Apocalypse: Rise of the Last Survivor
Chapter 5: Fatal Rewind
Kael Draven's world was black, his body a husk as the System Arbiter's energy crackled, ready to erase him. The warehouse trembled, the Cataclysm-Class rift above tearing the sky apart, its light swallowing the stars.
Lara Voss's voice cut through the chaos: "Found you, Draven." Covenant hunters closed in, their pulse rifles glowing, while survivors screamed, pinned by debris. The Codex blared: New Rift Detected: Cataclysm-Class. Spawns: Unknown. Survival Odds: 3%. Rewind Available: 20 seconds. Cost: Fatal Stamina Overdraw. Kael's vitality was at 0%, his hand barely clutching the Bloodfang Dagger. Rewind would kill him, but the Arbiter's termination and Lara's hunters left him no choice. One thought burned: I won't die here.
His mind triggered Chronoshift. Time snapped back, the world rewinding 20 seconds. The Arbiter's runes dimmed, Lara's voice vanished, and the rift's roar softened. Kael was back on his knees, Joren pinned beneath him, the Covenant spy's blood pooling from the dagger's slash.
Mia crouched nearby, her shoulder bleeding from Joren's shot. The Codex screamed: Stamina Overdrawn. Vitality: -5%. Collapse Imminent. Pain ripped through Kael's chest, his heart stuttering, but the Rewind had bought him seconds. The Arbiter was still there, its mask glowing, but its termination sequence hadn't restarted. The Cataclysm-Class rift pulsed above, its spawns still forming.
Kael's vision blurred, but he forced himself up, dragging Joren by the collar. "Talk," he snarled, dagger at the spy's throat. "Where's Lara? What's the Covenant planning?" Joren coughed blood, his cloaking skill flickering. "You're dead already, Draven. The Erythra… they see everything." Kael's Codex flashed: Erythra Connection Confirmed. Covenant Objective: Secure Cataclysm-Class Rift Core for Alien Pact. His gut twisted. The Covenant wasn't just betraying humanity—they were harvesting rifts for the alien overlords.
The warehouse shook, the rift spitting out a horde of creatures—Riftlings, but bigger, their cores pulsing with black energy. Codex Entry: Voidlings. Weakness: Core Overload via System Energy. Strength: Swarm Tactics. There were dozens, skittering across the ceiling, their mandibles slicing through steel. Survivors fired wildly, their bullets barely slowing the swarm. Mia grabbed Kael's arm, her voice sharp: "We can't stay here!" Kael's vitality was at -5%, an impossible number—the System was keeping him alive, but the cost was tearing him apart.
He shoved Joren against a crate, the spy's eyes glazing. "Lara's next move. Now." Joren grinned, blood staining his teeth. "She's at the docks, setting up for the rift core. You'll never make it." Kael's Codex updated: Covenant Base: Docks, 1.7 miles south. Objective: Secure Rift Core. Lara Voss Present. He didn't have time to process—Voidlings dropped from the ceiling, one landing inches away, its mandibles snapping. Kael activated Kinetic Pulse, the blue shockwave blasting it back, but the cost was brutal: Vitality: -10%. System Overload: Critical.
Mia pulled him toward the side exit, her strength fading. "You're dying!" she shouted. Kael ignored her, his eyes on Joren. The spy was too valuable to kill—he knew the Covenant's plans. Kael ripped a strip from his jacket, binding Joren's wrists, and dragged him along. The Arbiter's voice boomed: "Chronoshift violation detected. Rewind unauthorized." Its runes flared, but it didn't move—still waiting for Oversight's ruling. Kael's gamble had bought him time, but not much.
The Voidlings swarmed, forcing survivors to retreat. A man with a hunting rifle—the enclave's leader—shouted, "Fall back to the basement!" Kael's Codex warned: Basement Compromised. Voidling Nest Forming. He grabbed Mia, steering her toward the exit. "Not that way. They're dead if they go down there." Joren laughed, his voice weak. "You can't save them, Draven. The Erythra want this." Kael slammed the dagger's hilt into Joren's jaw, silencing him, but the words lingered.
The aliens were orchestrating the chaos, and the Covenant was their tool.
