Family [1]The inside of the room was bland, the walls which looked to be made of a strange material were white, there was a small bed which was equally as white and the only thing of color in the room was the clothes Hana was wearing.They were blue, just like the rest of the victims that the guards called prisoners.‘How long has it been?” Hana wondered as she stared at the white ceiling. She couldn't tell how long she had been in here, maybe weeks or months.And with each passing day, she felt her mentality diminish a bit. Staring at white all day was really tasking on the nerves, it was the reason the organization made their cells in such a way.They wanted to slowly weaken the prisoners mentally. Those who were weak were already on the floor above in tubes and tanks.‘I wonder how he's doing, I hope he's surviving.’Hana used to work for this company, she had her suspicions but she was never sure of what they were doing. That was until they found out her secret, her grandson and
Family [2]“How are things in your end?” Eli asked Belamir. Both of them were no longer at the center of the warehouse where the office space was, instead, they stood outside the warehouse.Belamir raised his phone, taking a quick glance at the messages that kept pouring in. They were reporting messages telling him that his orders had been completed.“It's all proceeding smoothly.” Belamir replied. He glanced at Eli before gazing at the sky,“Just like you asked, solid in bags, liquid and gas in tanks. I still don't understand why you are gathering them though, apart from a few that seem important, the rest look irrelevant to me.”Eli chuckled. He sighed and he took a quick glance behind him at the warehouse, within, the rest of the members of Sanctuary were moving about, taking inventory and sorting the final resources.“Unlike the rest of you, Johanne told me every detail about the apocalypse.”Eli looked beside him at Belamir, Belamir looked back at him.“My brother plans to bring
The beginning of the end [1]Vwooom~The others marveled at the now empty warehouse. To them it was like a miracle but to me it wasn't. All it took was a bit of stamina and the activation of [Dimensional storage].Once the apocalypse arrives in two days and I awaken as a true anomaly, the consumption of stamina everytime I used my skills will reduce exponentially.This is because I will awaken my core and be able to use essence, the original energy for anomalies. I can't even imagine how much stronger my skills will become then.Now that I've gotten used to using my stamina, I'll be able to refine my essence and use it more effectively.All in all, I was somehow thrilled.“Huddle together and hold hands, I'll teleport it all out of here.” I announced.“Here…” belamir handed me a device that looked like a tracker.“The red dots are the location of the pickups. When are you planning on retrieving them?”I couldn't put my finger around it, but Belamir seemed different. I decided to ignor
The beginning of the end [2]“The governor's situation isn't improving, we need to do something about it.”“Well, at least it's not getting worse either.”“What can we do? We've been getting strange calls from various places, even the other governors are trying to hold a conference.”“I heard that something's brewing, some strange phenomenon.”“Does the public know about this?”“The public is still being kept in the dark. If they hear of it, panic will be the least of our worries.”Laramie sat before her father who lay still in the bed, her eyes were a bit hollow and she looked disheveled.Even though she wasn't consciously listening, she could still hear the voices of the personnels working under her father as they discussed.She was sure that the vice governor was with them but she couldn't care less. While the man never made a move against her father when he was in good health, she doubted it would be the same now.But none of that mattered to Laramie.‘I haven't been able to stop
The beginning of the end [3]Eli and Belamir walked through the corridors of the mansion, various people walked past them, each of them trying to fulfill the tasks that had been assigned to them.Things have been like this ever since they arrived. Now that the apocalypse was merely hours away, they had to focus more on building a stronghold and organizing as much as possible.Most still don't know what was coming next, except Johanne. They all knew that the apocalypse was coming but no one knew how it would look when it finally arrived.They also didn't know when it would arrive. They knew the date but the time seemed to elude them all.‘He never told me about it either.’ Eli noted inwardly. He wanted to ask but Johanne had been so busy ever since he woke up.Even now, he wasn't back from gathering the materials. Eli was worried but he also knew,‘There's no need to worry about him. If anything, I worry for whatever trouble might come his way.’“This man, Jason?” Belamir began,“...”
