The world did not end with a bang.
It ended with noise.
Screams. Crashing metal. Distant explosions. The wet, sickening sound of something tearing through flesh.
Ethan stood in the middle of it all, unmoving.
For a moment, everything felt… distant.
Like he was watching someone else's life fall apart.
Again.
A faint blue glow hovered in front of his eyes.
Words. Symbols. Meaningless things.
He ignored them.
What difference did it make?
The world had already taken everything from him.
A low, guttural sound echoed nearby.
Ethan blinked slowly and turned his head.
Something crawled out from beneath a broken car.
It moved wrong.
Its limbs bent at angles they shouldn't. Its skin looked too thin, stretched tightly over a body that didn't quite fit inside it.
Its mouth opened.
Too wide.
Far too wide.
Ethan watched it approach.
He didn't run.
Didn't think to.
A part of him—the part that had been holding on for so long—had already given up.
So this is it.
The creature lunged.
Fast.
Faster than anything he had expected.
Pain exploded across his side.
His body slammed against the ground, breath leaving him in a sharp, broken gasp.
For a second, he couldn't even feel the pain properly.
Just pressure.
Shock.
"…Ah."
So it did hurt.
Good to know.
The creature turned, dragging its claws along the asphalt as it approached him again.
Slowly this time.
Confident.
Like it already knew the outcome.
Ethan forced himself to breathe.
In.
Out.
His chest burned.
His vision swam.
I'm going to die.
The thought came easily.
Too easily.
And yet—
A memory surfaced.
Soft.
Warm.
"You're not weak, big brother."
His fingers twitched.
"…Yeah."
Maybe not.
The world sharpened.
Just a little.
He noticed things he hadn't before.
The distance between them.
The rhythm of its movement.
The way its weight shifted before it stepped forward.
His gaze flickered to the side.
There.
Half-buried in rubble.
A metal pipe.
The creature lunged again.
Ethan moved.
Late.
But not too late.
Claws grazed his shoulder instead of tearing through his throat.
Pain flared again—but this time, he endured it.
His hand closed around the pipe.
Cold. Solid. Real.
He swung.
The impact rang through his arms.
The creature staggered, its head snapping to the side.
Not enough.
But something.
Ethan steadied himself, breathing hard.
It's stronger.
Faster.
So don't fight it head-on.
The creature screamed—an ugly, broken sound—and rushed him again.
This time, Ethan didn't step back.
He stepped forward.
The world seemed to slow for just a moment.
The creature's mouth opened.
Wide.
Hungry.
Ethan drove the pipe forward.
Straight into its throat.
There was resistance.
Then—
A sickening crunch.
The creature convulsed violently, claws tearing into his side as it thrashed.
Ethan gritted his teeth, refusing to let go.
"Die…"
The word came out as a whisper.
Barely audible.
A few seconds later—
The creature went still.
Ethan remained frozen in place.
Breathing.
Waiting.
Then slowly—
He let go.
His body gave out immediately after.
He fell back onto the ground, staring up at the pale, broken sky.
"…So I can still fight."
The thought felt strange.
Unfamiliar.
Something flickered in front of his eyes again.
Words.
Notifications.
He didn't focus on them.
Not yet.
Pain returned.
Sharp. Clear. Unavoidable.
"…That's a problem."
He let out a weak breath.
His body was already reaching its limit.
If another one showed up—
A sound interrupted his thoughts.
Not a growl.
Not a scream.
Footsteps.
Light.
Measured.
Unhurried.
Ethan forced his head to turn.
A figure emerged through the smoke.
A girl.
About his age.
She held something in her hand—a weapon, though not one he recognized.
It looked like a gun.
But it wasn't.
Faint light pulsed along its surface, like it was alive.
She glanced at him briefly.
Then past him.
"Stay down," she said.
Her voice was calm.
Too calm.
Ethan didn't argue.
A shadow moved behind him.
Another creature.
Before it could reach him—
A sharp sound split the air.
The creature's head snapped back.
Its body collapsed instantly.
Ethan blinked.
The girl lowered her weapon slightly, already turning toward another target.
Her movements were precise.
Efficient.
Like she had done this before.
Another shot.
Another kill.
Silence returned.
She exhaled softly, then looked at him again.
"…You're still alive."
"…Barely," Ethan muttered.
She studied him for a moment.
Her gaze lingered—not with concern, but with curiosity.
"…You killed one."
"…Yeah."
"…Interesting."
That was all she said.
She reached into her pocket and tossed something toward him.
A small vial.
"Drink it," she said.
Ethan caught it clumsily.
"…Why?"
She tilted her head slightly.
"…Because dying here would be annoying."
A pause.
"…For me."
Ethan stared at the vial for a moment.
Then sighed softly.
"…Fair enough."
He drank it.
Warmth spread through his body.
Not enough to fix everything.
But enough.
Enough to stand.
Slowly—
He did.
The girl watched him, silent.
"…What's your name?" he asked.
"…Seo Yuna."
"…Ethan Kurose."
"…I know."
Of course she did.
They stood there for a moment, surrounded by ruins.
In the distance, people were beginning to fight back.
Some with weapons.
Some with powers.
A new world was forming.
Right in front of them.
Yuna turned.
"Move," she said.
"…Where?"
"…Anywhere but here."
Ethan nodded.
Then—
He followed