Moonlight spilled over the outskirts of the forest, casting an eerie glow onto it. There I was, standing over an animal—or at least what seemed like one. It was an antelope, but it wore human clothing and carried a backpack. Its face, twisted in fear, and the most shocking part was that it spoke in our common language.

"Please don't hurt me, please," it begged.

I stumbled back, my eyes widen in shock. "What are you?" I managed to ask looking at it in total disbelief.

The antelope stammered, "I-I'm Lakatu, the fifth of the Animan species. Please, don't eat me, I'm too young and I have kids." It closed its eyes and covered its face with its hooves.

Taking a cautious step closer, I leaned in. "Hey, don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you."

Lakatu peeked at me with one eye. "So, you're not going to eat me?"

"Of course not," I replied.

Suddenly, a bighorn sheep burst out of the bushes. "Don't you dare try anything, you damned evil human!" it shouted. "I know your wicked intentions, and I know aikido. Be warned!"

It started flailing its limbs, mimicking martial arts moves and goes. "Hi-yah! Aiyah! Eeee-yah!"

I watched, dumbfounded, then I could not contain myself as I burst into laughter so hard that tears streamed down my face.

The two Animan glanced at each other, bewildered. "Oh man, you are a funny one," I said, still chuckling.

After a moment, I regained my composure and took a deep breath. "I think there's been a misunderstanding," I said, reaching out my hand. "I'm Keinan, and yes, I'm human. But who are you?"

The bighorn sheep jumped back; eyes shut tight. "Ahh!"

I just stood there, my hand outstretched, waiting.

The two Animan glanced at each other, confused by my reaction. "Oh man, you are a funny one," I said, still chuckling.

After laughing, I regained my composure, took another deep breath, and tried to clear up the misunderstanding. "Come on, you are overreacting. I'm not going to do anything funny, alright? I'm just trying to shake your ha-I mean hoof. What's your name, Bighorn?"

The bighorn sheep looked at me with hesitant look before stepping closer. It slowly extended its hoof and touched my hand, introducing itself with caution. "I-I'm Tharnok the fourth," it said. "Tharnok of the fourth of Animan species."

Lakatu, still trembling, stammered, "So you do not plan to hunt and eat us like the other humans?"

I tilted my head, puzzled. A voice inside me hissed, "Now that he mentioned it, he does look quite appetizing, don't you think?" I pushed the thought away and focused on Lakatu. "Actually, I'm, uh, vegetarian. I don't eat meat, especially not talking ones."

The Animans exchanged glances, their fear slowly melting away into relief. They exhaled as if they'd been holding their breath for years.

"Why did you think I was going to eat you guys?" I asked, genuinely curious.

Tharnok's eyes darkened with old pain. "Humans have done this for centuries," he began. "We've been bred and hunted for your consumption, causing our numbers to dwindle. Species became rarer, and some even disappeared forever."

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Each word hit me like a hammer, and I felt a deep shame settle in my chest. My mind replayed Tharnok's words, the weight of history pressing down on me. "I-I'm really sorry for that," I muttered, my voice breaking. "I know all too well how it feels to be hunted and..."

The Animans watched me, their expressions softening. The silence between us was heavy, yet it conveyed more than words ever could. My posture, the way I carried myself, spoke volumes about the pain and loss we both understood.

I then broke the silence. "How can you speak our language?"

Lakatu tilted his head, a glimmer of nostalgia in his eyes. "After years of evolution and radiation," he began, "we started to change." He gestured to a pile of old, worn books in his backpack. "We found these, learned from them. And there was a human, Adam," Lakatu's voice softened, "he taught us. He was the only one who showed us kindness. But that was thousands of years ago."

"Amazing," I breathed, my mind racing with this revelation. "You learned all of this from books and a single human? Incredible."

Tharnok then glanced at Lakatu with clear urgency in his eyes, he said. "Lakatu, we have to go now. We're going to be late. The chief will be mad."

Lakatu turned to me with a hint of regret in his voice. "Oh well. It was really nice meeting a human like you, Keinan. I would like to talk some more but as Tharnok just said, we really have to go, or we'll be in trouble."

"It's okay Lakatu I understand but can we meet up again tomorrow?" I asked quickly, my voice filled with desperation. "I'd love to learn more from you guys." I then pointed to the distant mountains. " You see, I came from a bunker up there. For centuries, we've been holed up, knowing nothing about the outside world. It would mean a lot to me"

Thornak's stern gaze met Lakatu's pleading eyes. After a moment of silent communication, Thornak sighed heavily as a sign of being convinced by Lakatu. "Alright then, meet us tomorrow by the big tree over there at sunrise. Do not be late," he said, his tone firm.

A broad smile spread across my face. "You got it!" I said, barely containing my excitement.

Lakatu and Thornak returned my smile, waving goodbye before turning and darting into the forest, their figures quickly swallowed by the shadows of the trees.

Standing there alone, my excitement still bubbling, the hissing voice inside me interrupted. "Hihihi, nice seeing you make new friendly pets, boy. But haven't you forgotten something important?"

A thunderbolt of realization hit me. "Oh shit, I have to warn them" I muttered, my heart racing as the urgency returned. I remembered the soldiers and the dire need to warn the people in the bunker.

Without wasting another second, I took off up the path towards the mountain. The tall grass slashed at my legs, but I barely felt it. I pushed myself harder, using my power to accelerate, my legs moving in a blur as I raced against time.

The path ahead was narrow and winding, snaking its way up the mountain. Above, the moonlight cast an eerie glow over the rugged terrain, highlighting jagged rocks and gnarled roots that protruded from the earth. The air carried the heavy scent of damp moss and the faint, lingering odor of decay from the ruined city below.

Arriving at the bunker gate, my heart plummeted at the sight of its shattered remnants, strewn across the ground like broken promises. The voice inside me hissed again, "Looks like we're late to the party, boy."

"No," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the rush of wind and the distant echoes of chaos. I sprinted past the wreckage, ignoring the twisted metal and shattered concrete that had once protected us.

Inside, darkness enveloped me like a shroud as I darted down the corridor. Moonlight filtered through cracks of bullet holes in the ceiling, casting eerie shadows that danced across the walls. Each step echoed ominously, punctuated by the sight of people I knew. The lifeless bodies of colleagues and friends, lay sprawled across the floor. Their faces, frozen in death, spoke of fear and defiance in equal measure.

Strangely, they were all men; none of the bodies were women.

Dread gnawed at my gut as my mind began to race. Then, I started to wonder about my parents and Faith, fearing for their safety.

I stumbled over debris, my breath catching in my throat as I recognized familiar faces frozen in death. Anguish and rage intertwined within me, fueling my determination to rescue my family and uncover the truth meaning behind this massacre.

The bunker, once a symbol of safety, now felt like a tomb. I pressed forward, heart pounding, mind racing with questions and rage. Every corner turned revealed more devastation, more loss. Yet, amidst the wreckage, each steps became a race against time... "Please, let me make it in time!"