It didn't take long for everyone to finish their meal. Plates now empty, the room settled into an uneasy silence. Nikolas glanced at the clock: already past two. Time was slipping away, and with it, their last hours of peace. He let out a slow breath and leaned forward, the weight of what was to come pressing down on him.
"Here we are… he said abruptly, his voice low but sharp enough to slice through the quiet. "A few hours before the apocalypse begins."
The words hit the room like a hammer. He saw the ripple of shock pass through his family, even if they tried to hide it. His tone was cold, emotionless, but the gravity of what he said brought a surge of tension to the air. "There's no easy way to say this. I know some of you still have doubts, still question whether any of this is real. But you trusted me so far, and today… Today, everything will be proven true."
He paused, his eyes hard as steel as he met each of their gazes in turn. Emilia. Reginald. Erick. Master Yuemura. These were the only people in the world he could truly rely on, the only ones he'd trust with his life. And now, with their lives hanging in the balance, he had to be sure they were ready.
"We'll face this apocalypse together," he said, his voice gaining a quiet strength. "And we'll survive. No matter what comes."
His mother, Emilia, was the first to look away. She'd always had a softness about her—a kindness in her dark brown eyes that no amount of age could erase. But now that softness was mixed with worry, the kind only a mother could feel. Even now, as she tried to remain strong for her son, Nikolas could see the fear creeping into her expression, the tiny wrinkles on her forehead deepening.
Reginald, his father, was the opposite—stiff, alert, his thick brows furrowed with the intensity of a man who had spent his life protecting his family. His dark hair, square-cut and neat, was streaked with silver at the edges, a reminder of years spent in battles Nikolas knew little about. Even in retirement, Reginald's instinct to protect was ingrained in him, an unshakeable part of his identity. It was why he had agreed to train with Master Yuemura, despite his doubts.
Then there was Erick, his younger brother. Always quick with a joke, always the light in the room. But now, even Erick had fallen silent. His broad shoulders, built from years in the gym, were tense, his jaw clenched as he tried to process the gravity of what Nikolas was saying. He'd believed his brother without question, but the weight of that belief was settling on him now, heavy and real.
And finally, Yuemura. Nikolas's master sat quietly, observing everything with the calm precision of a man who had seen countless battles. His sharp eyes, half-hidden behind a curtain of long white hair tied in a traditional bun, were like daggers—focused, calculating. Nikolas knew that look well. It was the look of a predator watching its prey, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. For a brief moment, Nikolas wondered if he, too, looked like that when he fought.
Nikolas inhaled deeply, letting the tension build for a moment longer before he spoke again. "I know I've told you bits and pieces of what's to come, but now… now, I need to get everything in order. Some of this will become common knowledge soon enough, but you need to hear it from me first."
The others leaned in, their attention locked on him.
"The first thing you need to know," he continued, his voice steady and firm, "is that tonight, at midnight, it begins. The Spawns. This is how it all starts."
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in before he continued. "At exactly midnight, the first of many spawns will appear. And with it… a horde of zombies. One for every human being on the planet."
"Tha- that means more than…" Emilia started, but was cut short by her older son.
Nikolas cut her off, his voice hard. "Seven billion. Yes. Seven billion zombies will appear out of nothing all around the globe. The more populated the city, the more zombies will appear, quite obvious actually." Nikolas half joked the second part as he saw the incredulous faces of the group. "For us, this city is a pretty good start, not too big nor too small."
Reginald's frown deepened, his brows knitting together in frustration. "A million zombies. On this island alone." His voice carried a sharp edge, laced with the rising storm of concern. He couldn't wrap his mind around the logistics of it—the sheer space all those creatures would take up. His instinct to protect his family flared violently, and he silently cursed himself for not pushing harder when he suggested fleeing to a remote farm days ago.
"Probably more if you consider that people will get transformed too.." Yuemura added.
Nikolas raised a hand, trying to ease the tension thickening in the room. "I'll get to that, Dad. There's a reason humans survive, a reason we can get stronger." His attempt to calm the room was only mildly successful. "I don't plan on taking any reckless risks with our family. Everything will be done carefully, with a plan. Now... about the first Spawn. Those zombies will spawn in an unoccupied spot within one meter of every person. Meaning, yes, one could appear directly behind you. Or above you."
As expected, the frown on Reginald's face deepened, and Emilia's eyes widened with fresh fear. Before they could spiral into panic, Nikolas pressed forward, offering a sliver of reassurance.
"I know it sounds bad, but there's a way around it. A small, but crucial loophole: to leave only one spawn location. It's simple, after dozens of tests in the future, it was discovered that the spawns follow a pattern, always in the same sequence—front, back, right side, and then left. If all those directions are blocked, only then will it spawn above or below. We're not here to debate the why, but this is how we'll deal with the first wave of zombies."
He leaned forward, locking eyes with each of them. "We stand side by side, backs to a wall. That way, the zombie can only spawn in front of us. We kill it on the spot."
"Hm!" Erick nodded eagerly. "And I assume... kill them with a blow to the head, like in the movies?"
"Exactly," Nikolas confirmed with a grim smile. "That brings us to the next point: the System."
At the mention of it, he saw a mix of reactions. His mother's face grew even paler, her knuckles white as she gripped the edge of the table. Reginald remained stoic, though Nikolas could see the gears turning behind his father's furrowed brow. Erick, on the other hand, was practically buzzing with excitement, while Master Yuemura sat impassive, his expression unreadable.
"Some people will call it a divine blessing," Nikolas continued, his tone steady. "Others will say it's the work of demons. I don't care about those theories, and frankly, it doesn't matter. What matters is that the System is real, and it's what lets us grow stronger."
Nikolas shook his head, dismissing his own thoughts that were going further ahead into the future and focused once more at the reunion.
"In short, the System is what made it possible for people to survive and grow stronger! It's game-like in nature. It shows you your attributes, levels, and abilities.. However, it does not come for free: You have to kill a zombie to unlock it. Unfortunately you can't use a firearm for that. It has to be a melee weapon."
Nikolas's gaze settled on his father and brother, his voice hardening with the next words. "That's why I pushed you both to learn swordsmanship. Not just for tradition, but because it's necessary. You want to survive? You want to protect our family? You're going to need to get your hands dirty."
Reginald's lips pressed into a thin line, his mind racing as he absorbed the truth. Erick, however, was grinning, the thought of fighting for survival seemingly igniting something in him. Nikolas hesitated for a moment, letting the gravity of the situation sink in before continuing.
"Once you unlock the System, every zombie you kill with a cold weapon gives you experience points. You can use those points to level up, improve your skills, and strengthen yourself."
He stopped, noticing that everyone was staring at him, stunned into silence. Erick had his mouth half-open in shock, while even Master Yuemura, normally as stoic as stone, cast a curious glance at him.
"I know it sounds ridiculous," Nikolas admitted, shaking his head. "Talking about levels and experience points when we're on the edge of an apocalypse..."
"Ridiculous?!" Erick suddenly burst out, fists raised in excitement. "This sounds awesome! I'm gonna be the strongest! You wait and see!"
Surprised by this reaction, the family couldn't help but laugh. This time it wasn't an 'out of time' joke, apparently the boy was serious about it.
With a slight smile, Nikolas felt his heart warm. It was nice to break the tension in the air.
[I missed those laughs!] He thought while determination flashed out in his eyes, determination to become stronger, stronger than he ever was.