2025-03-07 00:20:00Dan was a man caught between frustration and resignation. His reflection stared back at him, hollow-eyed and tight-jawed, as he sat with his head leaning against the glass window, watching the blur of passengers filing into the train as their voices formed a distant hum in his ears.
He’d spent the last year juggling nearly five part-time jobs, scraping together every bit of dignity and ambition he could muster to prove himself. All of it—every sleepless night, every penny saved—had been for her. But none of it had mattered. The memory of Lauren's parents was still fresh, like a bruise that wouldn’t fade. Just days ago, he’d stood awkwardly in their pristine living room, wearing the one decent shirt he owned, hoping this time would be different. But the polite smiles had quickly turned into thinly veiled contempt, and before he could even defend himself, her father’s words had cut deeper than any blade, "You’ll never be good enough for our daughter, Dan. Stay away from her." And then, the door—slammed in his face, along with any hope he’d clung to. Now, here he was, sitting on NovaTech’s brand-new cross-city speed train, their latest groundbreaking innovation. This sleek, cutting-edge marvel was supposed to symbolize progress, a new era of transportation. But to Dan, it just felt like another reminder of how far behind he was in life. He hadn’t even planned on being here, but winning the ticket in a random giveaway felt like a cosmic joke he couldn’t ignore. Maybe, just maybe, this would be his chance to prove something—not just to Lauren’s parents, but to himself. If he could witness this technological triumph firsthand, maybe it’d be a small step toward showing he wasn’t just some broke nobody. But not everyone shared his enthusiasm. The Blackout Collectives had made sure of that. For weeks, their warnings had been plastered across every corner of the city—graffiti scrawled on walls, shadowy forums buzzing with conspiracy theories, and masked protesters chanting about the hidden dangers of NovaTech's innovations. They claimed the technology was unstable, a ticking time bomb disguised as progress. But no one took them seriously. They were just another fringe group, dismissed as paranoid extremists standing in the way of innovation. Dan exhaled slowly, trying to push the noise out of his mind as the last passengers settled in. The train doors hissed shut, sealing everyone inside, and the low hum of the engine vibrated beneath his feet. Everything seemed to be going smooth for the first few minutes, not until it happened. A slight tremor ran through the whole vehicle, sending a wave of unease over everyone.There was no guarantee that the train was a hundred percent safe after all. A second tremor rocked the train, this one more serious than the former, yanking Dan out of his thoughts. He looked around and could almost hear everyone's racing hearts as the train accelerated rapidly. “ It's a ‘speed train’, it's supposed to be fast.” He said to the lady sitting beside him in order to calm her down. Even though she tried to maintain her composure, her fast paced breathing gave her away. Dan certainly wasn't used to this kind of hassle either, but this adrenaline rush felt like the perfect drug for the misery he was suffering from. Even then, a smile drew across his face as he watched everyone else stiffen up, terrified for their lives. For some reason, he thought it was hilarious. The train had now clocked 400 miles per hour and was still climbing. This time, incessant vibrations rattled the entire vehicle and no one could pretend to have it all together anymore. “ Mommy, what's happening? Are we gonna be okay?” A child behind Dan asked. “ That doesn't feel right,” Dan muttered, his brows slightly furrowed, his eyes searching, and his fingers clutching on to the arms of his chair. For the first time since the journey began, Dan was worried for his life. “Please keep your seatbelts on, we're only two minutes to arrival ,” said a gentle feminine voice from the speakers, as if completely oblivious of the fact that there was an earthquake in the vehicle. That was hard to believe. They had only been roughly fifteen minutes on the journey and now they were only two minutes to arrival. To think that this was a journey that would take at least two hours by land. “ Well I guess they call it a speed train for a reason,” Dan said, chuckling pretentiously, hoping to douse the tension in the air, but that didn't seem to be working. Everyone was too busy hanging tightly unto something like their lives depended on it. The smile on Dan's face quickly vanished when he heard the words, “ Brace