..
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*
..
---
Location: Earth – ??? – ???
Year: 2026
Date: February 17th
Time: 9:12 AM
POV: Third Person
---
*BAM!*
As soon as Damian pushed the door, the entire thing collapsed off its hinges, slamming into the ground with a loud crash.
The group stared in silence at the now-detached thick metal door.
Marcus Hale "Well… seems like it was on its last legs," Marcus said, breaking the awkward silence.
Shaking off their surprise, they stepped inside the spacious storage room. Unlike the wrecked store outside, this room was well-organized.
To the left, shelves were stacked with packaged food—chips, canned goods, instant noodles, and other non-perishables. To the right, a large refrigerator hummed softly—solar powered, filled with ice cream, frozen meals, dairy products, fresh fruits, vegetables, and an assortment of beverages.
Marcus Hale "Wow… we hit the motherload." He grinned, and the others shared his excitement.
Damian turned to them.
Damian Derulo "Go inside. There should be sacks, backpacks, or paper bags you can use to carry what you need."
They nodded and scattered throughout the room.
Damian grabbed essentials, a few snacks, fruits, beverages, and several lighters. By the time he finished, the others had also finished packing their supplies.
They all now wore hiking bags stuffed with provisions. Marcus, however, had not only a backpack but also two large duffel bags slung over his shoulders, looking comically overloaded.
Damian quickly turned his head away, trying his best not to laugh.
Damian Derulo "So, what's the plan now?" he asked, attempting to distract himself from Marcus's ridiculous look.
Kai Renji "Well, our plan was to find a working car since it'd be faster. But on our way here, we didn't see any vehicles in good condition." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Hannah Lee "Damian, your house has a garage, right? Do you have a car that can take us to the city?"
Damian Derulo: "No." His reply was short and flat.
'She's not very bright, is she? Wouldn't I have driven it if I had a car?' Damian thought, suppressing a sigh.
Kai Renji "Looks like we're walking, then." He took the lead without further complaints.
The others followed him, and Damian took one last glance at the store before stepping out.
He considered locking the storage room for future use, but with the door completely wrecked and too heavy to lift, there was no point. With a shrug, he turned and walked away.
..
.
--
[ February 17th ]
[ 11:24 AM ]
--
The group had been walking for over an hour. The four of them talked amongst themselves, but Damian remained silent, keeping his focus on their surroundings.
At their current pace, they would reach the city in five hours—if they didn't take any breaks.
But something felt wrong.
A bad feeling had been gnawing at him for the past few minutes, and it was only getting worse. He subtly opened his status window, his eyes scanning for the possible cause.
His gaze landed on his Resonance:
[Survivor's Instinct]
Damian Derulo ' So that's what this was… '
Damian didn't panic, nor tell the others, his sharp eyes swept across the chaotic road, filled with broken-down cars. He was desperately searching for a vehicle in decent condition—anything they could use to escape whatever was coming.
--
[ February 17th ]
[ 11:35 AM ]
--
His heart seized painfully.
Damian stumbled, his knees hitting the pavement. He clutched his chest, gasping for air, his vision blurring as cold sweat dripped down his face.
The others noticed immediately and rushed to his side.
Kai Renji "Damian! Are you okay?!"
Kai's voice was distant, barely registering in Damian's ears.
Then, they heard it.
"Kekekeeke!"
"Kekeeejejekekeke!"
A chorus of cruel, high-pitched laughter filled the air.
The group whirled around, their expressions twisting into horror.
A group of twenty goblins, their scarlet-red skin gleaming under the sun, grinned from ear to ear, their sharp teeth bared in excitement.
They were closing in, their movements unhurried and taunting as they prepared to encircle their prey.
Marcus Hale "Damian, get up! We're getting surrounded!"
Gritting his teeth, Damian forced himself to stand, his legs shaking slightly.
Kai grabbed his arm, helping steady him.
Damian took a deep breath, forcing down the pain as his mind cleared. His duffel bag had shifted due to his fall, so he quickly readjusted it.
Then, he reached to his side and pulled out his sword.
The blade gleamed under the sunlight, a deadly contrast to the goblins' blood-red skin.
The others readied their weapons, instinctively forming a tight circle—back to back.
Damian's eyes narrowed as he studied their enemies.
Damian Derulo ' Why are they red? Goblins are supposed to be green… '
But there was no time to think.
Damian Derulo "Can any of you drive?" His voice was steady, but his grip on his sword tightened.
