The sun rose slowly, casting a faint light over the shadows in my small, half-destroyed apartment. I woke up and rubbed my eyes-feeling the warmth of the sun on my skin looking out the window. The once bustling metropolis was a wasteland. Two years ago, an alien force entered our atmosphere and unleashed a storm of bombs that decimated the planet Skyscrapers that once soared above the clouds were now twisted.  The air was silent, except for the occasional gust of wind. A painful reminder of humanity’s loss. Millions of people died that day, reducing Earth’s population by half. The alien invaders left without a trace, leaving us to wonder why they attacked us and what they wanted. Some people theorized they were looking for resources, others said they were testing their weapons. Weeks later, individuals came and wrote the names of their loved ones, family members, and friends on a wall as a memorial to the people that died during the bombardment. I remember writing my mom’s name on the wall, along with my dad’s and my sister’s.  People fled the cities and sought refuge underground, in the hopes of both surviving and rebuilding, attempting to forget, embracing a better tomorrow, but not me, I stayed looking for valuables and answers.  This morning, something had glinted in the distance that looked like a bar of gold. Without thinking, I sprinted towards it. My footsteps echoing in the streets. And then the ground beneath me opened up into a large sinkhole As I plummeted downwards, my life seemed to flash before my eyes. Each attempt to grab the walls resulted in my hands and arms being sliced by the jagged surface, leaving a crimson trail. My mind raced as the ground approached me. Something snagged my clothes, slowing my descent just enough to cheat death. The impact nearly knocked me unconscious, but as my eyes adjusted to my surroundings. With my adrenaline drained my body went limp And my eyes began to blur but After a while my motor functions and senses starting return I forced to the pain and shredding my shirt into makeshift bandages and forced myself up As The fuzziness in my vision Started to clear, Ahead of me was a dimly lit tunnel its walls reverberating with the haunting sounds of dripping water and hissing pipes Laying the groundwork for an Oppressive and foreboding, atmosphere weighed.  After reaching the end of the tunnel, a massive door greeted me with its steel surface scarred and battered. A small gap separated the door from its frame, allowing a Glint of light to escape. I squeezed through the narrow opening; my heart leaped into my throat as lights started flickering. The air was thick with overgrowth, plants that gave off an otherworldly glow and odor, casting eerie shadows on the walls. Its strange atmosphere overwhelmed my senses.  The room was empty except for a couple of monitors and stations in the corners. The walls were in a state of disrepair, with large holes ripped through them. In the middle was a glass cube; inside, a girl was curled up in a fetal position, lifeless except for the gentle rise and fall of her chest. She was wearing a white hospital gown with three letters embroidered on the front: AIC.