Woo! Woo! Woo!
The wailing sirens echoed throughout every corner of the city. People, who were once busy with their own activities, suddenly froze. Some looked confused, while others began to panic. Yet, a single question filled everyone's minds: What is happening?
Moments later, the video screens that usually displayed advertisements—from health products to anime promotions—suddenly changed. The face of a news anchor appeared, delivering news that silenced the entire city.
"Emergency! We repeat, emergency!"
Despite the makeup covering her face, fear was evident in her eyes. Her gaze was slightly anxious, yet she tried to speak with a steady tone. And even though her voice sounded tense, she continued to carry out her duty professionally, ignoring the panic engulfing her mind.
"Currently, five giant meteors are heading towards our country. We urge all citizens to evacuate immediately!"
Everyone went silent, shocked by the announcement, creating a moment of stillness across the city. But that silence shattered when a pregnant woman screamed in panic. "Ahhh!" With a face full of fear, she pointed to the sky. Unconsciously, people gazed in the direction she was indicating. There, a massive glowing sphere appeared, racing swiftly toward the city.
The large glowing ball was one of the meteors mentioned in the announcement. It hurtled forward at an incredible speed, growing larger and brighter as it approached the city. Even from a distance, those who saw the bright orb could feel the heat on their skin. Slowly, beads of sweat began to dampen their bodies, causing those who experienced it to panic uncontrollably.
"Impossible..."
"Oi... oi... you must be joking, right?!"
"Everyone run!!!"
The reactions exploded from people's mouths, but one thing was clear: they had lost control of their thoughts.
"Get out of my way!"
"Uwahhh! Mom, where are you?!"
"I don't want to die!"
Like a swarm of ants scattering in fear, people began to flee aimlessly, trying to escape the impending disaster. Yet, all their efforts were in vain. Even as they ran as fast as they could, no one could escape the devastating explosion that was about to occur.
Boom!
And indeed, the tremendous explosion finally happened. The force caused by the meteor spared no one—men or women, old or young, all were swept away in an instant. Half of the city was destroyed in the blink of an eye, leaving behind only a vast crater.
A similar scene unfolded in several other countries. Amid the stillness of the night, a country in another part of the world suddenly erupted in chaos. People who were previously sound asleep were abruptly awakened by a loud bang from the sky. The normally dark sky was now illuminated by a bright orange light, as if the sun had just risen again in the middle of the night.
In one of the big cities, a man rushed to his apartment balcony, his eyes wide in shock as he saw flashes of light on the horizon. Faintly, he could see another meteor speeding toward the city. As the booming sounds grew closer, his heart raced, and he dashed inside to wake his family.
"Wake up! Hurry up! We have to go now!" he shouted in panic, shaking his wife's shoulder, who was still half asleep.
His wife's confusion faded as soon as she heard their children's cries from the next room. Without a second thought, they gathered whatever they could carry and fled their apartment. However, when they reached the streets, the scene before them was far more horrifying than they had imagined. Thousands of people were already pouring onto the streets, all running chaotically with faces full of fear.
Meanwhile, in another country, a family gathered in their living room, watching the news on television with pale faces. The news anchor they were watching was as panicked as the rest of them, trying to remain calm even as the vibrations from the meteor impacts began to be felt.
"I don't know what else to say... This is a global disaster like we've never seen before. We urge you to protect yourself and your loved ones. Stay together, and may we all survive..."
But hope was slowly fading as time passed. The meteors continued to fall, striking various parts of the world mercilessly. Country after country fell into ruin, with no place safe. Around the globe, humanity struggled to survive amidst the rampant destruction.
===
Five months had passed since the meteor disaster struck. The streets were now filled with rubble; the cracked and broken asphalt rendered them impassable. The once towering buildings now lay in ruins, blocking access in many areas.
Silence enveloped the desolate streets, yet behind that stillness, a mother and her daughter were seen running for their lives. Their condition was pitiful; they were emaciated, with bones visibly protruding from the skin that stretched taut over their frames. Their clothes were tattered, hardly worthy of being called clothing. Still, they continued to run.
"Mom, I can't go on anymore!" the child gasped, her face pale, and her legs trembling from exhaustion.
"Don't give up, sweetheart. We're almost to the shelter!" The mother attempted to encourage her daughter, although deep down she knew that her words might not be much of a comfort.
