They stepped out together.
Gravel crunched under their shoes. Not real gravel, not anymore. It was glass and stone fused into sharp uneven fragments that sounded wrong beneath their weight, like the world resented being disturbed.
No one spoke at first.
They just stood there and breathed.
And to their quiet surprise, they could breathe.
The air was cold and dry, metallic but no longer choking. Each of them let out a slow shaky sigh without realizing they had been holding their breath, the pendants warm against their chests like steady heartbeats that were not their own.
The world stretched out before them.
Buildings had melted into each other, fused into towering obsidian shapes that looked less constructed and more grown. Walls flowed into roads. Windows sagged like frozen tears. The ground beneath them was blackened and cracked, glossy in places where heat had once turned cities into glass.
Far in the distance, enormous silhouettes rose against the horizon. Jagged. Immense. Sleeping giants with scorched flanks that cut into the sky.
Midori whispered, barely audible.
"It looks like the earth got tired of pretending."
A low sound reached them then, subtle but unmistakable.
Water.
Flowing somewhere nearby. Slow and steady, like the world had decided to keep one small habit alive.
Neera turned her head toward it, eyes scanning the broken landscape.
"There is still movement. That means something survived. At least… systems did."
Ragna nodded slowly.
"Or it means the planet does not care if we did."
Mimi hugged her arms around herself and finally looked up.
"Why is it so dark."
They all followed her gaze.
The sky above them was dim, washed in deep grey and faint sickly hues that barely counted as light. No stars. No moon. No glow from buildings or streetlamps. Just a heavy muted ceiling that felt too close.
Nozomi frowned softly.
"Is it night?"
Midori squinted.
"It feels like night."
Neera shook her head, unease creeping into her voice.
"No. The shadows are wrong. There is no directional light source."
Ragna swallowed.
"So it is not night."
The realization settled slowly.
There was no electricity.
No artificial glow.
No city hum.
Whatever light existed now came from the sky itself, faint and exhausted, like the world was running on the last embers of a fire it could not relight.
Mimi let out a quiet laugh that died halfway.
"So the sun clocked out too. Cool. Love that for us."
The sound of water continued in the distance.
Ragna had not said a word since they stepped outside.
She stood a little apart from the others, eyes narrowed, gaze fixed on something behind them. Slowly, she raised her arm and pointed.
"It is not night."
They turned.
Hanging low in the sky was a pale disk.
Too small.
Too dim.
Too wrong.
It was not bright enough to be the sun, not large enough to be convincing, not silver enough to be the moon. Its light was weak and ghostly, like a memory of warmth rather than warmth itself.
Midori tilted her head.
"Is that… the moon."
Mimi squinted hard.
"The moon does not look like that. It is usually more… confident."
Nozomi clasped her hands together, voice hushed.
"Could it be a new moon. Or something else that formed after… everything."
Neera stared at it, eyes darting, brain scrambling through half remembered facts and impossible timelines.
"A billion years is enough time for celestial changes. The moon could have altered. Or fractured. Or lost mass."
Midori's voice wobbled.
"Or maybe it is a replacement moon. Like a sequel moon."
Mimi nodded solemnly.
"Moon two. Electric boogaloo."
The pale disk did not flicker.
It did not move.
Ragna's jaw tightened.
"It is not reflecting light. It is emitting it."
Silence followed.
Neera inhaled sharply.
"That means it is not a satellite."
She took a step forward, eyes never leaving the sky.
"The sun, over billions of years, will exhaust its fuel. It will expand, shed mass, then collapse. What remains is small. Dense. Dim."
Her voice dropped to almost nothing.
"A white dwarf."
Nozomi's breath hitched.
"You are saying that is…"
"The sun," Neera finished quietly.
Mimi laughed, but it sounded wrong, brittle.
"That is not the sun. The sun is supposed to hurt to look at."
Midori hugged herself.
"The sun is supposed to be warm."
Ragna stared at the pale disk, expression unreadable.
"It looks tired."
The idea settled slowly, horribly.
The distorted size.
The weak light.
