With Ravenloch not too far away—or that's what it seemed to a person running faster than a car, she was going to reach it soon.
Ariel suddenly stopped in her tracks. A distant scream echoed from the left, not too far away—maybe just a few blocks down. The wind carried the desperate cry through the cracked streets, and her sharp ears picked it up instantly.
She glanced in the direction of the sound. The area ahead looked like what used to be a small shopping district, but now it was broken and silent—rows of shattered glass storefronts, rusting metal signs swinging in the breeze, and the faint smell of smoke lingering in the air. Overturned cars sat abandoned in the middle of the road, and the only thing that moved were a few loose flyers fluttering across the pavement.
Ariel narrowed her eyes. The scream had come from somewhere just beyond the collapsed café. It wasn't far. She knew she didn't have much time, but her instincts told her to check it out.
Back then, when the chaos first began, Jasmine-the English teacher, had managed to rescue a little over thirty students. She had no choice but to leave Zane behind. There were still a few school buses left behind that day, but she had no way of knowing whether the other teachers or students had made it out alive. She avoided the most chaotic routes as she drove, trying her best to keep the children safe.
As soon as the apocalypse started, the world leaders acted fast—too fast. They picked certain locations as strongholds and rushed their armies there, placing heavy weapons and elite soldiers to guard each one. These places were named Zones—fortified shelters scattered across the globe. Some were schools, some hospitals, others shopping malls or office buildings. The goal was to save as many people as possible... but there was a catch.
Because the decision had been so rushed, space was limited. People were evacuated based on social rank, government connections, or value to society. The rich and powerful were at the top of the list. Everyone else had to wait—or be left behind.
That's why people from Ravenloch, a neighborhood already struggling with poverty, had no chance. No one came for them. No one cared. They were forced to fend for themselves while the world burned around them.
Jasmine's bus had made it about halfway through the outskirts when disaster struck again. A single Gemini—a low-ranked one—had ambushed them as they turned sharply down a narrow road. The thing moved like a shadow, fast and hungry. Out of the thirty-four students she'd saved, only twelve survived the attack. Some were badly wounded. The rest... torn apart.
And all of that happened because they had nothing. No weapons. No powers. No way to defend themselves.
It should've been the end.
Just when all hope seemed lost, the sky shimmered with glowing text. A system message blinked in front of their eyes, informing them that the errors had been fixed. And right then, one by one, they began to awaken, though only six awakened.
It was as if fate had changed its mind—just in time.
They had managed to kill the first Gemini after six of them awakened—but that was just the beginning.
More came.
And then more.
With no place to rest, no time to breathe, and barely any food or water, they'd been running and fighting nonstop for what felt like forever. Their bodies were bruised, their clothes torn, their spirits hanging by a thread. They were exhausted, hungry, and completely out of options. This time... it really felt like the end.
Ariel sprinted toward the scream. Her heart raced as fast as her feet hit the cracked pavement. She was moving like a blur through the ruined city, past broken buildings, burned cars, and shattered signs. Dust filled the air. The sky above was dark and cloudy, casting shadows over the streets. Everything smelled like smoke and ash.
She was in a hurry, but her mind wouldn't let her ignore someone crying out for help.
Then suddenly, in front of her, a notification blinked into view with a sharp chime.
[SYSTEM NOTICE – GLOBAL BROADCAST]
Congratulations, all players. You've made it halfway through the tutorial.
TUTORIAL PHASE – TIME REMAINING: 1 Day, 11 Hours, 58 Minutes, 12 Seconds
OBJECTIVE: Survive. Adapt. Evolve.
Current Planetary Evaluation: RANK D (Low Risk)
Global Clearance Rate: 39.8%
Awakened Individuals Detected:
(Classified)
Highest Known Combatant: Primodial Rank
World Guardians: [2]
Hero Candidates: [3]
Potential for Apex Evolution: < 0.1%
Hope Index: 47.2%
Ariel stared at the floating message for a moment before gritting her teeth and pushing forward.
*****
"Fucking bastards... What does it matter if we're halfway through? At this rate, we won't live to see the end!." Mario muttered, blood dripped down his arm, but he kept his holographic blue shield raised high.
