After the recent wave of chaos caused by the outbreak, Tomoya was crawling—slowly, painfully—desperate to find a place where he could feel safe, shielded, anything that resembled protection. A longing for comfort and warmth gnawed at his soul, a basic human need he still clung to despite the overwhelming belief that he was utterly worthless. His limbs trembled as he dragged himself over shattered glass, sharp shards slicing into his skin. His left eye bled uncontrollably, staining his vision red.
"Fuck!"
"Someone… help me…"
"Please…"
"ANYBODY…"
"I JUST WANT TO BE LOVED…"
His breathing was ragged, broken by pleads for help.
"I'm really going to die now, huh?" he muttered under his breath, the realization sinking deep into his core.
"This was all… my fault."
And just like that, his body gave in. Unconsciousness swallowed him whole.
Unbeknownst to him, his collapsed body had landed right at the edge of a makeshift community—an improvised society Akira had build up amidst the ruins of the old world. Akira, who had been walking by, suddenly felt something unusual beneath his feet. He stepped back slightly and looked down, eyes narrowing in confusion.
"A person?" he muttered.
Crouching, he examined the unconscious stranger. The man's face was soaked in blood, but oddly, there were no visible external wounds. His skin was intact. But what stood out the most was his left eye—completely red and black, thick blood that seemed to be the primary source of the mess.
"What the hell…?"
Despite his usual detachment, Akira made a decision. He lifted the stranger Tomoya and carried him into one of the empty rooms within the compound. He gently laid him on a bed, placing some food and water nearby in case he woke up. He wasn't sure why he was helping, but some small part of him refused to leave the man out there to die.
With that, Akira left the room and headed toward the small office he had claimed for himself. It served as his lab and command center, where he spent hours analyzing the biology of the abominations that now plagued the world. But as he turned a corner, he stopped cold.
"Brother… is that really you?" a soft, disbelieving voice called out.
Standing before him was Shoko Ishigami—his younger sister. Despite everything, she had somehow found him.
Akira's eyes widened ever so slightly as he noticed the gash on her arm.
"Are you okay?" he asked, genuine worry slipping into his voice which is unusual these days. He knew what a small cut could lead to. People were turning. Morphing into atrocities.
This wasn't some clichéd zombie apocalypse. No. Something much darker was unraveling. Something twisted and ancient.
Shoko chuckled faintly, brushing off his concern. "I'm alright. It's just a scratch."
Akira studied her expression, still maintaining his signature stoicism. "I should be more worried," he said, voice flat, "but this… this doesn't feel like a normal apocalypse."
He took a deep breath, as if grounding himself before continuing.
"These people—these things—they have attributes. Tentacles. Blade-like limbs. Mutations I can't even begin to explain."
Shoko nodded solemnly. "Yeah… One of them chased me. With a chainsaw."
A memory flickered in her mind.
Flashback.
Shoko sat in her room, gently strumming her guitar. It was the only comfort she had left after dropping out of high school the year before. Music was her anchor. Her distraction.
Then, the door creaked open.
She froze.
Her heart pounded against her chest as a humanoid figure stepped inside—tall, twitchy, wrong. Panic crept into her chest like ice.
What is that thing?
It moved closer, groaning in a voice so distorted it sounded inhuman.
"I want… flesh…"
Its eyes burning like flames from hell itself locked onto her. Pure rage with a mix of glutton.
She couldn't move a single fiber.
Finally, her survival instinct kicked in. Ducking low, she sprinted toward the exit, but not before a tentacle whipped out and lashed across her leg. Pain exploded through her, so sharp and fast it felt like her leg had been severed. She collapsed.
But she didn't stop.
Through gritted teeth and trembling limbs, she forced herself up and limped out the door, leaning against the wall for support. Her breathing was ragged.
"I'm so tired…" she gasped, her thoughts shifting to Akira.
She needed to find him. She just had to.
These things weren't zombies. They were worse.
She stumbled down the stairs, each step a thunderclap. But she didn't care. She ran, fueled by desperation and fear, until—miraculously—she found her brother. Maybe it was all worth it. It had been a while since they both had a connection. Maybe just maybe, This is the time to connect even if the world was grim and falling apart.
Back to the present.
"You should rest, Shoko. I'll study these creatures," Akira said, tone as indifferent as ever.
Shoko frowned. His apathy grated at her nerves.
"Akira! You're just going to study them!? What if they attack? What if I get hurt again? Are you just going to leave me!?" she cried, her voice cracking with emotion. Her eyes burned—not with tears, but with fury.
Akira turned, his tone sharpening.
"So I'm the villain because I choose to focus on my priorities rather than your assumptions? That's your problem, Shoko—you care too much about things that only hurt you."
Shoko cut him off before he could continue. "You don't understand anything, Akira!"
His voice rose in return. "Then I'm just a pawn to you. Fine. But remember this—I'm always in control."
She stared at him in disbelief. Was this really her brother?
And just as the tension peaked, another presence silently slipped into the room.
An enigma in the form of a superhuman girl.
She didn't care about their sibling drama. Her eyes were cold, calculated. She had her own mission.
Steal what she needed. Survive at all costs.
A group from the makeshift society saw the girl commit the act. They were furious—how could she just barge in and take their hard-earned supplies without being a member of the community? The building manager, known for his corruption, yelled out, "Someone stop her!" But no one moved. The risk was too great.
Frustrated, the manager finally took matters into his own hands and stepped forward to confront her. The girl, unfazed, was about to swing her weapon toward him with a chilling calmness.
But before the situation could escalate, Akira stepped in and halted the conflict. "Stop, sir. Let's just ask her calmly why she's doing this," he said, his voice steady and composed.
As Akira met Ryo's gaze, he noticed something—just a flicker of emotion in her eyes. It was subtle, but Akira had a sharp eye for the unusual.
The girl let out a quiet sigh. "What do you people even do here?" she asked, her tone flat but curious.
The building manager was about to snap at her, but Akira quickly intervened. "We accept anyone willing to help. As long as you can carry out the tasks given, you're welcome here," he explained. "You should consider joining us. Your room is probably overrun with those creatures by now. Even with your strength, it won't be safe out there. We'll try our best to help you. Just put your trust in me. And if you ever have a problem... come talk to me."
She looked at him for a moment, the slightest hint of a smile appearing on her face. "Where do I stay?" she asked quietly.
Akira pointed toward a nearby vacant room. "Right there. But I have one more question."
The girl stopped in her tracks towards the room, "What question?" She said in a cold and expressionless voice.
Akira looks at her with a serious Attitude, "What is your name?" He said with a determined look to discover her identity.
The girl replied in the same voice, "Ryo Takanashi."
By dawn, Shoko was busy tidying up the daycare on the bottom floor of the apartment complex. As she cleaned, she came across an old television and attempted to turn it on." Looks like the electricity's still out," she muttered to herself.
In the far corner of the room, she noticed a boy asleep—his face bruised and streaked with blood. Time felt like it was speeding past her.
Suddenly, it was already night.
Shoko gave the boy one last glance before stepping outside, her thoughts still racing.
But then saw the boy's eye open up. It was black with red pupils.
Is he human at all?