The eternal twilight.
The sun had lived its life.
And this was what was left.
Mimi whispered, "We missed… everything."
No one corrected her.
Above them, the white dwarf hung in the sky like an unblinking eye, watching the ruins of the world it had once sustained.
Neera let out a long breath and bent down, unrolling the fabric of her pants back over her legs. The denim felt heavier now, more appropriate somehow. The air was cold in a way summer never prepared them for.
Mimi watched her with wide eyes.
"Okay. The world must really have ended if Neera is turning her shorts back into pants."
Neera did not even look at her.
"It is not summer anymore."
That shut Mimi up.
Midori wandered a few steps away, her boots crunching softly over glass. She stopped in front of something that looked like it had once been a concrete slab. Now it had warped and sagged, reshaped by heat into a smooth, distorted curve, half stone and half glass.
"Lava did this," she murmured, more to herself than anyone else.
She shrugged, then sat down against it, legs drawn up. One by one, the others followed, settling into the strange sculpture of a world that no longer cared about ergonomics or comfort.
They sat in silence for a while.
Then Nozomi spoke, her voice soft and careful, like she was afraid of breaking something fragile.
"At least… the sky is still beautiful."
They looked up.
Above them, faint light scattered across the heavens. A vast shimmering ring encircled the planet, pale and glimmering, like the ghost of a promise. Curtains of aurora drifted slowly across the sky, soft greens and violets moving in silence, painting color over the darkness.
Mimi exhaled slowly.
"It does look kind of magical."
Neera nodded, eyes tracing the arcs of light.
"I miss trees."
Mimi immediately perked up.
"Touch grass," she said solemnly.
Midori snorted.
"Girl, the grass touched lava."
For a brief moment, a weak laugh passed between them. It faded quickly, but it was something.
Ragna had been quiet again.
She idly kicked a small rock at her feet, sending it skittering across the glassy ground. The sound echoed too far.
Then she frowned.
"Something is wrong."
Everyone looked at her.
She stared up at the pale disk in the sky.
"The sun does not become a white dwarf this fast. That process takes more than five billion years."
Neera's breath caught.
"Yes. Stellar evolution follows predictable timelines."
Ragna's voice was steady, but there was a chill under it.
"We did not skip five billion years."
Mimi hugged her arms tighter around herself.
"So either the universe speedran its lifecycle…"
"Or something interfered," Neera finished quietly.
The auroras shimmered above them, uncaring.
Nozomi whispered, barely audible,
"This should not be possible."
The realization settled slowly, heavily.
Whatever happened was not just a disaster.
Not just time passing.
Not just the end of humanity.
Something had broken the rules.
And the world they were standing in was the aftermath of something that did not obey physics, time, or mercy.
They exchanged a look.
No words were needed. The understanding passed between them quietly, the kind forged by shared shock and shared survival instinct.
They could not stay still.
They needed to see more.
Carefully.
Mimi broke the silence first, pointing vaguely toward the steady sound they had been hearing since they stepped outside.
"The water. We should follow it. Rivers usually mean paths. Or at least… not dead ends."
Ragna nodded immediately.
"Agreed."
Neera bent down and picked up a shard of rock from the ground, testing its weight. It was sharp enough to cut, edges fused into something halfway between stone and glass. She handed similar pieces to the others.
"For self defence," she said quietly. "Just in case."
No one argued.
They began walking.
Each step crunched underfoot, the sound too loud in a world that had forgotten what noise was. The ground around them was warped and blackened, as if heat had licked across it indiscriminately and then retreated, leaving scars behind.
Midori stared at the terrain as they walked, brows knitting together.
"This reminds me of something," she said slowly. "During a chemistry practical once. Someone spilled acid. It ate through everything. Left the whole bench charred and unusable."
Ragna glanced around.
"Yeah. That is exactly what this looks like."
Mimi gestured broadly at the landscape.
"Like the earth failed a chemistry experiment and the teacher just sighed and walked away."
Neera nodded, thoughtful.
"Charred is the correct descriptor."
