The night was quiet at a surveillance base. The silence was so deep that only the occasional murmur of soldiers broke it.
High atop a tower, Marco and Luis shared stories to pass the time.
"Last night at the base," Marco said with a sigh. "We'll finish the shift and head home. I miss my wife's cooking…"
Luis let out a laugh. "Don't even mention food. I'm sick of whatever Larry makes."
"Me too," Marco replied with a smile. "But let's not be too harsh. He does the best he can."
Suddenly, their words were cut short by a deafening sound from the lower part of the base.
Screams echoed. The two soldiers exchanged a glance, fear reflected in their eyes. Before they could react, a burst of gunfire erupted from the corridors.
Marco leaned over the railing and shouted with all his strength:
"Alert! Gunfire!"
Chaos broke loose. Soldiers rushed toward the source of the disaster, only to face a tide of creatures. The beasts were relentless, and one by one, the men fell under their claws.
Marco and Luis fired nonstop, watching as their comrades were slaughtered.
Luis gasped, incredulous. "How is this possible? Hostiles are never supposed to attack in packs this large!"
One hostile lunged at Marco, biting his hand, tearing flesh.
"Damn it!"
With Luis's help, he managed to push it away.
"Don't worry!" Luis shouted. "We'll find a way to stop the bleeding…"
Marco laughed bitterly, pain etched across his face.
"As if that matters… We both know no one survives a bite longer than twenty-four hours. What the hell happened here? No warning? Doesn't matter… I won't be making it home to my fami—"
His words were cut off.
The roof collapsed under the weight of the hostiles. Marco vanished in the dust and rubble, while Luis, miraculously unharmed, dove to the side, firing his weapon at every hostile until his ammo ran dry.
Confusion consumed him. Without his partner, without a weapon, all he could do was run.
He crawled to a crumbled wall and hid behind the stones. The silence was deafening, broken only by his ragged breathing.
"Calm down!" he muttered through tears. "I was trained to get out of situations like this. I'm not dying here. My mission in this world isn't over yet."
He wiped his tears. Then, a drop fell onto his arm. Blood. Luis slowly looked up.
The last thing he saw was the gaping muzzle of a hostile, teeth sharp as blades, lunging at him with a roar.
Darkness spread over the base, and with it, Luis's end.
But beyond the disaster, life went on. Not far from the attacked base, a city protected by walls, known as "Zarco," awakened with the dawn.
The first rays of daylight painted the rooftops and the walls that guarded the city.
***
In a classroom, a teenager named Ander was nibbling on an apple.
Paying no attention to the survival lessons the teacher was giving.
"Adaptation through survival is the key to our existence," the teacher said. "Those who learn to evolve, survive."
Ander looked up and exchanged a glance with Josh, his best friend.
Curiosity shone in his blue eyes, though he quickly masked it with sarcasm. "Survive? I don't know if I'll survive when my mom finds out I failed math."
Josh burst out laughing. "Honestly, Ander, I don't think you'll survive either."
Alicia, the most thoughtful of the trio, interrupted. "That wouldn't happen if you paid attention in class instead of chatting with Josh."
Josh gazed at the city walls. "Do you guys think one day it'll be possible to be outside the barriers?"
Ander's eyes lit up with adventure. "Of course! I'm not spending my whole life locked up. Out there, there must be thousands of secrets waiting to be discovered."
Alicia nodded. "Exactly. It's not just about surviving, but truly living. Ander's right. There's a whole world out there."
The teacher, who until then seemed oblivious to their conversation, smiled.
"Exactly, Alicia. And perhaps, one day, one of you will be the one to uncover those secrets."
Ander blinked, startled. What?! He's been listening to us this whole time?
´***
Elsewhere in Zarco, inside the presidential palace.
President Vicente—a man with a stern yet fair demeanor—was in a meeting with his ten guardians.
The silence was broken by a messenger's interruption. "Mr. President…" he stammered. "We haven't received a response from the outer base in hours."
Vicente frowned, surprise and concern etched on his face. "No communication? That's never happened. Organize a reconnaissance group immediately. We need a report as soon as possible."
