..
"…Well. That went better than expected," he muttered, shaking off the adrenaline. "Maybe I should have more faith in people."
But a second later, he snorted under his breath.
"Yeah, right… like that'd ever happen."
The idea of him—Damian Derulo—trusting people? That was fantasy. Tall Tale-worthy.
And yet, as he walked away from Fort Sentinel, a part of him couldn't help but wonder… just maybe, he might change, eventually.
..
--
Location: Johannesburg - Albertina Sisulu Road.
Year: 2026.
Date: April 1st.
POV: Third Person.
Time: 11:50 AM.
--
Damian sat beneath the withering shade of a lone palm tree on the side of Albertina Sisulu Freeway, groaning in quiet frustration. The midday sun beamed down mercilessly, its rays casting harsh shadows over a landscape once full of life. What had once been a bustling artery of the city, filled with roaring engines, honking horns, and foot traffic, was now little more than a cracked graveyard of metal husks. Burnt-out, dust covered vehicles littered the road like casualties of a forgotten war, some overturned, others half-melted or split open from past explosions. Buildings that once held life and business now stood in silence, skeletal and broken, some barely holding their walls together.
But it wasn't the destruction that had Damian grumbling.
He'd been combing through the ruins for over two hours, hoping to find something useful. In that time, he had stumbled across three different phone shops—if they could even still be called that. Each was a disaster zone, as if they'd stood directly at the epicenter of the Rapture's chaos. Shelves had collapsed, counters were split in half, and whatever had once resembled smartphones were now charred fragments of circuitry and shattered glass.
Damian let out another long, defeated sigh and rose to his feet, brushing dirt from his pants. He adjusted the strap of his duffel bag, picked a direction, and began walking. The quiet crunch of debris under his feet was the only sound accompanying him for a while.
Roughly fourteen minutes later, he spotted a blue building in the distance. The faded sign up top read [Clothes], though the remaining letters swung loosely from bent nails, threatening to fall with the next breeze. Despite the decay, it was a hopeful sign—where there was a clothing store, a phone shop might not be far. Still, Damian wasn't too optimistic about it, but went in it's direction anyway.
When he was about three hundred meters away from the clothes shop, he heard it.
A thunderous roar.
He turned just in time to see a large, reinforced green truck swing around a corner and barrel down the road—heading straight for him.
The vehicle was no ordinary ride. It had been modified: metal plates welded to its exterior, barbed wire coiled around the front bumper, and its tires thick enough to flatten concrete. A scavenger's dream ride… or a raider's death machine.
Damian's hand instinctively dropped to Lunar Fang, the blade strapped at his waist. He kept his posture casual, but every muscle was taut, coiled like a spring. The truck began to slow down, its engine humming ominously.
'Are they rogue scavengers?' Damian's thoughts drifted to Garrick and his Bloodhound gang. They were long dead, buried in the horrors of the dungeon. But if there had been one group like that, there could easily be more.
The truck came to a stop beside him.
The front passenger window rolled down—and to Damian's surprise, Marcus Hale leaned out with a broad grin.
Marcus Hale "Dude! I knew it was you when I saw the mask. What are you doing all the way out here?"
Damian relaxed slightly. Just slightly.
Damian Derulo "Looking for a phone shop," he said simply, his voice as flat as ever.
Another soft whirr—the back window rolled down, revealing more familiar faces. Damian's eyes scanned the truck quickly. Weapons and basic supplies were stored in the open rear boot. Amy, Lana, Hannah, and Riko sat at the back. Sofia and Kai were noticeably absent. Seemed like that tension from the Fort hadn't cleared up.
Marcus Hale "A phone shop? Why?" he asked, eyebrows raised.
Damian Derulo *Sigh*. "My phone's screen is busted. I want to replace it."
Marcus Hale "Wait, you can fix phones?"
Marcus leaned in, eyes gleaming with curiosity. Damian squinted 'I don't like where this is going' That was a loaded question.
Damian Derulo "A little, yeah," he replied carefully, his gaze flicking toward Riko—who stared at him with unreadable intensity—and Lana, who kept stealing glances when she thought he wasn't looking, while Amy gave a slight smile.
Marcus Hale "Cool! We've got a few phone—"
Damian Derulo "No."
