A Second Chance in a Doomed World

The scent of blood lingered in the air, mingling with the ever-present smoke that curled through the ruined streets. The three bodies lay motionless at Leo's feet, their once-arrogant sneers replaced with blank, lifeless stares.

Lisa exhaled softly, wiping a stray drop of blood from her cheek. "That was quick," she mused, nudging one of the corpses with her boot.

Leo ignored her comment. "They were a waste of air," he said flatly.

The remaining survivors—the wounded man, the woman, and the child—stared at them in stunned silence. The woman clutched the child tightly, her knuckles white. Fear flickered in her eyes, though it was unclear if it was for the dead men or for Leo and Lisa.

Leo turned to them, his voice calm but firm. "You're safe now. Take whatever supplies they had and get moving."

The woman hesitated before nodding, quickly reaching for one of the discarded backpacks. Her hands trembled as she rummaged through it, searching for anything useful. The child, barely older than five, clung to her side, wide eyes fixed on Leo as if he were another kind of monster.

Lisa crouched down near the man with the wounded arm, studying him with an unreadable expression. "You'll need to wrap that up before it gets worse," she said, nodding toward his injury.

He swallowed hard, shifting uncomfortably under her gaze. "T-Thank you," he stammered. "I don't know what we would've done if—"

"Don't," Leo interrupted. His voice carried no malice, but it left no room for argument. "Just go."

The woman shot him one last wary glance before helping the wounded man to his feet. She kept her head down as they moved, disappearing into the ruins without another word.

Lisa watched them leave, tilting her head slightly. "They're scared of us."

Leo didn't respond. He already knew that. To the weak, there was little difference between a killer and a savior. It was only a matter of perspective.

Lisa rose to her feet, stretching her arms lazily. "So," she said, glancing around the ruined street, "what's next? More hunting?"

Leo turned his gaze toward the city's skyline. Smoke continued to rise in the distance, a testament to the unchecked chaos unfolding throughout New York. The real monsters—the ones the system would eventually send—had yet to arrive, but humanity had always been capable of destroying itself without help.

"There's no order left," he said quietly. "The city's law enforcement won't last much longer. The ones with power will start taking control."

Lisa smirked. "And you want to clean up the trash before that happens?"

Leo didn't answer immediately. He had no illusions about playing the hero. The world was changing, and in a place where power dictated survival, the ones who hesitated would be trampled underfoot. But that didn't mean he had to turn a blind eye to the scum that preyed on the weak.

"Something like that," he finally said.

Lisa studied him for a moment, amusement flickering in her icy blue eyes. "You're interesting, Leo. Cold, but not quite heartless. A killer, but not without standards. I like it."

Lisa rolled her shoulders, turning away from the carnage. "We should go," she said. "Before more show up."

He didn't bother responding. Instead, he turned on his heel and began walking. Lisa followed without hesitation, falling into step beside him.

They left the scene behind without a word, stepping over the bodies like they were just another part of the city's decay.

As they moved through the city, the sounds of distant violence continued to echo through the empty streets. Leo knew this was only the beginning. And he had no intention of stopping now.

The sun was crawling toward noon by the time they reached their next checkpoint—a parking garage near the edge of downtown. Leo had scouted it out the night before, before running into Lisa. It was sturdy, had a good vantage point, and, most importantly, was off most people's radars.

Lisa glanced around as they climbed the cement ramp leading to the second level. "You've got a habit of picking places no one wants to be."

Checking the corners before stepping further inside. "People are the biggest threat right now. If we stay out of sight, we stay alive."

"That sounds like you've got experience," Lisa said with a playful smirk.

Leo didn't answer.

They reached a darkened corner where an overturned truck and a few abandoned cars created a natural barricade. It wasn't perfect, but it would work. Lisa leaned against a pillar, watching as Leo set his bag down and took out a small ration bar.

"You ever gonna tell me what your deal is?" she asked, breaking the quiet.

Leo chewed in silence, his mind debating the question. He could deflect, change the subject, but Lisa wasn't an idiot. She'd see right through it.

Finally, he sighed. "You first."

Lisa arched a brow. "Excuse me?"

"You asked me back at the library if I knew what 'Hidden Talent' meant." Leo leaned back against the truck, crossing his arms. "That means you do. And I don't buy that you just got lucky with an ability like yours. So, if we're working together, you first."

Lisa studied him for a long moment. Then, with a quiet chuckle, she sat down on the hood of an abandoned car. "Fine," she said. "I was a researcher."

Leo blinked. That was not what he was expecting. "A researcher?"

Lisa nodded. "Worked in a private lab. We studied… anomalies."

That word again.

Leo's instincts went on high alert. "You mean, things like the system?"

Lisa's smirk was gone now. "No." She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "I don't know anything about this system, iit just popped up one night, and you know the rest. When I mentioned 'anomalies,' I'm talking about things that shouldn't be possible. People who could do stuff that no one could explain. The system just came… made it obvious."

Leo frowned, his grip tightening around his knee. "You had power before the system?"

Lisa's eyes darkened, a shadow of past secrets crossing her face. "Yeah, but nothing like what we're seeing now. It seems the system enhanced everything."

The gravity of her revelation hung heavily between them. Leo could see it in her eyes, that weight of knowing too much, too heavy for most people to handle.

"And your brother?"" he asked.

"He is just like me." she replied, her voice heavy with concern.

Leo frowned. "What's your next move?"

Lisa's gaze flicked to him, her expression suddenly serious. "Finding my brother."

Leo nodded slightly. He hadn't forgotten. "Any leads?"

She sighed, a rare flicker of uncertainty crossing her face. "No. But if he's alive, he'll be heading somewhere safe. Maybe a stronghold, or—"

A distant explosion cut her off.

Both of them snapped their heads toward the sound. A thick column of black smoke curled into the sky several blocks away.

Lisa's eyes narrowed. "That wasn't just a random fire."

Leo silently agreed. The explosion was too precise, too deliberate. Someone had done that on purpose.

Lisa was already moving. "We should check it out."

Leo hesitated. Rushing toward danger wasn't always the best strategy. But if there was someone or something causing that destruction, it was better to know now than later.

With a quiet sigh, he followed her.

The streets grew quieter as they approached the source of the smoke. The air was thick with soot, and the ground was littered with debris. A collapsed building stood at the center of the chaos, its remains still smoldering.

Leo scanned the area, his grip tightening on his weapon. "This wasn't scavengers," he muttered.

Lisa nodded. "Yeah. This was something else."

Then they heard it. A low, guttural growl.

Lisa tensed. "That didn't sound human."

Leo took a slow step forward, his senses sharp. From the shadows of the wreckage, something moved. A shape. A presence.

Then, glowing red eyes snapped open.

Leo took a slow breath, his fingers twitching. "Impossible... There still should be a month before this," Leo muttered, his mind racing.