The beginning of the end.

The screen of my old phone flickers with the all-too-familiar face of the streaming idiot. Watching him use his icy powers to fight monsters, while simultaneously seeking donations, brings an involuntary smirk to my face. A sigh slips out. "For someone that has an ability such as that to make such a stupid decision... What a moron."

The shrill chime of the news alert interrupts my thoughts. I turn my attention to the TV, but the static image that soon replaces the panicked anchor makes my heart sink. [The government is not responding, military bases are falling left and right!] And just like that, the screen goes black.

Pushing myself off the threadbare couch takes more effort than I care to admit. I stretch lazily, trying to get rid of the stiffness. "I've been stuck in this damn apartment for years," I grumble, rubbing my temples. I pull back the grimy curtains to glance outside. Buildings crumble, fires rage, and the cacophony of the city's chaos fills the air. It figures. The one time I think about going outside, this happens.

"Now that everything's going to hell... I guess it's time to leave," I mutter, the weight of the world dragging down every word. "A mountain... Yeah, maybe a remote mountain. But honestly, why does it have to be so remote? Just my luck." I let out a soft, sarcastic chuckle.

Rubbing my tired eyes, I gather my meager supplies: some food and water. I guess I need something to defend myself too. Heading into the kitchen, I glance over the few utensils. Not exactly an arsenal. But that chair? Might be worth a shot. With a grunt, I snap off a leg. "Well, it's something."

With a last, lingering look at my dingy apartment, I head to the door. This place was never a home, just a shelter. The world out there? Probably more of the same. But maybe, just maybe, it has a quiet spot for someone like me. Not that I'm optimistic, but one can hope.

Stretching, another yawn sneaks its way out as I straighten up. "Aurelia's Iridia... You always have a way of making one feel trapped," I mumble to myself, the realization of my destination setting in. Verida, with its grand mountains, seems like a far-off dream from the ruined expanse of Iridia. That narrow strip of land, caught between the Azure Expanse and the Cerulean Depths, holds the tranquility I've yearned for.

I reach for the doorknob, hesitating momentarily. "Hmmm... I have a long way to go," I muse, almost in resignation. Slowly, I push open the door, stepping out into the once-familiar hallways of my building. It feels like an entirely different place now. I cast a slow, careful gaze around, taking in the new reality of my surroundings.

A faint smirk touches my lips. "I doubt any country will survive," I whisper to myself, recalling the online footage of monsters wreaking havoc, the sounds of their roars echoing even through the digital realm. Militaries around the world are already struggling, and it's only a matter of time before the structure we knew collapses entirely. "I'll take advantage of their stupidity for as long as possible. Once the militaries fall apart, the monsters will roam at random, and they might find me."

As I walk, the overwhelming noise of fires, distant screams, and collapsing structures surrounds me. It's almost suffocating. Retrieving my headphones from my pocket, I slip them over my ears and hit play on the first playlist I find. The music offers a small cocoon of comfort amidst the chaos. "Won't be able to hear anything around here anyway," I murmur, "Might as well enjoy my travel time."

The rhythmic hum dances on my lips as I walk, lost in the numbing cocoon of my playlist. Around me, frenzied footsteps synchronize to a melody of panic and despair. People, rushing in the same direction, their faces painted with raw fear. "Must be some hideout they're flocking to," I muse, a hint of disdain evident in my voice. "Damn morons. Large gatherings will only attract those monsters."

A movement in my peripheral vision draws my attention. Without tilting my head, I shift my gaze sideways. A colossal spider, its transparent skin revealing luminescent organs, dominates the view. It's mesmerizing in a grotesque kind of way. The creature holds a man aloft, not to devour, but to drain. With each passing moment, an ethereal glow, almost like an aura, is pulled from the victim until he withers away into nothingness. "So, they're everywhere, huh? Just where did these monsters come from?" I muse aloud, continuing on my path, unfazed by the horror show to my side.

My walk is soon interrupted by familiar voices. Two elderly figures rush toward me. "Caelum," one of them calls. It's Mrs. Garvin, a petite woman with snow-white hair, her face mapped with deep-set wrinkles that spoke of age and wisdom. Beside her, Mr. Garvin, her evergreen husband, a little taller with a balding head and round spectacles that magnify his dark eyes.

"Hey, Caelum," Mr. Garvin pants, trying to catch his breath. "With things being the way they are, I doubt the military can protect everyone. How about forming a group? We've been neighbors for years. It's easier to form a group since we've known each other for a long time."

I raise an eyebrow, "Known each other? Since when?" I think to myself. Before I can respond, Mrs. Garvin tries to persuade me further. "Just think about it."

Mr. Garvin, eager to make his point, reveals a flame dancing on his palm. "Got this ability recently. Traveling as a group makes sense, kid. We could use someone like you."

Pausing, I face them, my expression unchanged, though they seem to read something intense in it. "You old fossils think you can be of any use?" I retort, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "You're just a waste of time and air. Pathetic."