The guardians nodded, aware of the gravity of the situation.
Guardian Abraham slammed the table. "Could it be those damned hostiles? The same ones that forced us to hide like cockroaches!"
"I hope it's not the plague… It has to be something else. Let's prepare the team to depart," murmured Guardian Luke.
The president withdrew to his chambers, his mind heavy with thoughts. The possibility that the hostiles had found a weakness in their defenses was something he couldn't ignore.
How could that be possible? he thought, confused. Over seventy years without a single incident…
He walked into the garden, where sunlight touched the flowers. There, his daughters, Italia and Mabel, enjoyed the day's peace alongside their mother, Maribel, the First Lady.
Vicente stopped. "Cherish this moment, my dears. These are the times we must treasure as a family."
Italia looked at him. "Father, is something wrong? You seem… troubled."
The president sighed, unable to hide the truth. "There was an incident at the outer base. We don't yet know the extent of the situation."
Mabel grew frightened; her youth didn't lessen the weight of the news.
Maribel, calm, intervened: "We must remain composed. Our defenses are strong. We've survived challenges before, and your father will keep this city safe."
Vicente nodded, finding comfort in his family's strength. "Yes… but we must be prepared for any eventuality. Don't worry. I will protect this city."
Their conversation was interrupted by Abraham, who rushed in. "Sir, the reconnaissance group is ready to depart."
The bell rang through the halls, marking the end of classes.
Ander left with his friends, where they met Cody, Josh's older brother, dressed in the navy-blue soldier's uniform.
"Hey, Cody!" Ander called. "How's it going in your first weeks as a soldier?"
Cody smiled, though his eyes betrayed the exhaustion of long nights on watch.
"Everything's calm… for now. I'm getting used to the training, but I've got it under control. Who knows, at this rate I might even become one of the president's ten guardians…" he said with a mocking tone.
Josh raised an eyebrow. "For that, you'd have to be the best soldier of your generation. Better make sure you're home on time for dinner. Remember Dad's coming back today, alright?"
"I always do, little brother," Cody replied before heading off.
The brothers parted ways, each going their own direction.
Gaspar, a classmate, approached Josh with curiosity. "And you? When you turn eighteen, will you choose to be a soldier like your brother?"
Josh shrugged, his gaze drifting for a moment into the distance.
"I don't know. Being a soldier is a huge responsibility… you have to protect everyone. But it also takes a lot of physical effort. I'm not sure I could do it."
Ander placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "You won't know until you try. And who knows… maybe one day it'll be us protecting this city."
The two shared a look of complicity.
Evening fell. Ander and his friends said goodbye at the entrance to their neighborhood.
When he arrived home, Ander found his mother in the kitchen.
The aroma of food filled the air, but the warm glow of home couldn't dispel the melancholy that had settled in their hearts since his father's passing.
The table was set.
"Mom… tomorrow is… you know, Dad's day," Ander said sadly.
His mother set the silverware aside. "Yes, my love. I've been thinking about it all day. Shall we go to the cemetery after your classes?"
Ander nodded. "Of course. It's been so long since I visited him… I've been thinking about him a lot lately. I thought it would get easier with time…"
His voice broke, and his mother embraced him, sharing the pain.
"I have too, my warrior. But together we're moving forward, keeping your father's memory in our hearts. Look at this necklace he gave me…"
She showed him the golden jewel.
"It's not the greatest gift I have from him; my greatest gift is you," she added.
Ander looked away. "I'm afraid… afraid of forgetting him. That little by little his memories will fade. I can barely remember his voice anymore…"
His mother caressed his face. "No matter how much time passes, you'll never forget that your father was a good man, with an adventurous spirit, and that he loved us with all his strength."
Ander nodded, finding comfort in her words.
Together, they planned the visit to the cemetery—a moment to honor the man who had taught them to dream big… beyond the walls that surrounded them.
After dinner, Ander lay down on his bed. His eyes wandered to the ceiling. In his mind, he thought:
Well… we'll see what happens tomorrow.
Ander closed his eyes, seeking rest. But near the city, something was already moving in the darkness.
Tomorrow would not be what Ander imagined…