The silence in the room was stifling. The three of them sat in the living room, the single dim bulb above casting long shadows on the walls. The metallic tang of blood still lingered in Evan's nostrils, no matter how deeply he tried to breathe. Outside, the night stretched on, eerily quiet, broken only by the occasional groan of the wind.
Sophia broke the silence first, her voice soft but sharp. "We need to talk about what happened."
Evan, seated by the window with his knife resting on his lap, didn't look at her. His gaze remained locked on the empty street below, searching for any movement.
Maya, perched on the couch with her knees drawn to her chest, spoke up next. "What is there to talk about? That man… he wasn't human anymore." Her voice cracked on the last word, and she bit her lip to steady herself.
Sophia stood and began pacing. "Exactly. He wasn't human. So what does that mean for the rest of us? For the people outside? What's causing this?"
"Maybe it's the meteors," Maya offered hesitantly. She hugged her knees tighter. "The news said they've been bringing something with them. What if it's spreading?"
Evan finally turned from the window, his face grim. "It's not a maybe," he said. "It is spreading. And fast."
Sophia stopped pacing, crossing her arms. "How can you be so sure?"
"Because it's not just him. I saw more of them out there. At least two, maybe more."
Sophia's eyes widened, and Maya gasped, burying her face in her hands.
The weight of Evan's words hung heavy in the air. They had all known something was wrong, but hearing it spoken aloud made it real.
"We can't stay here," Evan continued, his voice steady but low. "It's only a matter of time before they find their way to us."
"Where would we even go?" Maya asked, her voice muffled. "If it's spreading everywhere…"
"We'll figure that out," Evan said, though the uncertainty in his tone betrayed his confidence. "For now, we need to stay sharp. Gather supplies, stay alert, and be ready to move at a moment's notice."
Sophia nodded reluctantly, her jaw tightening. "Fine. But we need more than a kitchen knife and a pipe if we're going to survive out there."
Evan's gaze fell to the knife in his lap, the only thing standing between them and the chaos outside. He silently agreed.
As the others settled into an uneasy quiet, Evan leaned back in his chair, his thoughts swirling. The Genesis Framework had been silent since the fight, but he could feel its presence, a faint hum at the edge of his consciousness.
"Status," he thought, and the translucent screen appeared once more.
---
Name: Evan Kane
Level: 1
Experience: 25/100
Attributes:
Strength: 8
Agility: 8 (+1)
Endurance: 6
Intelligence: 9
Perception: 10
Skills:
Hand-to-Hand Combat: Basic (0%)
Improvised Weapons: Basic (10%)
Survival Instincts: Basic (5%)
---
The numbers were just as he'd seen before, but now they felt different—more tangible. Each skill and attribute represented a piece of him that could grow stronger. The Framework wasn't just a tool; it was a lifeline.
He swiped his hand, and another tab appeared: "Log".
---
Threat Neutralized: Infected Host
Skill Progression: +10% Improvised Weapons
Attribute Gain: +1 Agility
---
The log confirmed what he already suspected: the system rewarded action, but it wasn't clear how far it could go. Were there limits?
A soft chime interrupted his thoughts.
"New Objective: Investigate source of local anomalies. Reward: Unknown."
Evan frowned. "Source of anomalies?" he muttered under his breath.
"What did you say?" Sophia asked, glancing over at him.
"Nothing," he said quickly, dismissing the screen with a thought.
He wasn't ready to explain the Framework yet—not until he understood it better himself.
---
The next morning, the faint light of dawn revealed a city that looked eerily unchanged but felt profoundly different. The streets were empty, the hum of drones absent, as though the world were holding its breath.
Evan and Sophia decided to venture out together, leaving Maya behind to monitor the news and watch the house. Armed with the knife and the pipe, they moved cautiously through the streets, sticking to the shadows and keeping their steps light.
"What are we even looking for?" Sophia whispered, her grip on the pipe tight.
"Answers," Evan said. "Or anything that can help us survive."
As they turned a corner, they spotted something unusual: a faint trail of black liquid leading into an alley.
