CHAPTER 8 — Empty Streets
The morning felt wrong.
Not quiet—empty. A kind of empty that pressed against the skin, like something sucking sound out of the air.
It was 9 a.m. The summer sun bright, sky clear, heat rising off the asphalt…
And nothing.
No cars. No voices. No dogs barking. No neighbors complaining. No distant music. Not even a single alarm rang out.
Just silence stretching down the street like a long, abandoned tunnel.
Alexiy walked beside me, keeping a careful half-step behind. Her arm was strapped to her torso, her thigh wrapped tight, and every so often she sucked in a breath when pain hit her—quiet, controlled, pretending I didn't notice.
Danger Sense tugged softly in the back of my mind.
Not danger yet—Just pressure. Like the city was watching us.
"Stay close," I said. tightening the grip around my bat.
She nodded immediately. "I am."
We walked past an overturned bus stop, a car with a missing windshield, and a body could be seen laying on street. The air smelled like trash fire and stale blood.
Then—
CRASH!
A metal trash bin slammed into the pavement ahead of us, rolling into the street. A figure stumbled out behind it, jerking, twitching—
A zombie.
Dirty hoodie, blood-soaked jaw, arms stiff. It saw me and shrieked.
My fingers twitched.
Telekinesis fired before I could think.
A burst of pressure slammed against the zombie's chest, shoving it back into the alley wall. Not far—maybe three feet—but it hit with a grunt and staggered.
"Whoa…" Alexiy whispered behind me.
I didn't admire the hit.
I sprinted.
With the bat up, my grip tight. I ran forward with momentum.
The zombie lunged, sloppy, arms reaching.
I swung hard.
CRACK.
Its skull snapped sideways like a broken hinge. It dropped, limp, crumpling over itself.
Silence again.
The world held its breath.
Then—
Ding.
A red orb rolled out from the corpse, pulsing gently beside my shoe. But I didn't crush it. Not now.
Alexiy exhaled shakily. "Y-you… really just—… like it was nothing."
"It wasn't nothing," I said. "I'm just getting used to hitting things."
Her pink eyes lingered on me. Soft. Something like admiration flickering behind fear.
She hesitated—then whispered:
"Elion… can I tell you something?"
I raised a brow. "What?"
"My skill. I… I'll show you."
I sighed."Sure. But for future reference—"
I turned, eyes narrowing.
"—never tell anyone your skills or stats unless you trust them completely."
She hugged her wrapped arm gently and nodded. "I figured. But… I trust you."
That again.
That dangerous word.
"That's the other thing, you really shouldn't be so trusting. You can't rely on anyone but yourself..." I almost whisper the last bit as thoughts of the past rushed forward. Before I could get lost in thought however Alexiy spoke.
She lifted her hand, fingers trembling slightly. "My skill is… Lightning Bolt."
A faint shimmer of mana flickered around her palm, thin, delicate, like electricity the color of soft rose light.
"It doesn't shoot lightning," she rushed to explain, embarrassed. "It—it just fires a small bolt of 'Electric' force. It's tiny. Like a weak air bullet with a shock. It can knock something off balance or push a small object. That's all. It has a range of a dozen meters and a cooldown of 5 seconds. "
"That a good skill. It can still save your life," I said. "...Or mine."
Her eyes widened. Then softened.
"…Thank you."
We continued down the street, the soles of our shoes crunching over broken glass and pebbled asphalt. The sun hung high enough to keep the shadows long, stretching ahead of us like dark fingers reaching toward whatever came next.
Alexiy stayed at my side—close enough to reach me if she panicked, far enough not to slow me down.
"Your skill," I said, glancing at her. "Show me."
She blinked fast, startled. "R-right now?"
"Yeah."
She swallowed, lifted her right hand—the uninjured one—and pointed at an old soda can lying near the gutter. A tiny spark of soft pink light flickered to life above her palm, humming like a faint heartbeat.
"Lightning Bolt," she whispered.
Flick.
A small bolt shot forward—fast but feather-light—smacking the soda can and sending it flying 10 feet in the air, spinning end over end, and with a metallic ting hit the floor.
She flinched. "S-see? It's not very strong… I know it's useless compared to yours. I just—"
"It's fine," I said before she could spiral. "It can interrupt. Or distract, or even push back at close range. That can save us. It's a good skill. I don't have a ranged attack skill yet."
