Year 3 after the Cataclysm. Cologne, NRW, Germany

Huddled in the corner of a crumbling building, I watched them from the shadows – my sister, our friends, and a handful of survivors.

Their laughter, a sound so rare and precious in these times, wove through the cool night air, brightening the atmosphere of our shelter. It was a celebration after a successful hunt, full of dusty bottles of alcohol and large pieces of rough meat.

We could occasionally treat ourselves to this luxury when the haul was particularly large, albeit it was not often. I sometimes thought it was a waste of resources, but seeing my sister's happiness always made me reconsider.

"And then... I let out a scream and unleashed a nuclear blast of fire, obliterating all of the 100-meter monstrosities!"

Erwin raised his hands just like in the story, drawing amused responses from the group.

"Erwin, I am pretty sure those 'nuclear blasts' can't even burn real paper with your gift," Zoe, my sister, teased him a little.

"Blasphemy! I am clearly the strongest, most handsome member –"

"Aiden, come and join us!" Mia's voice cut through his bragging. "Don't lurk in the shadows all night like a lizard!"

I hesitated, feeling comfortable within the familiar safety of my own company. Yet, the warmth in her voice was like a tug against the isolated bubble I often wrapped myself in.

With a sigh of surrender, I removed my hands from the pockets of my jacket and stepped into the light. A chorus of greetings began right away, making me blush like a rookie celebrity.

"Took you long enough," my sister joked, her eyes twinkling with mirth.

"I was... just enjoying the view."

"You mean brooding in the corner?" Erwin quipped, earning a round of laughter from the group.

I smiled in spite of myself; their joy was infectious, and the savory wafts of sizzling meat were starting to make me salivate.

"Maybe a little," I conceded.

"A little my arse, we both know your puberty is acting up at the age of 25, making you feel like that cool, mysterious dude who leans against the wall with a cigarette in his mouth."

With a quick motion, I buried his head in my arm as my mouth quivered ever so slightly.

"Say that again, you twerp. You should know I don't even smoke."

Mia pointed at Erwin as she tried her hardest to hold back her laughter, his face turning as red as a tomato under my headlock.

I listened to their chatter, contributing when I could, but a part of me remained detached, my thoughts wandering. Every single day, I questioned myself if Zoe would ever feel tired of struggling in this forsaken land, abandoning me to a fate of being alone.

My 'gift' of self-healing was a blessing during dangerous times, but it was also a chasm between myself and everyone around me. My mind kept wandering to "what if" scenarios, even as they joyfully embraced each moment, making the most of the blessings and misfortunes that came their way.

What if I had taken that lethal strike to the lungs?

What if I had placed my arm in front of the infected's rotting teeth?

What if it was me?

"I saw you today," Zoe murmured, leaning in close. "You're always out there. Putting yourself at risk."

I didn't reply immediately, watching the flames as they danced in the cool of the night.

"It's the only way I can keep everyone safe. It's useful."

"But it's taking a toll on you, Aiden. We worry," she confessed, her voice filled with barely contained concern.

My body loosened slightly when I peered at the sincerity in her eyes. "I know. But it's the role I've chosen..."

Halfway through my sentence, my voice freezes.

"Or perhaps, the role that's chosen me."

Zoe nodded, understanding the meaning in my unspoken words. We shared a weary, bittersweet smile and I turned my focus back to the group.

Away from the stresses of the outside world and in the comforting presence of loved ones, I was able to temporarily relieve my worries. These few moments of camaraderie and happiness were our strongest defiance against the darkness that swallowed our world.

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The first light of dawn filtered through the broken windows, softening the crude shelter with its gentle glow.

"Argh..."

I grabbed my head, feeling it pounding with the rare aftermath of the night before. It was a terrible idea to indulge myself in alcohol, and the intense, stale smell of my breath was not helping at all with the hungover.

Even if it wasn't as efficient against poison and drugs as it was against physical wounds, my gift was the only thing keeping me conscious at the moment.

I squinted my eyes with a frown, slowly adjusting to the dim light coming from outside.

The sigh that greeted me was a scattered array of bodies, all deep in slumber after the party last night. My eyebrows wiggled in amusement. I guess I have no right to complain about my headache.

I rose to my feet with some difficulties and tried to move amidst the ocean of bodies, carefully stepping over an old man who was snoring softly on the hard floor. I quietly expressed my apologies, feeling that it was unfortunate the person beneath my feet wasn't Erwin.

It was then I noticed something strange. Lucas, the oldest in our group of five, was missing. He was usually an early riser, so his absence felt unusual, especially when I knew about his constant nightmares every night.

Quietly, I made my way through the shelter, a converted storefront that had become our temporary home. Although we called it that way, the truth was that the place was just a patchwork of salvaged materials, a semblance of safety in this world that had forgotten the meaning of the word.

"Lucas?" I called out softly, mindful not to wake the others.