for impact ! Brace for impact ! “ “ What…!?” Dan yelled as screams echoed throughout the chamber. His heart sank into his stomach and his eyes widened as commotion erupted all over the place. It was obvious there was no way anyone would survive this. ‘ Impact ‘ ? For a vehicle moving at such an insane speed ? Dan only hoped his death would be as quick and painless as possible. He checked his phone for the day's date and it read, 2nd May, 2025 - a date that waa about to become his death day. A very bright light filled the train, and that was the last thing Dan remembered seeing before everywhere suddenly went dark. All Dan could see now was pitch blackness. A gentle breeze blew over and against his face, filling his lungs with smoke and dust, and all he could hear was nothing but pin drop silence, as his consciousness slowly rose to the surface. His eyes popped open and he jerked up to a sitting posture with a sharp gasp. He looked around in confusion before it suddenly occurred to him that he had just been in an accident, a fatal one at that. He grabbed his black secondhand blazers and felt other parts of his body with his palms in shock that he was still in one piece, his lips parted and his breathing heavy. He had not yet realized where he was. “ I'm… I'm alive,” he whispered sharply, almost getting excited, “ but how ?” He muttered to himself, questioning his reality. He looked around him again and was thunder struck with shock at the sight before his eyes - a sight he never thought he'd ever see. Before his eyes were cars wrecked and littered all over the streets. A choking smell from the many burnt buildings around filled the air. The streets were empty - the whole place was empty. Where the hell am I ? What is this place ? Dan thought. Dan took a few steps forward and found himself at a cross junction. His eyes fell on a building, which though badly damaged, looked awfully familiar. After a hard stare at it, he recognized the partly burnt banner dangling off it with a writing that read, ‘ BENNY'S BURGER’. Dan's eyes widened and his lips parted all the more when it all finally dawned on him. He knew exactly where he was . It didn't make sense but all the details were undeniable. Somehow, Daniel Foster was back in SEAL CITY. What happened? Where is everyone? He wondered, his eyes searching through the wreckage. This was definitely the strangest day of his life, at least, yet.
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ARMAGEDDON Chapter 2
“ Wake up wake up wake up, ow,” Dan said, pinching and slapping himself. He figured this had to be a dream from one of the many zombie movies he had been watching lately. All Dan wanted right now was to just wake up from whatever nightmare this was but nothing seemed to be working. “ Hey ! Hello ?! Anybody?! “ He yelled, his voice echoing into a distance without a response, “ well that's a bummer,” he said, his tone falling. While Dan stood, hands akimbo in the middle of the street wondering what next to do, the sound of something like a growl reached his ears. “ Easy there,” he said , touching his stomach and realizing he didn't have breakfast before leaving the house. He heard the sound again, this time deeper and louder. His heart skipped a beat when it became obvious that those sounds weren't coming from the hungry worms in his stomach. He slowly turned around to see who his new company was - or what. To his utter shock, standing behind him was the most hideous creat
ARMAGEDDON Chapter 3
“ I don't believe it,” Dan muttered, as realization dawned on him. Now the dots began to connect.“ That's old news by the way,” said the other guy, who was apparently Dan's future self. “This is 2026. February 13th to be precise. Life doesn't get any better,” he added without an ounce of emotion,““ You…you really are me. And this…this is the future. I'm in the future,” Dan said, awestruck, his voice barely above a whisper as he put his hands on his head as if trying to keep it from exploding into bits.“ No, you are me, or…whatever. You might want to sit down, there's more. I might just know what the hell's going on here,” said future Dan, his voice still at its base and his face stolid.For the next few minutes, future Dan could only try to bring his past self up to date with all that had happened in Seal city, but the guy could barely keep up. He had had too much going on for one day. “ In a matter of months, this city and everyone in it will be destroyed. Including those you ca
ARMAGEDDON Chapter 4
