If hell had a side project, it would probably look like a gas station at midnight.
The register clicked shut and I stretched my back like an old man.
Time is seriously dragging...
The place was dead silent except for the soft whirr of the fridge in the back.
I checked the time on the wall. 11:54.
Six minutes until freedom. Nothing sounded better than dragging myself home, microwaving something depressing, and pretending that tomorrow wasn't full of lectures I'd never remember.
As if agreeing with me, an ache spread across my neck. Eight hours of sitting in a squeaky chair listening to old men rant about stuff I'll never use probably wasn't good for the body… or the soul.
My eyes flicked to the clock again. 11:55.
"Kill me..." I muttered at the pale ceiling lights.
And then they flickered, like a camera flash.
I froze. Maybe this place hated me as much as I hated it.
The hum of the store returned to normal. "…Weird timing," I mumbled, brushing a hand through my hair.
DING—!
Right on schedule, Mrs. Han shuffled in, her tiny pink purse bouncing against her hip.
"Evening... dear," she said, a little out of breath like she'd speed-walked here.
Mrs. Han always showed up right before close, but truthfully, it would be a crime to get annoyed at someone this sweet.
"Hey, Mrs. Han." I flashed her a smile. "Stocking up again, yeah?"
"Yes, yes. My grandkids are over again, and oh my, they are quite the handful, hoo hoo~" She lifted a hand to her side as she laughed. "Video games this, TikTok that, 'Grandma we want candy!' It's all so much for an old soul like me to keep up with."
"I can imagine," I said, scanning her items one by one — instant noodles, honey candies, and a random manga volume she definitely didn't know the name of.
"You work too much, lad," she said, wagging a finger. "You're still attending that ol' campus down the street, right?"
I nodded, packing her groceries into a plastic bag neatly. I always took my time with Mrs. Han. "Right. Blackwell is the name. Just two more years to go."
Grabbing the bag from the counter, her weathered eyes softened. "Oh good. Don't stay here forever. You seem like a bright boy."
I forced a small smile. "Trying to be. And… I don't plan to."
She paid in crumpled bills, thanked me twice, and pattered away as quickly as she'd come. The door hissed shut behind her, and the store became quiet again.
Closing my eyes, I soaked in the silence.
College was full of noise. Loud cliques, teachers saying a lot but helping none. Even if it wasn't significant, when I was here, people would look me in the eyes and actually listen to what I had to say.
I leaned on the counter, and from the glass surface, my own reflection stared back at me — dark circles and shaggy hair.
Yeah. Definitely not winning any beauty contests tonight.
DING—!
I jumped a little. Okay, a lot, as the door chimed.
Evan stumbled in, hair spread into a mop as wild as his clothes. Evan had a habit of combining the worst colors together and calling it an outfit. Puke green. Neon purple.
"AIDEN," he groaned dramatically. "Dude, I've checked the past two days. Tell me you restocked the citrus soda."
"No luck."
"This store must have a grudge against me!"
I flashed a stare at his outfit, then bit my tongue.
"It hates all of us," I said.
He let out a chuckle, yanking the drink cooler open. "Guess I'll have to settle for grape." He brought it over and set it down with a thud on the glass. "Man, if only my car didn't break down I could try somewhere else…"
"If only I had a car…" I agreed.
We locked eyes for half a second — just enough to acknowledge how much life sucked — and both let out a small laugh.
Evan snorted. "Damn. Yeah, okay, you win."
"Right." I grinned, feeling empowered by my cheap victory.
He covered the cost with coins, grabbed his soda with a swooshing motion, and pivoted in a 180 that was anything but necessary. Raising a hand, he signaled a goodbye as he walked into the night, his ugly clothes practically glowing in the dark.
I rested my weight against the counter just as one of the ceiling lights began to flicker in an annoying, dying-bug way.
"I really need a day off…"
11:58.
