The rain fell harder.

Fleeting footsteps splashed through puddles, the splattering sounds unnervingly loud against the silence of the abandoned street.

A youthful figure ran, their breath held tight, lungs burning—but they couldn’t stop. They wouldn’t stop.

It was behind them.

What was supposed to be a simple scavenging mission to procure supplies had turned into a nightmare. They had barely gathered enough supplies when those things came. Silent. Unseen.

They had belonged to a well-armed team. Guns, training, even a leader blessed with abilities beyond human. Yet It meant nothing. The unknown creatures tore through them effortlessly. No drawn-out fight, no desperate struggle—just a massacre.

Bullets had passed through their blue bodies like they weren’t even there. Blades sliced only air. The creatures had no form, shifting like water, flickering like light. And yet, they could still touch—still tear—still kill.

They had watched their comrades scream as they were ripped apart.

And by sheer, cruel luck, they had escaped.

But not alone.

One of them was still following.

Their chest heaved, heart hammering—whether from exhaustion or sheer terror, they didn’t know. The rain blurred their vision, slicked their grip on the bag strapped to their shoulder. Each step felt heavier. Slower.

They didn’t dare look back.

Because they knew—if they did—

They would see it.

And they weren’t sure if they would be able to keep running if they did.

Just then, a bolt of lightning struck against a nearby tree, it startled the fleeing figure, they stumbled and fell.

‘It’s over!’

Fear gripped their heart. With the monster hot on their heels such a gross misstep could only end in death.

Growl.

They heard the creature approach and closed their eyes. The temperature dropped, and the chill rushed straight to their heart. The hand that was desperately clutching a blood-stained dagger helplessly loosened as their remnant will to fight faded to nothingness.

‘Fuck… might as well. It was a crappy world before and even a shittier one now. I always wanted the apocalypse to come to get rid of my shitty job and the retarded government but what I would give to go back. I would give anything!’

They felt their rapidly thumping heart soothe to a softer sound, not the heated beats of a struggling human but instead a somber countdown to death.

‘It’s too late now though. Jeremy, Sarah… I'm coming.’

The figure thought of their brother and their lover who died in the previous attack as they could do nothing but watch. The reality hadn't time to set in until now. How laughable. They survived the worst of the beginning, the same couldn't be said for most of their companions and family but their flames of life were snuffed out so easily not too long after.

Yet they felt a kind of solace at the precipice of death. At least the days of sporadic hunger, fearfully fighting against other humans for supplies, running away from monsters, or trying to find good hiding places to settle down only to fail or succeed and have it robbed from them by the powerful; cowering and grovelling in front of the superpowered beings.

Those days… they thought they had ended when they finally joined a big enough group with someone with superpowers but now they realized how ignorant and foolish they were.

In such a world, that meager amount of power could do nothing against the dangers they could potentially face. Such was the New World.

A world of devils and their creations.

“Another one?”

Suddenly she heard a lazy voice up ahead, normally the woman would warn those approaching but at this close a distance they were both doomed. The thought of how the figure appeared soundlessly didn't register within her brain.

Boom. Suddenly she heard a low explosion of air and the splashing of water behind her. The wind caressed her hair. She looked behind her in shock to see the remnants of a white haired figure rapidly kicking the dog-like apparition that haunted her to nothingness, his movements so swift they were a blur to her dried weary eyes.

He paused and looked at her as if what he had done was trivial.

“Watch out!” She shouted seeing the dog-like apparition recondense and attempt to attack the grey-skinned man but he swiftly turned around and finished it off again.

This time she could see, his violent punches and kicks, his shiny translucent scales with a tinge of grey reflecting in the dim light from the broken nearby neon screen, his sharp claws and piercing golden eyes that illuminated the darkness. She soundlessly watched the wild dance he did when slaughtering the immaterial creature in disbelief. He did so twice before he waited and it never recondensed.

It was a wild, powerful yet somehow refined display.

She heard him mutter.

“Three this time? Weird. And that feeling again. It's like back then but it's far too faint. How frustrating. What's the connection? eight times at first, fifteen, then twice, the numbers are all over the place.”

Suddenly he stopped muttering to himself and looked up, there she saw a flock of the dog like creatures head their way.

There were even more of them heading their way than the entirety of the pack that ambushed her and her previous team!

‘It’s over this time. God, why are you so cruel.’

The woman laughed in misery as her budding feelings of hope were squashed just as soon as they were born. No matter how powerful the newcomer was, he couldn't handle so many of them.

Even those scary abnormal monsters that occasionally roamed the streets would avoid such a large swarm of those vicious dog shaped apparitions.

