Seeing how things are now… it doesn't seem like humanity can make it through the next 40 years. All resources are limited now—food, water, and electricity. They're already running out.
The world is already close to extinction.
.....
"Ash, I'm hungry..." groaned the little girl, complaining to her older brother while caressing her stomach.
Ash only looked at his younger sister with pity. What more could he even do? The officials in charge of distributing their food rations had already left. And even if they were still there, it wouldn't make any difference. There were over 5,000 people in the town. He doubted there would even be leftovers.
Caressing his sister's cheek, Ash let out a soft sigh.
"I'm so sorry, Adrianna. We've already eaten whatever was left of our food for today. We can't eat again until tomorrow morning. Can you wait until then, hmm?" he softly asked his sister, combing her hair with his fingers.
The little girl frowned but nodded and hugged her brother. She knew how hard it was for him to get food every day. The fact that he managed to find food daily was already a miracle she was thankful for. She was only seven but very aware of her brother's struggles.
Lying on the concrete floor with only a thin blanket to lessen the coldness of the surface, Ash closed his eyes while putting his sister to sleep, gently patting her back and humming a song.
Within ten minutes, Adrianna was deep in sleep. Ash looked at her face with pity. She must have been exhausted. They had been moving around for three days just to find a stable place to stay temporarily. Looking at her innocent, sleeping face only filled him with guilt.
'Maybe if I hadn't been a burden to Mom and Dad before, things would be easier for you now, Addy,' he thought, clutching the necklace he wore.
He kissed his sister's forehead.
"I'll make sure you have food tomorrow when you wake up. Just wait, Addy. I'll make sure you're never hungry again." Those were his words, though he had no idea how to find food for tomorrow. He couldn't go out to scavenge tonight because he couldn't leave his sister alone. The part of town they were staying in was dangerous.
He sighed and closed his eyes. Better to sleep than to stress over something with no answer.
Only five minutes after closing his eyes, he was alarmed by a rustling sound outside their room. He hugged his younger sister while slowly reaching for the dagger he used for defense.
He kissed his sister's forehead again and laid her down on the blanket to check what was causing the noise outside.
Cautiously approaching the door, he knew he couldn't just burst out without knowing what creature might be lurking outside. The loud thumping of his heart and his nervous breathing were all he could hear. Taking another deep breath, he decided to peek through the peephole to see what was making the noise.
As he slowly peeked, his heartbeat stopped when a loud noise erupted as something banged against the door. He fell to the ground, panicking in fright. The loud banging continued, trying to force the door open. He still didn't know who was trying to break in, but he was sure it wasn't good.
He quickly picked his sister up. Panicked, he couldn't find a place to hide. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as the loud noises from the door and his own heartbeat overwhelmed him, making it hard to think. His breaths were so heavy and fast that tears were already forming in his eyes.
Just as the door was about to open, he found space inside a cabinet that could fit them. Luckily, he closed the cabinet door just as the intruder successfully entered the room.
He shut his eyes tightly, hugging his sister close. Tears slid down his cheeks, which woke his sister.
"Broth—" Ash covered his sister's mouth to stop her from speaking.
"Shh..." he whispered, peeking through a small crack in the cabinet door.
His sister nodded, gripping his shirt tightly. They were both scared, but Ash had to act strong so his sister wouldn't feel as frightened.
Slow footsteps could be heard from the intruder. Judging by the sound, it didn't seem like the same creatures who had killed their parents. It sounded more like a normal person. However, the distinct clinking sound of the person's shoes didn't match that of a peasant like them. It sounded like someone from a wealthy family.
Peeking through the small space in the cabinet door, he saw the broad back of the man facing him. The man's build didn't look like he was from an ordinary class. Not that it really mattered. But the tall height and strong presence left an impression on Ash. It had been a while since he'd seen anyone tall; most people he encountered were small and thin from malnourishment.
He shook his head, dismissing his thoughts. This wasn't the time to admire the man's appearance. The stranger might be dangerous, even willing to kill them to claim the place they were staying in.
"Shit," muttered the man in a low, baritone voice, surprising Ash. For some reason, it made his heart race. He tried to push the thoughts away.
The man turned, facing the cabinet they were hiding in. This made Ash's heart race even more, both from nervousness and from something else—perhaps awe.
The man had a perfectly sculpted jawline as sharp as a blade, a pointed nose as high as a mountain, thin lips red as a rose, and eyes dark as the night yet bright, like a lighthouse guiding a ship ashore.
'Those eyes look familiar,' he thought to himself.
But where had he seen them?
When he looked through the space again, he gasped in surprise as the man's face was suddenly close to the crack.
'Did he see us!?' he thought, panicking. He closed his eyes and covered his sister's mouth, knowing she might scream.
"Ash... breathe... can't breathe," Addy whispered, prompting him to remove his hand.
"Boo." Just as Ash removed his hand from his sister's mouth, the man spoke, shocking them both.
His sister screamed, and Ash cursed. He tried to cover her mouth again, but it was too late. The cabinet door swung open. Cold sweat ran down his forehead.
"Shit..." Ash muttered, causing the man to smirk.
"Why are you guys hiding in there?" the man asked, as though he had no idea what he'd just done.