'How the hell did we ended up like this?'
A lone man thought, standing atop a broken building, his long black coat flapping in the wind. A jagged scar marred his left cheek, its irregular edge catching the faint light.
His eyes, weary from years of vigilance, scanned the horizon. No signs of enemy presence registered, yet his instincts remained on high alert. The landscape stretched out before him, a barren expanse of rubble and shattered dreams.
Barely any buildings or houses remained standing. The sky, cloudy and dark, threatened rain at any moment. He couldn't recall the last time he saw the sun; these clouds seemed perpetual.
Everything started more than 20 years ago, when cracks in space formed here and there. At first, nothing happened. Anyone could enter through the cracks, and there was only wilderness beyond. Strange plants and animals could be found, along with fruits and other miscellaneous things scattered randomly.
Venturing far through the cracks was perilous. Unpredictable closures trapped many, never to return. The risks soon became apparent, and fear spread.
As time passed, people grew accustomed to the cracks' presence. They adapted, learning to live with the constant threat.
But on an unremarkable day, the unthinkable happened. One ordinary day, without warning, they arrived. The invaders emerged from the cracks, merciless and ruthless. Their onslaught was relentless, killing everything in their path.
No sanctuary existed; no place was spared. Millions, perhaps billions, perished in a single day. Cities were reduced to smoldering ruins, their once-majestic skyscrapers now skeletal remains.
Chaos reigned. Bullets flew everywhere, ripping through buildings and bodies alike. Bombs blasted, killing monsters and people indiscriminately. In the distance, nukes painted the horizon with fiery mushroom clouds. Tanks fired relentlessly, shaking the earth beneath. Jets rained hell from the skies.
Initially, military compounds and secret bases served as refuges. Heavy artillery held back the invaders, buying time. But as resources dwindle - ammunition, water, food - desperation set in. Simple necessities became scarce, and people turned on each other to survive.
Strongholds began to fall. Despair and fear spread like poison. As all seemed lost, a miracle occurred.
A faint spark of salvation emerged, defying the crushing despair. People worldwide began to manifest extraordinary powers, and with them, humanity collectively pushed back against the invaders.
Those with powers soon discovered that consuming resources from the cracks granted energy. This energy, with training, could be harnessed to strengthen their bodies in various ways.
Hope rekindled. Cities were recaptured, and attempts were made to reestablish order.
However, stronger invaders arrived, unfazed by death. Humanity responded with unity and determination to grow stronger.
As years passed...
He sighed, the cold wind sending shivers down his spine. Looking up at the clouds, he thought, 'I hope it doesn't rain acid tonight.' Turning away, he walked toward the nearby camp.
As he approached, the small gathering of people turned to watch him. Katelyn, he piercing blue locks framing her exhausted face, asked, "Anything?"
Her eyes, sunken from lack of sleep, searched for hope, her worn, torn clothes mirrored the desperation surrounding them.
Twenty pairs of eyes awaited his report. He shook his head, and Katelyn handed him a plate of scavenged scraps.
As he sat on a broken stone by the fire, he stared at the unappetizing meal. Katelyn intercepted his gaze. "Don't start."
For ten years, they've survived on whatever they could find. Edible or not, it was sustenance. Resources had vanished, and fresh food was a luxury.
The oceans, once teeming with life, now lay polluted and barren. Inland wildlife was scarce. The damage stretched far and wide, forcing them to roam in search of sustenance.
The silence was oppressive, broken only by crackling sparks. His gaze swept the group, noticing the exhaustion etched on every face. The accumulative toll of endless battles had pushed them to the precipice.
"We're carrying the weight of humanity on our shoulders," he said, meeting each pair of eyes. "This will be our last fight. We won't survive the next battle. Hold nothing back!"
They were the last remnants of humanity, as far as he knew. He prayed there were no others, sparing them the unrelenting hell.
The group had giving their all, ceaselessly fighting. How many times had they considered surrender? Yet, it wasn't in their nature to yield.
Fifty had become twenty in a matter of weeks. Their last battle had left them battered. Yet, in this fleeting respite, they found solace.
Their enemies had vanished, but the calm was deceptive. Tonight would be their last time to take proper rest, for they knew their end was near.
"Don't get injured," he urged, his face solemn. "If you're done, go out with a bang! When the fight starts, stick close together. We'll hurt them on last time, take as many to hell as we can. Make them suffer!"
He reached for his bag and tossed a bottle to a muscular man, across the fire.
"I've been saving it," the scarred man smirked. "Now or never, I suppose."
Albert, aka Beer, towered over the group, his broad shoulders and chiseled physique commanded attention.
Beer's eyes widened as he grasped the precious bottle of whiskey. "Where the hell did you get this? I've been dying to get my hands on this shit for days!!"
"Don't remember," the scarred man replied, shrugging.
Chris, the youngest, approached Albert with excitement. "No way, Boss! You've been keeping it all to yourself?"
Mi-Sun, a South Korean survivor with dark and pale skin, stepped forward, a triumphant smile on her face. "I have another."
"I have three with me." Said an old man at the back, placing his plate on the ground. His name was Rick, but everyone called him old man. He took out a bag from a tent and joined in closed to the fire. "Saved the best for last." Said Rick, pulling his mustache with a smug face.
"What the hell old men, you're killing us here." Contrary to his words, Albert was beaming with a huge smile.