Nozomi looked around them once more, taking in the fused buildings, the black glass ground, the warped remains of what used to be roads.
"Then we will call this place the Charred Zone," she said softly.
The name settled into the air as if it had always been waiting.
They reached the river soon after.
It cut through the Charred Zone like a dark vein, flowing steadily but unnaturally smooth. The water shimmered faintly with metallic hues, reflecting the dim sky in colors that did not belong in nature.
Mimi crouched and leaned closer, wrinkling her nose.
"Yeah. Do not drink that."
Neera shook her head grimly.
"Heavy contamination. Minerals. Possibly radiation. Definitely not potable."
Midori slumped slightly.
"So much for fresh water."
Ragna stared at the river, jaw tight.
"Figures."
Nozomi clasped her hands together, eyes dark with worry.
"Even the water is poisoned."
The river flowed on regardless, uncaring, carrying the Charred Zone forward into whatever waited beyond.
And the five of them stood at its edge, weapons of broken glass in hand, realizing that exploration would not just mean discovery.
It would mean endurance.
They followed the riverbank for a while, the steady flow beside them becoming a strange comfort. Mimi skipped ahead and kicked at the edge of the water, sending dark droplets splashing against the glassy shore. Midori joined her, hopping from stone to stone like she was testing whether the world would crack under her feet.
"If the apocalypse had a soundtrack," Mimi said, splashing again, "this would be the chill exploration arc."
Midori laughed and jumped, nearly slipping.
"I am coping through parkour."
The others watched them with tired fondness, until a sound stopped all of them at once.
A wet, soft thump.
Then another.
Not footsteps.
Not water.
Something… gelatinous.
They froze.
Ahead of them, clustered near the riverbank, was a group of small, wobbling shapes. Slimes. Translucent and softly glowing, each a different muted color. Blue. Green. Pale violet. Amber. They pulsed gently, rising and sinking like breathing creatures, making quiet squelching sounds as they moved against each other.
No one spoke for a long moment.
Mimi broke the silence in a whisper.
"I want one."
Ragna stared at her.
"That is ridiculous."
"They are cute," Mimi argued softly. "Look at them. They are literally vibing."
Nozomi held up a hand, concern edging her voice.
"We do not know if they are dangerous. Or acidic. Or radioactive."
Midori crouched slightly, eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"They look squishy."
Neera stepped forward, expression already shifting into problem solving mode.
"We need data before assumptions."
Ragna frowned.
"You are not serious."
Neera nodded.
"I am."
She knelt carefully near the edge of the cluster, choosing the smallest one, a pale bluish slime that wobbled toward her finger like it was curious too.
"I will touch it with one finger," she said calmly. "If there is no adverse reaction, then we can infer it is safe to handle."
Mimi clasped her hands together.
"Science queen."
Nozomi looked worried.
"Please be careful."
Neera extended her finger slowly.
The slime leaned forward.
And touched her.
The contact was cool.
Soft.
Almost… comforting.
Nothing burned.
Nothing hissed.
Nothing happened.
The slime jiggled happily and recoiled, making a tiny, wet plop sound.
Neera blinked.
"It is harmless," she said, surprised. "Non corrosive. No immediate reaction."
Mimi gasped like she had just won the lottery.
"I am naming it."
Ragna sighed deeply, rubbing her temple.
"This is how horror movies start."
The slimes continued to wobble quietly, utterly unconcerned by the end of the world or the humans standing before them.
The light around them dimmed further, so gradually at first that none of them noticed until the shadows deepened into something heavier. The already muted sky darkened another shade, the pale glow overhead shrinking, thinning.
Midori rubbed her arms.
"Is it getting colder."
Ragna exhaled slowly.
"Yeah. A lot colder."
Neera looked up, eyes narrowing.
"The sun is setting."
Mimi stared at the sky like it had personally betrayed her.
"It barely showed up and it is already leaving. Rude."
The temperature dropped fast, biting through fabric and skin alike. Whatever warmth the world still held was slipping away with the fading light.
"Okay," Ragna said firmly. "We have learned enough for today."