He cut Marcus off flatly and turned, walking away without breaking stride.
Marcus blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shutdown. He turned to Hustin, who sat silently behind the wheel.
Marcus "Come on, man. Drive closer."
Hustin Bright *Sigh*. "Look, man... the guy obviously wants to be left alone. Let him be."
He glanced at Damian's back as the masked figure walked away steadily.
Marcus "Dude, come on. We can't just leave him here. I mean, we can—but who knows what kinda of monster may be roaming around, besides he's planning on leaving Fort Sentinel for another one soon. And I think… I'm going with him."
That made heads turn.
Hustin "Wait what—hold on. You're leaving? When did you decide that?"
Marcus "Yesterday. Just… want to get out there, you know? See more. Can't stay in Johannesburg forever, right?"
He tried to play it off, but his voice wavered slightly.
Hannah Lee "When were you going to tell us?"
Her voice was sharp—hurt.
For Hannah, it had already been a rough two days. First, she discovered her boyfriend had cheated on her with her closest girl friend. Now, the one person she still trusted, the closest friend she had left, was planning to disappear too?
Marcus Hale "I was gonna tell everyone after today's patrol. But… I figured there's no perfect time, so I'm saying it now."
Hannah Lee "Why now? Is… is it because I rejected you?"
The air went still.
Even Lana, usually silent, was shocked. Riko—her eyes wide as she muttered under her breath:
Hanabira Riko "Bakana…"
She covered her mouth with her hands.
Marcus Hale "No—it's not—"
But he was cut off as Hannah opened the door and stepped out of the vehicle, slamming it shut behind her.
Marcus "Hannah, wait!"
He scrambled out after her, chasing after the storm he didn't mean to create.
Silence followed.
Until finally—
Hanabira Riko "What do we do now? Should we go after them?"
Amy Williams "I think we should give them some space…"
Her eyes lingered on the two fading figures in the distance.
Lana Williams *Sigh*. "So much for a patrol through the city…"
She leaned her head against the tinted glass, staring out at the broken skeleton of Johannesburg beyond.
--
Damian stood at the edge of the sidewalk, right in front of a battered phone shop that sat opposite to the clothing store. He was just about to step inside when a commotion from across the street caught his attention.
A familiar figure—Hannah—was storming off toward the clothing store, her arms tightly folded across her chest like a makeshift shield. It was hard to tell if she was cold or simply trying to hold herself together. Close behind her was Marcus, hurrying after her, calling out her name with growing desperation.
Damian exhaled through his nose, his tone dry and dismissive.
"Not my circus."
Without another glance at the unfolding drama, he turned away and walked into the phone shop, uninterested in whatever soap opera was playing out between them.
The interior of the store was a disaster zone.
Broken glass crunched beneath his boots. Shattered phones littered the ground like digital confetti. The showcase counters were in pieces, one wall had a gaping hole smashed clean through, and a section of the ceiling was caved in—suggesting something massive had crashed or burst through it.
"Shit..."
Damian rubbed the back of his head in mild disbelief.
"This place makes the last three stores I hit look like five-star boutiques."
He weaved through the wreckage, scanning the store. He knew what he was looking for—a safe. Every phone shop he'd scavenged so far had one. It was where they kept the real prize: the top-tier phones. And sure enough, in a small side room partially exposed by the collapsed wall, he found it—a matte dark blue safe lying on its side.
It was dented, dusty, but far more intact than the wrecks he'd seen before.
As he crouched in front of it, a faint engine rumble pulled his gaze back to the front window. The same truck from earlier had pulled up in front of the clothing store. Hustin was behind the wheel, staring toward the entrance. Damian narrowed his eyes but didn't linger. They had their drama, and he had his target.
Turning back to the safe, he tapped the cold metal. 'A combination lock. Of course.' He sighed, leaning against the wall behind him.
"Now how do I open this without vaporizing the contents inside..." he muttered to himself.
'Lunar Pulse?' he thought, instinctively considering his weapon.
But he quickly shook his head.
"Too risky. The energy output would probably reduce the phones inside to scrap."
He called up the interface for Lunar Fang, his rare curved blade:
//
____________________________________
[ Relic Identified ]
---
Name : Lunar Fang.
