..
Kai Renji "Come on, man. Have a seat," he gestured toward the barely intact couch in the living room. "It's chaotic, but manageable."
Damian hesitated for a moment before stepping forward, his gaze flickering to the shattered windows where the shattered moon's eerie light bled into the room.
For now, he would rest. But only for a little while and he was also in need of information.
..
---
Location: Earth – ??? – ???
Year: 2026
Date: February 17th
Time: 12:53 AM
POV: 3rd Person
---
Damian and Kai sat opposite each other after spending a few minutes clearing up the living room. The air was tense, but at least it was better than the awkward silence earlier.
Kai Renji "Thanks again for your help." He bowed his head slightly in gratitude.
Damian Derulo "It's fine, really. I just did what anyone would." Damian waved his hand dismissively.
Kai let out a small chuckle. "Even so, I still want to thank you. You basically saved our lives. The people we've met before weren't very... nice." His voice held a trace of bitterness, as if recalling an unpleasant memory.
Damian raised an eyebrow. "You've met other people?" He asked, his curiosity piqued.
Kai nodded. "Yeah. Haven't you?"
Damian Derulo "Not really. Ever since the disappearance three days ago, I've been inside my house" Damian replied.
Kai blinked. "Three days? You mean four. It's been four days since the disappearance."
Damian frowned. 'Four days? That can't be right.' His hand instinctively went to his pocket, pulling out his phone. The screen lit up.
---
[ February 17th ]
[ 12:59 AM ]
---
Damian Derulo 'What?! That means I slept for an entire day?!' Damian's thoughts were in disarray.
Kai noticed his reaction. "Are you okay?" He asked, a bit concerned.
Damian Derulo "Yeah—yeah, just surprised by how much time has passed" Damian muttered, forcing himself to stay calm.
Kai studied him for a moment before speaking again.
Kai Renji "I see... You said you've been in your house all this time. Does that mean you're heading for the city?"
Damian shook his head. "Huh? No, I live next door. I just had to help when I saw the situation you were in."
Kai's eyes widened slightly. "You mean that house that's completely untouched?"
Damian Derulo "Yeah."
Kai leaned back, crossing his arms. "Of all the houses, why was yours unscathed?" There was an undertone of suspicion in his voice.
Damian sighed. "I don't know. Maybe luck?" Even he wasn't sure.
Before Kai could respond, the sound of footsteps echoed from the stairs. The others had returned, now wearing different clothes.
Marcus wore a black and gray outfit. Hannah had changed into a blue long-sleeved shirt that matched her eyes, along with gray pants. Sofia, as always, stood out with her striking red hair. She wore a black shirt under a dark red jacket and tight black pants that hugged her curves.
They entered the living room, each finding a spot to sit.
Kai gestured toward them. "Damian, meet Hannah, my girlfriend. Sofia, my childhood friend. And last—and definitely the least—Marcus, my nerdy neighbor."
Marcus Hale "Hey." He gave a small wave, clearly annoyed at Kai's choice of words.
Kai ignored him and turned to the others. "Ladies and Marcus, meet Damian. He lives next door."
Hannah raised an eyebrow. "You mean the house that's mysteriously untouched?" She asked, giving Damian a curious look.
Kai smirked. "That's right. You guys get acquainted. I'm going up to take a bath." He stood up and headed upstairs.
Silence.
The atmosphere in the room shifted slightly. Eventually, Marcus broke the silence.
Marcus Hale "So, man, what's your Title?" He asked, clearly interested.
Damian frowned slightly. 'Isn't that a personal question?' He thought warily.
Looking around, he could see all their eyes burning with curiosity.
Damian Derulo "I can't say what my Title is, but my Facets involve disintegration." He kept his answer vague. He was starting to feel uncomfortable under their scrutiny.
Marcus Hale "Disintegration? That's cool. I can only inscribe on things." His gaze shifted to the bloodstained weed wacker in the corner.
Damian had noticed the inscriptions earlier. It wasn't much now, but the potential was undeniable.
Damian Derulo "No, that's a cool ability in my opinion" Damian said, seeing the possibilities in Marcus's Facet.
Hannah nodded enthusiastically. "Right? I keep telling him that, but he keeps moping around, wishing he had a combat ability." She playfully nudged Marcus.
