As the Whisperkin and the Seraphoid locked themselves in a standoff, the world was locked in a state of survival.
Chaos rose everywhere. Everything was disorganized until one man stood and took the steering wheel of the world. Blake Walker.
He announced places for survivors to run to. These locations were known as Zones, marked from SS+ to F. Places with enough room to accommodate a large number of people temporarily. It was as if he had been preparing for this day as it was inhuman to react this fast to an unexpected situation.
Under his orders, The military forces were quickly dispatched to the locations marked as Zones. The number of forces sent to said Zones were dependent on the importance of the Zone in question. For example, Zone S would most certainly receive a large number of military forces in comparison to Zone B or Zone C.
This system was used by every country in the world.
But in this chaos, there had to be some sacrifices.
***
At a far away place, near the outskirts of Ravenloch....
"What do you mean we can't enter this Zone, there are children with me, where do you expect us to go?" On hearing the news, Jasmine drove Mario and the few students she managed to save to one of the Zones marked D. But they were rejected.
"I'm sorry, we're only accepting strong men and women with some form of medical knowledge. That is the entry condition of our Zone, other Zones accept children and others, engineers. We can't house the entire country, so only those with value will be saved. Those are the mandates from the President himself." A military man announced with a blank expression as he stared at the woman and the school children behind her.
"Screw you, what do you expect us to do? You say strong men? Yeah right. You not letting us in is the same as you telling as to go and die." Mario Jabbed a finger at the soldier as he blurted out.
"They won't let us in? What is going to happen to us now?" Celine spoke with teary eyes. Mumurs rippled through the student, each had a worried look on their faces.
"Forget it, let's go kids, we'll find another Zone." Jasmine said as she turned to leave. They had been standing by the entrance of the Zone for nearly an hour, yet the authorities showed no signs of letting them in.
"I doubt you'd find a Zone since you're already in one." The soldier said after them.
"What the hell are you on about, if we were in a Zone, do you think we would come here?" One of the students in the crowd shouted in fury.
"Kids these days are so hot-tempered. I'll let it slide since we're all caught up in this misfortune. The Zone I mentioned was Zone F. Anywhere that isn't a Zone is classified as zone F. In other words, those who can't be saved are the residents of Zone F." The bulky man said with the same blank face instilling fear into the students.
"Follow me kids, don't listen to him, we'll find another Zone, trust me." She said as she entered the school bus. The students followed, not because they trusted her words, but because they had nowhere else to go even if they didn't. In this mayhem, every single person in the bus was worried about the families they had left behind as they departed for school. However, in this Gemini infested city, none of the students had the courage to venture out alone.
"Good luck to you all." The man shouted after them as they drove off.
At the same time, a man stood atop the massive walls of Zone SS+, a military zone.....
"What is going to happen to us, father?" Ariel asked innocently, tugging at the sleeves of Blake Walker. Her voice soft, oblivious to the storm brewing around them, or at least she pretended to be.
"It's nothing you need to worry about," Blake Walker said in a cold voice. His jaw was clenched as his eyes scanned the sky like he was waiting for something worse.
"More importantly," he continued, "is everything in place?"
"Don't worry, Father," Blake's firstborn said, stepping forward with a calm that didn't match the panic in the air.
"Everything's ready."
Ariel clung tightly to her father's waist, her fingers gripping his coat. She could feel that something was very wrong. The world didn't feel the same. The ground trembled under her feet. The sky looked bruised and broken, and they had to move from their home, along with other ministers and people of importance, to the military Zone. She wanted to ask about Zane—but fear trapped the words in her throat. She had called him earlier but she got no response. Zane always answered her calls like they were top priority. Failing to answer her calls multiple times had never happened.
Then it began.
All over the world, the portals tore open—ripping through the skies like glowing wounds. From them emerged the Geminis, stepping out with monstrous grace. They were cold beings with twisted forms. The first wave of them spread like fire across the Zones. Humanity fought back with everything it had—guns, tanks, missiles—but it didn't matter.
Their weapons were useless.
The Geminis didn't flinch. Bullets bounced off like raindrops. Explosions barely scorched their skin.