Dan had been raptured from his timeline just before the train accident, transported to the future and now returned to the present a few minutes after the party was over. Some way to cheat death. If there was a hand behind all of this, he didn't know whether to be thankful or sad. Regardless, he thought it was good to be back to the present, where everyone was alive and the world was in one piece. Speaking of everyone, it suddenly occurred to him that for an accident like this, everyone would most likely be dead. His heart melted in sorrow as the faces of the other passengers he had seen or met in the train began to flash through his mind. All those innocent lives… , he thought. Those many men, women and children, all gone within the blink of an eye. While he pondered on the reality of life's cruelty, he knew all this, as bad as it was was nothing compared to the future he had just come from. It was the scariest thing he had ever seen.Just then, coughs, sighs and groanings were he
ARMAGEDDON Chapter 5
Dan immediately grabbed Lauren's wrist and pulled her along with him as they tried to evade the beast, but it was fast - too fast. In a moment of time, this creature was right behind them, launching one of its blade-like limbs through the air. A sharp gasp met witth Dan's ears, cutting his heart in two, as he lost his grip on her. He turned around to find Lauren, the love of his life caught up with what looked like a long knife protruding from out of her belly. There, the woman he loved stood, caught between life and death. Time paused. Both their lips parted in shock, their eyes locked on to each other's.With his hand stretched out to Lauren, Dan yelled, “ Nooo ! “Dan watched as the alien pulled out it's weapon from Lauren's gut, leaving her to crumble to the ground. His eyes slowly rose from her body to the monster, which was still fuming and snarling at him.The thing launched itself against Dan again, and knocked him off his feet, sending him rolling several feet from his init
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Dan's apartment.Felix paced back and forth in Dan’s small apartment, the place felt eerily quiet, save for the faint hum of the refrigerator and the occasional creak of the floorboards beneath his steps.“Dan,” Felix said, breaking the silence. “You have to talk to me. You're saying you just set something on fire with your hands. Your hands, dude! How is that not the first thing we’re freaking out about?”Dan sat slouched on the couch, his elbows resting on his knees, his fingers laced together tightly. He wasn’t looking at Felix; his eyes were glued to the floor. Inside, his mind was a whirlwind of fear, guilt, and confusion.“I don’t know, Felix,” Dan finally muttered.“ All that matters now is that Lauren is dying…and I couldn't save her,” he said looking up at him with a grim expression.Felix blinked, caught off guard. The frustration in his face melted into something softer, almost apologetic. He sat down on the armrest of a nearby chair, his face lined with worry.“ Come on man
ARMAGEDDON Chapter 7
The rhythmic tapping of rain against the kitchen window was oddly soothing as Ben Carter rinsed the last plate from his dinner. Life had been strange since the train explosion—a disaster he still couldn’t fully wrap his head around. How he survived such a ghastly accident still didn't make sense to him. A miracle, one would say, but that ' miracle' had come with consequences - more weird things he could not understand. His hearing had become unnaturally sharp. Sometimes, if he focused too hard, he’d hear strange vibrations in the air, almost like a pulse only he could feel.Ben set the plate on the drying rack and leaned against the counter, wiping his damp hands on a dish towel. The rain outside intensified, thunder rumbling faintly in the distance. He reached for his coffee mug when something caught his attention—a faint noise from upstairs.It wasn’t the normal creaks of an aging house settling. No, this sound was deliberate, almost rhythmic. Like footsteps.He froze, the mug ha
ARMAGEDDON Chapter 8
The flashing lights from dozens of cameras reflected off the sleek glass exterior of NovaTech’s headquarters. A sea of reporters surged forward with microphones raised like weapons, their voices forming a chaotic blend of accusations and demands. At the center of it all stood Alisha Carr, the poised and immaculately dressed CEO of NovaTech. Her tailored navy suit hugged her frame perfectly, and not a single strand of her chestnut hair was out of place. She raised a hand, commanding silence without uttering a word. The mob simmered down, their eager eyes locked on her like vultures waiting for a slip.“First,” Alisha began, her voice calm and authoritative, “let me express my deepest condolences to the families of those affected by this tragic incident.” She paused, allowing a carefully calculated hint of emotion to color her tone. “NovaTech is committed to uncovering the truth and ensuring justice is served.”She let the words settle. Control the tempo. Give them something to hold o
