Night arrived too quickly.
The crimson light from the broken sky never truly faded. Instead, darkness swallowed the city while the scar stretching across the heavens continued to glow like a wound that refused to heal.
No stars.
No moon.
Only crimson.
The supermarket was lit by camping lanterns and a handful of flashlights.
The silence felt wrong.
Outside, not a single monster could be seen.
That frightened Liam more than the fighting.
Marcus gathered everyone near the checkout counters.
"We'll keep watch in shifts."
He pointed at the barricaded entrances.
"No one opens those doors."
"No matter what you hear."
An older woman frowned.
"What if someone needs help?"
Marcus hesitated.
Then he answered quietly.
"If they're outside after dark..."
"...they're already dead."
No one argued.
Liam sat against a concrete pillar, cleaning the blood from the fire axe.
His arms felt like lead.
Every muscle ached.
Across from him, Emma handed out bottled water to the children.
She smiled at them despite looking exhausted.
Ben had finally fallen asleep, clutching his backpack like a lifeline.
Noah, however, was watching Liam.
"You've been quiet."
Liam looked up.
"I've been thinking."
"About the silver-haired man?"
Liam nodded.
"So you believe me?"
Noah didn't answer immediately.
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Finally, he shrugged.
"After today..."
"I don't think 'impossible' means much anymore."
Liam smiled weakly.
"You know..."
"If someone told me yesterday that monsters would invade Earth..."
"I would've laughed."
Noah chuckled.
"And if they said the monsters would speak?"
"I'd tell them to stop watching movies."
For the first time all day...
They laughed.
Only for a few seconds.
But it reminded them they were still human.
A soft chime interrupted Liam's thoughts.
Unlike the blue System windows everyone else received...
His notification appeared in faded gray.
Administrator Authority
Current Authority: 4%
Progress Increased.
Reason:
-Observation of Elite Commander.
-Observation of Herald-Class Entity.
-Survival under impossible conditions.
Next Milestone: 5%
Function Unlock: Archive
Liam stared at the screen.
So Orion had a rank.
Herald.
Higher than the Alpha.
Much higher.
He wondered how many ranks existed above that.
The screen flickered before disappearing.
Outside...
Something scratched against the supermarket's front door.
Everyone froze.
Scratch...
Scratch...
Scratch...
A frightened child clung to his mother.
Another scratching sound echoed from the back entrance.
Then another.
Soon...
The entire building was surrounded.
But none of the creatures tried to force their way inside.
They simply...
Scratched.
Slowly.
Patiently.
As though waiting.
Ben woke with a start.
"What..."
"What is that?"
Marcus quietly switched off one of the lanterns.
"No noise."
"No lights near the windows."
Emma whispered,
"Why aren't they attacking?"
Nobody answered.
Then...
Someone knocked.
Three slow knocks.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Every survivor stared toward the entrance.
A woman's voice followed.
"Please..."
"Is anyone inside?"
"I have a little girl..."
"Please let us in..."
The room erupted into whispers.
"There are survivors!"
"We have to help them!"
Marcus raised a hand.
"No."
"But—"
"No."
His face was grim.
"I've heard those things all evening."
The room fell silent.
"They're not human."
The woman outside began crying.
"My daughter is hurt..."
"Please..."
"I'm begging you..."
The little girl inside the supermarket started crying too.
"Mom..."
"Help them..."
Emma's hands trembled.
She took one step toward the door.
Liam caught her wrist.
"Don't."
"But what if—"
"Listen."
Emma frowned.
"What?"
Liam closed his eyes.
The crying.
The pleading.
The scratching.
None of it matched.
The woman's sobs never changed.
Her breathing never hitched.
Her voice repeated the same pauses...
Again.
And again.
And again.
Like a recording.
Liam opened his eyes.
"It's copying people."
Emma's face drained of color.
The pleading stopped instantly.
Silence.
Then...
The voice outside changed.
It became Marcus'.
"Open the door."
Everyone stared at Marcus.
He was standing right beside them.
Another voice followed.
This time...
It was Emma's.
"Liam."
"It's safe now."
Ben stumbled backward.
"It..."
"It's copying us."
The voices came faster.
One after another.
Children.
Parents.
Friends.
Professors.
Dozens of different voices echoed outside the supermarket.
Every single one belonged to someone the survivors knew.
The creatures had been listening.
Learning.
Waiting.
Then...
Everything stopped.
Absolute silence.
Liam's heartbeat echoed in his ears.
Suddenly—
A blue System window appeared before every Awakened survivor.
Emma.
Noah.
Ben.
Rachel.
Marcus.
All of them.
Their expressions changed.
Marcus read his message aloud.
Emergency Notice
The First Blood Moon has begun.
Night Monsters have awakened.
Survive until dawn.
A loud crash shook the roof.
Then another.
Heavy footsteps moved above them.
Not one.
Many.
Liam looked upward.
Dust drifted from the ceiling.
The scratching had been a distraction.
The monsters...
Had never intended to enter through the doors.
They had climbed onto the roof.
A deep crack echoed overhead.
Concrete split apart.
Something enormous began forcing its way through.
And from the darkness above...
Two glowing crimson eyes slowly opened.