The sky was on fire.
Zero stared out of the shattered window of the small apartment, his hands trembling as he tried to make sense of the chaos unfolding around him. The once-familiar cityscape was now unrecognizable, bathed in an eerie red glow from the rift that had torn open the heavens. Creatures—monsters straight out of a nightmare—descended upon the streets below, their guttural roars blending with the distant screams of terrified people.
"What the hell is happening?" Zero muttered, his voice shaking.
One moment, he had been walking home, tired from a long day at work. The next, he was here, in a world that wasn't his. The apartment was unfamiliar, the world outside alien, and his mind was spinning. But before he could even begin to process it all, a glowing panel appeared before his eyes.
[System Notification]
Welcome, User.
Initialization Complete.
"What…?" Zero whispered, his eyes scanning the strange floating text.
[Emergency Mission: Survive Until Help Arrives]
Duration: ???
Objective: Survive.
Reward: Survival Talent +10, Hidden Skill Unlock.
The words felt cold and mechanical, like a distant voice speaking directly into his mind. His heart raced as another notification appeared.
[Warning: Threat Level Increasing. Danger Approaching.]
As if on cue, the distant sound of crashing metal echoed from the building's lower floors, followed by a low, guttural growl. Zero's blood ran cold.
He backed away from the window, his breaths shallow. He had no weapons, no powers, and no idea what was going on. The only thing he knew for certain was that he was out of his depth.
And then he thought of her.
"Kara," he whispered, her name grounding him like a lifeline.
She was his everything—his girlfriend, his hope, his reason to keep going even when life felt like a grind. But here? In this nightmare of a world? He didn't even know if she was alive.
The system chimed again.
[Reminder: Mission Objective—Survive Until Help Arrives.]
"Help?" Zero muttered bitterly, his voice shaking. "What help? What am I even supposed to do?"
Another crash from below made him snap his head toward the door. The sound was closer now, and so was the growling. Panic surged through him as he grabbed the nearest object—a broken chair leg—and held it in front of him like a weapon.
"I don't want to die here," he muttered, sweat dripping down his face.
He didn't know how long he stood there, heart pounding in his chest as the sounds of destruction grew closer and closer. Every fiber of his being was screaming at him to run, but there was nowhere to go.
And then, as the door began to splinter under the weight of something massive, he heard it—a voice, clear and strong, cutting through the chaos.
"Zero!"
His heart leapt. He knew that voice.
"Kara?" he shouted, hope surging through him like a tidal wave.
The door exploded inward, and for a brief moment, all Zero could see was the hulking form of a monstrous creature—a twisted amalgamation of flesh and claws. It roared, the sound deafening in the small space.
But before it could take a step forward, a blur of silver and black tore through the air. Kara's blade struck the monster with unerring precision, severing its head in a single stroke.
The creature collapsed, its body disintegrating into ash.
Kara stood in the doorway, her armor bloodied and scratched, her chest heaving as she caught her breath. Her eyes met Zero's, and for a moment, the chaos around them seemed to fade.
"Kara," he whispered, relief washing over him like a flood.
She didn't say anything at first, just strode forward and grabbed his arm. "You're coming with me. It's not safe here."
"But—"
"No arguments," she snapped, her tone leaving no room for debate. Her usual calm demeanor was gone, replaced by a fierce determination. "I'm not losing you."
As she led him out of the apartment, Zero glanced back at the system panel still floating in the corner of his vision.
[Mission Complete: Survival Talent +10, Hidden Skill Unlock.]
He didn't know what was happening, didn't know why this was happening. But one thing was clear.
If Kara was willing to risk her life for him, then he couldn't afford to be weak anymore.