Marcus chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head " Y-yeah " His tone a little dismisive but the faint blush creeping up his neck didn't go unnoticed by Damian.
Damian just studied Marcus's reaction after Hannah nudged him. ' I see.... Well none of my business '
Marcus cleared his throat. "Thanks, man." He scratched the back of his head again, trying to shake off whatever he was feeling.
Before the conversation could continue, Sofia suddenly spoke up.
Sofia Hayes "What's with the mask?"
The room tensed slightly at her abrupt question.
Damian sighed internally. 'She's getting on my nerves.'
Hannah Lee "Sofia!" She scolded, clearly unhappy with her rudeness.
Sofia Hayes "What? Don't you guys think it's weird that he's wearing a mask?" She crossed her arms, standing her nonexistent ground.
Damian exhaled slowly, resisting the urge to walked out of the house.
Damian Derulo 'It's official, I don't like her. *Sigh* This is going to be a long night—morning—day? I don't even know anymore,' Damian thought inwardly, exhaling in frustration.
Marcus glanced at Sofia before turning to Damian. "Please ignore her, Damian. She's always like this."
Sofia just rolled her eyes, folding her arms beneath her chest.
Damia Derulo 'Don't worry, I plan to.' "It's fine," Damian replied dismissively, not even sparing her a glance.
Marcus let out a relieved breath. "Phew, thanks."
Trying to shift the conversation, Damian asked, "Where are you guys headed?"
Marcus Hale "We're going to the city," Marcus replied.
Damian frowned. "The city? Isn't that where the monsters are most concentrated?" His thoughts churned. ' Why would they go there when they're clearly not strong enough to handle whatever horrors they might encounter? '
Hannah sighed. "We don't have much of a choice. There's a military stronghold there with a lot of manpower, and we're also hoping to find some of our families there" Her voice wavered slightly toward the end.
Damian considered her words. "I see… but wouldn't the stronghold already be at full capacity? Johannesburg is massive—there are a lot of people."
Marcus grinned, gesturing toward Sofia. "Oh, don't worry about that. Our friend here is the daughter of the Colonel—" He suddenly hesitated, glancing at Sofia. "Assuming he wasn't taken by the Rapture—"
*SMACK*
Hannah slapped him on the back, making him wince. "Um… sorry, Sofia," he apologized sheepishly.
Sofia was silent for a moment before muttering, "…It's okay." But her clenched fists betrayed her unease. 'There's no way he was taken. That would be a crime if that happened.'
Damian Derulo 'Her father is a Colonel? Isn't that like a high rank in military?'
Hannah turned to Damian. "What about you? Are you coming with us?"
Damian hesitated. "I—I don't know."
He was worried about his sisters, too, but the chances of them being in Johannesburg were low. They had been outside the country when the Rapture happened. Then again… with the whatever shit had happened, it was real or not—the vision he had, there was a slim possibility that one of them had ended up there.
Marcus clasped his hands together. "Come on, man. We could use an extra hand." His expression was pleading.
Damian internally groaned. 'Meh, what's there to lose? It's not like I can die even if I wanted to…' He recalled his Undying Resonance.
'Wait, that was weird, why am I so confident?'
Damian Derulo "Sure, why not." 'Ugh, I really don't want to do this…'
Marcus grinned, clearly relieved. "Thanks, man! You won't regret this!"
Damian internally sighed as he watched the happy expressions on Marcus and Hannah's faces.
Damian Derulo '...He just raised a red flag.'
*Clack* *Clack* *Clack*
All heads turned toward the stairs as Kai descended. He was dressed in black jeans and a gray turtleneck, the snug fit highlighting his well-toned physique. He wasn't overly muscular, but just defined enough to show that he worked out regularly.
Damian's eyes flicked toward Sofia and caught her staring at Kai, biting her lip with a gaze filled with longing. The look vanished the moment she noticed Damian watching her.
Damian turned away, shifting his focus back to Kai, but he could still feel Sofia's piercing gaze lingering on him. He ignored it.
Kai Renji smiled. "Great to see you guys getting along."
Hannah flushed slightly. "You look really hot, babe," she said with a bashful smile.