He stood like a wall in front of the others, his awakened ability focused on defense. His skin glowed faintly, hardened like armor, as he blocked strike after strike from the low-ranking Geminis closing in from the shadows.
Around him were seven others—eight if you counted Jasmine. But only six were standing. One of the awakeners lay groaning on the ground, blood seeping from a wound in his leg. Mario was doing his best to hold the line, but it wasn't enough.
Jasmine stood beside a younger girl, one of the only ones who hadn't awakened yet. Her hands trembled as she clutched a crowbar. She'd done her best to stay brave, but the fear in her eyes was impossible to hide.
Celine, the quiet girl with soft eyes and steady hands, knelt beside the wounded awakener, her breathing calm despite the chaos around her. She was the same girl who had once told Jasmine about Zane being left behind in the classroom—a moment that still haunted her.
Now, her palms glowed with a gentle light as she pressed them firmly against the injured boy's leg. Warm waves of healing energy spread through his wounds, slowing the bleeding and dulling the pain. Her forehead was damp with sweat, strands of hair clinging to her skin, but she didn't stop or hesitate. Every second counted.
Her power wasn't the kind that could tear through monsters or light up the sky—but on a battlefield like this, it was everything. Healing... buffs... support—she was the backbone of their survival. Without her, more than half of them would've already died.
Behind Mario, the remaining awakeners were launching attacks from a distance.
"From mountain's womb and canyon's cry,
Let sharp shards rain down from the sky.
With crushing force, let screams remain
Terra Domain: Stonefall Rain!"
Leon, one of the students who had awakened as a Beta-ranked mage and served under Mario's leadership, muttered the chant with a shaky breath. His eyes glowed faintly, and the ground beneath him trembled.
A moment later, the sky above darkened as jagged stone spikes materialized and rained down like deadly spears. The rocks pierced through several of the approaching Geminis with a terrifying crunch. A few collapsed immediately, torn apart by the sheer force of the attack.
But the victory was short-lived.
Almost as soon as they fell, the monstrous creatures began to twitch. Their bodies, freakishly flexible and tough, began to knit themselves back together, though a few of them remained dead. It was clear that as long as the attacks weren't fatal, they'd keep regenerating.
Leon's shoulders slumped. "That was my last spell," he muttered, his voice barely a whisper. He wiped blood from his lip, a side effect of pushing himself too hard. "You could at least pretend to be scared," he muttered, flashing a tired, frustrated grin at the regenerating enemies.
Up ahead, Mario stood like a battered wall in the middle of the narrow passage that served as their only exit. He was the last thing standing between the team and the swarm of Geminis, his arms bruised and trembling from the constant blows he deflected.
Then, a second voice rang out with another chant:
"With flames that stretch from earth to sky,
Let burning pillars soar up high.
A line of fire that none can escape—
Inferno Domain: Blazing Cage!"
The voice belonged to Darren, another Beta awakened mage and once one of the bullies who used to torment Zane. His voice was firm now, though his hands trembled as bright flames circled around him.
Suddenly, several columns of fire erupted from the ground in the heart of the enemy horde. The heat was intense—so hot that the very air around them shimmered. The inferno blazed with violent beauty, trapping a group of the creatures inside a searing cage of fire.
Some Geminis shrieked, flailing as their bodies charred, more of them died, but just as many kept coming.
"Damn it! What the hell are you bastards doing?!" Mario roared, struggling to keep his shield up against the relentless tide of monsters. His feet slid slightly from the force of another blow. "Attack, plan, scream—I don't care! Just do something! I can't hold this line forever!"
His voice was full of raw desperation. Sweat poured down his face, mixing with dust and grime, but his eyes burned with fury. He knew—if he fell now, he'd be the first to die. And once he went down, the others wouldn't last long.
Behind him, the group stood frozen for a second, caught between fear and fatigue. They had already been fighting for too long, their energy draining faster than they could recover.
"What do we do now, Miss Jasmine?" Leon asked, glancing in the direction of the slumped woman.