Chapter 5: Getting to Know Each Other
The fire crackled softly inside the hollowed-out convenience store they'd taken shelter in for the night. Outside, New York City was a shell of its former self—glass towers half collapsed, streets split and mangled, and the eerie cries of corrupted SCPs in the distance a constant reminder of the world's new nightmare.
Ethan stared into the fire, his eyes reflecting the flames as he took a slow bite of the canned beans they'd salvaged. Lira sat across from him, her silver hair catching the firelight like threads of moonlight, while her younger brother Nolan leaned quietly against her side, dozing lightly.
"So," Lira said, breaking the silence, "you said your name's Ethan. That's all we know."
Ethan gave a quiet chuckle. "Yeah, guess that's fair. Well... I used to be a junior researcher. Foundation sector C-7. I wasn't high up, but I saw enough. When everything fell apart... I barely escaped the ruins of the facility. I've been wandering for nearly two months. Hiding from SCPs. Watching cities fall."
Lira nodded, her gaze steady. "I was military. Medic division. Stationed near Colorado. When the outbreak hit, I managed to get Nolan out. We've been moving since."
Nolan stirred, opening one eye. "She saved my life. Twice."
Ethan gave a soft smile. "Sounds like you're lucky to have each other."
"What about the Foundation?" Lira asked. "You were inside. What happened?"
Ethan's eyes darkened. "They knew something was coming. Dream Man—his real designation was SCP-990—he warned them. But they ignored him. Worse. They tried to contain him. Said he was just another anomaly playing games."
"They paid the price for that," Lira muttered.
"They did. I was there when they experimented on the dormant vessel of SCP-001. The ritual. They didn't understand what they were waking up."
He fell silent. The others let the silence linger, until finally Ethan stood and stepped toward the crumbling window. The city stretched before them like a graveyard.
"There's something else," he said. "Last night... he came to me. In my dream."
Lira straightened. "990?"
Ethan nodded. "He told me what we need to do. Where we need to go."
To be continued...
> 🔹 Note from the author:
I'm still improving as a writer, and the story gets much better from Chapter 7 onward — deeper characters, more intense twists, and way darker vibes.
Thanks for giving it a shot 💙