Type : One-Handed Curved Blade (Can be dual-wielded if another is found).
Rarity : Rare.
Effects :
Phantom Cleave (passive)- Each slash creates a delayed afterimage attack, striking a fraction of a second after or before the original attack. This makes the weapon unpredictable, forcing enemies to react to multiple trajectories.
Moonlight Edge (passive)- When exposed to moonlight or darkness, attack speed increases, and the blade emits a faint silver glow that can cut through low level magical defenses.
Lunar Pulse (active)- Unleashes a crescent-shaped energy wave forward in a ten-meter arc depending on the amount of energy given. This energy attack deals bonus damage to shadow and illusion-based entities. (Cooldown: 25 seconds.)
Celestial Resonance - If paired with another Lunar Fang, both blades gain enhanced synergy, increasing movement speed, dual wield proficiency, and allowing mid air directional adjustments.
_____________________________________
//
"Hmm... It does say I can adjust the arc… but even on low output, it might rupture the safe." He sighed, closing the display.
'Then how about...' His thoughts trailed off as he brought his right hand in front of him.
'It's worth a shot, I just hope i don't get a splitting headache...' He hesitated only for a moment, then activated the Facet.
[Entropy Surge]
A familiar rush of energy channeled into his palm. Damian flinched slightly, bracing for the usual migraine-inducing backlash… but it never came. He frowned and open his eyes and what he saw surprised him.
Unlike the previous times he had use the ability, he didn't feel any headache and more importantly his entire right hand- from his wrist to his fingertips darken to a color of ashen grey—almost metallic, yet fluid. The texture shimmered with eerie, living energy. It was beautiful in a haunting way. Hypnotic. Alien. Unnatural.
"What the hell...?" he whispered, watching it pulse.
It reminded him of something.
'It looks just like the Oblivion Chains I summoned back in the dungeon.'
He slowly rotated his hand, mesmerized by the shift. Then, with a thought, he deactivated the Facet. The energy retreated smoothly, slipping back into his body like a tide returning to the ocean.
Testing it, he picked up a pebble from the rubble, placed it on his palm, and clenched his fist.
Nothing happened.
'Haha that's cool' He thought feeling happy for some reason.
But the curiosity began to gnaw at him again. Why the sudden change?
He opened his system interface.
//
____________________________________
[ Origin System Interface ]
---
* [Name] : Damian Derulo
* [Race] : ??? Unknown ( No Longer Fully Human )
* [Title(s)] : [The Ender (Peak Absolute Grade)]
* [Power Tier] : Echo (Awakening Stage)
* [Identity] : Survivor of a Death-Resulting Ordeal.
____________________________________
[ Facets ]
---
1.[Eternal Consumption] - Absorption of even more complex powers, including conceptual ones of those you kill by consuming their remains.
2.[Entropy Surge] - Causes rapid decomposition upon physical contact with anyone or thing.
3.[Oblivion Chains] - Conjures chains that latches onto targets, draining them of their vitality and strength.
____________________________________
[ Resonances ]
---
1.[Undying] - Prevents Permanent death, but it in turn increases your sensitivity to pain.
2.[Survivor Instinct] - Heightened reflexes and danger perception.
3.[Absolute Termination] - Anything you completely destroys cannot be restored.
4. [Tenebrous Covenant] – A bond forged in primordial darkness, linking the souls of the bonded pair. The strength of this connection evolves over time, granting various benefits.
____________________________________
[ Relics ]
---
1.[Lunar Fang] - A razor-sharp, slightly curved one-handed blade retrieved from a hidden vault within the Eclipsed Labyrinth. Durable and deadly, it seems attuned to the moon's phases...
2.[The Hollow Veil] - A full face mask, found in a secret chamber of The Eclipsed Labyrinth, it's intricate silver engravings coiling across it like veins in moonlight. A mask perfect for an assassin...
...
____________________________________
//
'Everything seems... the same on paper,' He pondered.
'Hmm... Alright let's test this' He thought with a smile as stepped out of the small room and into the shop.
He placed his duffle bag on the floor and picked up one of the broken phone and later took a phone caton, he place the phone into the caton and went down on one knee with the caton holding the phone in front of him.
