Finally, the long-awaited expansion began. Lucien and his army marched out as the shelter gate shook.
The residents were all Awaken by the noise as finally the five Awakeners left them and joined Lucien’s army.
The residents gulped, not knowing what was happening, but they knew that after today, the shelter would be changed forever.
---
Outside the shelter gate, Lucien and the army were prepared.
The five Awakeners and Mai were at the front, leading the charge, while Lucien, Jeff, and Daemon were at the back directing it.
It was dark, though fairly visible, but Lucien was confident at the same time he wouldn’t just blindly charge into the city. They hadn’t even explored half of it, but they hadn’t been idle for one week.
"Daemon, do you have everything ready?" Lucien asked as Daemon smiled.
"Yes, leader. The layout is here," Daemon replied as he walked quickly to Lucien.
Lucien collected the paper as he smiled.
"Good, good. It’s dark already, perfect," Lucien said, closing the piece of paper handed to him, and looked up.
Although Lucien said it was dark, it wasn’t full darkness; everything was just a bit dimmer than day.
"Jeff, bring them out," Lucien commanded, and Jeff nodded.
"Yes, boss," Jeff replied as he signaled to his army.
"Bring the torches, light the way," Jeff commanded, and bright light was released instantly, illuminating the streets.
Over two dozen lights appeared, and the dim streets were all lit up.
Eyes were misty, smiles appeared as everyone looked around.
It wasn’t just because they became superhumans..no, it was more than that. It was the fact that they survived; the fact that tonight, after being hunted by zombies, putting their lives on the line at every battle, constantly trying to survive, it all finally paid off. It all finally worked. Tonight, humanity would start taking back what they lost.
What happened was a mystery, and why was even a bigger mystery but today...
Tonight, they would start expanding, save any humans still alive, and through them, humanity would rise once more.
"Everyone, haha, I won’t preach to you about the life and death of humanity, nor encourage you to lay down your lives tonight. You all know what this is. You all know what had happened.
The first few days of this apocalypse were the worst. Everything crumbled. We lost all communication, our technology had failed. But we held up, we rose, and we supported each other. Look around you . From today onwards, the faces you see now are your comrades, your brothers in arms. They will lay down their lives for you, for their beliefs, and for the future of this shelter and humanity.
They will be the ones to lead in the future, the ones beasts and zombies will fear but it all starts tonight.
I have given you a home, protected you, given you food. Now, as I did for you, you have to venture out and do the same for others. Be patient with them.
Have compassion, they are your fellow humans. They have experienced hell for two weeks. They will be weak, alert, and distrustful, but be patient with them. And as you go, you might meet your loved ones; you might meet your friends.
No matter who they are, they are all humans. Treat them with respect. They are the future of this shelter...the future of humanity. All past relationships are past. I hope you understand. You have seen what this potion did for you. As you grow stronger, the gap between you and others will increase. It is better to pay your respects now and withdraw from them.
Finally, I say this: my goal isn’t to build a shelter, a city, nor a kingdom for humanity.
My goal is to build a world where you and I can survive in and live with peace and comfort," Lucien said, his voice spreading far and wide as the army burst into laughs, cries, and screams.
They missed their loved ones; some even wanted to die. The constant fear of life and death was horrible.
Some even drank their urine, even ate their faces in the first few days, but here they were, guards of this shelter, twice or more stronger than peak humans all because of one man.
How could they not be grateful? But more so, what Lucien said hit them.
Yes, the world had changed, and who knew? Maybe as they grew stronger, their life expectancy would increase. Their loved ones would die before them or worse, they would die in battle.
The truth of the matter is, as they were growing stronger, so were those zombies.
And Lucien claimed he had even seen those stronger...
All in all, today, tonight... was a significant point of change in their lives, and they would make good use of it.
"So... let’s march on and expand," Lucien shouted.
"Let’s march on and expand!" the army roared in response as Lucien smiled.
"This... it is... having such loyal beings is almost addictive," Lucien muttered.
Immediately, the expansion began as Jeff and Daemon took control.