The beginning of the end [4]“What do you mean?”I pressed the blade against the governor's neck, my eyes locked on Laramie. She was angry, I could tell.If looks could kill, I'm sure I would be dead by now. I couldn't blame her though, if we were to switch positions, if Eli was the one on the end and someone else was holding a knife to his neck, I couldn't even imagine how I would react.But it was exactly for Eli I was doing this. For his survival, for his sake, humanity needed to live. And I need powerful people for that to happen.I have no use for a weakling. A weakling was nothing but disposable.“It's just as you've heard. Choose between your father and the rest of humanity.”Laramie's haze was intense. I could see the fear in her eyes, it was as obvious as it could be. It was only normal, after all, I was leaking a substantial amount of killing intent.The fact that he was able to look at me with defiance, no, the fact that she could stand at all was a miracle.But this was La
The beginning of the end [4]“Issue a state wide emergency, the governor and his daughter have been abducted!”The governor's officials began to panic, some went in to frantically check the balcony and corners of the from like it would do anything to change the situation.Just as they were about to leave the room, the deputy governor walked in.“Hold on…” he said as he walked around the room, checking every citner kike the officials gad previously done.“Thus is quite the predicament…” he muttered.“I know, we have to go something urgently!”“What are we even still doing here? We should be issuing an emergency before the abductor gets too far!”The officials began go complain, their gaze anything but friendly as they stared at the deputy governor.Although to the governor, this man who was his deputy governor was a loyal man, they the government officials knew otherwise.Deputy governor Richard was a cunning man and they knew he would try to make the best of this situation.“We can't
The beginning of the end [5]I looked at everyone present, making sure to take in every detail about them. From their looks, to their expressions, to their body language.I took everything in.We were currently in a different room, one that was closer to the forge. Due to the forge being in the lower part of the mansion and being off limits to everyone else, I decide that the room beside it would be a great place for the council to have their meetings.The large round wooden table and chairs were things I collected earlier. I brought them out of the [dimensional storage] and placed them in the empty room.‘Although its a little bland, I'm sure we can work on it. I'll make sure to add a few decorations, maybe include a tea pot and burner.’As I mulled over the rooms design, I looked at round at the others who had taken their seats around the table. Obviously, I was at the head.Eli and Belamir were the closest to me with Eli to my right and Belamir to the left. They had neutral expressi
Strengthening Bonds and Dividing Roles The morning sun cast a soft, golden light over the camp, filtering through the trees and reflecting off the makeshift buildings that now made up our sanctuary. Though small and humble, this place was beginning to feel like a stronghold, a last line of defense against the chaos that raged outside. But a stronghold needed more than walls. It needed structure, roles, and people ready to defend it with every ounce of strength they had.The recent attacks, along with our discovery of the serum, had made it clear that we couldn’t rely on chance or hope. If we were going to protect what we’d built, we needed to organize—each person playing their part to ensure that when the next threat came, we’d be ready.I stood in the center of camp, a map spread out on a table in front of me. The others had gathered around: Hana, Eli, Dr. Reese, and Morgan, along with several of the new recruits who’d joined us in recent weeks. Each face held a mix of resolve and un
Medical BreakthroughThe smell of antiseptic lingered heavily in the air, mixing with the ever-present scent of fear that seemed to permeate the medical bay. I could see it in the hollow stares of the survivors who milled around the infirmary, their faces pale and eyes haunted. They knew that once infection took hold, there was nothing to do but wait for the inevitable. A slow descent, ending in a transformation into something unrecognisable—a monster.But that hopelessness was exactly why we were here now. If there was even a chance to change the course of infection, to find some kind of solution, it was worth every risk. And Dr. Reese, our resident medic, might have finally found the key.Reese stood by a table covered in medical equipment and vials of strange, murky liquid, his face drawn but determined. The doctor was an older man, with silver hair cropped short and eyes that seemed to have seen more than they should. He didn’t speak much, but when he did, it was with the certaint
Encounter with the Cult of the AwakenedThe day was unseasonably warm as we trekked through the wasteland, our boots kicking up dust that clung to the dry air. Hana walked ahead, her gaze fixed on the horizon, with Eli and Morgan following close behind, alert and ready. We were scouting a rumored safe zone to the south—a lead Morgan had picked up from a trader who’d passed through days ago. If the trader was right, the place could have shelter, even stockpiles of water.We reached a clearing, where a small compound sat nestled against the rocks. But as we approached, something felt... wrong. A heavy silence hung in the air, thicker than usual, almost oppressive. I stopped, signaling for the others to halt as we took in the scene.The compound was oddly pristine, its walls painted with symbols that looked like a twisted fusion of religious icons and geometric patterns, each one centered around an eye. At the front gate, two figures stood guard, clad in robes embroidered with the same s