She heard him click his tongue in annoyance then shout,

“Oi psycho, make yourself useful.”

She only felt a barrage of violent flames assault her senses as if she was tossed in a sauna or on the cusp of an explosion but she couldn't care less, she watched in disbelief as the creatures cried in misery and even attempted to flee as the violent flames swallowed them whole.

“Are you ok?” A gentle voice grounded her in reality as if belonging to an ephemeral angel, asked from behind her as a delicate hand touched her shoulder.

*

Casey only felt an overwhelming sense of surrealism sweep her off her feet. As if she had died and this was a hallucination in death, but it was too chaotic to be as such. It was like watching the world go on from an outsider's perspective, but what kind of world was this?

She gazed upon the eye-catching figures roaming about and conversing as the blond angel-like woman spoke to her softly, the painful cuts and bruises she suffered faded almost instantly, noticing the piece of broken shrapnel lodged within her chest healed over by scarred flesh, she then murmured for a second then went to a different room to fetch her tools.

“The idiot’s flames are the natural bane of those water type creatures. It's annoying having to kill them repeatedly to make sure they stay dead.”

The white-haired fellow sat down on a luxurious sofa. This whole place was luxurious, it was the inside of an RV that looked like some expensive penthouse hotel suite.

“At least you can kill them, no matter what we do we can't, even if we destroy them dozens of times.” An intimidating but cool beauty muttered as she smoked a fat cigar, she was wearing camouflage pants like those in the military.

Were these people from the military?

“It's natural, that's the kind of the place the New World is. You can't kill some things with just raw force. For those Water Hounds, the normal method is to use fire-attributed cards but mortal fire is also effective, just much less potent. In these cases, without the right method, the right thing to do is run away.”

The white-haired man was eating a lavish meal, even in the days pre-apocalypse she would never hope to eat like such a feast even if she treated herself after payday or during vacation. It looked like a fancy presentation from an upscale restaurant or something she would see on TV.

“Hoh~ even the Almighty O’Brien has to run away?” Another beautiful woman snarkily commented. What was in the air here? Everyone was drop-dead gorgeous and not the normal kind but the almost unreal kind that you had to look closely to make sure you weren't dreaming.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Was she dreaming? Did she actually die in the bloody jaws of those liquid hounds?

“I'm not all-powerful, I never said I was. But I'm for sure a lot stronger than a stupid blonde who fell out of the sky and almost died because she forgot to track her card essence. If Rose hadn't saved you, you'd be roadkill right now.” The man called O’Brien lightly retorted with a calm visage but the strawberry blonde beauty was furious. Her delicate face was flushed red.

“Now, now calm down everyone, it's time for dessert.” Another drop-dead beauty with blood-colored hair interrupted bringing desserts to the arguing duo.

Just then, someone touched her, diverting her attention.

“Don't worry too much, they do this all the time.” A smiling woman with brown hair patted her shoulder in a comforting motion, she was dressed in dirty clothes, unlike the refined appearance of everyone else. In many ways, she looked so much like herself.

“Who are you?” She asked, finally getting a chance to speak as everyone else ignored her.

The woman looked over to her three companions who appeared quite dreary.

They were naturally the four captured foes from the Oscar Benedict Hospital, they had been tagging along for quite a long time now and could barely move freely at this point.

“We're just some prisoners who are alive until we prove useful.” The woman cracked a wry smile as she enviously watched the main personalities eat their desserts from the corner of her eye. She had already finished her cheese and cracker meal that they were given for their dinner. Unless the evil white-haired fellow fell asleep early, the red hair beauty wouldn't be able to sneak them better food.

“!” Cassey felt a lump stuck in her throat. Was she captive? It didn't feel like it?

As if sensing her train of thoughts, the woman laughed with a hint of amusement.

“We are, you're not. Miss Rose and Lady Lea take in stragglers like you from time to time. Although they pay to do so in different ways, you needn't worry, it's of no direct cost to you. You'll be set free once we stop in a safe place or meet other survivors.”

Casey breathed a sigh of relief, indeed she was well taken care of by the blonde and didn't sense any malice or ulterior motives in her care. It was like an angel's touch.

Casey was curious about the team that rescued her, and it seemed that this woman had the answers so she quickly opened her mouth, “They… they… Who are they? I haven't seen such good food since the end times began, and this RV too. It's not something normal people can keep a hold of. We had a luxury bed in our first base, unable to move it. They destroyed it to make sure no one else got it the moment we had to leave. Something like this, a flock of people would have occupied it as soon as the world ended. If they couldn't for whatever reason they would trash it.”

Humans were like that.