Kai Renji "We all can—except for Hannah. Why?"
Damian's gaze remained locked on the goblins, watching their every movement.
Damian Derulo "Marcus, there's a four-door sedan about a hundred meters from here. See if you can get it started."
The goblins were closing in fast.
Marcus Hale "I see it! But how the hell am I supposed to get there?! We're surrounded!"
Kai Renji (Eyes sharpening) "We'll make a path for you. Take it as soon as you see it."
The tension snapped like a drawn bowstring.
The battle had begun.
--
[ February 17th ]
[ 11:36 AM ]
--
The twenty red goblins encircled them, their malicious grins stretching wide, their razor-sharp teeth gleaming with anticipation. Their beady crimson eyes flickered with bloodlust as they gripped their jagged blades.
The air felt suffocating, thick with the promise of violence.
"Kekekeek!"
"Hehehahaha!"
Their twisted laughter slithered into Damian's ears.
But he wasn't afraid.
His grip tightened around Nyx Fang, the sword glowing faintly, its edge razor-sharp.
Damian exhaled, his stance lowering, his mind sharpening.
Kai Renji "Now!"
Kai vanished in a blur—his Blink Step activated. One second he was beside Damian, the next, he was inside the goblin horde.
A flash of steel—and a goblin's head spiraled into the air, severed cleanly.
The moment he landed, he twisted, his Silent Death activating.
*SHLICK!*
Two more goblins collapsed, their throats slashed open, blood spraying across the pavement.
Sofia was next.
Her knives ignited, flames roaring to life along their edges.
A goblin lunged at her—she met it head-on, slashing horizontally.
Sofia Hayes "Burn."
The Flame Infusion on her knives ignited the goblin's chest, searing through flesh and bone. It screeched in agony before collapsing in a smoldering heap.
More goblins rushed her, but before they reached—
A wall of water erupted.
A massive wave crashed into the incoming goblins, sending them spiraling away like ragdolls.
Hannah Lee "Tch."
She thrust her hand forward, condensing the water into a sharp spear.
*WHOOSH!—SPLURCH!*
The spear pierced through a goblin's skull, pinning it to a nearby car.
Meanwhile, Marcus wasn't fighting—he was running.
He dashed toward the sedan, his weed wacker in hand, as goblins turned to pursue him.
But just as a goblin lunged from his blind spot, its blade poised to skewer him—
*FWOOM!*
A Runic Barrier flared to life, stopping the attack cold, he finally uses his second ability.
Marcus gritted his teeth, slamming the weed wacker into the goblin's skull—the Harden + Sharpen engravings made the impact lethal.
*CRACK!*
The goblin collapsed, its skull shattered like glass.
Panting, Marcus reached the car, ripping open the door.
His fingers worked fast, stripping wires and twisting them together.
But his hands were shaking—the sounds of fighting, screaming, and metal clashing filled the air.
He glanced up—the others were holding the line, but more goblins were coming.
A swarm.
Marcus Hale "Shit! Faster, Marcus!" Marcus said to himself.
--
[ February 17th ]
[ 11:39 AM ]
--
The battlefield was chaos.
Damian sidestepped a goblin's slash, pivoted, then drove his sword through its chest.
Nyx Fang's Reinforced Strikes activated—his blade pierced straight through, ripping out the goblin's back.
He didn't stop.
With a silent step, he dodged another attack and beheaded the next goblin.
Blood sprayed onto his face, but he ignored it.
Kai was a blur, his daggers flashing as he cut down another two enemies.
Sofia's fireballs exploded against the goblins, turning them into charred corpses.
Hannah was pale, her hands shaking, but she continued to summon water, keeping goblins at bay.
The fight was brutal, and their stamina was draining fast.
Then—
Marcus Hale "I GOT IT!" Marcus's shout rang out like salvation.
The car engine roared to life.
Kai Renji "GO! GO! GO!"
They broke formation, sprinting toward the car, making sure their bags were safely secured in a hand.
Goblins chased them, screeching, their blades swinging wildly.
Kai reached first, throwing the back door open.
Sofia and Hannah dove in, panting.
Damian was last.
As he leaped, a goblin lunged, its dagger aimed for his spine.
Kai's knife flew past him.
*THUNK!*
The goblin dropped, a knife buried in its eye socket.
Damian landed in the car.
Marcus slammed on the gas.
The sedan skidded, tires screeching as they sped off, leaving the horde behind.
