The town’s remains unfolded before Anders, Sera, and Zayzal, making them realize that things were worse than they imagined. It was like they were in the middle of a zombie apocalypse without any zombies.

People looked terrified to leave their houses, and the roads were a mess. Wrecked cars were all over the place.

Zayzal, choosing to take a little detour, walked over to a nearby truck. It had red blood stains splashed on the windows and seats. He could guess what might’ve happened but just wanted to check it out.

He pulled on the door handle, and surprisingly, it was unlocked. However, when it swung open, an unbearable stench of rotten flesh overwhelmed his senses, nearly causing him to stumble.

“Holy-!” He exclaimed, pinching his nose, but that hardly made it any better.

“Oh my god! Zayzal, what’d you do?!”

“Close it! Close the door!”

His two companions yelled as the stink reached them, but he ignored them and peered his head inside the door. The key was still in the ignition, but the entire front seat was covered in dried human flesh. It looked like someone swallowed a bomb and was obliterated into a million pieces.

Zayzal felt like he was going to puke at the dreadful sight but pushed down any bile that threatened to come up.

‘...Whoever was in here must’ve exploded.’ He thought, forcefully taking in the sight. He didn’t want to look away from this. What was in front of him was a reminder that the world was different now.

‘I’m glad I survived.’ A shiver ran down his spine when he thought back to that day almost a week ago. But this begged the question, will something like this happen again?

What if this was just the beginning? If it happened once, it could certainly happen again.

Was he prepared for that to happen?

‘No.’ Zayzal shook his head. ‘I’m not. I still barely know what’s going on.’

He reflected on his journey here, wondering if he was really giving his all. The next cataclysm or human extinction event could be right around the corner. If he was half-assing his way through the apocalypse, there was no way he’d survive something worse!

‘I think I’ve done my best, but we could be doing more. More dungeons, more training, and gathering more information. We can’t skimp out on any room for growth!’ He closed his eyes and took a moment to rationalize these thoughts before he opened them, his gaze much clearer.

If before he just wanted to check on his parents, now he had a goal: To grow as much as possible in the quickest way possible and treat the current situation as if he was on borrowed time.

A blanket of silence descended on the trio as Zayzal gently closed the door to the truck. Anders shifted uneasily. The gruesome scene was branded in his mind. He hadn’t seen such a thing before since he was alone when the light descended.

“Z-Zayzal,” Anders’ voice trembled slightly, ripples of apprehension weaving through his tone. “What happened in there?”

Zayzal looked into Anders’ eyes and inwardly nodded, seeing the discomfort in them. If he was fine seeing something like that, he may have had to reconsider just how trustworthy this new companion of his could be. “That’s the result of what happened the day mana descended. Those are the people who didn’t survive.”

Anders fell silent. ‘...Things are worse than I thought.’

Zayzal left him to his own thoughts and returned to Sera’s side.

Suddenly, a blaring siren echoed across the region, followed by a static male voice.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I address you today amidst a severe crisis that endangers our nation. The Danish Government, after extensive consultations, has reluctantly declared a state of emergency.

This grave step, a last resort, responds to the fall of our capital, sightings of monsters and rabid animals, catastrophic storms, and public unrest.

In this emergency, we will enact necessary measures for citizen safety, including deploying military and police, enforcing dusk curfews, and border restrictions. These actions aim to maintain public safety and order.

We acknowledge the inconvenience and restrictions these measures bring. However, they are essential for our collective security and will be enforced fairly, respecting our laws and international duties.

We commit to regular updates and urge citizen cooperation with authorities during these challenging times.

Our democracy stands firm, prioritizing transparency, accountability, and human rights. The duration of these measures will be continually evaluated, aiming for a swift return to normalcy.

In unity, we will surpass this crisis. Your safety is paramount. Thank you for your vigilance and cooperation. Stay safe.”

The siren began to repeat itself, drowning out any other noise. Zayzal, Sera, and Anders just looked at each other with a heavy heart.

“Well, shit…” They all muttered, their expressions grave.

The Danish government just declared Martial Law. It wasn’t that surprising when they thought about it. Instead, the announcement came late.

However, while this was good for the Danish people, it was a huge pain for them. Their whole goal was to leave the country, after all!

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Curfew? Detainment? Borders closing? They didn’t have time for that!

“Let’s hurry up.” Zayzal, to which the others immediately nodded. Tightening their gear on their backs, they took off in a quick jog, following Anders' lead.

Not even half an hour later, the town was now paired with an unsettling hum in the air, a consequence of the many engines roaring above and around them.

Military helicopters, flying lower than was comfortable, scanned the streets below, their spotlights sweeping across the buildings and roads like eerie lighthouse beams piercing through a fog despite it being midday.

The previous pristine blue skies were now dominated by military jets soaring at a higher altitude, their formation tight and purposeful. Every now and then, the trio would see the planes drop supplies via parachutes. Designated drop zones had clearly been marked, with citizens rushing out to gather food, medicine, and other essentials.

On the ground, police cars, now reinforced with armored vehicles, sped past the trio, their sirens adding to the cacophony of emergency sounds. The group had to sidestep several times to avoid being swept up in the surge of official vehicles patrolling the roads.

The atmosphere had shifted palpably. An equally menacing order now replaced the calm yet dangerous atmosphere they had first encountered.

Soldiers in full tactical gear, rifles in hand, stood at important intersections, their demeanor serious and on edge. Civilians who dared to venture out of their homes were stopped, questioned, and often directed back inside. They were almost forced to stay inside unless they had a good reason to be out.

Supposedly, it was for their own safety, but the trio remained skeptical.