Casey found it hard to believe that so many compounded luxuries could exist untouched, one was already noteworthy, but their sum, was even more so. Whether it was danger from humans or monsters she couldn't understand how the RV could exist in such a pristine condition. Fuel was one thing, what powered this beast? She also heard the TV in the background, what in God's name was happening here?

Even if they stumbled upon an RV, most facilities either shouldn't work and should have stopped working without the proper know-how, materials, resources and so on.

The woman laughed, “You should throw your cognizance of normal out when it comes to them. Can normal people wipe out so many monsters with ease? Can normal people eat hot well cooked meals four times a day on these times? Can normal people use more than one card? Do normal people even have a healer amongst them… the list goes on. These days I've spent with them have reduced my shock factor but it's still quite the sight.”

“We… We live in a New World of horror, loss, despair, and bloodshed but that's not the world they live in. Or to be more accurate, not the world he lives in.” She shook her head as she sighed. The disparity between their qualities of life was just that stark. Some people were born with a golden spoon in their mouth, before meeting O’Brien's squad, she would have never expected this to be true even in a world of monsters and super-powered individuals.

“What happened to you?” The woman asked curiously, seeing her ragged clothes.

Casey couldn't help but sigh, “They came out of nowhere. Since the apocalypse began we've met a handful of different types other than the ‘boss’ monsters roaming about that we tend to avoid. The most we had to deal with were some calf-sized lizards, occasionally we'd meet some larger ones with thick armour-like skin but with high firepower or a superpowered human, we'd be able to pull through. But those things were different.”

She shivered at just the thought of the creatures, “Physical attacks went right through them yet their jaws could still rip apart our flesh and their claws dug into our bodies.”

Casey saw an experienced version of herself in the woman and their similar situations and positions lowered her guard. Her bottled-up feelings leaked through her like a hole was punctured in the cap of her heart.

Suddenly, she remembered something she had said.

“You said payment? But I don't have to pay?” She asked curiously. It was a strange notion now that she thought about it.

“Yes. Sir O’Brien is not one to take a loss but healing persons and saving them sometimes comes at a cost, however little to him. At first, he refused no matter how the madams begged but later they worked out a deal, I'm not sure about the specifics but Miss Jules has to stay quiet for a few hours in the day and I think there is some payment plan with cards that the madams give to him.”

The female captive wasn't sure about all the details but she could see a lot from daily observations. And indeed she was right, there was a deal brokered between the four women and O’Brien at this point.

The words sir and madam rolled off her tongue like a square cube of sugar, she wasn't used to such words but power commanded respect in these times.

And indeed it was she had explained, currently the group had a system where O’Brien allowed them to save people on several conditions.

Firstly, Lea heals O’Brien for free whenever he wishes. Secondly, Jules had to stay quiet for at least 4 hours a day. Thirdly, They paid him in cards varying from each patient or refugee to every ten salvaged from various situations. Finally, they only rescued individuals when they had free time or within lax situations barring powerful monster presences within the environment.

A chittering voice cut through the brief period of silence within the RV.

“Huhu. I am pretty awesome aren't I revered one? Lady Jules, I've been working hard as of late to prove my undying love for you. Please take a moment to listen to this poem I have composed for you.” Lucas suddenly nudged the simmering Jules.

“My fair lady~ Thou aren't brighter than the morning sun~ Fair maiden—”

“Shut up Lucas!” O’Brien and Jules said in unison. They were already annoyed enough without a semi-psychotic involved.

“...” The excited Lucas quickly deflated like a balloon.

But he secretly clenched his fists.

One day he will slowly be accepted by the team and not be called a freeloader. He will be called the great and handsome and peerlessly magnificent Lucas.

He abruptly fell into a daydream about the bright ‘future’ with their love for him.

Then he was kicked across the sofa by none other than his beloved who stole his heart with fierce persona and unabated emotions.

None of them knew for sure when it happened but the crazy fellow actually fell for Jules.

“Take the other two from the corner and scram outside. It's past 11.” Jules coldly spat with crossed arms. His beloved wasn't as reciprocating to his feelings, however.

Lucas begged her to stay a few more minutes but she didn't budge.

Casey looked over to her new companion who anticipated her question, “Men apart from Sir O’Brien never stay inside overnight. Miss Jules insists on it and the others don't seem to oppose this arrangement either.”

Her two fellow male hostages were used to it and nodded to her, the remaining female hostage, and Casey as they went outside.

Watching them leave, Casey couldn't help but ask, “Is it safe for them to be outside so late at night?”

