The Marked; Absolute peak of Chaos

Public shelter

"Shit! Let's go, Mika, or we're dead meat!"

The moment the words left Kent's mouth, they turned and sprinted across the street as fast as their legs could carry them.

The road was in complete chaos. Traffic jams stretched in every direction as drivers climbed out of their cars to curse at one another. Some even got into fights, while others abandoned their vehicles and fled on foot.

Kent suddenly came to a halt, his expression tense as he stared at the fork in the road. His mind raced, struggling to decide which direction would give them the best chance of survival.

Mika, panting heavily as though she were about to collapse, finally lost her patience.

"What is going on, Kent? Why are we running, and where are we even going?"

Kent turned his head slightly toward her.

"I haven't heard the announcement either, but judging by what's happening, another wave of Deadborn creatures is probably coming."

Mika's eyes widened.

"What?!"

Kent nodded grimly.

"Staying outside is practically asking to die. We need to find somewhere safe before they arrive, even if the Awakened are already working to contain them."

Decades ago, what had once been a peaceful city turned into a nightmare when monsters known as Deadborn emerged from a mysterious rift. The creatures slaughtered countless inhabitants, who had no means of defending themselves against such powerful enemies.

Initially, the rifts appeared only occasionally. However, as time passed, they began opening more frequently, unleashing one devastating attack after another. Countless lives were lost, and the government proved powerless to stop the catastrophe.

Worse still, the disaster was not confined to Veyra City. The rifts began appearing across the world, pushing humanity to the brink of extinction.

As resources dwindled, humans turned against one another, fighting over whatever remained. The wars that followed only worsened an already desperate situation.

Just when humanity seemed destined for extinction, something extraordinary happened.

People began receiving mysterious marks from an unknown entity, granting them extraordinary abilities. These individuals became known as the Awakened, humanity's only hope against the Deadborn.

Since then, the Awakened had fought to protect humanity, holding back the monsters while civilization struggled to rebuild itself. Yet even with their existence, no one was completely safe. Every attack still claimed lives, destroyed homes, and tore families apart.

Remembering the horrifying glimpse she had once caught of a Deadborn creature, Mika trembled uncontrollably. Fear had completely taken hold of her.

Kent looked from one road to the other, his hand hovering between them as he struggled to make a decision as they were running out of time.

"Let's take the left route!"

He turned to leave but quickly realized Mika was still standing in the same spot, trembling violently.

"Mika! What are you doing? Come on! We don't have much time!"

With her eyes wide open and her teeth clenched, Mika struggled to speak.

"I... I can't walk."

"What do you mean you can't walk? We need to...."

Kent stopped speaking, when he noticed her legs shaking far more violently than the rest of her body. She could barely stand, let alone run.

Without another word, he crouched and carried her onto his back before rushing down the left route.

The weight of Mika pressed against his back as he sprinted beneath the streetlights, his jaw tightening with every passing second.

"Beep! Beep!"

"Oh, shit!"

A van came hurtling toward him at an insane speed. Kent swerved sharply to the side, narrowly escaping being run over.

His heart pounded from the shock, but he didn't dare stop. Every second they wasted brought them closer to danger.

After what felt like an eternity, the public shelter finally came into view. Relief washed over Kent's face, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. However, it vanished the moment he saw what awaited them.

A massive crowd had gathered outside the entrance, with people lining up in the hope of securing a place inside.

Kent knew the public shelter was usually crowded, but he had never seen anything like this.

What surprised him even more was the number of wealthy individuals standing among the crowd.

"Why are these people coming here when they probably heard the announcement long before the rest of us?" he thought bitterly. "What a shame."

He lowered Mika from his back and somehow squeezed into the queue.

Fear and desperation were written across the faces of those waiting. Everyone seemed aware that something terrible was coming, yet nobody knew how much time they had left.

Kent focused on the guard stationed at the entrance when he suddenly noticed a tall shadow looming over him.

"Hey, kid! That's my spot. Get your damn leg out of there and move behind me!"

Kent turned around to find a tall, hostile-looking man glaring down at him. Numerous scars covered the man's face, making his already intimidating appearance even more threatening.

Annoyance flashed across Kent's face.

"You startled me."

The man's expression twisted with fury.

"Looks like you've been deaf since birth! Is that what I've been telling you this whole time? Get the fuck out of here, or I'll move you myself!"

"I didn't see you here when I joined the line, so you can't claim this spot," Kent replied coldly.

"Even if you didn't see me, I've already told you to move. You'd better obey unless you want to get hurt."

Kent glared at him, silently deciding that he wouldn't surrender his position so easily.

"Sorry, but I'm not leaving this spot. You can stand behind me. That's how a queue works."

The man snorted before suddenly shoving Kent aside and taking his place.

"You're lucky I'm in a good mood, brat. Otherwise, I'd have stabbed you already!"

Rage surged through Kent. He was ready to retaliate, but before he could make a move, a gentle hand caught his arm.

He turned and saw Mika shaking her head at him and his anger subsided almost instantly.

"I hope you die tonight," he thought bitterly.

