Dan had no idea how long he’d been out.
His eyes moved first. Consciousness came back in pieces, the dim room, the rumpled bed, the living warmth pressed along his chest and nice soft butt pressed softly against his crouch. Then the rest of it landed, slow and heavy and sweet.
His hand was still where Sophie had put it the night before.
Her fingers were laced through his, holding him there as if even in sleep she refused to let him go. Under his palm her breast was soft and full, the weight of it filling his hand completely. Warm. Giving. Rising and falling with every unhurried breath. The nightgown had slipped in the night, the thin fabric had ridden up and to the side, leaving skin against skin. His thumb rested in the tender crease beneath her breast. The rest of his hand cupped her, the nipple a small, sleepy point against the center of his palm.
He didn’t squeeze. He just felt her.
Sophie slept on, her back fitted to his chest, her ass tucked into the hollow of his crouch. There was a small, easy smile on her mouth, the kind that only showed when she wasn’t guarding anything. She looked comfortable. More than that. She looked like she had been waiting years to sleep like this and had finally gotten it.
Dan enjoyed the view for sometime when a notification suddenly came up...
[It’s time to begin hoarding supplies.]
[Does Host wish to view the target map?]
’Yes...’
The moment Dan gave his answer, a holographic map materialized before him, floating in the air with several locations highlighted.
[Five-Star Supermarket, We Have It Supermarket (WHIT)]
[Recommended Target: We Have It Supermarket.]
[Reason: The supermarket contains a wide variety of essential supplies suitable for preparing for the incoming apocalypse.]
Dan studied the highlighted location for a few seconds before letting out a quiet sigh.
’I guess it’s time to move.’
He had known this moment would come. If the system was right about the apocalypse, then waiting until everything descended into chaos before gathering supplies would be foolish.
Food, water, medicine, clothing, tools, batteries, hygiene products, and countless other necessities would become increasingly difficult to obtain once society began to collapse.
It was better to prepare while everything was still normal.
Just as Dan was about to leave, another notification appeared.
[Does Host wish to wake his wife and child and greet them good morning?]
[Or would Host prefer to leave quietly and begin hoarding supplies without disturbing them?]
Dan paused then answered in his head. ’I’d rather not wake them up.’
The system went quiet.
He smiled a little. His gaze shifted across the room.
Lily was asleep in the corner bed, small under the blanket, hugging her teddy bear to her chest. Her mouth was slightly open. There was a faint smile on her face too. Peaceful. Untouched by whatever the world had become outside the door.
Dan stayed still another second. He let himself have it, the heat of Sophie’s breast in his hand, the slow lift of her ribs, the scent of her hair against his mouth. Then he leaned in and kissed her cheek. Soft. Careful. His lips lingered just long enough to feel how warm she was.
He eased his hand free.
Her fingers tried, faintly, to keep him. He slid out from under them anyway, reluctant, and drew the nightgown back over her breast, covering what he’d held all night. The fabric settled. She made a small sound and turned her face deeper into the pillow, still smiling.
He sat up.
Paper waited on the table by the bed. He wrote where she would see it first thing.
"Good morning, my beautiful wife. Sorry I didn’t want to wake you. I’ll be back soon. Tell Lily that Daddy will bring some treats when he comes home."
He set the note where her hand would find it, close enough that she would reach for it the way she had reached for him.
One last look. Sophie in the bed, nightgown loose again, the shape of her still printed against the sheets. Lily in the corner with the bear.
Then he left the house, closing the door quietly behind him.
...
The moment Dan stepped outside, the first thing he noticed was the rain.
He stopped and for a few seconds, he simply stared at the sky in shock...
Red droplets fell steadily from the clouds, splattering against the pavement, dripping from rooftops, and gathering in small crimson puddles along the roadside.
’Damn. Blood rain. Again?’ Dan’s expression slowly changed from confusion to disbelief.
’System, I thought you said the harmless blood rain had already ended. What’s this?’
The system remained silent for a brief moment before responding.
[The previous blood rain event has ended.]
[Its purpose was to prove to Host that the apocalypse is real and approaching.]
[That event was never supposed to occur at that particular time.]
Dan raised an eyebrow. "What?"
[The System merely influenced the timing of the phenomenon and caused it to manifest slightly earlier than it naturally would have.]
[The original blood rain has now arrived.]
[Unlike the previous event, this one will continue until the emergence of the next sign of the apocalypse.]
Dan stared at the crimson sky.
Then his expression gradually turned suspicious.
"So you can influence it?"
[To a limited extent.]
"Yet you told me these signs were naturally occurring."
The system fell silent.
Dan waited but got nothing.
He narrowed his eyes. ’System?’
A few seconds passed before the familiar notification finally appeared.
[In a way, yes.]
Dan looked up at the rain with a deadpan expression.
’What’s natural about blood falling from the sky?’
[...]
For once, the system seemed to have no immediate response.