The Wastelands—just hearing the name makes you think of barren deserts, empty of life. It couldn't be further from the truth. Life thrives out there. Overflows, even. The problem is, everything's mutated to the point where you're more likely to end up as lunch for some random Scourge than to last an hour outside.
"Hey, you!"
The old man's voice cut through my thoughts. His eyes locked on me, and yeah, he was definitely calling me over. I walked to him, already half dreading whatever task he had cooked up.
"Yeah, boss? What's up?"
Standing next to him was the nerdy-looking girl, all nerves and awkwardness. For a second, I figured this was about carrying her bag or something. Like hell I would. I'd chew off my own foot before doing charity work without a payoff.
"I've got a simple task for you," he started, tone dripping with sarcasm. Great. Classic setup for dumping something awful on me. "I hear you're pretty good at your job. Think you can handle it?"
"Well, that depends," I said, trying to mask my suspicion. "What's the job?"
He smirked, clearly enjoying this. "This young lady here is Elizabeth. From now until we're back inside the dome, your job is to keep her safe. Follow her. Protect her. At all costs."
And there it was.
"Why me?" I asked, folding my arms. "There are nine others to choose from. Why not them?"
"Because, boy, out of everyone, you've got the best reputation," he said. "Don't misunderstand me—I don't trust any of you wall-dwellers. But when it comes to my options, you're the least lousy."
I almost laughed. He wasn't wrong, but flattery wasn't going to manipulate me. Not that it needed to. The gig didn't sound hard. Babysitting one nervous girl? How bad could it be?
"Fine. Sure. Whatever," I said, glancing at Elizabeth.
"Good boy," the old man said, smacking my shoulder hard enough to feel like a full swing of a bat. With that, he wandered off, leaving me with her.
I sighed. "Alec Drey," I introduced myself. "Most people just call me Drey. Feel free to do the same."
She hesitated for a second before replying, "I'll call you Alec."
"Yeah, whatever." Internally, I was already annoyed. What was the point of bucking the trend? Everyone else calls me Drey, so why make it complicated? Not that I was going to argue with her. Yet.
"I like being unique," Elizabeth said, smiling like she'd cracked some kind of code. "If everyone calls you Drey, then it'll be special when I call you Alec. That way, if someone says Alec, you'll know it's me!"
Cute logic, I guess. Not that it made this situation any less annoying.
"Hmm...sure, use whatever you want," I said, barely paying attention.
"So, you probably couldn't tell, but uh…this is my first time outside the walls," she admitted nervously.
No shii, I thought. What do you mean, "couldn't tell"? God, I wish I could just say that out loud.
"So...I'm a little nervous," she continued. "I've only ever heard about the wastelands from what the council says. Is there anything else I should know?" She tilted her head, her curious eyes gleaming with the energy of a professional nerd.
"Yeah. First off, don't trust a word those goofs in the council say—it's all lies." I paused for effect, then smirked. "Let me guess. They said something like, 'Oh, it's been years since the outbreak. We've killed so many scourges by now, there's hardly anything to worry about,' right?"
"Well, yeah...but isn't that true?"
"It is. Except for the parts they conveniently leave out. Sure, it's been 200 years since the outbreak. And yeah, we've probably killed millions of scourges. But here's the catch: anything still alive out there after all that time? Those are absolute monstrosities. One of them is worse than a thousand of the old ones. They've evolved. They're no longer just mindless beasts following instinct. Well, except zombies, I guess. They're cunning in their own way.
"And they're not just stagnant, sitting around waiting for us. Like humans, they reproduce. And every generation is worse than the last. Stronger, more terrifying." I let the silence linger for a second before finishing. "It's not like we'll run into them all the time...but when we do..."
She gulped. "We're doomed," she finished dramatically.
"HEY! WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?!" a shout cut through the tension, making both of us flinch. It was one of the Riftblades ahead of us—a wiry guy stomping back in our direction, furious.
"I…I…uh…" Elizabeth stammered, startled by his outburst.
The guy's glare shifted to me. "You gonna handle your newbie or what? She's your responsibility, right?"
I sighed, rubbing my helmet. "Relax. It's her first time out here. She doesn't know any better."
"No shii, Sherlock!" He stepped closer, puffing out his chest despite being a full foot shorter than me. "Shouldn't you be educating her, then?"
I rolled my eyes behind my visor. The guy was trying to look intimidating, but at 5'3" with a scrawny build, it wasn't working. Not on me. At 6'2", with the bulk I'd built over years of grueling work and expensive nutrition, I could probably crush him like a twig.
I stared him down in silence.
"What? Got nothing to say?" he scoffed, but I could hear it in his voice—that slight quiver. Fear. It was intoxicating.
With deliberate calm, I tilted my head. "I'll make sure it doesn't happen again…uh…what was your name again?"
He faltered, then extended a hand. "Uh…Sylus. Grade 3 Riftblade."