"Attention, everyone!"

The guard's thunderous voice immediately silenced the crowd.

"Listen carefully! This facility has a limited capacity, and we can accommodate only fifty more people!"

Kent's eyes widened slightly as he calculated his position in the queue and he was somewhere around forty-ninth.

Relief washed over him. If things went smoothly, both he and Mika would make it inside. Unfortunately, that relief didn't last long as the guard countiue is speech

"There are some useless brats among you who bring nothing but shame to this city," the guard continued contemptuously. "We're giving the fortunate ones a chance to enter this facility for just fifty Credits. As for the rest, if you're lucky, you might still get in. If not, you can stay outside and die. It's not as if you're of any use to the city anyway."

"Fifty Credits?"

Kent's hope shattered as he was thinking about how he was supposed to get a Fifty credit after struggling to get five credits for proper meal during the days

He couldn't understand how a government facility could demand payment during a disaster of this magnitude. Even if they intended to charge people for shelter, was this really the time to do so?

His gaze shifted toward Mika, and his heart sank.Without getting her inside, her chances of survival would be even lower.

"Are you serious? Where do you expect us to get fifty Credits?" an elderly man with gray hair suddenly roared. "Take back those words before you bring misfortune upon yourself and the other guards!"

The scar-faced man also began cursing the guard, his anger evident.

Kent watched the two men before turning his attention back to the guard.

"Both of them are only thinking about themselves," he thought. "hypocrites. But is the government seriously trying to feed people to the Deadborn? Maybe they've struck a deal with those monsters. Who knows?"

Despite the threats and curses raining down on him, the guard merely sneered.

"Do you think we weren't prepared for this kind of situation? Guards, step forward!"

Kent was stunned as several heavily armed guards marched forward at the command.

"Things are getting worse," he muttered. "I should've taken another route rather than coming to this place ."

The guard pointed toward the crowd.

"If you have fifty Credits, you can enter now. If you don't, stay outside and wait for your death!"

Almost immediately, people began stepping forward to pay for their places inside.

Kent's earlier suspicion had been correct. Those who had come expecting free shelter were now being forced to watch others buy their way to safety.

Seeing wealthy individuals pay without hesitation, he couldn't hold back his anger.

"Bunch of hypocrites! I hope every one of you gets eaten by those damn creatures, you fools!"

Several people turned to stare at him, but they quickly looked away, pretending they hadn't heard anything.

Within seconds, more expensive cars arrived. Their owners stepped out with their families and paid for their entry, leaving fewer and fewer spaces available.

Finally, the guard raised his voice again.

"Listen up! Only five spots remain! If you want to live, you'd better—"

"They're here! The Deadborn are here!"

A man came running toward the shelter, screaming at the top of his voice, the moment those words reached the crowd, chaos erupted.

Everyone rushed toward the entrance, desperate to get inside before the monsters arrived.

Kent grabbed Mika's hand but didn't immediately join the surging crowd. He knew their small bodies would make them easy targets. If they were caught in the middle of the stampede, they could easily be crushed to death before even seeing a Deadborn and instead, he watched for an opportunity.

The crowd pressed against the entrance, with people shoving, punching, and trampling one another in their desperate struggle to survive. Those who fell were immediately swallowed by the mass of panicking bodies.

Eventually, the guards could no longer control the situation. They used their weapons to force the crowd backward, creating a small opening near the entrance.

Kent's eyes lit up, he grabbed Mika and dashed toward the opening. Thanks to their small frames, they managed to squeeze through the gap with all their strength, narrowly avoiding being crushed by the crowd.

"Thank goodness, Mika. We're safe now!"

Relief spread across their faces as they finally crossed the entrance, leaving the struggling crowd behind.

Kent pulled Mika into a tight hug, a smile appearing on his face.

Suddenly, he felt her pinch his arm looking down at her and noticing that her expression had changed.

"What is it?"

Mika silently tilted her head toward someone standing nearby.

Kent followed her gaze and the moment he recognized the person, his eyes wide open in shock

"We meet again, don't we?"

A man wearing a cap stood before them, a cold smile spreading across his face.

"Shit!"

Kent's heart began pounding violently as terror crept across his face seeing the same officer which he had stomped on earlier during the day

"Did you think treating me like that would make you deserve to live, you little brat?" the officer sneered. "Not a chance. I almost pity this little girl. She'll probably become food for those creatures soon."

Kent knew he was at a disadvantage. With the Deadborn approaching and Mika depending on him, fighting the officer now would only make things worse.

Swallowing his pride, he forced himself to beg.

"Please, can you let us go for tonight? We'll settle everything between us afterward."

The officer stared at him for a moment before grinning.

"Alright. No problem. I'll let you go."

He turned around and began walking away.

Kent held Mika tightly, relief slowly returning to his face. For a moment, he believed they had escaped yet another disaster.

Then the officer suddenly stopped and turned back, wicked smile spreading across his face.

"Did you really think I'd forgive you that easily, you little brat?"

The officer raised his leg, aiming a vicious kick at Kent and Mika, attempting to send them straight back out of the shelter.