Marcus, sitting beside them, clenched his jaw slightly before forcing a grin. "Hey, Kai, guess what?" he said, bringing the attention onto himself.
Kai raised an eyebrow as he sat down next to Hannah. "What?"
Marcus beamed. "Damian's coming with us to the military stronghold!" His pride was evident, given that he had been the one to "convince" Damian to join them.
Kai's eyes widened slightly. "Really? That's great! Is that true, Damian? You're really coming with us?" he asked, genuinely pleased.
Damian nodded. "Yeah. I also need to check if any of my family members are there."
Kai's smile grew even brighter. "That's great! With you joining us, the journey will be a little easier."
Damian inwardly sighed. ' Great. Now they think I'm officially part of their group, yay'
damian Derulo "When do you all depart?" he asked, deciding to focus on the logistics rather than the unwanted sense of attachment forming.
Kai glanced at the others before replying. "By nine in the morning. The zombies are weaker during the day, and we still need to gather some supplies… Do you have any in your house?" His tone was a little hesitant, knowing he was asking a stranger who had just helped them for resources.
Damian remained silent for a few moments, thinking it over. Then, seeing the hopeful look in Hannah's eyes, he exhaled.
Damian Derulo "Not really, but my family owns a convenience store about thirty minutes from here. We can grab supplies from there before heading to the city."
Kai's face lit up. "That's perfect! Thanks, Damian. That means a lot." He even gave a slight bow.
Damian waved a hand dismissively. "No worries, it's fine… Anyway, I gotta go. I'll meet up with you guys later."
As he stood up, they all thanked him—except for Sofia. She simply sat there, still watching him like she was trying to peer into his soul.
..
.
*Thud*
They quickly barricaded the door— or what was left of it with whatever they could find after waving Damian goodbye.
Out of nowhere, Sofia spoke up. "I don't trust him."
The statement immediately drew everyone's attention.
Marcus groaned, rolling his eyes. "Ugh, Sofia, you don't trust anyone."
Kai held up a hand. "Wait, Marcus. Let's hear her out." He turned to Sofia. "Why do you say that?"
As they walked to the living room, Sofia folded her arms. "Kai, you said he told you he had been in his house since all of… 'this' started, right?"
Kai nodded. "That's what he told me, yeah." He sat down, watching her closely.
Sofia narrowed her eyes. "If that's true, then how is he so strong? And where did he get that sword from? We all saw it easily decapitated the zombies, it—it's not normal."
Her words left the group in deep thought
..
.
Meanwhile, Damian closed the garage door behind him and locked it with all three locks. He moved with silent, measured steps toward his room, unbuckling his sword strap as he entered. Without a second thought, he placed the sword in the bathroom.
He then stripped off his clothes, stuffing them into a trash bag along with his mask and underwear. Fully naked, he stepped into the bathroom, his expression twisting in mild disgust as he picked up his sword.
He ran the blade under the water, washing away the dried blood, making sure there wasn't a single drop left. After thoroughly drying both the sword and its scabbard, he set them in a corner.
With a sigh, he sank into the foamy bathtub, letting the warmth seep into his sore muscles.
Damian Derulo 'That group's dynamic is going to get complicated soon…' he thought, recalling the subtle reactions he had picked up on earlier.
'I really don't want to get entangled with them. Once we reach the stronghold, we'll go our separate ways, If we can get there in one piece'
He closed his eyes, exhaling. But then another thought crept into his mind.
Damian Derulo 'Then what? What happens after that?'
He didn't know.
His fingers tapped the edge of the tub as his mind drifted toward his Facets. 'I need to talk to Alter… but how?'
A long sigh escaped him. 'I'll think about that later.'
Shoving his thoughts aside, Damian reached for a sponge and began scrubbing his body clean.
---
[ February 17th ]
[ 2:48 AM ]
---
..
.
---
Location: Earth – ??? – ???
Year: 2026
Date: February 17th
Time: 7:59 AM
POV: Third Person
---
*Brrrrrrrrr*
*Brrrrrrrrr*
Damian groaned as he reached over and turned off his phone's alarm. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he sat there for a few seconds, motionless, before cracking his stiff joints and stretching.
With a yawn, he dragged himself to the bathroom. When he reached the sink, he paused, staring at his reflection in the mirror.
