Time twisted strangely in the zone.
It could've been hours. Could've been days. The Manager had vanished—no final words, no final warning. Just gone.
In his place, the world cracked.
Groups formed fast. Some by instinct. Some by force. Kael was one of the first to rise—a man who understood violence before the rules were written. He didn't need to explain how he got his followers.
Power attracts the weak. Purpose attracts the lost. His mark just made it official.
Rae had neither. No group. No mark. Just a torn jacket, blood on her hands, and a memory of running from something she couldn't name. She'd escaped through a fire exit while others screamed. Hid beneath rubble while others begged.
Alone—but breathing.
That counted for something.
⸻
[System Update: Tutorial Zone #009 Initialized]
[Survivor Count: 103,448]
[Active Participant Marks: 76,512]
Rae read the numbers as they hovered faintly above the skyline, burned into the red haze like a second sun.
She didn't know what the "Mark" was.
Only that most people seemed to have one.
Kael had one—glowing on the back of his hand like a brand that refused to fade. His whole group did. That's how she first noticed it. The same symbol, shifting faintly like a living tattoo.
She had no such mark.
And somehow, that felt dangerous.
⸻
Kael's group moved through the ruins like they owned them. Maybe fifty in all—too many for Rae to run from without being seen.
They'd found her near the edge of a collapsed overpass, where the Manager had vanished hours earlier.
Kael stepped closer.
"Didn't think someone like you would last this long alone," he said, glancing at her like she was already his.
Rae didn't answer. Didn't flinch.
Not until his fingers brushed her cheek. Then slid lower.
"Back off."
Kael's smirk didn't move. His faction laughed like they'd seen this scene play out before.
Then—
"AAGHH—!"
One of the men behind him vanished upward. Screamed once. Then silence.
Another body hit the pavement beside Rae. Blood splashed her legs.
"What the—" Kael turned too late.
From above, they came.
⸻
[Spawn Error: Stray Breach Detected]
[Stray Spawn Rate: Every 2 Seconds]
[Mass Event Duration: 03:59:58 Remaining]
The first wave landed hard—twisted humanoids with split jaws and exposed ribs.
The second wave screeched.
The third attacked.
Kael's smirk disappeared. He barked orders. Drew a blade.
Rae ran.
She didn't look back.
⸻
The streets twisted. Noise followed her—wet footsteps, metal bending, screaming. Her lungs burned.
She ducked into an alley, hoping to vanish into the dark.
Then—
A crack. Like stone breaking.
Something hit the ground behind her. Hard.
She turned.
He stood there.
Tall. Steady. Arms relaxed at his sides.
Zareth.
Before she could speak, he disappeared.
BOOM.
He reappeared mid-sprint, arm wrapped around a Stray's head. Crushed it against the wall like pulp.
Another lunged.
He didn't slow.
⸻
A figure dropped beside him, blades flashing.
Saedra spun mid-air, cutting through the creature before it hit the ground. Her feet touched down in a puddle of blood, face lit with a crooked smile.
"Ohhh, you crushed that one just for me, didn't you, Zareth? You're so sweet when you're violent!"
Another stray lunged. She danced between its claws, blades flicking outward like silver fire.
"If they touch you, I'll cut off their hands. Maybe their heads too. Just to be sure!"
Zareth vanished again—reappeared above the fray—driving his fist through a Stray's skull.
Saedra laughed, eyes gleaming.
"You move like you're dancing with me. We were made for this..."
Rae stayed hidden behind a dumpster, eyes wide.
The alley filled with motion. Strays screamed. Bones snapped. Flesh hit the walls.
"Look, look! Did you see that one explode? I made it pretty—for you!"
Saedra twirled, blood spraying from her spinning blades.
"They scream so ugly... but with you beside me, everything's beautiful."
One stray tried to run. Saedra cut it in half without blinking.
"If anyone tries to hurt you, I'll rip out their insides and play with them like string..."
Rae felt her knees shaking.
Saedra glanced toward her.
"Don't worry, little girl. We're not here for you. Unless you touch Zareth. Then I'll carve your name into the wall."
When the silence returned, Zareth approached her. Calm, unreadable.
"Hey," he said. "Where exactly are we?"
Saedra flicked blood off her blade.
"This place isn't very welcoming."
Rae hesitated. She looked at their hands.
No mark.
Not glowing. Not shifting.
Just skin.
"You..." she whispered. "You don't have a mark."
Zareth glanced at his palm. "Guess not."
Saedra smirked.
"Looks like we missed the branding ceremony."
Rae looked from one to the other. "Then... what are you?"
Zareth tilted his head. "Tourists."