"Seriously, Rio, if I have to scan one more expired pack of instant noodles, I’m going to lose my mind," Arman said, leaning heavily against the checkout counter."Hey, at least you’re getting paid," Rio’s voice crackled through the cheap phone speaker. "Some of us are completely broke and sitting at home in the dark because we couldn't afford to buy electricity tokens.""Paid? You call this pocket change 'paid'?" Arman scoffed, sliding a barcode under the red laser. Beep. "I’m working a twelve-hour graveyard shift for what? Barely enough to cover my rent and a single decent meal. Look at this place. It's three in the morning. I haven't eaten since yesterday at noon, Rio. My stomach is literally eating itself right now.""Why don't you just write off a box of crackers as damaged? Or a cup noodle?" Rio suggested, his tone casual. "Nobody checks the inventory logs until Tuesday anyway.""And get fired? No way, man. You know how Mr. Hendra is. He’s a hawk," Arman sighed, rubbing his tire

"Two..." the system’s mechanical voice echoed coldly inside Arman's mind."Wait! Hold on! Stop counting!" Arman screamed, pointing his tactical flashlight toward the shattered glass doors.Through the bright white beam, the red mist outside parted. Arman squinted, his eyes widening as he recognized the figure clawing frantically at the invisible golden wall."Wait a minute," Arman gasped, his voice cracking. "That's not a woman! That's... Mr. Bambang? Why is your voice so high?""Arman! Oh my god, Arman, is that you in there?" Mr. Bambang shrieked. His voice was pitched in an octave of sheer terror that indeed sounded like a dying banshee. "Help me, son! Please! Something is wrong with the stray dogs! They've gone mad! They're eating people!"Behind the older man, three horrific shapes surged out of the crimson fog. They looked like feral street dogs, but their skin was peeled back to reveal raw, pulsing muscle. Their jaws had split horizontally into fleshy, multi-fanged mandibles, dr

"Arman... please tell me you're not actually planning to go out there," Mr. Bambang whimpered, his fingers clutching the edge of the checkout counter so hard his knuckles turned white."I don't really have a choice, Mr. Bambang," Arman said, his eyes scanning the dark corners of the storage area. "System, tell me exactly where that thing is. Is it right behind the back door?""The target is currently positioned three meters from the rear exit, directly adjacent to the Solar-Cosmic Generator," the system’s smooth, mechanical voice responded inside his head. "It has begun gnawing on the primary rubber-encased power cables.""Gnawing on the cables?" Arman groaned, rubbing his temples in frustration. "Why would a mutated monster want to chew on electrical wires? Does it eat electricity now?""The Stage 2 canine is drawn to the high-frequency electromagnetic vibrations emitted by the generator," the system explained calmly. "If the primary cables are completely severed, the generator will

"Mr. Bambang, open the door right now!" Arman screamed, slamming his fist against the metal sheet. "We have a massive problem out here! Hurry, before the whole place goes dark!""I'm trying! The lock is stuck!" Mr. Bambang cried from the other side, his voice cracking. "Oh god, Arman, what's that buzzing sound?""It's the generator! It's about to blow!" Arman yelled back, watching the sparks fly closer to the damaged fuel line. "Open the damn door!"Bzzzzt! Crackle!"Warning," the system’s voice chimed inside his head. "Solar-Cosmic core failure in twenty seconds. Golden Sanctuary Shield collapse imminent.""No, no, no! System, do something!" Arman yelled, clutching his head as a shower of blue sparks rained down onto the wet asphalt. "Can I buy a repair kit? A spell? Anything!""A basic manual override kit is available for twenty Karma Points," the system responded. "However, manual splicing is also possible using zero points.""Zero points? Fine, how do I do it without getting vapor

"You’re a detective," Arman said, standing up and dusting off his jeans, his heart still thrumming against his ribs. "Then you should know when someone is telling the truth. I saved your life. I saved the kids. I don't want your badge or your gun. I just want to survive the night."Valentina’s eyes darted around the store, scanning the rows of neatly stocked shelves, the glowing golden barrier at the threshold, and the silent, shimmering dome in the back storage area where the generator hummed in its own private dimension."You said it’s an apocalyptic survival system," she said, finally sheathing her knife. "How many more of these 'Safe Zones' are there?""This is the only one I know of," Arman replied. "And based on the screams I heard before the phones went out, I don't think there are many others."The boy with the whistle, who had been hovering near the back, stepped forward. "I'm Rian. This is my sister, Nina, and our friend, Dika. Officer Cruz found us in the alley behind the m