Sophia wrinkled her nose. "Is that… blood?"
"I don't think so," Evan said, crouching to examine it. The liquid was thick and viscous, with an unnatural sheen.
The trail led deeper into the alley, disappearing behind a rusted metal door that hung slightly ajar.
"You're not seriously thinking about going in there, are you?" Sophia asked, her voice tight.
Evan hesitated. Every instinct told him to turn back, but the Framework's earlier message echoed in his mind: "Investigate source of local anomalies."
"We need to know what's going on," he said finally, pushing the door open.
The air inside was stale and oppressive, carrying the faint scent of decay. The warehouse was large and cluttered, its rows of shelves filled with crates and broken machinery.
Sophia followed close behind, her footsteps careful but tense. "This place gives me the creeps," she muttered.
"Stay close," Evan said, scanning the area.
The trail of black liquid continued deeper into the warehouse, pooling near a cluster of broken crates. Evan approached cautiously, his grip tightening on the knife.
As he reached the crates, he saw it: a large shard of glowing black material embedded in the floor. The shard pulsed faintly, its surface etched with the same shifting patterns as the artifact from the institute.
Sophia gasped. "Is that…?"
"I don't know," Evan said, his voice low. He could feel the hum again, resonating in his chest. The shard was alive, in a way he couldn't explain.
Suddenly, the Framework activated.
"Anomaly detected. Analysis in progress."
Evan froze, the translucent screen appearing before him once more.
"Warning: Residual contamination present. Hostile activity likely."
As if on cue, a low growl echoed through the warehouse.
Sophia's eyes widened. "Evan, we need to leave. Now."
The growl grew louder, accompanied by the sound of shuffling footsteps. From the shadows emerged a creature that had once been human but was now something else entirely. Its limbs were elongated, its skin mottled with the same black veins as the infected man from before.
Evan's pulse quickened, the Framework chiming again.
"Threat detected. Recommended action: Engage or retreat."
Sophia raised the pipe, her hands trembling. "What's the plan, Evan?"
Evan's mind raced. They were trapped, with the door behind them too far to reach without exposing themselves.
The creature snarled, its hollow eyes locking onto them.
"Stay behind me," Evan said, raising the knife.
The creature lunged, its grotesque limbs bending unnaturally as it propelled itself forward. Evan barely had time to react, his instincts taking over as he sidestepped the attack. The knife in his hand felt heavier than before, but the Genesis Framework's voice echoed in his mind, cold and mechanical.
"Threat detected. Evasion: Successful. Survival Instincts: 10% → 15%."
The creature skidded to a stop, its claws scraping against the concrete floor, leaving deep gouges. Its head snapped toward Evan, hollow eyes gleaming with an otherworldly hunger.
"Stay close behind me!" Evan shouted to Sophia, who gripped the pipe so tightly her knuckles turned white.
"I wasn't planning on doing anything else!" she snapped, her voice trembling.
The creature lunged again, faster this time, its distorted form a blur. Evan raised the knife instinctively, and for a brief moment, time seemed to slow. The Genesis Framework chimed in his mind:
"Combat Reflexes unlocked. Progress: 1%."
His body moved before his mind could process the words. The knife slashed upward, grazing the creature's arm and sending a spray of dark, viscous liquid across the floor. The creature screeched, a guttural sound that reverberated through the warehouse.
Sophia swung the pipe, landing a blow on its side. The impact knocked the creature off balance, but it recovered quickly, turning its attention toward her.
"Watch out!" Evan yelled, rushing forward.
The creature lunged at Sophia, claws outstretched. She stumbled back, raising the pipe in defense, but Evan was faster. He tackled the creature mid-air, the force of the impact driving them both to the ground.
"Improvised Weapons: 10% → 15%. Attribute bonus: Strength +1."
Evan's knife found its mark, plunging into the creature's chest. The dark liquid gushed out, and the creature writhed beneath him, its movements growing weaker. Finally, with a shuddering gasp, it stilled.
Evan rolled off the creature, panting heavily. His hands trembled as he pulled the knife free, the blade slick with the creature's blood.