Outside, the night was a warzone. Sirens wailed, distant rifts glowing across the city. The Cataclysm-Class rift's light pulsed, its horde spilling into the streets. Kael's motorcycle was still behind the dumpster, but his body was failing—each step felt like knives in his chest. Vitality: -12%. System Shutdown in 60 seconds. Mia supported him, her own wound bleeding through her jacket. Joren stumbled, barely conscious, but Kael kept him moving, the dagger's glow a constant drain. Bloodfang Drain: -5% per minute.
Kael's Codex scanned: Escape Route: Alley network, 0.3 miles to secondary safehouse. Covenant Hunters: 0.5 miles east, closing. Lara's team was nearby, likely drawn by Joren's signal. Kael shoved the spy into the alley, his Glock empty but still a bluff. "Keep moving, or I carve you open." Joren muttered, "You're a ghost, Draven.
Lara's got your number." Kael ignored him, his Codex feeding data: Secondary Safehouse: Abandoned garage. Security: Minimal. Risk: Covenant Surveillance.
The alley was a maze of trash and shadows, the Voidlings' screeches echoing behind. Kael's legs buckled, but Mia caught him, her face pale. "You can't keep going like this," she said. Kael's Codex pinged: Mia Chen: Loyalty Probability: 87%. Risk: Emotional Attachment. He pushed the thought away—trust was a death sentence, but Mia had dragged him out twice now. He owed her enough to keep her alive.
They reached the garage, a rusted shell with a half-open shutter. Kael kicked it up, shoving Joren inside. The interior was cluttered—tools, oil drums, a broken-down van. Kael barricaded the shutter, his vision spotting. Vitality: -15%. Shutdown in 30 seconds. He tied Joren to a pipe, the spy's head lolling. Mia collapsed against a wall, clutching her shoulder. "What's your plan?" she asked, voice strained. Kael didn't answer—he didn't have one. The Codex was his only guide, and it was screaming: Covenant Hunters: 0.2 miles away. Lara Voss Confirmed.
Kael knelt by Joren, slapping him awake. "The Erythra Pact. Details. Now." Joren's eyes fluttered, his grin weak. "They promised power… immortality. The rifts are their harvest. Lara's delivering the core to them." Kael's Codex updated: Erythra Objective: Harvest Human Vitality via Rift Cores. Covenant Role: Facilitate Collection. The aliens weren't just destroying Earth—they were farming it. Kael's rage surged, but his body was failing. He needed rest, but Lara was too close.
The garage shook, not from a rift, but from footsteps—heavy, mechanical. Kael's Codex flashed: Unknown Entity Approaching. System Signature Detected. The shutter rattled, and Mia grabbed a wrench, her eyes wide. Kael drew the Bloodfang Dagger, its drain pushing him to the edge. Vitality: -18%. The shutter tore open, revealing not hunters, but a figure in System-etched armor, its face hidden behind a visor. The Codex scanned: Covenant Elite: Vren Thalor. Skill: Kinetic Overdrive. Status: Hostile.
Vren. The third betrayer from Kael's past life, the one who'd watched Lara gut him. Kael's blood boiled, but his body was done. Vren's voice was cold: "Lara sends her regards, Draven." He raised a pulse cannon, its barrel glowing. Mia threw the wrench, but Vren's Overdrive skill blurred his form, dodging effortlessly. Kael's Codex screamed: Kinetic Pulse Available. Cost: Fatal Vitality Overdraw. He couldn't use it—he'd die instantly.
Joren laughed, blood bubbling. "Told you, Draven. You're done." Kael's mind raced, the Codex offering one last play: Bloodfang Dagger Overcharge: Sacrifice 50% vitality for 10x damage boost. One-time use. It was suicide, but Vren's cannon was charging, and Mia was in the crosshairs. Kael gripped the dagger, its red glow flaring, and lunged. The blade sank into Vren's armor, the overcharge shredding through, blood spraying. Vren roared, staggering, but his cannon fired, a pulse wave blasting Kael into a wall.
Vitality: -30%. System Failure. Kael's body shut down, the dagger clattering. Mia screamed, diving for him, but Vren was still standing, his armor sparking. The Codex flashed a final warning: Chronoshift Hidden Cost Revealed: Each Rewind Shortens Lifespan by 1 Month. Total Rewinds: 2. Lifespan Remaining: 22 Years. Kael's heart stopped. The System wasn't just killing him now—it was stealing his future. Vren raised the cannon again, aiming for Mia.