Iris watched as Bob and Gabe devoured plate after plate like starved wolves at an all-you-can-eat buffet. It wasn't just eating—it was an all-out war against hunger.
Well, to be fair… since the meteor fell, Bob had been forced to survive on scraps, instant noodles, and whatever he could steal off Gabe's plate. This was probably the first real meal he'd had in forever.
She leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, half-listening to the idle chatter between them. Mostly, it was Bob asking for seconds. And thirds. And "whatever you got left in the kitchen."
But Iris wasn't really paying attention to the food.
It was their faces.
These two... She'd recognized them the moment they stepped into the Safe Zone. Not during the fight—that was all chaos and survival. But sitting here, in the warm lights of the district, their faces finally clean of the fog and grime... yeah. She knew them.
Same school. Same hallways. Years ago now.
She had seen them before—Bob and Gabe, always bickering over something stupid, laughing like they had nothing to worry about. Always happy, always chill, like the world couldn't touch them. While she was balancing grades, social status, and career prospects, they were goofing off, skipping class, or arguing over which snack from the vending machine was superior. It was infuriating back then. Maybe a little enviable now.
Back then, Iris was the campus bell. Every guy knew her name, every girl wanted to be her friend. Not that she came from money or power, but people loved to orbit her. Smiles. Favors. People eager to impress her, to get her attention. Sponsors came knocking before she even graduated. Commercials, magazine spreads, small TV roles.
It all felt like a dream at the time. Like she was floating above everyone else.
And then it crashed.
Hard.
Her family got tangled in the wrong circles. Quiet deals. Dirty money. Corrupt officials. Suddenly, those same sponsors who once begged for her time were cutting ties overnight. Every contract dropped. Every ad pulled.
She thought someone would reach out. A friend. A connection. Anyone.
But instead, the only hand she grabbed onto was the one that shoved her deeper into the pit.
A man she thought was helping her—he'd seemed so kind, so supportive—drugged her drink one night. She barely escaped, running barefoot into the street. But when she tried to expose him?
He crushed her.
Spun the story so fast that even she almost believed it.
"Iris, the actress turned drug dealer."
That's what the headlines said.
And just like that, she lost everything.
Her parents fled back to the countryside to hide from the shame. Iris traded red carpets for a desk job in an office where no one dared to meet her eyes. She kept her head down. Ate cheap lunches alone. Pretended none of it ever happened.
Until the sky fell.
When the meteor came and the Pink Fog swallowed the world, Iris didn't hesitate like the others. For most people, it was the end. But for her?
It felt like an opportunity.
A chance to rewrite everything.
The day the meteor fragments rained down, Iris was stuck at her cramped office job, tapping through spreadsheets no one cared about in a building no one would remember. The same boring routine, the same whispers behind her back, the same pitiful looks people thought she didn't notice.
She'd been looking out the window when it happened. Bright streaks tearing through the sky like someone ripping the world in half.
Everyone around her panicked. People screamed. Her manager bolted for the stairs. Co-workers grabbed their bags and fled for the exits.
"Iris, come on! We have to go!" someone had shouted, tugging her arm.
But she'd already made her decision.
"No," she said, shaking them off. "I'm staying."
Because while everyone else ran, Iris stood by the window and watched.
When the fog rolled in the next morning, turning the streets below into a sea of pink mist, Iris didn't waste time. While others hid, barricaded doors, and prayed someone else would fix things, she walked outside.
No second thoughts.
No fear.
She hadn't heard from her family since Day One. The phones went dead. Messages never delivered. For all she knew, they were gone. But she couldn't afford to look back anymore.
Not when the world was giving her this.
A new stage.
A new role.
She was one of the first to step into the fog.
And one of the first to transform.
Where others screamed, lost themselves, or turned into mindless beasts, Iris became something more. A Valkyrie—wings of silver, armor like moonlight, a spear pulled straight from the fog itself.
And when the chaos settled, the people who survived started looking to her.
For protection.
For strength.
For hope.
And this time, Iris wasn't going to let anyone take that away from her.
But now, watching Bob from across the table as he inhaled his fourth helping, something strange stirred inside her.
Admiration.
No... more than that.
She'd fought monsters. She'd pushed herself to the brink. But this man—the way he tore through those wolves without hesitation, like the fog itself didn't exist—he made the impossible look simple.
Effortless.