I rubbed my eyes, pushing my fatigue down. Maybe I'd treat myself tomorrow. I could grab something that wasn't frozen or expired. Or even—
The fridge in the back let out a loud rattle, like the metal inside slammed against itself.
I flinched. "…Seriously?"
That stupid fridge always made noises like it wanted to get out of the store. I understood that feeling well. The lights dimmed again, leaving the room dark for a full second before stabilizing.
"Okay, that is new."
A low electric buzz spread through the ceiling, making the tubes under the lights vibrate like angry bees.
I peered upward. "What now?"
Before I could even move, the lights faded a second time—and they never came back.
The fridge in the back shut off mid rattle along with the hum of the AC. Even the sound of cars flying past the street seemed to just stop. I stepped out from behind the counter, looking around the aisles. Nothing seemed off—
FWOOM—
A wave of purple washed across the front windows, pressing into it like rain tapping glass.
I walked toward it slow and cautious, like I expected it to bite me. Outside the night sky normally black and boring, glowed with a faint violet light. It wasn't bright, but it was unmistakable. My tongue felt like paper.
"What... is that?" I muttered, my body locking in place. The dumbest part of my brain wanted to believe it might be some kind of electrical thing, like a power outage or freak weather.
But the purple light began to ripple outward on the sky like a slow blooming bruise. And then— Pain hit like a white-hot hammer slamming into the back of my skull. Glass shattered. Car alarms sounded.
Huh..?
My body smashed into the ground with a thumph.
The world fell out of my hands,
And everything went black.
...
[ !!! WARNING ][ VITAL LOSS DETECTED ][ INITIALIZING — APHE— ]
...
It hurts.
That was the first and only thing. Just pain, hot and sharp, burning down my throat with every breath I took.
My eyes snapped open, barely able to process what was in front of me.
"…What the hell…?"
The sky was torn open. Purple light bled down from a rip in the clouds like someone had sliced the night open. Sharp gravel dug into my back, urging me to move.
"What… what's happening?" someone whispered nearby.
I turned and saw Mrs. Han standing just a few feet away, clutching her grocery bag like it could protect her. The bag was shaking in her hands. Her whole body was.
"We need to get you inside, now," I said, blinking hard, trying to force my vision to focus.
She didn't move. Her head creaked toward me, tears spilling down her cheeks.
"Oh, Aiden. I… I forgot to pick up drinks and—"
"Hey—hey, it's okay." I forced the words out. "We just need to get inside. Please."
She still didn't move.
A strand of purple light hung from the sky above us, connected to the tear. It floated down gently, like it had all the time in the world.
"Aiden, son." Her voice shook with a horrible, breathless sob. "Tell my gra—"
The tendril brushed her cheek.
Her skin blistered instantly. Her jaw dropped and sagged sideways like the bone melted. Then—
SNAP.
Her neck twisted with a sound that I never wanted to hear again.
"Mrs. Han—?!"
She made a noise that wasn't human, her 'words' coming out as wet snapping.
"Hel...p... my—"
What—what is happening—?! Oh God…
A scream cut through the street. The kid who always bought discount candy stood frozen, staring at what remained of Mrs. Han. His backpack hung half off of his shoulder, his knuckles white around the strap.
"Kid!" I yelled. Kid! Move! Run—NOW! "Hurry! Don't just stand there staring! Come over here!"
He took a hesitant step. He actually listened. Now he just needed to make it here. He took another step, before jogging, and finally running, his backpack slipping off of him and slamming toward the ground.
For a second I thought he would actually make it.
Then, another thread of purple stalked him, and with perfect precision pierced itself into his neck. He immediately stopped moving, his eyes glossing over.
Wait—!" I choked out. "No, no, no—don't take him—!"
His body seized violently, and his arms twisted until white hooks shot out of the elbows, like someone had yanked invisible strings. His spine arched the wrong way. A split cracked from his jaw up to his forehead until teeth scraped bone.
He didn't even scream.