There was no reply.

I furrowed my brow and strode through the dark hallways of the shelter. The faded remnants of our former lives were all around me; worn books, shattered toys and a couple sun-bleached photographs.

Echoes, ghostly reminders of a time that was so painfully near yet seemed so impossibly far.

I eventually reached the back of the shelter, scrunching up my face every time I heard the heavy thud of my boots on the creaking wooden floor. Apparently, I mistook myself for a liquor tank yesterday; now every sound is like a karate chop to the brain.

This was supposed to be the place where Lucas usually slept, but I only found his makeshift bed empty and a blanket tossed aside.

A sense of unease began to gnaw at me. It wasn't like him to wander off without telling someone, especially not after a night when we had all let down our guards.

I checked the few adjacent rooms, but he wasn't there either. The silence of the shelter suddenly felt heavy, squeezing out the revelry from the night before. "He can't have gotten far."

The cool morning air welcomed me as I dashed outside, providing a temporary relief from my headache. In a state of panic, I frantically whipped my head around, but Lucas was nowhere to be found.

"Lucas!" I called out louder this time, my voice echoing off the ruined buildings.

The only answer I received was the eerie quiet of a world left behind.

I sprinted to Cologne's old town library, where Lucas used to hang out when he was a kid. If there was anywhere he could be in this city, that was it.

Luckily, my prediction came true. Lucas was sitting in the crumbling steps of the tall library, his gaze lost in the distance.

"There you are."

He looked up as I approached, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Hey, Aiden," he patted the space next to him. I sat down, the cold stone of the steps seeping through my worn clothes.

Silence.

None of us dared to speak, afraid to break this sacred peace. Unspoken memories of the Cataclysm hanged heavy between us, a weight only the survivors could lament.

"So... ready for tomorrow?"

I cursed myself for not being a good talker.

Lucas lifted his head and stared off into space, looking yet not seeing.

"You remember how it all started?"

"How could I forget," I replied, "The world went mad in a matter of days."

I never forgot.

The anguish, the terror, the screams. The sight of my parents getting crushed under our house. My sister clinging to me with pale hands while she cried.

"How could I ever forget..."

"Remember the sky? That was the start of everything," Lucas said, gesturing upwards. "Kinda like the sun just noped out, and boom - everything's dark and cold."

The Blackout. It was the event that signalled the beginning of the Cataclysm. The earthquakes, the tsunamis, and the infected came right after it, snowballing into a disaster that wiped out even the most powerful countries.

I shook my head with a fierce gaze.

"Yes, but we are still alive. Even if some God got angry at us and decided to perform a genocide, we are still alive. That's everything that matters. Besides..."

I straighten my back and stare at Lucas.

"The Cataclysm didn't just destroy. It remade the world. And us with it."

"Gifts and curses, uhm?" he murmured. "But what's the point if there aren't any other people to share this new world with?"

"You have us."

His eyes softened a little, "You mean a bunch of children and a psychopath who just throws himself against the infected?"

After I gave him a little shoulder bump, we both started laughing.

"But seriously, sometimes it is hard to distinguish whether someone has a gift or a curse. Do you remember that guy from the bank, when it was just me, you, and Zoe? Even though he could encase himself in ice, he ultimately died while still covered in it."

I thought of my sister's gift, the ability to heal others at the cost of her lifespan. Although the amount of lifeforce was minimal, it revealed a great deal about the true nature of the 'benefits' brought about by the Cataclysm.

People in the early stages of the chaos who had mastered their new skills primarily used them to cause harm, upending the governments' attempts to establish order.

"People like to call them gifts, but I think they are all curses bestowed upon us by some celestial being who grew tired of watching Hollywood blockbusters."

Lucas gave me the side-eye look, a smirk slowly surfacing on his face, "I don't think any God would find your glominess entertaining, Aiden. Just observing you for five minutes would likely be enough to make them seek out a therapist.

"I am not THAT gloomy."

"Ah, so just a hint of mystery with a dash of sunshine, then?"

I know that Lucas is the person I am closest to besides my sister, but sometimes I just wish he would consider a career in deep-sea exploration. Like, really deep. And hopefully stay there.

On the other hand, it was refreshing to see him relax for a while, taking into account his strict and careful personality. With his cursed ability to glimpse futures—but only tragic ones—Lucas had received the short end of the stick.

Lucas, being the sole cursed member of our group, had no one to confide in about his suffering; all we could do was offer him our love and support.

The sun began to rise above the horizon, casting long, ominous shadows over the ruined landscape.

Lucas' gaze narrowed as he stood up.

"We should get back. It's not safe after dawn."

I gave him a little nod and followed his lead back to the shelter. As we walked, I couldn't help but think about the world we had lost and the one we were trying to survive in.

It was a realm of shadows and light, of gifts and curses.

As for us?

We were the ones left to navigate its treacherous paths.