The morning after the end of the world was too quiet.
No birdsong. No cars. No hum of electricity. Just the low groan of broken buildings and the occasional hiss of something moving just out of sight.
Jaden stirred beneath the busted counter of the old convenience store. His back ached. His mouth was dry. And when he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was
Silas.
The angel was upside down, dangling from the store's ceiling like a bat, wings folded tight around himself. His hoodie had ridden up to expose his stomach, and a single headphone dangled from his ear, blasting faint lo-fi beats into the silence.
"Are you... meditating?" Jaden rasped, voice thick with sleep.
Silas cracked open an eye. "Vibing."
"To what? The end of civilization?"
"Look, just because we're surrounded by flaming dumpsters and shadow monsters doesn't mean we can't have inner peace." He rolled to the ground with a lazy thump. "You slept like a rock. Very unbothered main character behavior."
"I was exhausted," Jaden muttered, pushing himself upright. "And terrified. Still am."
"Good! Terror means you're still alive."
Jaden narrowed his eyes. "Do you ever take anything seriously?"
A beat passed.
Silas's smile softened. "More than you think. But if I didn't laugh, I'd cry. And crying makes my feathers molty."
Jaden looked away, trying not to smile. The store around them was still half collapsed, the shelves long since picked clean. Morning light filtered through broken windows, painting gold streaks across cracked linoleum.
His stomach growled.
Silas perked up. "Food?"
"Please tell me that's a serious offer."
The angel strode over to the counter, reached behind it, and produced... a can of wet cat food.
Jaden stared.
Silas grinned. "It's tuna. Technically."
"You're kidding."
"Do I look like I joke?"
"Yes."
Silas popped the can open with an elegant flick and sniffed. "Okay, yeah, that's vile." Then, with a flourish, he held out a hand.
A soft glow ignited around his fingers. The can shimmered and changed. When the light faded, it was now a fresh, wrapped sandwich: still warm, with steam rising through the plastic.
Jaden blinked. "Did you just... divinely transmute cat food into a sandwich?"
"I call it Cat-to-Cuisine."
"You're unreal."
"I get that a lot."
Jaden took the sandwich, biting into it with a groan of relief. He hadn't realized how empty he was. "Thanks," he muttered.
Silas plopped down beside him. "So. We need a plan."
Jaden swallowed. "You're the angel."
"And you're the boots-on-the-ground guy. I guide. You decide."
Jaden ran a hand through his dusty hair. "Okay... First step: get somewhere safer. This place feels like it could collapse if someone sneezes too hard."
"Solid. There's a checkpoint not far from here an old shelter that was reinforced before the Collapse. We might find survivors."
"People?"
"Maybe. Or monsters. Fifty-fifty shot."
"Great odds."
"Welcome to life under the System."
Jaden looked out through the broken windows. The streets were still, shadows long and heavy. "Let's move."
---
They traveled through the ruins in silence at first. Jaden stepped carefully around fallen signs and piles of ash that might once have been people. Every now and then, the System flickered in his vision.
> [STATS UNLOCKED]
Health: 75%
Endurance: 10
Awareness: 12
Skill: [Locked]
Blessing: [Dormant – Angel's Grace]
He exhaled. "What does 'dormant' mean?"
"Means the blessing's there, but you haven't unlocked its condition yet," Silas said. "It'll awaken when you hit the right emotional or situational threshold."
"Like what?"
"Crisis. Catharsis. Character growth. Y'know anime stuff."
Jaden shook his head. "Of course."
Silas squinted up at a rusted building. "Checkpoint's close. Should be down this road."
The wind howled between buildings, carrying the faint sound of movement. Jaden's grip on the metal rod he'd taken from the store tightened. He wasn't good with weapons but holding something felt better than holding nothing.
A low groan echoed from the alley beside them.
Jaden paused. "Did you hear that?"
Silas was already drawing a feather from his wing except when it left his hand, it solidified into a short glowing blade. "Stay behind me."
The alley opened up into a crumbled courtyard. Piles of debris sat clustered around a cracked statue of a weeping angel.
Something moved in the corner.
Jaden stepped closer and froze.
A child. No two children . Curled up with each other. Dirt-smudged cheeks. Wild eyes. Clutching a cracked toy bunny.
Silas relaxed slightly. "Aya,Rowan."
"You know them?"
"They were on a watchlist. Survivability potential. I didn't think they make it."
Aya looked up. "Are you the scary man who fell from the sky?"
Silas blinked. "Probably. Depends on who you ask."
Jaden crouched. "Are you hurt?"
Aya shook her head. "Been hiding. I saw Mama... she turned into something. And she screamed so loud and Rowan is unconscious."
Jaden's heart twisted. He held out a hand. "It's okay. You two can come with us."
She hesitated then scrambled forward and latched onto his arm like a lifeline.
Silas watched, his expression unreadable. "You're going soft already."
"She's a kid."
"And you're not a hero."
"I don't need to be."
The angel smiled. "Good answer."
---
They reached the checkpoint an hour later. The reinforced shelter had half-collapsed, but parts were still usable. Silas lit a small fire with a snap of his fingers, and they huddled around it. Jaden wrapped an old blanket around Aya's shoulders.
For the first time since the world fell apart, it was quiet.
Warm.
Safe.
Aya leaned against Jaden. "Do you think Mama's still out there?"
Jaden hesitated.
Silas answered for him, gently. "Maybe. And maybe one day, we'll find her. But for now, you two got us."
Jaden glanced at him.
Silas winked. "What? I can be comforting. Occasionally."
Aya smiled sleepily.
Jaden let himself exhale, shoulders slowly relaxing. "So... what now?"
Silas reached into his hoodie pocket and pulled out a cracked fortune cookie.
He cracked it open. "'The chaos is just beginning. Buckle up, buttercup.'"
Jaden stared.
Silas raised a brow. "What? It's accurate."