Their bodies ached.
Their lungs burned.
But they were alive.
..
.
--
[ February 17th ]
[ 11:43 AM ]
--
The car sped along the cracked road, leaving the goblins far behind. The battle had drained them, leaving only exhaustion and the dull ache of exertion in their muscles. Silence hung in the air, broken only by the steady hum of the engine and the occasional bump in the ruined pavement.
Their bags—filled with whatever supplies they had scavenge—were stuffed into the back, rattling slightly with each jolt.
Marcus sat behind the wheel, hands gripping it firmly as he guided them forward. Hannah sat beside him in the front, her blue eyes scanning the road ahead with cautious intensity. In the backseat, Damian leaned against the left window, his hood still up, staring out at the passing ruins. Sofia sat at the opposite end, arms crossed, while Kai was wedged between them.
The silence lingered until Damian finally spoke.
Damian Derulo "Hey, Kai—"
Kai turned to him. "Yeah?"
Damian didn't look away from the window. "Thanks for the save back there."
Kai smiled, giving him a light nod. "Sure, anytime."
Marcus glanced at them through the rearview mirror, grinning. "Guys, great hustle out there."
Kai chuckled. "You too, Marcus. You did great—who knew you could start a car with just wires?" He leaned forward slightly, an amused smirk playing at his lips.
Marcus puffed out his chest, adjusting his glasses smugly. "Humph. There's a lot of things you don't know about me."
Kai tilted his head. "Yeah? Like the fact that you sleep with a huge teddy bear?"
A beat of silence. Then—laughter.
Hannah chuckled. Even Sofia smirked slightly, while Damian kept his gaze on the window.
Marcus, however, went rigid. His face drained of all color as his head snapped toward Kai in pure horror. "W-WHAT?! How do you—"
The laughter only grew louder.
Damian, still watching the ruined landscape pass by, let his thoughts drift.
Damian Derulo 'And that he has a crush on your girlfriend.'
The corner of his lips twitched. Some things were best left unsaid.
..
.
--
[ February 17th ]
[ 12:07 PM ]
--
The city stretched before them like the graveyard of a once-thriving civilization. Jagged streets were torn apart as if a great force had raked its claws through the asphalt. Craters, some small, others large enough to swallow entire cars, pockmarked the roads. The charred remains of buildings lined the sidewalks, their shattered windows resembling hollow, lifeless eyes. Flames still licked the edges of collapsed structures, sending embers dancing into the gray, smoke-filled sky.
Abandoned vehicles clogged the streets, some flipped onto their roofs, others crumpled against light posts or crushed under fallen debris. Blood splatters, long dried into dark crimson stains, painted the sidewalks and walls, some smeared as if their owners had been dragged away. Torn backpacks, shattered phones, and scattered belongings served as haunting reminders of the people who had once walked these streets.
And amidst the silence, they lurked.
Goblins crouched on the rooftops, their twisted grins illuminated by the flickering fires. Their red eyes gleamed with malice, watching the moving car with an unsettling patience. Some clutched crude weapons—sharpened bones, rusted knives, makeshift clubs wrapped in barbed wire. Others simply observed, their clawed fingers twitching in anticipation.
Zombies shuffled in the alleys, their groans low and guttural. Some stood motionless, heads snapping toward the car as it passed, as if sniffing out the warmth of life. Others dragged themselves across the pavement, their movements sluggish but unrelenting. In the distance, the faint sounds of inhuman wails and distant screams echoed through the ruins, a chilling reminder that the city was anything but dead.
Inside the car, Damian sat in the backseat, munching on a bag of chips. The sensation of hunger wasn't surprising—if anything, he would've been shocked if he hadn't felt it. Four days without food would've left an ordinary person weak and sluggish, but considering he had been unconscious for most of that time, his body had simply postponed the inevitable. Now, it was catching up.
While the others murmured about the devastation outside, Damian remained silent, his thoughts elsewhere. He had been trying—desperately, not really—to contact Alter, but nothing had worked.
He had called his name internally. No response.
He had tried to feel his presence, to reach out with his mind. Nothing.
Meditation crossed his thoughts, but he dismissed it for now. That was something he needed to do alone, in a quiet place.
For now, all he could do was wait.
The car rumbled forward, navigating through the corpse of the city, the tension within the vehicle thick enough to cut. Minutes passed, stretching into what felt like an eternity.
Then, finally—they arrived.
.
.
.
.
.
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To Be Continued.....