The sun rose slowly, casting slowly a faint light over the shadows in my small, half-destroyed apartment. As my eyes readjusted to the light; the warmth of the sun greeted my skin; the familiar sight of the once bustling metropolis in ruins. A painful reminder of humanity’s loss lingered in the air, a constant echo of what we endured. Two years ago, an alien force entered our atmosphere and released a bombardment. that decimated the planet, twisting skyscrapers. that once stood above the clouds into metallic spires. Streets that were once filled with life and laughter were now twisted into jagged shards; giant cracks and ravines opened up, swallowing buildings whole, and sending foundations plummeting into deeper parts of the city, where the stench of smoke and ash hung heavy. The silence was deafening, interrupted by the distant rumble of settling structures and the faint whisper of the wind through the shattered concrete canyons. 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. In the weeks that followed, people came, wrote the names of their family members, and friends on the standing structures, creating a poignant memorial for the casualties of the bombardment. I remembered writing my mom’s name on the wall, along with my dad’s and my sister’s—Fighting back tears. My mind wrapped around never hearing their voices or seeing their faces or being part of a family again.

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For a while, people fled to the city, seeking refuge underground where some buildings had settled; their crumbling facades were a stark contrast to the once-thriving metropolis. Some sought to forget the past and embrace a better tomorrow, but others like me. We’re just trying to survive in this harsh wasteland As time passed, the relentless electrical storms that ravaged the city drove most people away, but I stayed, scouring the streets and surroundings for valuables; answers.

My mind refused to let me sleep until I discovered why they attacked Earth. This morning, something glinted in the distance, catching my eye - a bar of gold, shining like a beacon in the desolate landscape. Without hesitation, my feet sprinted toward it, my footsteps echoing off the concrete canyons and buildings around me, the only sound in the stillness. As I reached down to pick up the object, the ground beneath me cracked and opened up, a massive sinkhole swallowing me whole and sending my body plummeting into darkness.