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Dan wiped the sweat from his forehead as he stepped back from his makeshift targets. His breathing was heavy, his shirt damp from hours of exertion. He had just finished his third part-time job for the day—unloading shipments at a dingy warehouse—and had come straight to this abandoned lot. The sun had long since gone down , leaving the place covered in dim orange from a nearby streetlamp.He looked down at his trembling hands. Ever since the accident, he had not been the same - who would after witnessing such a chaotic train of events in a short space of time. A subtly warm sensation lingered just under his skin, invisible, but constant, like an engine running at low power.Dan sighed and squared his shoulders. He had to focus. He couldn’t let his powers stay raw and untamed, not after what happened with Lauren.A few feet away, he had set up trash cans and broken wooden pallets he’d found scattered around the lot. They weren’t great targets, but they’d do. Dan clenched his fists, le
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Dan’s body screamed in protest as he dragged himself through the shattered window. His palms sliced on jagged glass, knees scraping asphalt. Behind him, Felix groaned, wedged between the deflated airbag and the twisted steering column."Felix!" Dan coughed, grabbing his friend by the collar and yanking. The smell of leaking fuel filled the air, sharp and dangerous.Riley crawled out of the backseat, clutching her ribs and wincing. Her laptop was smashed, wires and fragments trailing from her backpack. “I’m okay,” she rasped, eyes wide as she scanned the wreckage. “Dan, they’re coming.”He turned.The men moved with ruthless efficiency, dressed in tactical black, no insignias—just cold purpose. One held a compact rifle low, sweeping it across the wreck like he was clearing a room. Another moved toward Dan, his boots crunching glass underfoot.Dan barely got to his feet, shielding Felix. “We don’t have anything you want,” he shouted.
Chapter 13
It was a cool evening and Dan sat cross-legged on the stiff mattress, his gaze fixed on the metal bars of his cell. They stood there like prison guards, cold, unyielding, taunting him with their permanence. The urge to lash out, to burn them down until nothing remained but smoldering ash, had been clawing at him since he was thrown in here.But he couldn’t afford to lose control. Not with eyes always watching, waiting for him to slip up.Instead, he trained. Not his muscles—though prison life forced him to stay in shape—but his power. His fire.He reached out, his fingers curling around one of the thick, iron bars. The coolness of the metal seeped into his skin. Dan closed his eyes, inhaling slowly, trying to channel the rage and frustration coiled inside him.Heat gathered in his palm, a prickling warmth that intensified the longer he focused. His hand trembled with the effort, sweat beading along his forehead. He imagined the metal glo
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The cell door slammed shut behind Dan with a metallic clang. The place was cramped and smelled of sweat and mildew. Light seeped in through a small, barred window, cutting through the dimness. Dan stared at the wall, his fists clenched.Dr. Sanders had played his cards well. Accusing him of trying to kill Lauren was a stretch, but the Doctor had money, lawyers, and enough connections to make things stick. Dan had barely spoken to his court-appointed lawyer—an overworked man who seemed more interested in clearing his schedule than fighting for him. It was obvious doctor Sanders had it all wrapped up. He was doneDan tried not to believe it, but doubt gnawed at him. Lauren’s father had made it clear he didn’t want Dan around his daughter. But to go this far? It felt personal.Prison life was rough, and Dan did his best to avoid trouble. Most days, he kept his head down, only speaking when necessary. But staying out of sight didn’t stop the rumors o
