A sharp hiss filled the air as the cryogenic pod depressurized. Frost clung to the glass, melting away in sluggish droplets. Inside, a figure stirred. His breath was shallow, uneven, as if his body had forgotten how to function. Gabriel's fingers twitched first, then his chest heaved violently as his lungs rediscovered the taste of air.
The pod's hatch whirred and creaked as it lifted, exposing him to the stale, musky air of the ancient ship. His muscles were stiff, his joints barely cooperating as he forced himself upright. His head throbbed, memories flickering back like scattered puzzle pieces—chaos, the outbreak, the screaming. The virus.
He had locked himself away to escape it.
Gabriel stumbled forward, gripping the side of the pod for support. His bare feet touched the cold metal floor, sending a jolt through his body. He scanned the dimly lit chamber. Dust coated every surface, vines creeping through cracks in the metal walls, nature reclaiming the vessel. It was clear: this ship hadn't functioned in centuries.
His gaze flickered toward a shattered control panel, its screens black and useless. He swallowed, a sinking realization setting in—how much time had passed?
His shaky legs carried him forward. He pushed past the wreckage, finding what remained of the ship's exit. The door groaned as he forced it open, revealing blinding sunlight. Gabriel shielded his eyes, blinking rapidly as he stepped into the world that had once been his home.
But it was unrecognizable.
Ruins stretched as far as the eye could see, remnants of towering skyscrapers now reduced to skeletal husks, consumed by vegetation. The roads were gone, overtaken by forests and tangled vines. The sky, once filled with the hum of aircraft, was eerily silent, disturbed only by the distant cries of strange creatures.
Gabriel's heart pounded.
This… this isn't Earth anymore.
A rustling sound made him freeze.
From the shadows of a broken structure, a figure emerged. At first, Gabriel thought it was a man. But as the figure stepped into the light, he realized how wrong he was.
The creature had the posture of a human, but its body was covered in sleek, black fur, its eyes gleaming a predatory gold. Clawed fingers flexed as it sniffed the air. The moment its gaze locked onto Gabriel, something in its expression shifted—recognition. Not of an old friend, but of prey.
Gabriel didn't hesitate.
He turned and ran.
The Hunt Begins
The ground was uneven, treacherous. Gabriel's weakened muscles screamed in protest, but he forced himself forward. Behind him, he heard the creature move—fast. Too fast.
His breath came in ragged gasps as he darted through the ruins, dodging fallen beams and weaving between broken walls. He had no plan, no weapon, no idea where to go. The world had changed beyond his understanding, and he was utterly, hopelessly vulnerable.
Something whizzed past his ear—a blade, sharp as a fang, embedding itself into a wall beside him. Gabriel choked on a breath.
"He's unmarked," a voice called from behind. "But he's still human."
A second figure leapt onto a ledge above him, effortlessly scaling the crumbling structure. Unlike the first, this one had sleek scales along their arms, their reptilian eyes narrowing as they assessed him.
Gabriel stumbled, barely avoiding another strike.
"Don't kill him yet," the reptilian one murmured. "I've never seen a human without a mark. He's different."
Different? Gabriel didn't have time to process. He ducked under a collapsed archway, his lungs burning. He needed to lose them, but they were faster, stronger—monsters bred for the hunt.
Then he saw it—a narrow gap between the ruins. A desperate gamble. He threw himself into the opening, scraping his arms as he squeezed through. He emerged into a lower level, a collapsed underpass swallowed by vines and darkness.
He held his breath.
Silence.
Gabriel pressed himself against the stone, heart hammering. For a moment, he thought he had escaped.
Then a voice whispered from the shadows.
"You're not from here, are you?"
Gabriel spun around. A figure stood barely a few feet away, eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. Unlike the others, they weren't monstrous—at least, not entirely.
Their clothes were ragged but layered, made for survival. Their skin was pale, untouched by the marks that divided hunters and prey.
A survivor.
"You—you're human?" Gabriel's voice was hoarse, disbelieving.
The figure tilted their head. "Not exactly." They stepped closer, and Gabriel tensed. "But I know what you are."
His mind raced. He was in a world where humanity was extinct—where everyone had evolved into something else. And yet, this person… they were different. Like him.
"We need to move," the stranger whispered. "Before the hunters catch your scent again."
Gabriel hesitated. He didn't know who to trust. But what choice did he have?
With a final glance toward the ruins above, he followed the stranger into the darkness.
And so, his fight for survival in a world that had forgotten him began.