Daemon arranged the direction and points they should take tonight, both for defense and for resources, while Jeff decided the number of people to be sent to each point.
Finally, a team of five was formed, with each of the five Awakeners as leaders. As for Mai, Jeff, and Daemon, they all stood near Lucien as they waited for the results.
---
In the city Lucien was...
A short distance away, a small family was surviving in a collapsed house.
"Mom, do you know when Dad and my brother will be back?" she asked, biting through a loaf of bread with her dry lips. The teenage girl, about 17 years old, had sapphire eyes and brown hair.
Her arms were thin, her body leaning onto her mother as she asked.
"Soon, my dear, soon," a more mature feminine voice said, but she was weak. It had been five days since she last ate, and as for water, their supply had finished a day ago. That was why her husband and son had to venture out to search for food and water.
As for her daughter, she was eating the last piece of food in the house.
Surviving for two weeks in the apocalypse wasn’t easy. Food shortages, no other humans could be trusted. They had to remain constantly vigilant to avoid zombies.
That was how serious it was.
It not only drained one mentally but physically.
Plus, they had to manage the food and water they had and distribute it in rations.
Their food was irregular, the right proteins were not distributed, the right amount of minerals was gone. Like that, like that.
In two weeks, their bones became very visible, their skin hollowed out.
They looked thin and weak, barely hanging on from starving to death.
Her husband and her middle-aged son had been the ones going out to search for resources. Some trips took minutes, others would last for hours, and today was one of those.
"Mom... at times, I just wish I could die. Maybe you guys could have eaten me and survived much longer," her daughter said, snapping her out of her lifeless thoughts.
Hearing that, she just couldn’t hold on or pretend to be strong anymore.
Her defenses crumbled as tears streamed out.
"..Please... please, don’t... sa...y that," her mother said as she cried.
Hearing this broke her daughter’s heart.
"But Mom, Dad and my brother always risk their lives for you and me... can’t I... can’t I do something too?" her daughter argued as she wept.
Her mother weakly hugged her daughter as she felt she couldn’t breathe well again.
Yes, her daughter was right. Because of them, her husband and her son had to go out there, where those terrifying creatures were, and try to bring them food.
So many times they had met other stronger squads that invited them both to join them.
If her husband and her son had agreed, they would definitely have had a stronger chance of survival than staying with them, yet they stayed.
Her daughter was right, they were dragging them down.
Her heart broke as she remembered the past. Was food a problem for them? No, they were a powerful family in the upper district.
She and her husband had worked their way up, yet as it came time for their children to enjoy their wealth, this apocalypse happened.
They lost everything in a day. They watched their neighbors being ripped apart. Their screams still echoed in their ears.
At times, she couldn’t sleep without having nightmares of it. Those gut-wrenching screams.
Yet she couldn’t give up. She couldn’t leave her children and die.
"I’m sorry for this... your dad and brother will be back with food, and they will be safe," she hugged harder as her daughter held her clothes.
"Mom... I’m afraid. I’m scared. I... I..."
"Shhh... everything will be fine," her mother reassured her as she looked outside the window, barely still holding on.
Suddenly, her eyes caught glimpses of light.
Then murmurs were heard.
"Mom... is that Dad and my brother?" Hearing human voices, the daughter stood up and asked excitedly, but her mother was anxious.
"I don’t know. Keep quiet," her mother said as she wiped her tears. With the world collapsed and no rules or obligations, if a group of men found women, no one knew what they would do.
Humans are more dangerous in a lawless world. Their craziest thoughts, desires, and imagination were free to roam and could be acted upon.
Just as her mind was filled with thoughts, a familiar voice was heard.
"Yes, they are here! Hurry, please come help them," she stood frozen. That was her husband’s voice.
But didn’t he tell them to keep quiet and make sure their location wasn’t exposed to other humans? Why was he leading other humans here?
Has her husband reached his limit?
Did he believe in strangers?
Did he trade himself for their survival?
How could he?
"What’s happening... Dad is back?" her daughter smiled and looked at her mom’s face, expecting happiness, but all she met was fear and worry.
******