Just a wet gurgle before he hit the sidewalk, a messy pile of death the same as Mrs. Han.
I reached toward him like an idiot, but I was too far and much too late.
"Somebody please!" I yelled at anyone, at God, at whatever was causing this to happen.
No one came. They couldn't after all. We were all dying.
And when I finally looked past the kid and Mrs. Han, I saw the rest of the street.
Cars frozen mid-turn, with doors open and alarms blaring. Purple threads weaved through everything like they were exploring. Bodies stringed across sidewalks. Some still twitching.
Others... gone in ways I didn't have words for.
The world was ending in front of me, and there was nothing I could do but stand there helplessly.
Should I give up? Maybe it would hurt less if I just accepted it.
At least that's what I thought before I saw her...
A woman sprinted into the street, her shoes slapping into the pavement as she tried to outrun the purple tendrils. She was fast and desperate; The kind of "terrified" that made people do impossible things at the most crucial times.
For a second, I really thought she would make it. She was running toward the gas station. Toward cover. Toward me.
A faint hint of relief washed on her face as she spotted me. Maybe she was relieved to see she wasn't the only human left standing. Maybe she believed the gas station was safe if a useless looking teenage boy somehow still stood there unharmed.
It wasn't safe, and I definitely wasn't special.
"Come on," I whispered, taking a step forward without thinking. "Come on... you can make it..."
A thread dipped low, and just barely grazed her calf.
Her leg burst like a water balloon, sending her collapsing into the asphalt instantly. She hit the ground screaming, still trying to drag herself forward, her palms leaving behind a smear of blooding in frantic red trails.
I refused to accept it.
"Wait! Just—wait! I'm coming!" I yelled, already rushing toward her. If I could just get there fast enough, I'd just pull her behind a wall. Just maybe—
Her head snapped up, eyes locking onto mine.
And in that tiny second, she actually believed I might save her.
"Please... I—I'm scared. I don't want to..." Her voice split on the word "die" like a rope fraying.
Her ribs split open in a violent lurch, everything collapsing out onto the pavement in one awful drop.
I screamed, not recognizing my own voice. Not out of sympathy, but because whatever instinct I had left shattered under the weight of terror.
I didn't move. Couldn't.
Mrs. Han, the kid, and this woman were all gone in seconds erased like they were nothing.
"What... what am I supposed to do? I whispered. My legs almost gave out, shaking unsteadily. I looked at my trembling hands, crimson blood dripping from my fingers. For the first time since the sky tore open, a cold, thought invaded my mind.
I'm going to die aren't I?
As if the world heard me, a soft glow descended from above.
A single glowing tendril descended down like a falling leave. It didn't sway or flicker. It just... came toward me with a steady purpose. It knew where it was going.
Instinct finally returned, and my body moved before my thoughts did.
I staggered backward, slipping on blood as I vaulted into a run toward the gas station.
The automatic doors were still open just a few yards away.
I can make it.
"Almost—almost there—!" I gasped, pushing my body harder than I had ever done in my life. If I got inside, hide in the employee's room, and shove everything in front of the door, there might be a chance.
A tiny ridiculous spark of hope burned into my chest.
The glass door and what was left of the shattered windows reflected everything behind me. There were purple lights, collapsing bodies, and a terrified boy shaking, running like a trapped animal.
Me...?
I reached the curb, just two steps away.
One—
A gentle warmth passed over the top of my shoulder.
"...Huh?"
Then like a molten needle in muscle, the thread sank deep.
"It...burns—IT BURNS—!"
My hand flew to the spot, but the flesh was already sizzling. I clawed at it, slapped at it, and even tried ripping off my skin, but it just burrowed deeper, crawling in me like something alive.
"GET OUT—!"
My voice cracked into something high and broken. I slammed my shoulder into a metal mailbox. Into a parked car. Anything to crush it. To kill it. To stop the pain.
But it only spread.
