It’s my turn to be startled. Hope came and went too fast, but I didn't have time to think about it. I ran around checking if anyone was hurt. In those few minutes, I heard a boom somewhere close and lower bangs sound from all directions. I didn’t need to look to know it must be the result of people blacking out while driving.

‘It’s chaos… What should I do…’

Before I had time to worry about others, a new pop-up of the system came.

Warning! Warning!

Mutation detected, a nearby human is falling. It’s dangerous, get away or get ready to battle.

I looked around as fast as I could after reading the warning. In the ground, nearest to me, I saw my dear mom's skin changing color.

"No, no, no, no... you can’t! System, do something now, you can’t let anything happen to her."

You have three minutes left before the falling is completed.

Do you wish to use ‘antidote’ on this human?

Yes / No

"YES!"

There is no need to think.

The antidote appeared on her neck, being pressed by something invisible, used and disappearing after.

I looked nervous at her and as her skin came back to normal, I breathed a sigh of relief.

‘Thank God, thank God…’

After calming down, I opened the system store, looking at the special items. As I thought, there it was, the antidote, as expensive as it could be.

"Antidote - 500 points"

The system was really generous when it gave me it before, or maybe it's scamming me now, but what can I do...

'System, if a human turns, can I still use the antidote?'

No.

‘Why is that? Isn’t it a mutation? Shouldn’t I be able to reverse it? Or even if not, aren’t they still themselves?’

Fallen humans conscious are devoured by mutated virus, there is only an empty shell, a controlled corpse left.

‘The energy you talked about before, is the cause right?’

The foreign energy is the mutagenic agent.

‘Mutagenic… Anyway, the fall is still caused by a virus, right? Can’t we just become immune? Or can’t humans suffer a mutation too? Adapt to this new world…’

Insufficient right of access.

‘Of course… Can you at least tell me one last thing… Of more than twenty people here, only one almost turned, so can I consider the world is around the same proportion?'

For survival purposes, the host has emitted energy that countered the mutation caused for the first rush of external energy in a radius of fifteen meters.

“First rush? what do you mean?”

Insufficient right of access.

I breathed heavily.

‘Can you tell me the right proportion?’

The real proportion of contaminated people falling in the rush of energy should be three humans to one fallen.

‘If it’s a virus there will be more with time, so 25% is just the beginning… What do the fallen do?’

They will be attracted to vital energy, trying to consume it.

‘By vital energy, you mean life, humans? animals plants?’

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A new food chain will be established, based on the old, but fallen will be more attracted to energy of their original kind.

I closed my eyes, unable to continue asking.

‘Cannibalism, empty shells, corpses… That means something like zombies…’

I looked at everyone, unsure about what we can do in the future.

‘So… when will they wake up?’

The coma induced by the rush of energy in everything will end in ten minutes.

There is 3 minutes 5 seconds left.

I ran around, closing doors and windows and got back, fifty seconds left.

I took a deep breath and lied on the ground. It’s better that no one knows it's not the same for me, this system and things it gives me, aren't something the world would let me have alone, I don't want to be sliced in some laboratory either, because of the slip of tong of someone. So let’s keep it as a motto: if you don’t want a secret to be known, you should keep it to yourself.

I lied and waited, I heard my cousin waking up first and calling people around. When there was enough noise I raised as if I just waked, looking around.

"What happened?"

"We don't know, everyone was sleeping..."

There were screams in the neighborhood house, before he could finish his explanation.

My father got to his feet, ready to go there.

"Dad, wait, we don't know what is happening. Let's call the cops."

"No, what if..."

"Wait, let's call and ask, ok?"

He ignored me and walked to the house door.

"Father..."

I bit my lips and walked to my car, and did as if getting the bow and arrows in the car, but just got them from storage and followed him, my uncles and brother together.

"What do you need that for? Do you even know how to use it?" My brother asked, while my father shook his head and tried to ring the bell, but there was no energy. Then, he began hitting the door and calling:

"Priscila? Marcus? Are you there? What happened? We heard screams?"

Bang... bang... bang…

There was no answer. My sis already tried calling the cops, but it was always busy. We heard screams in many places. Soon there was one just in the street, we turned at the same time, I put the arrow on my bow, nervous.

In the middle of the street there was a man above someone, he pulled with his hands while his face was in direct contact, then his hands sent something dark red to the mouth… Looking better, I was sure… He was eating the person's flesh, ripping it with his bare hands and teeth.

Again, my father wanted to go there, so I hastily pulled him back.

"Go back inside, there is nothing we can do, fast, before it attacks us."

"Do you want me to let her die? That guy is insane."