A New Power EmergesThe night air was crisp as I walked alone through the perimeter of our sanctuary, letting my thoughts settle after the intense mission at the bunker. We’d secured the supplies we needed, but my mind was restless. There was a heaviness that lingered, the shadows of past battles and the ominous sense that greater challenges lay ahead.I closed my eyes, focusing on the space around me, feeling the familiar hum of energy that had become second nature. My spatial domain had always been a part of me, a constant pulse in the background of my awareness. But tonight, something felt... different.A faint tremor sparked deep within, an unfamiliar sensation, like a flicker of electricity jolting through my veins. The power felt stronger, denser, as if it had grown in intensity, shifting from a steady current to a raging river. I drew in a deep breath, grounding myself as I let the energy spread, expanding my domain further than I’d ever dared.As I did, time itself seemed to s
Securing the BunkerThe air inside the bunker was heavy, thick with the stench of decay and mildew. Darkness clung to every corner, broken only by the faint beams of our flashlights cutting through the gloom. Our footsteps echoed off the walls, too loud in the oppressive silence, a constant reminder that any wrong move could alert whatever was hiding in the shadows.“We need to keep this tight,” I whispered, gesturing for Hana and Eli to flank me while Morgan covered the rear. Every nerve in my body was on edge, senses sharpened by the knowledge that we were trespassing in a place that hadn’t seen light—or life—in a long time.We moved cautiously down the main corridor, the walls lined with cracked tiles and patches of mold, evidence of years of neglect. Storage rooms branched off on either side, some doors ajar, revealing shelves stacked with cans, boxes, and forgotten crates. Supplies—exactly what we’d come for—but none of us dared move just yet. This bunker had the same feeling as
The Resource DilemmaThe early morning haze settled over the sanctuary, and with it, an uneasy silence. I stood in the supply depot, taking stock of what little remained. Shelves that once held row upon row of rations and water purifiers were now close to bare. Despite our best efforts to ration, the supplies we had carefully hoarded were disappearing faster than I’d anticipated.The reason was simple—our numbers were growing. Every day, it seemed, we encountered new survivors, each one desperate for a safe haven. While every face we saved was another chance at rebuilding, it was also another mouth to feed, another body to protect. Resources that were once enough for a small team were now stretched thin, and it was only a matter of time before we’d hit a breaking point.I ran a hand over my face, the weight of our situation settling heavily on my shoulders. As I glanced up, I saw Hana walking in, her expression as grim as mine.“You see the numbers?” I asked, though I already knew the
Reinforcing Morale and PurposeThe camp was quiet—too quiet. The kind of silence that settled in after a close call, when adrenaline faded and left behind only exhaustion. Yesterday’s attack had taken its toll on everyone, from the veterans to the rookies. I could see it in their slumped shoulders, the heavy footsteps, the way they barely spoke, each one wrapped in thoughts of what lay ahead.As I moved through the camp, I felt the weight of each gaze that avoided mine, each nod that barely mustered a trace of energy. We couldn’t go on like this, not if we wanted to survive. It wasn’t just our defenses that needed fortifying—it was us.“Everyone,” I called out, my voice cutting through the silence. Faces turned toward me, wary but attentive. “Meet at the center of camp tonight. We’re going to take a breather.” There was a murmur, but I saw the flicker of curiosity spark in a few eyes. Good—that was something.When evening came, I set up a small gathering space in the center of camp, a
The Rise of Anomaly WarfareThe air around the sanctuary felt charged, a tension like the edge of a storm. It had been days since we’d welcomed Morgan and his people, days spent combing over the information he’d shared about The Coalition and experimenting with new defenses. There was no mistaking it—the fights ahead were going to be unlike anything we’d faced before.I stood in the clearing at the center of camp, watching as the team gathered in a circle around me, faces set with grim determination. Today was going to be different. We couldn’t rely on luck or makeshift tactics anymore; it was time to see what we were truly capable of.“Everyone here?” I called out, my gaze sweeping over them. Eli, Hana, Morgan, and the rest of our crew. Each of them had something unique to offer, powers that, if used right, would make us a force no one could take lightly.“Today, we’re focusing on harnessing our anomaly powers,” I continued. “We’re not just going to be survivors. We’re going to be re
Scouting and New AlliesThe morning sun broke through the thick clouds, casting a pale, washed-out light across the desolate landscape. There was a strange calm about it, the sort of silence that stretched on for miles in every direction, broken only by the wind carrying dust and whispers of the devastation that had come before.I adjusted the strap on my pack, scanning the broken skyline of what was once the town of Fairbank. Abandoned buildings stood like grave markers, silent and still, each one holding its own story of whatever last stand, last struggle, or final failure had taken place. Now, they were nothing but remnants, waiting for someone—or something—to reclaim them.Eli was a few paces behind me, eyes sharp and alert. His movements were quieter now, more controlled than they had been even a few days ago. Out here, you either learned fast, or you didn’t last long. Hana, our head of reconnaissance, scouted ahead, her figure small against the empty streets but every step delib