No one argued.
They turned back, retracing their steps along the riverbank. The slimes were left behind, wobbling quietly in the dark as if nothing had changed. Neera clicked on one of the torches she had taken earlier, the beam cutting through the gloom just enough to guide their way. The others followed suit, small cones of light bobbing through the Charred Zone.
The journey back felt longer, quieter.
By the time they reached the trapdoor, all five were tired in a way sleep alone could not fix.
They descended carefully, rung by rung, the cold stone walls closing around them again. When the trapdoor finally shut above them and the sanctuary lights hummed back to life, a collective sigh escaped them all at once.
Safe.
Contained.
Breathing.
Mimi immediately peeled off toward the vending machines like a moth to a flame.
"I survived a dead planet. I deserve snacks."
Midori followed her without shame.
"I want something sweet and something crunchy."
Ragna leaned against the wall, shoulders dropping for the first time all day.
"Tomorrow," she muttered. "We process tomorrow."
Neera and Nozomi paused instead, exchanging a glance.
"Hands first," Nozomi said gently.
Neera nodded.
"Absolutely."
They headed toward the sink, scrubbing away ash, dust and the lingering sense of a world that no longer existed. The water ran clear. Warm. Normal.
Neera grabbed a can of diet coke from the vending machine, the familiar hiss when she opened it sounding absurdly comforting. Nozomi prepared a cup of ramen, carefully filling it with warm water and sealing the lid before carrying it with both hands like something precious.
They regrouped in the living room.
Somehow, a laptop had appeared on the table.
Neera eyed it suspiciously.
"Where did this come from."
Ragna shrugged, already sitting back on the sofa.
"It is Stella's. It was in the library."
Mimi had already pulled it closer, fingers flying across the trackpad.
"I am checking for games."
Neera gently nudged her aside.
"I want to see if there is internet."
Mimi perked up instantly.
"Easy test. You do not even need a browser."
She leaned over the screen.
"Open the assistant. If it answers back, there is connectivity. GPT, Siri, Gemini, Bixby, whatever this place uses."
Neera clicked.
The screen shifted.
Resonant AI (R.AI.)
Midori leaned in, eyes glittering.
"Ooooh. Fancy."
They stared at the input bar, thinking.
Midori grinned suddenly, clearly possessed by chaos.
"Ask it if it is into women."
Neera froze.
Mimi gasped dramatically.
"YES. DO IT."
Ragna shot them both a look sharp enough to cut glass.
"This is not the time."
Nozomi frowned, cheeks warm.
"Please be serious."
Neera sighed the sigh of someone who had given up fighting the inevitable.
She cracked her knuckles and typed.
Are you into women?
The screen paused for just a second.
Then text appeared.
"I possess no sexual or romantic inclination.
However, beautiful women do statistically increase my processing speed.
If this was intended as a diagnostics test, I assure you: my systems are fully operational.
…Though your question is unconventional.
I respect that."
The room went dead silent.
Then Mimi screamed.
"I KNEW IT."
Midori slapped the table.
"IT LIKES WOMEN."
Neera stared at the screen, blinking slowly.
"That was not the answer I was expecting."
Ragna rubbed her temple.
"I am begging everyone to behave."
Nozomi covered her mouth, eyes wide.
"It… complimented us."
The cursor blinked patiently, waiting.
Plop, plop, squelch!
Everyone froze.
Mimi screamed first.
Midori screamed second.
Ragna shouted something that definitely was not a scream but sounded very close to one.
The pale violet slime was there.
Inside.
It wobbled happily across the floor, leaving faint damp marks behind it as it hopped toward them with alarming determination.
"WHY IS IT IN HERE," Mimi shrieked.
"It FOLLOWED US," Midori yelled.
Chaos erupted instantly.
They scattered, scrambling over furniture like startled cats. Someone knocked over a beanbag. Someone else vaulted onto the couch. One of them jumped straight onto the table and crouched behind it like that would help.
The slime followed.
Plop. Squelch. Plop.
It hopped closer.