Now, they were attacking every Zone in every country at once. Cities crumbled. Skies burned. Governments fell silent. Some Zones collapsed within minutes.
Just like the Whisperkin said, no Elite had made any move, even so, that didn't make the situation any less dire than it already was.
It was the end.
Reports flooded in—three elite-rank Geminis, as the system called them, had been sighted across the world. Each of them commanded an army of lower-ranked Geminis, moving like a tide of nightmares but the Elites themselves never attacked.
Eleven hours after the apocalypse began, hope had all but vanished.
"What are you going to do now, Father?" Blake's third son, one of the twins asked, stepping up beside him with calm voice.
'This children of mine, don't they understand the situation we're in? How can they act so nonchalant?' He exhaled slowly.
The walls would fall soon. Their Zone was next.
"It won't be long now," he said.
But inside, even Blake didn't know what to do anymore. He may have a sharp mind, but that didn't matter in the face of absolute, overwhelming strength.
Now, several Geminis—ranks below elite—were closing in on Zone SS+.
Blake stood silently on the edge of the wall, his arms wrapped protectively around his daughter. The cold wind ruffled his coat, but he didn't move. His eyes were fixed on the horizon where dark figures marched forward like shadows from a nightmare.
His mind was in turmoil.
Suddenly, a memory of Zane flashed through his head.
The picture of Zane he received from the spy he had set on him was unbelievable.
Zane was so thin, so pale, that when he showed his picture to his own brothers, they didnt recognize him. He looked like he hadn't eaten in weeks. His report stated Zane was struggling and doing multiple jobs but not to the point he didn't eat well. Not that he was worried, if something, he was just surprised.
'Just what was he scheming? I am no fool. I know he has at least eight billion in his private account, did he think I wouldn't notice? I would like to think and hope, that he somehow died in the Geminis invasion, but he's a damn cockroach. But why am I thinking of him now?'
A thunderous roar suddenly echoed through the land, snapping Blake out of his thoughts.
They were close now.
Too close.
"Is this really it?" Blake muttered under his breath. "Is there truly nothing we can do?"
"I'm scared, Father…" Ariel whispered, her voice trembling. She clung to him tighter and dared to peek down at the approaching monsters. Her eyes widened in fear.
"Surely you haven't given up, have you, father?" Blake's firstborn said beside him.
Blake glanced at him.
Blake hadn't slept since the invasion, calculating any possible outcome.
'Every variable accounted for, every information utilized, we even had to make some sacrifices. At last, my fear of our weapons being useless has come.'
Frustration boiled in his voice as he spoke. Sleepless nights and the pressure of leadership were begining to get to him.
"We've tried everything. Guns, bombs, even our strongest payloads… and those bastards just keep walking!"
He turned to his third son.
"Protect your sister. No matter what."
The boy nodded stiffly.
"Dad… where are you going?" Ariel asked softly, her eyes were wide and innocent.
Blake knelt beside her cupping her face gently.
"Daddy's going to send those monsters back to whatever hell they crawled out from," he said, a dark frown creasing his face. His eyes blazed with determination. He was ready to fight, he wasn't going to die without so much as putting up a fight.
His firstborn scoffed. "Send them back? Yeah right. You already said no weapons work on them, remember? What are you gonna do, old man? Nag them to death? Don't tell me you're going to take the easiest part of death and leave all the work on our shoulders."
Blake raised an eyebrow.
"Even so, the blame is not yours. Facing an unexpected situation is enough to make any man fall under pressure. Wouldn't you agree, Father? Just sit back and chill. We'll handle this." His first born said.
"You expect me to just sit back?" Blake growled.
"Exactly." The firstborn turned to face him fully. "Your old bones won't be much help out there anyway. The world still needs a leader, don't rush to make decisions just because you're overwhelmed."
Blake stared at him; he had never been able to read his children, and he was considered the smartest President ever.
"I, Jason Walker—your first blood—will take command now," he said, a confident smirk on his face.
"I had the men prepare bombs underground. On my signal, those pests will be buried. And if that doesn't stall them. Well, you should grab a cup of coffee or something, and see how a walker handles an apocalypse."