I looked again, I saw a lot of blood and judging by the place he was feasting in, there is no way she could survive. I could see a few bare ribs thrown in the ground and the exact moment he pulled out a piece of pulsing meat and a lot of blood splashing all around in that moment… I gritted my teeth and said:

"She is dead… He pulled her heart out! There is nothing we can do!"

I was exasperated and scared.

‘How could someone have such strenght…’

So I tried to put some sense of preservation on my father's head, stupidly talking a bit loud, attracting the monster's attention. It looked at us, got up and ran our way, he was a few meters away.

"Back inside, now! Pull him."

I made sure everyone was getting inside, but my dad never left my side, so I said to my brother the last phrase. I walked back with them, holding the arrow ready to shoot.

I knew mentaly how to do it, but at the same time I didn't feel ready to shoot. I was relieved when everyone got inside and I was able to close the door a meter away from that thing.

But I still saw its face close and felt its smell. And I don't feel like going out to meet one of those ever again.

‘Can’t the world just go back to how it was? I want to cry…’

Its eyes were whitish with something black, its skin was purple and cracked, with some grayish liquid oozing out. His mouth was half torn with pieces of meat on its teeth, blood everywhere. And where the body it was eating lied, I saw another one rising up before I finished closing the door.

BANG... BANG... BANG...

It kept hitting the door after we got in. Everyone was in silence. I wasn't the only one who saw that. Probably everyone here was playing that scene in their mind again and again, unable to believe. I motioned for everyone to go inside the house.

Looking at my car, nothing was wrong. I can only hope the piglets and chicks won’t turn into something like that with time...

'Should I just kill them before someone saw or questioned it yet?'

I got the packages that were still inside my car out and left some food and water for the animals there, before closing the car and letting only the windows half open.

My brother and sister walked back to me, seeing the packages, they were surprised, but helped me move them inside.

...

"I prepared for some days away from the city, but it seems like it will help keep us safe inside until we can figure out what's happening…"

I briefly explained the bunch of food and water I took out. My siblings, father, uncles and cousins seemed on edge, but a bit relieved when they saw the food, while everyone else who stayed inside before seemed confused.

While the older generation began discussing what we saw outside, I looked out.

Thank God we have huge walls, if it's zombies, we should be safe. I will just somehow go out later and bring things back, explaining I found it.

Bonus mission: Welcome to Apocalypse! Fallens are everywhere, to survive, you need to be able to kill. Kill as many zombies as you can in the time limit. Tip: Hit the head. Type: Optional. Prize: 10 points for each. Done: 0. Time: 2 hours.

Do you wish to accept?

Yes / No

As if to wake me from my dream, the system issued a bonus mission, telling me I can't continue living in peace, things changed and I need to kill to survive.

Disheartened, I looked at the sky. The stars are brighter tonight, maybe because most of this neighborhood has no energy, only some, not so bright, solar lamps in the street.

My parents house still has energy 'cause father has solar energy and an emergency battery at home. With the many car crashes I heard earlier, who knows if someday there will be someone fixing the fallen wires.

‘I just wanted to study and be a good doctor, why do I have to live the doomsday?!’

I felt depressed for a while, then slapped my cheeks.

'I have to stop.'

I looked back.

'I have someone to protect, I won't lose anyone, I need to be strong.'

Looking at the optional mission again, I reread it.

‘Did it just change its name to what I called those monsters?! Well, it’s better to understand that way, since it’s something cultural… Okay, now focus on what’s matter…’

I need those points to unlock things or even to get another antidote as a backup plan.

'I have two zombies at the door right now...'

Looking at the screen in front of me, I remembered.

'Right! You said something about changing configurations, get this thing out of my face.'

Do you wish to hide notifications?

I almost said yes, but remembered how its timely notification let me save my mother.

'Can’t you be more user friendly and be smaller and transparent until I look or maybe let me know when there is something new with a bip on my mind or something? Or read new ones for me? I won't always be able to stop and read, right? One second distraction could mean losing my life in the future…'

I was confused as to what would be better, since I felt like any option has its down side and at one moment it could be a problem.

'No, just read in my mind when it's urgent, like danger for me or someone near me?'

Processing solicitation...

I waited and soon the screen was smaller, the size of my phone, besides it was transparent when I looked somewhere else and only when I focused on it, it was a solid color. It repeated the pop-up.

'What about reading in my mind when it's urgent? I mean, danger notifications?'

Configuration activated.

‘Great.’

The optional mission was now with a countdown, saying it would reject automatically in three minutes. I looked at my family, before strengthening my resolve, I walked out without being seen, taking the ladder and putting it on the front wall.

‘Okay, I'm ready... I accept it.’