Seeing her daughter becoming weaker, the mother stopped for a moment, squatting down in front of her, gently patting her shoulder, signaling her to climb onto her back.
"But, Mom, what about your legs?!" The child hesitated to climb onto her mother's back, aware of the severe injuries her mother had sustained from the sharp rocks and debris she had stepped on. The wounds were beginning to ooze pus.
"I'm fine, sweetheart. Come on, hurry up!" The mother forced a wide smile despite the pain coursing through her body. Reluctantly, her daughter complied and slowly climbed onto her mother's back.
"Ugh!" A scream of pain escaped as the weight of her daughter pressed down on her shoulders. A sharp pain coursed through her legs, but the mother stood tall. The daughter, witnessing her mother's suffering, tried to get down again, but the mother quickly gripped her daughter's legs tightly, ensuring she couldn't descend or run away.
Realizing that her mother was enduring tremendous pain, the child tried to struggle, swaying her body from side to side, hoping her mother would let her down to alleviate the burden her mother was bearing.
"Let me go! Let me go!"
Yet the mother ignored her daughter's pleas and continued to take slow steps forward, one by one. Every time she stepped, pus seeped from her wounds, splattering the ground with a painful liquid.
Step! Step! Step!
For the mother, the pain was a small price to pay compared to her daughter's safety when they reached the shelter.
Squeak!
But everything changed when they heard a loud creaking sound from the distance. The dust from the ruins began to swirl behind them, as if something large was crashing through the debris, moving swiftly towards them, seemingly chasing after them.
Realizing the imminent danger, the mother attempted to run as fast as she could, trying to put distance between them and the threat approaching from behind.
Gasp! Gasp! Gasp!
Yet all her efforts were in vain. The large thing continued to close in, faster and closer with each passing second. Aware that the danger was unavoidable, the mother was compelled to halt her steps. With a heavy heart, she lowered her daughter from her back.
Gripping her daughter's shoulders tightly, her eyes filled with concern stared intensely into the girl's. Her once gaunt face looked even paler now, her breath coming in quick bursts. With a serious tone, the mother said, "Listen to me, Veronica. I need you to run that way, towards the north, and don't ever look back."
"What about you?!"
"I will distract it!" she said, picking up a piece of metal that lay near her feet, as if she intended to use it as a weapon.
"I don't want to! I want to go with you!" Veronica stubbornly rejected her mother's plan and clutched her mother's hand tightly.
Slap!
The sound of the slap rang out sharply, and Veronica's cheek quickly turned red. She could only stand there, frozen in place, clutching her stinging cheek.
"Listen to your mother, Veronica! From the future you saw, do you think we can both stay together?!"
"Of-course there is!" Veronica's voice trembled, doubt evident in every word she spoke. The mother saw through the lie but responded with a small, understanding smile.
"Thank you, Veronica. But I want you to keep living, even without me."
The mother hugged her child tightly, as if she never wanted to let go. Veronica, at a loss for words, could only stifle her sobs, tears welling up on her face.
"Goodbye, Veronica, and may you lead a happy life, my little awakened one~" she whispered softly into Veronica's ear.
After releasing her embrace, the mother gave Veronica a gentle push, creating a small distance between them. Veronica, still bewildered, began to walk away.
Squeak!!!
The creaking sound grew louder, piercing their ears as it raced closer. From behind the rubble, a terrifying figure began to emerge. A colossal rat, with sharp and coarse fur standing straight like quills, was now clearly visible in the distance. Its glowing red eyes fixed directly on them.
"Run, Veronica!"
The girl, who had been walking slowly, now sprinted with all her strength, determined not to look back even for a second. The distance between her and her mother widened, yet her mother's faint cries still echoed in her ears.
"Come here, you ugly rat!"
Veronica knew that the giant rat was chasing her mother. All she could do was run as fast as her legs could carry her, trying desperately to ignore what she could hear.
Drip! Drip! Drip!
Tears became Veronica's only companion as she dashed away, leaving her mother behind.
"I'm so sorry, Mom."
Dust from the debris of the building slowly enveloped Veronica, obscuring her from view until her figure was no longer visible. The sound of her mother's voice that once filled her ears faded away, drowned in the silence.