“If they really cared, they’d go take care of the monsters and quit with all this nonsense,” Zayzal murmured as they crossed a corner.

“There are probably teams handling that right now. This is just how it goes when things are bad and a country declares Martial Law.” Anders responded. He’s never been through something like this, but since he was in the military, he understood a few more things than Zayzal.

However, Zayzal wasn’t convinced. “I suppose, but it could also be that people have started going crazy with their new powers, and the country wants to put a stop to that.”

“...” Anders remained silent, but that was all Zayzal needed to hear. That’s exactly what he was worried about.

“What’s the plan?” Sera whispered to Zayzal, not caring about their conversation since government or politics had little meaning to her.

“Let’s just get to Anders’ place and get out of here.,” replied Zayzal, switching the conversation.

Anders, whose face was pale, nodded in agreement. “It’s parked in an underground lot. Hopefully, that means it hasn’t been taken or looted.”

About an hour later, as they moved, they saw a group of civilians being herded into a makeshift holding area by a contingent of soldiers. A megaphone voice rang out: “Stay calm. All civilians are to stay indoors after dark. If you have nowhere to go, then please follow us to a secure location. ”

Zayzal couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. Every corner they turned, every alley they navigated, the feeling intensified. “We should avoid the main streets,” he muttered.

A sudden noise from above caused them to halt. A chopper spotlight had locked onto an area a couple of blocks ahead of them, capturing a group of youths spray-painting anarchy symbols onto a building. They didn’t realize what was really happening and were just playing around.

Within moments, soldiers swarmed the location, detaining the youngsters swiftly.

Using this distraction to their advantage, the trio made a beeline for a side alley that would hopefully lead them closer to Anders’ apartment complex.

The alleyways, narrower and less patrolled, offered relative safety. Still, the maze-like structure of these back roads proved challenging. Their progress was slowed by barricades and detours, which had been placed seemingly randomly.

Finally, after hours, Anders pointed to a tall apartment block in the distance. “That’s my place. We’re almost there.”

Navigating their way closer, they could make out a military vehicle stationed at the entrance to the underground lot. Soldiers, with their backs turned, were inspecting the parking garage.

The trio took cover behind a nearby building, their eyes locked onto the entrance of the underground parking lot.

“What do we do?” Sera whispered, her eyes darting back and forth.

“We need a diversion,” Zayzal muttered, his mind racing.

Anders scanned the surroundings, looking for any potential tools or objects they could use. His gaze landed on a nearby pile of construction materials left next to a half-finished building. Among the scattered materials, there were some metal rods, bricks, and a lone gas can.

Zayzal followed Anders’s gaze, and an idea began to form. “What if we create a small fire? Nothing too big, just enough to attract their attention.”

Anders nodded, “We could use the gas can and some of those rags over there. But we’ll have to be quick.”

Sera chimed in, “I’ll find a torch or something to start the fire. Just prepare the materials.”

The trio sprang into action. Anders and Zayzal quietly made their way to the pile of construction materials, picking up the gas can and a few rags. Drenching the rags in gas, they placed them strategically near the construction materials, ensuring they were out of direct line of sight from the soldiers at the entrance.

Once they were ready, they retreated to a safer distance.

Fortunately, Sera was able to find a torch fairly quickly. She lit a ripped t-shirt on fire and tossed it on the rags, which immediately caught fire. The flames licked the nearby materials, and in no time, thick black smoke began to billow into the sky.

“Fire! Fire!” The distant shouts of panicked civilians began to rise, catching the soldiers' attention at the parking garage entrance. They immediately abandoned their post, rushing towards the source of the commotion.

“That’s our chance!” Zayzal said, gesturing for the group to move. They darted towards the parking garage, keeping low and using the parked vehicles as cover.

Inside, the dimly lit space was a maze of cars and shadows. Anders led the way, zigzagging between vehicles until they reached a large black SUV.

“That’s it,” Anders whispered, unlocking the vehicle and gesturing for the others to get in.

They quickly climbed inside, with Anders taking the driver’s seat. The engine roared to life, echoing throughout the garage. They didn’t have much time.

Navigating out of the lot, Anders floored the gas pedal, aiming to put as much distance between them and the scene of their diversion as possible.

As they exited the garage, they could hear the distant sirens, and the familiar hum of the helicopter blades grew louder. But they were already on the move, darting through side streets and alleys, hoping to evade the military’s watchful gaze.

“We need to get out of the city, now!” Zayzal urged, his voice laced with urgency as he gripped the edge of his seat. The SUV lurched around another corner, tires screeching against the battered road.

The once-bustling city had morphed into an array of destruction and despair. Buildings stood like hollowed-out skeletons, their windows shattered, along with evidence of monsters having come through the area at some point.

Sera‘s eyes widened as she peered out of the rear window. “Every second counts. We can’t afford to be spotted,” she whispered, scanning the rearview for any signs of pursuit.

Anders was white-knuckling the steering wheel, navigating the maze of destruction. “I’ve got this,” he said, his tone a mix of resolve and apprehension. “There’s an old service route, not well-known, should be clear of checkpoints. It's our best shot.” His eyes darted between the road and the rearview mirror, alert to any threat that might emerge from any of the crumbling buildings and narrow alleyways.

As they sped through the deserted avenues, the trio glimpsed brief snapshots of the chaos left behind: a playground, now eerily silent, where the swings moved listlessly in the wind; a row of shops, their contents spilled out onto the sidewalk.

The city's edge loomed ahead, a stark line where the concrete jungle gave way to the open expanse of the countryside. Beyond lay their only chance at escape, a fleeting hope of evading detainment from the country’s military.