Brotherhood of the Last Shelter

The last thing I saw before I died was my brother reaching for me while a monster tore through his chest.

“James, run!”

Donald screamed my name, but he was already bleeding heavily. Before I could reach him, a massive metal foot came down on Luggard, crushing him against the broken pavement. Donald tried to drag me away, but a metal claw pierced his chest and threw him aside.

I fell beside my brothers, their blood covering my hands. The monster turned toward me, its glowing blue eyes fixed on my face.

I knew I was going to die, and there was nothing I could do about it.

Then I opened my eyes.

I shot upright in bed, gasping for air. My hands flew to my chest, searching for the wound, but there was nothing there. I was alive. My heart was pounding, and sweat soaked the front of my shirt.

For several seconds, I sat staring at the familiar yellow walls of my apartment. The ceiling fan rattled overhead, and an old pair of shoes lay beside the wardrobe. Everything was exactly as I remembered it before the world ended.

My phone was on the bedside table.

I snatched it up and checked the date.

October 19.

I checked again, hoping I had made a mistake, but the date remained the same. The apocalypse would begin on October 26, exactly seven days from now.

I had returned to the past.

Luggard and Donald were still alive.

The thought nearly brought me to tears, but I forced myself to calm down. I had no time to sit around wondering how this had happened. Whatever had brought me back, I intended to use the opportunity to keep my brothers alive.

A bright blue screen suddenly appeared in front of me.

Welcome, Host. The Survival System has been activated.

I stared at it, then reached out to touch it. My fingers passed through the glowing screen.

Another message appeared.

The apocalypse will begin in seven days. Complete missions, collect resources, and construct a shelter to increase your chances of survival. Please select your base location.

Three options appeared beneath the message.

Option A: City Center Tower. High defense, high cost.

Option B: Suburban Mansion. Spacious, moderate cost.

Option C: Abandoned Underground Subway Maintenance Tunnel. Low defense, no initial cost.

I read the options twice.

In my previous life, I had heard plenty of stories about the Survival System. People claimed it was humanity's greatest hope, a mysterious gift that gave survivors missions, weapons, and blueprints to help them fight the monsters.

Back then, I had believed them.

Now, I remembered the blue light shining in the monsters' eyes. It was the same cold glow coming from the screen in front of me.

What if the system had never been designed to save us?

What if it was helping the monsters find us?

I couldn't prove it yet, but I wasn't going to make the same mistakes twice. I needed the system's resources and storage space, so I would use whatever it offered. However, I wouldn't trust it enough to let it make my decisions.

I selected Option C.

Base location confirmed. Proceed to the designated shelter. Current storage capacity: Ten slots. Upgrade your shelter to unlock additional storage.

Ten slots? That was hardly enough for a proper apocalypse, but it was better than nothing.

I hurried out of bed and pulled on a pair of jeans and a dark shirt. My brothers came first. Everything else could wait.

I called Luggard.

He answered after three rings, sounding as though he was still half asleep.

“James? What's wrong?”

“Get dressed and pack your things. I'll be at your dorm in ten minutes.”

There was a brief silence.

“Why? What happened?”

“I'll explain when I get there. Bring your clothes and whatever canned food you have. Don't waste time packing things you don't need.”

“James, it's barely seven in the morning.”

“I know. Please, Luggard. Just do what I'm asking.”

Something in my voice must have convinced him because he stopped arguing.

“Alright. I'll be ready.”

I called Donald next. He answered over the noise of tools clattering in the garage.

“What's going on, James? I'm working.”

“Leave the garage and meet me at the old subway entrance on Fifth Street. Be there in thirty minutes.”

“Are you serious? I can't just abandon my shift.”

“Donald, listen to me. Something terrible is coming, and we need to leave the city before it starts. I can't explain everything over the phone, but I need you to trust me this once.”

He didn't answer immediately.

“Fine,” he finally said. “I'll meet you there. But you'd better have a good explanation.”

I ended the call and grabbed my backpack. My kitchen wasn't exactly stocked for the end of the world, but I shoved in every packet of noodles, canned food, and bottle of water I could find.

As I zipped the bag, the blue screen appeared again.

Quest Alert: Collect basic survival supplies. Reward: One Shelter Reinforcement Blueprint.

I ignored it.

The reward sounded useful, but I wasn't about to let a glowing screen distract me from getting my brothers to safety.

I rushed outside and found the streets crowded with people heading to work. Cars crawled through traffic, shopkeepers opened their businesses, and a man stood beside the road drinking coffee while checking his phone.

Ordinary people going about their ordinary lives.

Seven days from now, some of them would be dead. Others would be fighting over food, water, and somewhere to sleep. The lucky ones would find shelters, while the unlucky ones would learn what those metal creatures could do to a human body.

I couldn't save everyone. I had learned that lesson the hardest way possible.

But I could save my brothers.

I reached Luggard's college dorm just as he came through the entrance with a heavy bag slung over his shoulder. His hair was untidy, and he looked at me with obvious concern.

“James, you've been acting strangely all morning. What's going on?”

“Get in the car.”

He followed me without another argument, although he kept watching me as we drove toward the old subway station.

“Are we in trouble?” he asked.

“Not yet.”

“Then why are we going to an abandoned subway tunnel?”

“Because I need you alive.”

He fell silent.

I knew I owed him an explanation, but how could I tell him that I had watched him die? How could I convince him that monsters would soon tear apart the city when the world outside still looked perfectly normal?

I would tell him everything once Donald arrived.

We reached the subway entrance a few minutes later. Rust covered the metal gate, and weeds had grown through the cracks in the surrounding pavement.

Donald was already waiting beside the entrance, holding a large wrench. Grease stained his work clothes, and his expression darkened when he saw us.

“You dragged me away from work for this?” he demanded, gesturing toward the abandoned entrance. “James, you need to start explaining yourself.”

“I will. Just give me a minute.”

Before I could say anything else, the blue screen appeared between us.

This time, its color changed.

The familiar blue light darkened until the entire screen turned blood red. The words flickered violently, disappearing and reappearing as though something were trying to force its way through.

Then a new message appeared.

WARNING: ANOMALY DETECTED IN HOST TIMELINE.

My stomach tightened.

Another line formed beneath it.

DEPLOYING EARLY THREAT TO ELIMINATE THE ANOMALY.

“James,” Luggard said quietly, “what is that thing?”

I stepped in front of my brothers.

A metallic screech rose from the darkness beyond the subway gate. Something heavy struck the concrete stairs below, followed by another impact that shook dust from the walls.

Donald tightened his grip on the wrench.

I knew that sound. I had heard it countless times in my nightmares since my death.

The monsters weren't supposed to appear for another seven days.

Yet something was climbing toward us, and it already knew I was here.