And Gabe too. She remembered him now. Always hanging around Bob like a little shadow. Smarter than he looked, clearly. But Bob... there was something different. Something bigger.
Iris tapped her fingers on the table, eyes narrowing slightly as Bob shoved another dumpling into his mouth like it was the highlight of his day.
Strength. That's what she admired. Real strength.
The kind that doesn't waver, even when the sky is falling.
And sitting here, watching him eat like the end of the world was just an excuse for an extra meal, Iris felt something solidify inside her.
A decision she hadn't realized she was already making.
Because if the strong survived this new world...
Then she wasn't going to just survive.
She was going to be stronger.
Stronger than the wolves.
Stronger than the fog.
Strong enough that no one could ever take anything from her again.
And maybe... just maybe... sticking close to these two wasn't such a bad start.
The meal had settled in, and for the first time since the world went sideways, things felt… still.
Iris leaned forward on the table, resting her chin on her hand as she watched the two of them. Bob leaned back, hands on his stomach, satisfied. Gabe wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, looking equally as stuffed.
"So," Iris started, breaking the quiet. "What exactly are you two planning to do now?"
Bob blinked. "Do?"
"Yeah. You know... plans. Goals. Future."
Bob scratched the back of his head like the question itself was a puzzle. "Check on Grandpa sometimes. Find food when I'm hungry."
Gabe leaned his elbow on the table, adding, "Yeah, his grandpa's stuck in the hospital for now. They're still running tests. Might need to stay a while."
Bob nodded. "Yeah. Doctor said they wanna be sure he's okay. So... I check on him. Then eat."
Gabe sighed. "And repeat forever, apparently."
Iris blinked at them, like she was waiting for the actual plan. But nope. That was it.
Iris nearly choked. "That's it? Seriously? That's your grand plan for surviving the end of the world?"
Bob shrugged. "What else is there?"
Gabe leaned back in his chair. "Hey, surviving is surviving."
Iris sat back, almost laughing. Almost. But as she glanced between the two of them, something deeper settled in her chest.
This isn't it. It can't be.
If these two were really as strong as they'd shown today, if they were the rare gold the fog couldn't melt, they shouldn't just be wasting away between noodle runs.
Gold had to be tested by fire.
And there was so much fire left in this world.
To Iris, they weren't just two guys who happened to walk through the fog. They were an opportunity. Maybe the last one she'd ever get.
She tapped her fingers on the table, thinking fast.
"Alright... what if I gave you something better to do?" she asked, her voice smooth but purposeful.
Bob glanced over. "Like what?"
"My parents," Iris said. "Haven't heard from them since the meteor. They're probably stuck in another district, maybe further. I've been wanting to go check on them, but... it's dangerous. It'll take passing through multiple Pink Fog zones, fighting through who knows what. Not something I can do alone."
She saw Gabe's eyes narrow, already suspicious.
But Iris smiled. "Here's the deal. You two help me. Travel with me, fight with me, help me get to my family. In return, the district takes care of your grandpa. Full support. He won't need a thing. I'll personally make sure of it. And I'll handle food for us on the road. Supplies, meals, you name it."
Bob sat up straighter at the word food.
"You can cook?"
Iris smirked. "Yeah. Grew up in the kitchen before any of that acting stuff. You like stew? I make a killer one."
Bob nodded. "Alright. I'm in."
Gabe nearly fell out of his chair. "Wait, that's it? That's the whole negotiation? Food and you're sold?"
Bob shrugged. "If we're going far... someone's gotta cook."
He glanced at Gabe. "You can't."
Gabe pointed at himself. "Excuse me?!"
Bob tilted his head. "When's the last time you made anything that wasn't an online order?"
"...That's fair."
And just like that, without any of the deep thought Iris had expected, the strongest man she'd ever met was on board.
She blinked at him. "That's... really all you needed?"
Bob stood, stretching his arms. "Yeah. Sounds good. Let's save your parents. And eat."
Gabe groaned. "Man, we're really doing this, huh?"
Iris couldn't help the smile creeping onto her face.
She'd thought the world had taken everything from her.
Maybe this was her chance to finally take something back.
And just like that, the three of them—an ex-celebrity, a living tank, and a feathered nerd—began a journey that would take them farther than any of them expected.
And in Iris' mind, one thought echoed loudest:
I won't lose what I build this time. Not again.