★ ★

Mr. Garvin's POV

The instant the words spilled from Caelum's lips, an overwhelming chill gripped me. It felt as though the very air around us had thickened, pressing down on my chest, making it difficult to breathe.

Every nuance of Caelum's posture, every micro-expression, was amplified tenfold. The subtle narrowing of his eyes was magnified into a glacial glare, so piercing that it felt as if he could see right through me, exposing all my vulnerabilities. His lips, drawn into a thin line, oozed an ominous promise, making me shudder involuntarily.

I'd seen fear, witnessed dread, but the aura that Caelum now exuded was something entirely different - something far more sinister. The world around him seemed to blur, casting him in stark relief. Each shift in his stance, every minute detail of his demeanor, screamed danger. It was like staring into the eyes of a predator that had marked its prey.

My heart pounded violently against my ribcage. I could feel its every thud echoing in my ears, drowning out the noise of the chaos around us. The weight of his gaze was oppressive, stifling. My mouth went dry, words escaping me. A terrible realization struck: to him, we might as well be insects, inconsequential and easily crushed.

Beside me, I could sense my wife's escalating panic. I felt her hand grip mine, her fingers trembling. We had faced hardships, confronted life's many challenges together, but this... this was something neither of us was prepared for.

The memory of the luminous flame dancing on my palm seemed like a distant dream now. All confidence and bravado drained away, replaced by a deep-seated dread. Here was Caelum, a young man we'd seen grow up in the same building, transformed into something... monstrous.

I felt my legs give way beneath me, and the ground rushed up to meet me. The impact barely registered as my mind was consumed by the terror Caelum's presence invoked.

Through the haze of fear, I managed to stammer, "Calm down! If you don't want to join, just say no!"

★ ★

Their faces blanch, Mrs. Garvin's eyes widen in shock. "Calm down! If you don't want to join, just say no!" Mr. Garvin, attempting to diffuse the situation, extends a hand to calm his wife.

Shaking their heads in disbelief, they swiftly move away, seeking refuge with another passerby. "What the hell was that about?" I grumble to myself. "Bunch of weirdos." And with that, I continue my solitary journey through the chaos.

-

With another involuntary yawn stretching my face, I keep my steady pace amidst the city's ruins. "Abilities, huh..." I murmur to myself. Their sudden appearance a few weeks ago did nothing but fan the flames of chaos. People acquiring magical capabilities overnight... The thought would've been laughable had I not witnessed it firsthand.

But with every gift, there's a price. These monsters, with their grotesque forms and relentless hunger, are too intertwined with the magic to be a mere coincidence. I've watched videos, read posts, seen the fervent debates - abilities aren't universally handed out. Only a small fraction of the population have them. And of those, even fewer hold true power.

My trail of thoughts is interrupted when I instinctively duck behind a crumbling facade as a grotesque creature, all spikes and gnashing teeth, chases down a shrieking figure. I hold my breath, waiting for the monster's pursuit to fade into the distance.

Shaking off the adrenaline, I decide to take a more circuitous route, hoping to avoid the main thoroughfares. But as luck would have it, I stumble upon another group. A cluster of youthful figures, probably college students, makes their way cautiously through the debris. Their matching jackets and familiar interactions hint that they might all be from the same school or club.

One of them, a girl with raven-black hair tied in a ponytail, pivots, catching my presence. Our eyes lock for a brief second. "Oh, just great," I sigh inwardly, hoping I could've avoided this interaction.

"Hey, you there!" she calls out, pointing in my direction. The rest of the group turns to see what caught her attention.

Adjusting my headphones, I prepare myself, "Can I help you?" I ask, trying to sound as disinterested as I feel.

"We're heading east, out of the city," she says, a touch of apprehension evident in her voice. "We could use more numbers. Safety in numbers, you know?"

"I was actually thinking—" I start, ready to politely decline, but my words are cut off by another voice.

"Why would we want to invite some random guy? We have no idea who he is!" a lanky guy with a beanie shoots back, glaring at the girl who had first called out to me.

"Come on, Liam, we need numbers. He could be useful," argues another, a short girl with curly red hair, gesturing at me.

"He looks strong," adds a tall guy with glasses, analyzing me from head to toe. "But can we trust him?"

I try to interject, "If you just let me—"

"Why are you all deciding without even asking him?" interrupts a guy with a buzz cut, frowning at the rest of the group. "Hey, man, do you even want to join us?"

Before I can muster a reply, the girl who first spotted me snaps, "Of course he does. Why else would he be here?"

"That's not the point, Lara," Beanie Guy, Liam, barks back. "We can't just invite everyone we see!"

The argument becomes a cacophony of voices, with each person trying to shout over the other. Each sentence that starts begins with, "I think" or "In my opinion," as if my thoughts on the matter don't matter at all. They're so engrossed in their dispute that I doubt they'd even notice if I simply walked away.

So, that's exactly what I attempt to do. Without a word, I turn on my heel, eager to distance myself from the ruckus.

But just as I think I've escaped, a firm grip catches my shoulder. Spinning around, I find myself face to face with the redhead. Her green eyes are wide with a mix of determination and a touch of desperation.