown. Effect: Unknown. Kael's paranoia surged—she wasn't just a survivor. She was something more.