She stared at me like she was at loss of words.
"…O-Oh."
We kept walking.
Five blocks. Six. Seven.
The farther we went, the more the world looked… stripped.
Cars crashed or abandoned in the middle of the road. Personal items scattered the street like confetti. A stroller tipped over next to a lamp post. A half-eaten sandwich rotting in the street. a T.V was sticking out of the top of a car like it fell on top.
The kind of details that made the apocalypse feel fresh, like everyone vanished ten minutes ago. That's the other thing. Where are the people and the zombies?
Rounding the corner toward a collapsed bus stop, Danger Sense tugged sharply in the back of my skull.
I froze.
Hand lifted.
"Stop."
Alexiy froze too. Breath held. Eyes on me.
I stepped forward slowly, bat ready.
Then I saw it.
A cluster of three zombies feeding on something slumped beneath a broken billboard. Their heads jerked up in unison, jaws dripping.
Their bodies twitched.
Then they ran.
"Back," I ordered quietly. "Stay behind me."
I breathed once—steady—then invoked it:
Shadow Veil.
The world dimmed just slightly around my skin, my presence thinning. Their gazes flicked, confused, buying me a second.
That was all I needed.
I sprint forward.
One swing.
The bat connects to the first zombie's temple—
CRACK.
It collapsed immediately.
Danger Sense spiked again.
I pivoted.
Zombie number two lunged with jaws wide.
Telekinesis hit it center mass—SHOVE. Not enough to drop it, but enough to stagger.
I rushed in and slammed the bat down again.
WHUMP.
The skull caved.
The third zombie screeched.
Behind me:
"Elion—!"Alexiy's warning—
I spun—too slow.
It was already mid-charge.
Instinct fired. Mind sharpened. I braced. For a second I wondered if it bit me if I would turn into a zombie.
And Alexiy's voice tore through the air:
"LIGHTNING BOLT!"
Her small pink bolt of lighting shot forward and hit the zombie's knee—not powerful, but enough to trip it.
The creature collapsed forward, sliding across asphalt and skidding at my feet.
Perfect.
I brought the bat down with everything I had.
CRACK.
Silence.
A long breath escaped me.
"…Nice timing," I said without turning.
Alexiy stared at the fallen zombie, chest rising and falling too fast. She swallowed. "…Did I… did I help?"
"Yeah," I said. "You did."
Before she could reply, the system chimed.
Ding.
A notification flashed behind my eyes.
You have slain 3 Level 1 zombies.
EXP threshold reached. LEVEL UP.
Level: 1 → 2
Stat Points Gained: +10
A sharp warmth filled my chest—like the world inhaled and exhaled through me.
Holy hell.
That… felt good.
I opened my stat screen immediately:
[LEVEL UP]
[STATISTICS] — UPDATED
Name: Elion
Level: 2
Physique: 10
Mind: 14
Spirit: 10
Will: 20
Perception: 8
Free Points Remaining: 10
[SKILLS]
Passive: Crimson Pulse, Danger Sense
Active: Shadow Veil, Telekinesis
Extra: Inventory
[BLOODLINE] Dormant — ?
I dumped another 2 into Perception, Physique, Spirit. and I put one in in both Will and Spirit. I don't want to ignore any stats even if they were higher than the rest, I wanted to keep progressing them. Now my stats looked like this:
Name: Elion
Level: 2
Physique: 10 —> 12
Mind: 14 —> 13
Spirit: 10 —> 12
Will: 20 —> 21
Perception: 8 —> 10
Free Points Remaining: 10 —> 2
Now that was more than the total amount I received from killing zombies. But I felt the difference—like every cell took a deeper breath.
Alexiy stepped closer, hesitant. "D-did something happen?"
"I leveled up," I said.
Her eyes flickered wide. "You… can level up?"
"Apparently."
"What does it feel like?"
"Stronger," I said simply.
Her face softened with awe. Almost reverence.
I closed the screen and gripped my bat again.
"We should move," I said. "There will be more ahead."
She nodded fast, staying close as we headed deeper into the broken streets.
We moved deeper into the city.
Every street felt wrong.Too empty.Too still.Too quiet.