I shook his hand, gripping just tight enough to assert control. "Drey. Grade 2." I let the rank sink in. He paled slightly, the shift in his tone immediate.
"Ah...uh, sorry, sir Drey. I didn't mean to lose my temper earlier. I truly apologize," he stammered, glancing at Elizabeth as if she were the root of all evil.
I nodded, my voice firm but even. "It's fine. Just keep your cool next time."
Sylus backed off quickly, leaving me to explain the situation to Elizabeth, who was still watching with wide, confused eyes.
The group trudged forward, their boots sinking into the damp soil with a muted squelch. The wasteland stretched endlessly ahead, a surreal mix of decaying ruins and creeping nature reclaiming its domain. The morning sun poured its golden light over the scenery, casting an almost dreamlike glow over the desolation, transforming the decay into fleeting beauty.
Alec moved in silence, his eyes scanning the crumbled horizon for danger. A few paces ahead, the systemsmith Ortega was absorbed in his work, muttering under his breath as he tightened the straps of his bulky rucksack. His grizzled face was set in a look of intense concentration, his calloused hands fiddling with a peculiar device that looked half-finished. Its small antenna twitched sporadically, as if alive. Alec didn't know what it was for—knowing Ortega, it probably had an equal chance of saving their lives or exploding at the most inopportune moment.
Further along, the team's two scientists—Dr. Collins and Dr. Drew—were locked in their usual quiet argument. Collins, the stout older man, gestured animatedly at a glowing map on his data tablet, his voice raised slightly with exasperation. Drew, with his neat glasses and impatient demeanor, sighed loudly, half ignoring him as he scrutinized the screen with his sharp gaze. Their bickering rarely ceased, yet it seemed to propel their work forward rather than hinder it.
At the head of the group was the captain, a veritable mountain of a man in his hulking ironclad armor. Every step he took shook the earth slightly, the sound reverberating with an authority that seemed fitting for someone of his stature. Alec couldn't help but marvel at how effortlessly the captain moved, the cumbersome suit appearing almost weightless on him. He pressed forward with the calm, unyielding presence of a leader who had faced countless perils and refused to falter.
Elizabeth, meanwhile, had slowed her pace, falling behind the group. Alec glanced back, his brow furrowing as he saw her staring wide-eyed at the world around them.
"Wow…" she breathed, barely audible.
Alec followed her gaze, and for a moment, even he could appreciate what she saw. The towering skeletons of ruined skyscrapers stood like ancient sentinels, their once-pristine facades shattered by time. Thick tree roots coiled up their fractured walls, splitting through glass and concrete. Vibrant moss blanketed every surface, while delicate flowers emerged defiantly from the smallest cracks. Puddles left by the previous night's rain reflected the glowing sky, and beads of moisture still clung to the foliage, sparkling in the gentle sunlight. It was a rare sight of beauty amidst the chaos, enough to almost make one forget the danger lurking in every shadow.
Almost.
"Enjoy it while you can," Alec muttered, his voice cutting into her reverie. "It's never this quiet for long."
As if summoned by his words, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble. A deep groaning sound echoed from somewhere ahead—the unmistakable warning of shifting metal. Alec stiffened, his instincts screaming at him. His hand flew to his weapon.
The tremors grew into a deafening BOOM! A colossal crash tore through the silence as a nearby building erupted into chaos, its side caving inward. Bricks, steel, and glass blasted outward in a storm of destruction. A towering dust cloud engulfed the group, choking their vision and stinging their lungs.
Alec staggered, coughing against the swirling debris. Through the haze, a hulking silhouette began to take form, its monstrous bulk rising with deliberate menace. Each step it took sent vibrations through the ground, accompanied by a guttural growl that curdled the air itself.
"Form up!" the captain's commanding voice roared, a thunderclap over the chaos. He swung the massive axe and hammer from his back, their handles vibrating as they powered up. Blue-white Aeon energy hummed along the weapons' edges, their glow an almost holy contrast to the horrors they faced.
Ortega scrambled to his feet, clutching his volatile gadget like a lifeline. Collins and Drew huddled behind a chunk of fallen steel, their earlier argument forgotten in favor of sheer panic. Elizabeth stood frozen, her face pale, her eyes wide and glassy.
The beast finally emerged from the veil of dust. It was a grotesque titan, its distorted flesh and jagged appendages gleaming with an almost organic wetness. Glowing veins pulsed along its frame like fissures of corrupted energy. It hesitated for only a moment before letting out an ear-splitting snarl, launching itself into the center of the group with terrifying speed. Rubble and shards of concrete erupted as its massive limbs struck the ground.
Alec cursed, his great sword snapping to life in a blaze of energy as he pulled the massive sword of his back . "This day just keeps getting better," he muttered. As he glanced at Elizabeth's horrified expression, a bitter realization struck him. Maybe they were right; maybe she really had jinxed them.
He tightened his grip on the hilt and smirked grimly. "Well, Elizabeth, welcome to the wastelands."