'I hope this works' he took a deep breath, closed his eyes and muttered [Entropy Surge]
But this time, he steadied himself and imagined the carton disintegrating—only the carton.
He pressed his energized palm onto the box.
*Ssssssshhhhhhk*
A sizzling hiss echoed through the air.
When the sound stopped, Damian opened one eye... then both.
The phone sat there untouched—dust-covered but pristine.
His lips parted in shock, then curled into a grin. He threw his hands into the air.
"Hahaha! Yes!" His victory cry echoed through the store—and was instantly met with multiple sets of eyes staring at him through the truck's windshield.
Hustin and Amy blinked at him. Riko's brows arched. Lana's expression was hidden behind her mask, but her stare screamed judgment.
Damian cleared his throat, ears reddening.
"...I'm never doing that again," he muttered, ducking back into the small room.
Back to the safe.
He placed his palm firmly on the metal shell.
"Alright, Moment of truth."
[Entropy Surge]
The energy surged out, wrapping the safe in dark corrosion. The metal hissed violently, blackening and breaking apart molecule by molecule.
In less than three seconds, a heavy, three-meter steel safe—easily weighing over 150 kilograms—crumbled into nothing but dust.
Damian wiped his forehead. He felt a bit winded, like he'd sprinted a few hundred meters, but nothing too intense.
He pushed aside the ash and dust, revealing a treasure trove of boxes packed with smartphones.
"Jackpot."
He sifted through the phones, comparing models to his own. Just as he found two compatible ones, he heard something, something loud and scary.
*SCREEEEECHHH!!*
His head jerked up. A horrible noise—like metal dying—rattled his spine.
Outside, the group was gone. He saw them charging into the clothing store, weapons drawn and tense.
Then came the storm.
Something massive swooped into the building after them. Then another. And another.
Damian counted at least eight.
'What the hell are those?' Damian questioned no one in particular, and as if to answer his question, One creature, slower than the rest, landed on the truck.
*BAM!*
Damian's eyes widened when he got a good look at the creature, it was on all fours, complete with a beak, a lion's back legs and tail, and finally, bird wings. it looked like a cross between an eagle and a lion, anyone who hears this description would say it was a griffin, and they would be right, but this creature was not like it mythological counterpart that represented, Divine protection, Royal authority or strength and valor.
This one stood at over three meters, and it's wing span was twice it's size, it's feathers were torn, blood soaked, and ridden with rot. Portion of it's lion like hindquarters were missing skin entirely, exposing blackened muscles and twitching sinew that pulsed unnaturally. Its cracked, serrated beak dripped with drool.
It was a griffin. But undead. Twisted. A cross between a zombie and a griffin.
It opened its maw and screamed again.
*SCREEEEECHHH!!*
Then it launched into the clothing store, following the others.
Damian blinked. Then exhaled.
"Aaand that's my cue to get the hell outta here."
He stuffed the phones cartons into his duffle bag with an extra and slipped out of the phone shop, sticking to the shadows and distancing himself from the nightmare inside the boutique.
Behind him, the sounds of steel clashing, spells bursting, and monstrous shrieks echoed through the street.
But Damian? He walked away, shaking his head.
As a Wise man once said: 'It is none of my damn business.'
--
Location: Johannesburg - Terrace Road - Clothes Shop.
POV: Third Person.
Time: 12:21 PM.
..
| A Few Minutes Ago |
--
Marcus Hale "Hannah, wait!" Marcus shouted as he burst through the shattered glass doors of the once-elegant clothing shop.
The place was a ruin. Dust hung in the air like mist, catching the shafts of midday sunlight slicing through the holes in several parts of a wall-seemingly results of gun shots. Mannequins lay in broken pieces across the cracked tile floor, their limbs scattered like fallen soldiers. Racks of clothes were overturned, garments torn and stained, swinging eerily in the breeze that whispered through the busted windows. The charred remains of the cashier counter leaned awkwardly against a wall. It wasn't a shop anymore—it was a skeleton of what it used to be.
Hannah didn't stop. She marched across the destruction with purpose, heading toward the stairs at the back of the store.
"Can you just talk to me?" Marcus called out again, his voice chasing her as he stepped onto the bottom stair.