Dark veins snaked down my arms, like bruises spreading. A cold jot shot through my body, stealing my breath away.
"Oh God—no—"
I sounded like a child begging for the world to end. But nobody helped. Nobody could even stand. We were all dying. Bones snapped. Skin split. People vomited organs as the purple light puppeted their bodies.
The city had become a slaughterhouse.
And then it was my turn.
The pain detonated in my chest. My spine arched backward, wrenching into a bow against my will.
"AAAAHHHH—STOP—STOP—PLEASE—!!"
My ribs strained like something inside was trying to claw its way out. My lungs rattled like broken machinery. Every breath tasted like metal and fire.
"WHY—?!"The word tore itself out of me.
"I didn't— I never—I haven't DONE ANYTHING—!!"
My back hit the ground hard. My legs kicked uselessly against the pavement. My fingers dug into the concrete until my nails peeled back and snapped off.
I felt my heartbeat stutter.
Then stutter again.
Then—
Rip.
A line of agony sawed through my chest as my sternum cracked open, tiny millimeters at a time.
"It—hurts..."
Warm blood spilled down my neck. My left arm jerked—once—twice—
Then tore out of the socket. A wet, awful sound filled my ear as it detached, landing beside me with a dull splat.
"NO—NO—NOOO—!"
I reached for it with my remaining arm—a stupid instinct—but the pain hammering my skull made the world go white. Something burst behind my left eye. Half my vision went dark. The other half swam red, like it was drowning.
"It—HURTS—!!"
My chest split completely.
And I saw it.
My own heart—twitching, faltering,clinging to life like a dying animal.
A slow, stupid thought drifted across my mind:
Oh. I'm dying.
I didn't scream. I didn't fight. I just stared, weirdly calm—like it was happening to someone else.
Then my heart ruptured.
Blood poured from the cavity in a boiling fountain. My body convulsed violently. Limbs twisted. Nerves burned.
"I don't want to die…"The words gurgled out, half air, half blood. "I didn't even… live yet…"
SNAP.
My spine folded. My jaw broke. My vision collapsed inward like a dying star.
Pain erased everything.
Then—
Silence.
Darkness.
…
…
…
When I opened my eye—
No. When I became aware again—
I didn't feel my body. I didn't feel anything.
I floated in a space without shape… without color… without time.
A thought formed—slow and dragging, like pulling a knife across stone.
Is this… the afterlife?
It didn't feel holy. Didn't feel peaceful.
It felt like a waiting room no one ever left.
"My name… is Aiden."
Saying it felt strange—like the word no longer belonged to a person.
"I'm nineteen."
Nineteen. Barely anything. Barely a beginning.
A quiet, awful clarity filled me.
"…I failed at everything, didn't I?"
The words escaped before I could stop them.
I never said this stuff out loud while I was alive. I didn't even let myself think it.
But here—in the dark, with nothing but myself—the truth spilled out like an infection finally draining.
"I wasn't smart enough for a real college. Not strong enough for sports. Not confident enough for friends. Or dating. Or… anything."
The void swallowed every word.
"I went to community college because it was the only place that accepted me. Half-asleep in class from night shifts. Barely passing assignments I didn't understand."
A breath—or whatever I had—shuddered through me.
"I spent my days studying half-delirious…and my nights ringing up customers who never even looked me in the eye."
My voice cracked.
"I died without anything real. No accomplishment. No legacy. Nothing to show I was ever here."
A long silence.
"…I didn't even get a chance."
The void rippled—pale light spreading outward in gentle waves.
Something moved within it—a shadow larger than I could comprehend.
A voice not spoken but understood—whispered through the expanse:
"Then let's give you one."
Light embraced me.Warmth. Force. Life.
Everything went white—
And text flickered into existence:
Aphelion System Initializing…
…
…
[USER DEATH CONFIRMED]
[DEATH COUNT: 1]
[TIME UNTIL WORLD COLLAPSE: 90 DAYS]