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Riley’s eyes widened at the sound of footsteps and low, gruff voices echoing through the darkened warehouse. She spun around, her gaze locking onto Felix, who was crouched behind a stack of rusted crates.“Great. Just great,” Riley muttered.Felix glanced at her, his own nerves rattled but his expression stubborn. “You’re the one who broke into this place. I just followed.”“Yeah, well, you’re still an idiot.”They were tucked behind a metal shelf cluttered with broken tools and rotting wood. The room stretched far, with shadows deepening toward the corners. Dust swirled in the air, disturbed only by their hurried movements.The men were moving quickly, flashlights sweeping across the room. One of them kicked over a metal can, the clatter making Felix flinch.“They’re tearing the place apart,” Felix whispered.“No kidding.” Riley’s fingers danced along a small, rectangular device she had pocketed moments before—some kind
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Felix walked the backstreets of Seal City with his hood pulled low over his head, eyes flicking from shadowed alleyways to suspicious faces lurking in the dark. The underbelly of the city reeked of dampness, rot, and desperation—places where law and order barely reached, and where favors were bought with blood and desperation.He didn’t belong here. Never had. Felix was a tinkerer, a man who spent his days hunched over gadgets and tools, working his fingers to the bone in whatever odd job he could find to keep the bills paid. He wasn’t tough, wasn’t ruthless. But today, desperation overpowered common sense.He had spent days scouring the darkest corners of the city, chasing a rumor that had cropped up among the city’s whispers. The kind of rumor that felt too thin to be real but too persistent to ignore.Someone out there could bypass high-security systems. Someone who could do the impossible.Felix clung to that faint glimmer of hope like a man c
Chapter 9
Dan wiped the sweat from his forehead as he stepped back from his makeshift targets. His breathing was heavy, his shirt damp from hours of exertion. He had just finished his third part-time job for the day—unloading shipments at a dingy warehouse—and had come straight to this abandoned lot. The sun had long since gone down , leaving the place covered in dim orange from a nearby streetlamp.He looked down at his trembling hands. Ever since the accident, he had not been the same - who would after witnessing such a chaotic train of events in a short space of time. A subtly warm sensation lingered just under his skin, invisible, but constant, like an engine running at low power.Dan sighed and squared his shoulders. He had to focus. He couldn’t let his powers stay raw and untamed, not after what happened with Lauren.A few feet away, he had set up trash cans and broken wooden pallets he’d found scattered around the lot. They weren’t great targets, but they’d do. Dan clenched his fists, le
Chapter 8
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Chapter 7
The rhythmic tapping of rain against the kitchen window was oddly soothing as Ben Carter rinsed the last plate from his dinner. Life had been strange since the train explosion—a disaster he still couldn’t fully wrap his head around. How he survived such a ghastly accident still didn't make sense to him. A miracle, one would say, but that ' miracle' had come with consequences - more weird things he could not understand. His hearing had become unnaturally sharp. Sometimes, if he focused too hard, he’d hear strange vibrations in the air, almost like a pulse only he could feel.Ben set the plate on the drying rack and leaned against the counter, wiping his damp hands on a dish towel. The rain outside intensified, thunder rumbling faintly in the distance. He reached for his coffee mug when something caught his attention—a faint noise from upstairs.It wasn’t the normal creaks of an aging house settling. No, this sound was deliberate, almost rhythmic. Like footsteps.He froze, the mug ha
Chapter 6
Dan's apartment.Felix paced back and forth in Dan’s small apartment, the place felt eerily quiet, save for the faint hum of the refrigerator and the occasional creak of the floorboards beneath his steps.“Dan,” Felix said, breaking the silence. “You have to talk to me. You're saying you just set something on fire with your hands. Your hands, dude! How is that not the first thing we’re freaking out about?”Dan sat slouched on the couch, his elbows resting on his knees, his fingers laced together tightly. He wasn’t looking at Felix; his eyes were glued to the floor. Inside, his mind was a whirlwind of fear, guilt, and confusion.“I don’t know, Felix,” Dan finally muttered.“ All that matters now is that Lauren is dying…and I couldn't save her,” he said looking up at him with a grim expression.Felix blinked, caught off guard. The frustration in his face melted into something softer, almost apologetic. He sat down on the armrest of a nearby chair, his face lined with worry.“ Come on man