The same hollow, broken self stared back at him—an image he despised. But something felt… different. He just couldn't put his finger on what had changed.
Shrugging off the feeling, he splashed cold water on his face, brushed his teeth, and splashed his face again.
After a quick shower, he returned to his room and opened his closet. He grabbed a black baggy hoodie and matching pants, slipping them on easily. Since he had slept in his underwear, there wasn't much else to change.
He grabbed a fresh black nose mask and put it on before picking up an empty duffel bag, tossing it onto the bed. His gaze shifted to the sword resting beside his desk.
Securing the sword strap around his waist, he carefully placed the weapon inside before fastening it in place.
Next, he gathered his essentials—phone, headphones, earbuds, charger cord, and a portable power bank—placing everything except his phone and airpods into the bag.
Moving to the kitchen, he grabbed a few snacks he could eat on the go, along with a couple of water bottles.
With everything ready, he walked to the solar generator's position, turned it off, and took a final glance around the house before stepping outside.
..
.
---
[ February 17th ]
[ 8:47 AM ]
---
The sun hung brightly in the morning sky, painting the vast expanse in a mix of blue and gold.
Standing outside his house, Damian took a deep breath, his eyes lingering on the familiar structure.
Damian Derulo 'I'm gonna miss you… I hope you'll still be standing when I return.'
He turned away, metaphorical tears carried by the wind as he took his first steps forward.
..
.
*Knock* *Knock*
*Thud*
*Screech*
Marcus swung the door open with a grin. "Good morning, Damian. You're just in time. We were about to come to you."
Damian Derulo "Good morning," Damian replied evenly.
The others stepped into view, greeting him one by one. He responded in kind before getting straight to the point.
"Are you all ready?"
They all nodded — well mostly.
Without another word, Damian turned and started walking.
The group exchanged glances before quickly following after him.
------
---
-
They kept walking in silence for about five minutes, their senses on high alert. Damian could feel their burning gazes on his back but chose to ignore them.
Hannah Lee "So, Damian—" Hannah started.
Damian Derulo ' Please don't talk to me. I'm still drained from yesterday's conversations.' "Yes?" He answered, turning his head slightly to glance back at her.
Hannah hesitated for a second before continuing. "We've been wondering… How did you get your sword? We were hoping we could find something similar for ourselves. The weapons we have aren't really suited for battle." She gestured toward the knives strapped to their waists.
Damian observed them from the corner of his eye for a few silent seconds before responding.
Damian Derulo "It was my father's. He bought it as an antique, but after 'all this' happened, it changed."
They continued walking, but Hannah stole a glance at Sofia, giving her an I told you so look. Sofia, however, turned away, still unconvinced.
"And as for whether there are more… no. This was the only one my father owned." Damian said, facing forward.
--
[ Twenty Minutes Later ]
--
Marcus Hale: "So uhhhh, what now?" Marcus asked, attempting to break the tense silence.
They had arrived at the convenience store—a sizable building roughly twenty-five square meters in size—but it was in complete shambles. The front door and windows had been smashed open, leaving jagged shards of glass scattered across the floor. It was clear that either survivors or something else had been here before them. Torn packages littered the ground, shelves were overturned, and most of the useful supplies had been looted or destroyed.
The group looked around in disappointment. They had hoped to find at least some supplies, but all that remained were spoiled goods, crushed boxes, and empty shelves.
Damian, however, remained unbothered. Without a word, he walked deeper into the store and turned a corner.
Hannah Lee "Hey, Damian, where are you going?" she called out, but he didn't answer.
Frowning, she hurried after him, and the others quickly followed.
After a few turns, they arrived in front of a heavy-duty metal door. At first glance, it looked reinforced—and the large dent marks and scratches on its surface told them that others had tried to break in but had failed.
Damian let out a small sigh of relief.
'Phew… It's still in one piece.'
Reaching into his pants pocket, he pulled out a bundle of keys.
Kai Renji "Is that the storage room?" he asked, eyeing the keys in Damian's hand.
Damian Derulo "Yes. I had a feeling the store would be in this state, so I brought the storage room keys, hoping it would still be intact."
With that, he inserted the key into the lock and turned it.
*Click*
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To Be Continued.....