A loud chime echoed in the air like a whisper from another world, cutting through the moment.
[System Notification]
Earth has been deemed worthy by the Creators. System error has been fixed.
Your Ability Tree has been unlocked.
Awakening initiated...
A glowing blue screen suddenly appeared before Blake's third son. He flinched, eyes wide as the words floated in the air like burning light.
"What the hell...? That's the same voice from earlier," he said, backing away slightly.
"Awakening? What's that supposed to mean?!"
Before anyone could answer, another notification appeared in front of Jason, brighter and louder than the first.
[System Notice]
{You stand no chance, but you do not run. You refuse to kneel. You would rather die fighting than be hunted like prey.
You carry the spirit of a leader.
Congratulations, Jason walker. You have awakened as an Alpha.
You can now form a pack and have dominion over those beneath your ranks.}
Then it happened.
A blast of energy fell from the sky like a thunderstrike. It slammed into Jason, swirling around him like a storm, though it did no damage to the surroundings.
The ground beneath his feet cracked. Dust rose. The wind howled. Sparks of blue and red lightning engulfed his body as he gritted his teeth, holding his ground.
His muscles tensed, veins lit with a faint glow as power surged through him.
"What the hell is going on?!" the fourth brother shouted, stumbling backward. "Is he... is he glowing?!"
The third son shielded Ariel instinctively.
"This is insane... Is this the awakening?"
Jason clenched his fists as the light dimmed slightly. A translucent holographic blue screen floated in front of him now, clear as day.
[Ability Tree: Unlocked]
{Path: Martial Artist
You can now learn and master various martial arts. The higher you rank, the stronger and faster you become.}
Jason stared at the screen, breathing heavily. His eyes, once calm, now burned with newfound intensity. His hands flexed. The energy still crackled faintly around his arms.
He wasn't the same anymore.
He had awakened.
An Alpha awakening.
His first coherent thought wasn't of victory, but if his missing brother. 'Zane, wherever you are, you bastard, I hope you're still alive. The world finally got interesting, it would be a shame if you weren't around to screw it up further.'
"What the hell is happening? Why is the world changing so fast? And why..." the third son's voice trailed off as his body suddenly froze. His eyes widened. Light flashed around him.
He too, was awakening.
One by one, the others followed. The fourth son, the other twin of the third and even Ariel.
The sky above rumbled like an angry storm. Bright streams of energy—less intense than the one that struck Jason—poured down on them. It wasn't violent, but still powerful. The light shimmered in soft hues of silver and gold, wrapping around their bodies like warm fire, lifting their feet slightly off the ground.
Then came the pop-up screens.
[System Notification]
{Congratulations. You have awakened as a Beta.
You are now eligible to join a Pack under an Alpha.}
The same message appeared in front of the third and fourth sons. Their eyes sparkled with awe and confusion as they read it. Power rushed through their veins like a shockwave, and they stumbled, clutching their chests, adjusting to the sudden change in strength.
But when it came to Ariel—it was different.
The clouds above her darkened. A cold wind swirled around her, howling like a lost soul. Then, from the heavens, a beam of energy shot down—but it wasn't white or gold.
It was pitch black, laced with streaks of deep violet. The light hit Ariel gently, but the impact was heavy, like the world itself had acknowledged her. Her hair lifted from her shoulders, fluttering in the air. Shadows danced around her feet.
The voice that followed was only heard by her.
[System Notification]
}Weak in body, but strong in spirit. Quiet, but never blind. You've watched, waited, and wished—tied down by fear and family. You could only cling to hope, unable to help the brother you love so deeply.
Not anymore.
You have been chosen... as a Primordial Being.
Congratulations, Ariel Walker. You have awakened as a Primordial.}
The moment the message appeared, the air stilled.
Ariel blinked, eyes wide with shock as she looked at her glowing arms. "Primordial...? What does that mean?" she whispered, barely believing what she saw.
Blake turned his gaze to the little girl. "Ariel?" he said, taking a step forward.
Jason turned to her, stunned.
The soldiers in the Zone watched in awe, their mouths hanging open. Some fell to their knees unconsciously, unable to explain the pressure they felt from the girl.