Hannah, already a few steps ahead, finally paused. Slowly, she turned, her eyes brimming with tears.
Hannah Lee "What is there to talk about?" she said, her voice trembling. "You've obviously made up your mind about leaving. I'm not stopping you. You can leave if you want."
She turned again, climbing further.
Marcus Hale "I can stay… if you want me to."
Those words made her halt once more.
Hannah, without looking back, she spoke, "Marcus… I told you I wasn't ready to jump into another relationship. Do you think it's that easy? The same day I found out that my girlfriend and my boyfriend were cheating on me… you decide that's the perfect time to confess your feelings?"
She turned around sharply, tears now running freely down her cheeks. "What did you expect me to do? Smile? Say yes? Hold your hand and pretend everything was okay?"
Marcus Hale "It's not like that—" he tried, but she cut him off.
Hannah Lee "Then what is it?! I was shattered, and you—you were trying to take advantage of that!"
Her words struck him like a slap, but he didn't flinch. His tone dropped, cold and resolute.
Marcus Hale "Hannah, I would never take advantage of you."
The seriousness in his voice made her blink. He sighed, climbing the steps slowly, closing the distance between them.
"It's just… like I said, I've had feelings for you for a long time. When did they start? I honestly don't know."
He stopped beside her but didn't meet her gaze.
"But somewhere along the line, I started noticing you. Your quiet smiles. The way you always try to cheer everyone up—even when you're breaking inside. You never ask for thanks. You just… do it."
He walked past her, stepping onto the second floor.
Dust floated through the air like ash. Shelves stood crooked, some collapsed under the weight of debris. Mostly clothes hung from racks, swaying slightly as if alive. Posters of models with fake smiles stared down from the walls, cracked and peeling, the second floor was in pristine shape compared to the first.
"Then one day it hit me. 'I really like this girl.' But it was too late. You were already with Kai. Way before I even realized how I felt."
He wandered past a mannequin missing an arm and looked out through a shattered glass wall that offered a panoramic view of the ruined city below. A truck was parked out front, half-covered in dirt and grime. He placed his palm on the spiderwebbed glass, staring at his own reflection.
"What could I do? Compete? Against Kai? The guy had girls lining up for him. Straight A student. Rich. Confident. Handsome. He had everything I didn't."
He let out a bitter chuckle.
"So I stayed silent. Thought the feelings would fade. But they didn't. They got worse. I started feeling jealous. Then… envious. Of his looks, his life... you."
He glanced at Hannah's reflection behind him.
"And then the apocalypse hit. And guess what? Life rubbed it in. Kai got a title. Something strong. Way stronger than anything I had. It made me hate him more. I asked myself, why him? Why not me? Why did he get a loving family, powers, and the perfect girlfriend? At one point…"
He hesitated, then admitted,
"…I wished he'd die from a monster attack."
The silence between them cracked. Hannah's eyes widened in disbelief.
Marcus closed his eyes, ashamed.
"Kai was my best friend. He looked out for me. Helped me study. Paid for my tuition once, even after I told him not to. He never treated me like I was less… and still, those thoughts plagued me."
He turned around to face her.
"That's why I decided to leave. I couldn't face myself anymore."
He stepped closer.
"Then I saw him with Sofia. At first, I was happy. Thought I could finally use it against him. But then guilt hit me harder than any monster ever could. My first thought wasn't to protect you… it was to expose him. I was disgusted with myself."
He took one final step, now just in front of her.
" So I kept my distance. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to disappear. But then Damian came back… and everything spiraled."
Marcus looked into her eyes, raw sincerity etched in every word.
"Hannah… I didn't tell you how I felt because I expected something. I just… I didn't want to live with the regret of not saying it. That's all. I'm sorry if I made you feel like you were just... vulnerable."
He closed his eyes, bracing himself for rejection, for silence—anything.
Hannah stood there, overwhelmed. Her lips parted, unsure of what to say.
But then—
*SCREEEEEECHHH!!*
A sharp, metallic wail echoed through the building.
Both their heads snapped in the direction of the noise.
Hannah Lee "What was that?" she whispered, heart pounding.
Suddenly, the others burst into the shop from the side entrance, weapons drawn and eyes wild.
.
.
.
.
.
.
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To Be Continued....