“Normally no, but the monsters never come too close to the RV. Don't bother asking why not. I'm curious as well but it's not something we can ask as outsiders. On occasion they do approach but Sir Lucas is out there. You've seen him in action, ordinary monsters are nothing to him.” The female hostage shook her head.

The women might seem normal on the surface but they were still scarred from the previous situation that O’Brien orchestrated to teach them a lesson; where they were assaulted in their sleep.

Even Rose only weakly argued for the men's sake before Lucas was a part of the equation and also expelled to the outside, now she kept quiet and barely said a thing each night. Sometimes she would sneak snacks to them before they left but that was as far as her benevolence extended.

“What exactly are they? I’ve met other superpowers but even they weren't this exaggerated?” Casey looked over the lazy O’Brien who had just finished another argument with Jules and was heading off to bed. His previous fierce fighting demeanor replayed in Casey's mind. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before.

“I couldn't tell you. All I can say is that they seem to know something about the apocalypse, those cards— Ahem, anyway it's about time to hit the hay so we should go to sleep. Our beds are over there with the sheets and pillows.” The woman was about to explain but her female companion nudged her and she followed her gaze to see Roya looking over in their direction, she quickly shut up and changed the subject.

Casey was curious but she wasn't stupid and stifled her other questions seeing the two women lie down to sleep.

It had been quite a long day.

*

The next morning came without issue, the bright dawn of nature pushed away the shroud of clouds and nudged the spirits of all living beings to wake up for the new day.

Rose woke up early as usual to do breakfast but the fridge was empty as she had forgotten to restock last night. Moreover, O'Brien, who held the storage cards, was also absent for some reason.

On a rare occasion, Jules awoke early as well.

“That's odd? We had to hunt by ourselves these last few weeks because he sleeps like a pig every two days before going out. Today is one of his second days and he should still be in bed.” She let loose a low exclaim of surprise noticing his absence.

Roya looked solemn, “I heard him pass by this morning, it was early. It has already been five hours since then.”

The four women exchanged glances. This matter was far too strange. O’Brien quite treasured his beauty sleep and would sleep like he was dead for hours on end without interruption but now he had broken out of this ingrained habit.

Nothing good could come of it based on their understanding of him.

“Is Lucas here?” Lea suddenly questioned, and then they all realized that he was absent as well and the other two men stationed outside were hiding in the shadows to keep out of danger in the face of their stalwart protector's absence.

If they were only mildly unsettled before, now unease had completely shrouded their hearts.

Time passed by with each drip of the kitchen faucet’s pipe. Each drip weighed heavy in their hearts.

Casey and the other two women awoke sometime afterward to the room in complete silence and were afraid to let out a peep.

The passage of time continued however slowly to anxiously waiting women.

Their wait ended on the cusp of noon when the two men returned covered in wounds. Lucas looked to be near death and it took a while for Lea to save him. O’Brien looked similarly miserable but his were mostly flesh wounds. Once they were both stabilized she couldn't help but ask, “What exactly happened?”

The current O’Brien wasn't one to be trifled with and his combat power had only increased since the last days began. Even Rose was left behind in every aspect as of a few days ago, despite her own rapid improvements.

O’Brien looked at the anxious women and didn't ignore their concern as was typical of him. Perhaps he was just that unsettled by the situation or perhaps they were finally accepted into his dreary scarred heart.

Or perhaps he wasn't O’Brien at all and a doppelganger took his place.

“I sensed something off last night, we're just about in range of the target destination after these past few days of traveling so I figured I’d scout ahead to be safe.” O’Brien let out a depressed sigh, his head tilted towards the ceiling as if searching for something unknown and his idle fingers rapping against the ceramic tabletop.

It was an unexpected development to his sought-after easy gains.

He was quite looking forward to obtaining those rare resources, picking them up without effort like plucking grass from the earth. But of course, nothing ever went according to plan, especially when you most wanted it to.

When he arrived at his destination, the buried fears within his subconscious broke through to the surface in the form of a menacing army.

“It's the sickle beetles again, it seems they're forming a nest there. Not only does that mean I'm out of luck but they would only migrate enough masse like this if their nest was about to shift. That itself has its own implications…”

Their heightened activity could only mean that the queen had advanced once more. And she needed a suitable new location and enough sustenance and energy to produce the next batch of soldiers. Her previous nest would be unsuitable for their creation and growth. If it has developed to this state and truly stepped foot into the next tier of transcendence then she would not only have generals but also ‘royal bloodlines’.

Her own bloodline’s shackles would have been broken and a whole new world would be opened for her to explore.

Four months into the apocalypse, the Queen of Sickle Beetles had achieved the second tier of transcendence.