It wasn't the quiet of early morning.
It was the quiet of a graveyard.
The air felt heavier the farther we went—like the world was holding its breath, waiting for someone to scream first.
Alexiy stayed beside me.Half-step behind.Half-step safe.
Her gaze flicked everywhere—windows, rooftops, alleys—as if expecting her family to appear at any second.
Then—
"…Elion?" she murmured. "Can I… ask something?"
"Ask."
"Um… w-well…"She swallowed."Should I tell… others about my skill? Like my family? Or not?"
I stopped.
Turned toward her fully.
"No," I said flatly. "Never. Not in this world."
Her breath caught."Why?"
"Because people will steal anything useful—including skills. They'll manipulate. Lie. Threaten. Kill. You don't know who's desperate. Or who wants a weapon."
She swallowed again, nodding quickly.
"So…" she said softly. "It's just something I share with… you?"
Something warm twisted in my chest.
She was dangerous.Too close.Too soft.
But for some reason my danger sense wasn't going off.
"Just me," I said. Nodding.
She looked down with a tiny, shy smile—one she tried to hide with her hair.
We continued walking.Two quiet figures in a dead morning.
It took us twenty minutes to reach the strip of destroyed storefronts near the freeway. Grocery store windows smashed. A convenience store burned halfway down to its metal frame. A delivery truck on its side leaking oil onto the pavement.
Alexiy's steps slowed.
"…It's getting worse," she whispered.
"Stay close," I said.
"I am."
Something about the way she said it made me glance at her. She was limping slightly, jaw tight from the pain of her thigh. But she didn't complain. Didn't ask to stop. Didn't ask for a break.
She just kept moving.
Stubborn.Determined.Scared.But not useless.
I respected that.
Danger Sense suddenly sparked—sharp, electric.
I raised a hand immediately. "Stop."
Alexiy froze mid-step.
From behind the overturned delivery truck, a low growl rattled the air.
Then a figure limped out.
Zombie.Heavy build.Long arms dragging.Blood all down its shirt.Head tilted at a broken angle.
But what made my skin tighten—
Its eyes didn't glow the foggy white of the others.
They glowed faint yellow.
Alexiy whispered, voice shaking: "T-that's… different."
"Yeah," I muttered. "Back up."
It lunged.
Fast.
Faster than the others.
I activated Shadow Veil instantly—my presence thinning, steps silent.
It swiped where my head had been a second before.
I ducked under its arm, pivoted around its side, swung the bat—
CRACK!Right at the skull.
It staggered but didn't fall.
Alexiy gasped behind me.
I clicked my tongue.
"Telekinesis."
The invisible force slammed into the zombie's chest.It stumbled three steps back—THEN CHARGED AGAIN.
Okay.That was new.
It leaped.Claws out.
I rolled aside, bat scraping asphalt.
"Elion!"Alexiy's voice cracked—her fear bleeding through.
I planted my foot, shifted my weight, and aimed straight for its temple.
One clean swing. I added my telekinesis to the bat, making it hit harder, heavier.
WHAM.
The skull snapped sideways.The zombie dropped, sliding across the pavement until it slammed into the overturned truck.
Still.
Finally.
A system chime flickered in the back of my mind.
Ding.
You have killed a (Variant) Zombie — Level 2 and have been awarded 4 stat points to assign.
I exhaled.
Variants.
Of course there would be variants.
The apocalypse didn't waste time.
I wiped sweat from my forehead and turned to Alexiy.
She stood frozen, hands trembling, her eyes shimmering with fear—but her stance solid.
She hadn't run.
She hadn't screamed.
She'd stayed.
Good.
"You alright?" I asked.
She nodded too fast, swallowing. "Y-yeah. Just… That one was different."
"system called it. 'variant'," I said. "Level 2. Probably the beginning of evolved types. We'll see worse. They seem to be evolving fast."
Her breath hitched.
But she still nodded.
"We keep moving," I said. "Your family is up ahead."
She took a steadying breath.
"I'm ready."
We walked again, side by side.
The road stretched long in front of us. Sunridge Apartments still blocks away. Smoke drifting in the distance. Shadows creeping between buildings.
The apocalypse had only just begun.
And we were walking directly into it.
Together.