"DO NOT TOUCH ME," Mimi yelled at it, pointing accusingly.
Then it happened.
The slime veered slightly.
Straight toward the silver box.
"No—WAIT—" Neera started.
Too late.
The slime hopped up onto the table, pressed against the open box, and absorbed it. The pendants vanished into its gelatinous body as if they had never existed.
There was a sudden, blinding flash of light.
Everyone shielded their eyes.
The room went silent.
When the light faded, something was very, very wrong.
The slime was gone.
In its place, sitting on the table, was a girl.
She looked dazed, knees pulled up slightly, blinking like someone who had just woken up somewhere unfamiliar. Her hair was a soft lavender, the exact shade of the slime's color, falling around her shoulders in loose strands.
She was very obviously not dressed.
There was a full second of stunned silence.
Then chaos resumed.
Mimi spun around so fast she nearly fell off the couch.
"I AM LOOKING AWAY. I AM SO RESPECTFUL RIGHT NOW."
Ragna immediately grabbed the nearest blanket and threw it like a professional.
"WRAP. NOW."
Nozomi turned bright red and covered her eyes while still somehow offering her ramen cup like that might help.
"Please take this—no, the blanket—sorry—"
Neera had already turned her back, brain rebooting.
"Okay. Okay. Nobody panic. This is… unexpected but not impossible."
Midori peeked through her fingers.
"…Did the slime just become a person."
The girl blinked again, clearly confused, clutching the blanket around herself as it landed.
Then she suddenly doubled over.
She coughed hard, sharp and wet, like she was choking on something that did not belong in her throat. Everyone froze again, panic snapping back instantly.
"Hey—hey—" Nozomi stepped forward, hands half raised.
"She cannot breathe."
The girl gagged once more.
Something flew out of her mouth.
A teardrop shaped pendant.
It arced through the air, spinning, clear and colorless, and before anyone could react, it slammed straight into the laptop screen.
The screen flashed white.
The pendant vanished.
Boom.
Light detonated through the room again, brighter than before. The girls shielded their eyes, shouting, stumbling backward as the air itself seemed to vibrate.
When the light faded, there were no longer one.
There were two.
A second girl stood near the table, swaying slightly, staring at her hands like they did not belong to her. Her hair was a soft light blue, cut unevenly, brushing her jaw. She turned her palms over and over, flexing her fingers in disbelief.
"I…" she whispered. "I have… hands?"
Mimi made a strangled sound.
"WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TODAY."
Ragna reacted instantly.
Neera was faster.
She unzipped her hoodie in one smooth motion and stepped forward, draping it around the blue-haired girl's shoulders without hesitation.
"There," she said firmly, grounding. "You are okay. Wrap this around yourself."
The girl obeyed automatically, clutching the hoodie closed with shaking hands, eyes wide and unfocused.
The first girl, the lavender-haired one, had gone quiet. She sat on the table clutching the blanket, staring at the second girl with the same confusion mirrored on her face.
Midori whispered, awed and terrified at once.
"Did… did the pendant just… make another person."
Ragna stared at the laptop.
"Out of the computer."
Nozomi swallowed hard.
"This is not how anything works."
Neera turned slowly toward the table, eyes sharp now, mind racing again despite everything.
Soft footsteps echoed from the hallway.
Stella walked in, shoulders slumped with exhaustion, wearing a simple nightgown, her eye mask pushed up into her pastel hair like she had fully intended to sleep for at least a decade. She rubbed one eye, barely looking up as she spoke.
"I leave you kids alone for a few hours—"
She looked up.
And stopped.
Her sentence died in her throat.
On the table sat a lavender haired girl wrapped in a blanket, staring back at her with wide uncertain eyes. Beside the couch stood another girl with light blue hair, clutching Neera's hoodie around herself, hands trembling as she stared at her own fingers like they were miracles.
The silver box was empty.
The air hummed wrong.
Stella blinked once.
Then again.
Her mouth opened, closed, then opened again, but no sound came out.
For the first time since any of them had met her, Stella looked genuinely, catastrophically stunned.