Logan returned to the window the following morning, his notebook in one hand and a pencil in the other.The damaged house across the street remained his biggest concern.He had watched it for hours the previous day, but nothing had emerged. The deep tracks beneath the broken wall were still visible, and the collapsed concrete suggested that whatever had passed through there was considerably larger than an ordinary dog.He wasn't going to investigate it without a plan.First, he needed to understand the neighborhood.Logan opened his notebook and studied the rough map he had drawn. Their house sat near the middle of a residential block, surrounded by narrow streets, small shops, and abandoned vehicles. The grocery store was several streets away, while a pharmacy stood near the main intersection.Both locations might contain useful supplies.Both were also exposed.He looked through the window again.A few days earlier, he had noticed that the beasts rarely crossed certain streets. At f

Liam had been staring at his right hand for nearly twenty minutes.He sat at the kitchen table with his sleeves rolled up, watching the five Marks on the back of his hand. Each Mark was surrounded by ten tiny Stars, most of which still appeared empty.Logan noticed his brother's concentration while checking the barricades near the kitchen window."Planning to burn a hole through your hand with your eyes?" he asked.Liam looked up. "Very funny.""Then what's so interesting?""My Genome Points." Liam turned his hand toward him. "They've increased again."That caught Logan's attention.He pulled out the chair opposite his brother and sat down. "How much?""I've been keeping track." Liam opened the notebook beside him. "They've accumulated gradually since my awakening. I don't understand exactly why the increase happens at different rates, but I can see the difference when I compare my earlier records with the latest screen.""Have any of your Stars filled?""Not yet. Remember? It takes o