"Is it dead?" Sophia asked, her voice shaking.
"I think so," Evan replied, though his tone carried more hope than certainty.
The Framework chimed again:
"Threat neutralized. Experience gained: 50 XP."
The translucent screen appeared before him once more:
---
Name: Evan Kane
Level: 1
Experience: 75/100
Attributes:
Strength: 9 (+1)
Agility: 8
Endurance: 6
Intelligence: 9
Perception: 10
Skills:
Hand-to-Hand Combat: Basic (0%)
Improvised Weapons: Basic (15%)
Survival Instincts: Basic (15%)
Combat Reflexes: Basic (1%)
---
Evan dismissed the screen with a thought, his focus returning to the present.
The warehouse fell silent again, save for their ragged breathing. Sophia leaned against a stack of crates, clutching her side.
"Are you okay?" Evan asked, his voice hoarse.
She nodded, though her face was pale. "Yeah. Just... shaken."
Evan turned to the anomaly shard embedded in the floor. The faint pulsing of its surface seemed to have grown dimmer, as though it had reacted to the creature's death.
"What is that thing?" Sophia asked, following his gaze.
"I don't know," Evan admitted. He crouched beside the shard, his hand hovering over it. The hum he had felt earlier was still there, faint but steady.
"Don't touch it," Sophia warned.
"I wasn't planning to," he said, though the shard seemed to draw him in, its shifting patterns almost hypnotic.
The Framework chimed softly:
"Unknown material detected. Analysis incomplete. Further data required."
"Of course it's incomplete," Evan muttered under his breath.
"Do you think this has something to do with the infection?" Sophia asked, stepping closer but keeping her distance from the shard.
"It has to," Evan said. "The patterns, the way it pulses—it's the same as the artifact at the institute."
Sophia frowned. "You think there are more of these things out there?"
Evan stood, his grip tightening on the knife. "If there are, then we're in a lot more trouble than we thought."
A sudden rustling sound interrupted their conversation. Both of them froze, their eyes darting toward the shadows.
"Please tell me that's the wind," Sophia whispered.
Evan shook his head, his muscles tensing. The sound grew louder, closer, accompanied by faint, uneven footsteps.
"Whatever it is," Evan said, "we're not sticking around to find out."
They backed toward the door, keeping their eyes on the shadows. The sound of the footsteps grew more distinct, accompanied by low, guttural growls.
"Go!" Evan hissed, pushing Sophia toward the exit.
She didn't argue. She bolted through the door, Evan close behind. As they ran down the alley, he glanced back to see a pair of glowing eyes peering out from the warehouse's darkness.
When they returned to the house, Maya was waiting anxiously by the window. Her face lit up when she saw them, but her relief quickly turned to concern when she noticed their disheveled appearance.
"What happened?" she demanded as they stumbled inside.
"We found… something," Sophia said, collapsing onto the couch.
"Something bad," Evan added, locking the door behind them.
He quickly explained the shard and the creature, though he left out the details of the Genesis Framework. Maya listened intently, her expression a mix of fear and fascination.
"This is bigger than just an infection," she said when he finished. "If those shards are spreading, they could be the source of everything. And if that's true…"
"Then it's only going to get worse," Evan finished for her.
The house fell into an uneasy silence once more. Evan sat by the window, his knife resting on the table beside him. He couldn't shake the image of the shard or the creature's hollow eyes.
The Framework's earlier warning echoed in his mind: "Residual contamination present. Hostile activity likely."
Sophia sat across from him, her head resting in her hands. "What do we do now?"
"We stay alive," Evan said simply.
Maya joined them, her voice steady despite the fear in her eyes. "We need to find out more about those shards. If we don't…"
She didn't finish the sentence, but they all understood.
As the night deepened, Evan's thoughts grew darker. Whatever was happening, it was far bigger than he could have imagined. And it was only just beginning.
From outside, a faint, unearthly howl pierced the quiet, sending a shiver down his spine.
"We'll figure it out," he said, more to himself than anyone else.
But deep down, he wasn't so sure.