"I only have vodka." Said a Russian guy named Dimitri, taking out two bottles of said liquor.
"What the hell!? I was supposed to be the beer guy!!? Gaped Albert, shocked. Nonetheless, he received them all greedily.
"I got tequila." Said Luis, approaching with a small wooden barrel on his shoulder. "Made it myself." He was wearing a smile, one that never seemed to fade no matter how dark the times were. I truly believed, and no one would dare to refute or deny this, that we wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for this man, and his wife.
They were from Mexico, and they had so many remedies for everything, especially medicine. Him and his wife always had answers for problems we couldn't solve ourselves. It could be medical or physically man made, they could make it happen almost like magic. Also, when we were having a bad moment, or tough time, they were the first to give a helping hand, and give the emotional support one needed. He always had a way with words that no one else had, with a positive attitude and a beaming smile, it was hard not to like a guy like that.
Albert served the drinks and passed them out, some were in broken glasses or metal containers, anything worked as long as it could hold it. It was a happy moment, our happy moment. Some danced, others singed, and some just talked, reminiscing about the past.
Kate sat beside me as I gulped my food, it was terrible, but years eating terrible stuff became the norm, we grew used to it's flavor. I grabbed her hand and kissed her gently. I was in love with her, and I could see in her eyes the love she had for me. There was no need for words between us, the long years we had fought together, side by side, made us synchronize and bond to a deep level.
Everyone was enjoying themselves in their own way, together. We were all we had, we had our fare share of battles as time passed. This was not a reunion of camaraderie, no, this was family. We were brothers and sisters now. Family I could trust my back to, and my life.
Albert approached us with two glasses of liquor. "Are you not drinking tonight?" One could tell he was slightly drunk as his cheeks were a little rosy.
I smirked and took one from his hands while Kate took the other. The chatter stopped and they all turned to us, getting closer to the fire.
Albert raised his glass. "This is to have beer in hell after we die!"
"Hell yeah!" Seconded Chris, beaming with a smile, he was decently drunk, as he could barely stand straight.
"I drink to that!" Said some in the back.
"Idiot, I can't believe you only think of that." Said Mi-Sun, covering her eyes and swaying her head in disapproval.
I raised my glass, and a sense of joy and relaxedness overflowed throughout my body. Something a haven't felt in a long time, and I welcomed it with open arms. With my other hand I held the hand of the women a love, and my gaze focused on all present.
"Never have I imagined...when or where I would die, but if I did, I hoped it would be with people I cared for, with loved ones by my side. I wouldn't ask for more, standing with you guys in our last battle is something I don't wish for anyone, but you bastards! You guys deserve to go to hell with me!!" A smirk escaped my lips.
Everyone laughed and cheered.
"Not even hell will be enough!!" Albert cheered.
"Hell will tremble at our arrival!!" Screamed Mi-Sun.
"Yeah!!!" Some screamed at the back.
"Today, we celebrate..." I said, regaining the attention. "Tomorrow, will be a GOOD DAY TO DIE!!!!" With that, I drank it all in one go. It burned my throat as it went down, it was a damn good drink. Someone said similar words once in the past, don't remember when or where, it just stuck to me.
"Tomorrow it's a GOOD DAY TO DIE!!" Dimitri yelled.
"Hell yeah!!" Followed Chris.
Everyone joined in and drank, with their screams echoing in the night. We were letting go of everything we had pent up in our hearts. All the worries of the world, and the pressure we had, tonight, it all seize to exist. And for once, we enjoyed ourselves, one last time.
It was a night everyone needed, and deserved. As everyone rested, I sat alone, staring at the fire. Sometimes, I would lose myself in my own little world, it would either be thinking about the past, but most often it would be just that, only a stare, with a blank mind. No thoughts or anything of the sort. Kate made fun that It was age hitting hard and stuff like that. Who knows? that could probably be it, me getting old.
But not tonight...
It felt different, the feeling that the final battle was approaching, made me feel restless. I couldn't lie down and rest, so I just sat there, enjoying the heat the flames produced. With nothing to do, I grabbed a trunk and started playing with the fire. Sparks would fly and the flames would ignite more or died down. The fun was to keep it balanced, and just that.
As I was enjoying this simple thing, a bracelet in my arm caught my eye. It was a treasure, my very first treasure, from even before the monsters attacked. It was a simple treasure, with many similar ones found around the world, and they all did the same function, to store mana. There was only one difference, all of them stored mana, and it could be used to ignite attacks or spells, but this one had a huge capacity to hold mana. So much, that in all the years that he had it in his possession, was never able to fill it up to full capacity. It didn't help that in every fight, from the very beginning, would have to extract what little he had injected in it. Especially since he didn't have the capability to regenerate mana as fast as other.
It was a crucial treasure that had saved his life in more than one occasion. He wondered, 'what would happen if one day, at full capacity, I strike with all it's might? That one attack would probably blow me away as well, such energy and strength is something my body will not be able to withstand.' Just thinking about that backlash made him shudder.
He threw the wooden log into the fire, making sparks fly into the air. His gaze followed the blazing sparks up above, and focused on the clouds.
"Sigh...no rain tonight at least."
And with that, he called it a night. Scurrying to Kate's side in a makeshift bed inside a tent, giving her a warm kiss on her cheek and cuddling her. Sleep taking over as soon as he closed his eyes.