- 5 hours ago
- #full
- #shortfilm
- #high
#FULL EPISODE #shortfilm
FULL VERSION #High Quality
#FULL EP
#FULL EP 2026
FULL VERSION #High Quality
#FULL EP
#FULL EP 2026
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00Beep. Walmart checkout line. The scanner's chirp suddenly cut out. The lady who just cussed me out for cutting in
00:06line suddenly started shaking. Scallion hit the floor. The shelf stalker froze. Eyes fixed on the ceiling lights. I looked
00:15at the gum in my hand and my heart skipped a beat. The ghost pain of frozen lungs was so
00:20real it nearly brought me down. I looked up and scanned the room. Hundreds of people in the store fell
00:24dead silent at the exact same time. No one spoke. Everyone was on their phones. Then locking eyes with each
00:29other.
00:30It wasn't confusion in their eyes. It was pure greed and panic. Everyone's returned. Three hours before the eternal night.
00:36Grab it. Without light. We're dead. Someone finally snapped and screamed. The store erupted into chaos. Hundreds charged for the
00:44same aisles. Lighting and fuel. Loom. These batteries are mine. Generator. Who has one? I'll pay a million. Down jackets.
00:51Give me all of them. Shelves toppled. People were trampled. Screams and curses filled the air. I watched coldly. Pushing
00:58against the frantic crowd.
00:59Toward the ignored hardware section. My bestie Quinn. Who pushed me to the monsters in the last life. Just because
01:05her flashlight died. Was clutching a box of searchlights. Grinning like a total lunatic. She saw me. Looked stunned for
01:13a second. Then smirked with pure contempt.
01:15Jade. You're reborn too right? What are you waiting for? You idiot. Go get the batteries before it's too late.
01:21She crammed camping lights. Into her cart. Looking at me like I was already dead.
01:24You got lucky and survived last time. This time. You won't survive the dark.
01:28I ignored her. Clearing out the shelves of blackout cloth. High density foam. And heavy duty tape.
01:34Quinn looked at me like I was insane. She shoved past me. Hissing into my ear.
01:39Morin. It's pitch black out there. What's black cloth for?
01:43I looked at her pile of high power lights. With a smirk.
01:47Idiots. You only remembered the cold and the dark. You don't know that seven hours in, the real reapers, the
01:54light eaters, will wake up.
01:55They're blind and only haunt lumens. The brighter the light, the faster they hit. In this dark apocalypse, light isn't
02:01life. Light is a beacon for the grim reaper.
02:03Outside, the streets were in pure chaos. Traffic was dead. Sirens wailed, but no one gave a damn.
02:09Cars were swarming hardware. Stores and gas stations. Crash. A rover smashed into an outdoor shop. The driver, face bloody,
02:17ran in for a generator.
02:19I drove my old truck, ramming the gate open. Only two hours and fifteen minutes left. I'm on the first
02:24floor with a basement.
02:26Last life, I hated how dark. And damp it was. Now, it's a natural fortress.
02:32Next door, Mr. Kent was busy as hell. He had his son welding bars, on windows, and setting up huge
02:39solar floodlights outside.
02:41I hauled out my black cloth and tape. Mr. Kent spat, looking at me with scorn.
02:46Hey, Jade. Did your brain freeze over? What's with those rags? Go get some fuel.
02:51His son gripped a stolen fire axe. His eyes were cold, with a murderous glint.
02:55Dad, forget about her. Jade, hand over the diesel generator.
02:58Last life. They broke in on day three of the freeze. They robbed me and kicked me into the snow.
03:05I opened my trunk without a word. Pointing at my dusty, high-power generator. It's right here, but I don't
03:12want it.
03:12They froze, almost dropping the axe. I want the damp charcoal in your cellar. And those useless rubber mats and
03:18old quilts.
03:19Trade those, and the generator's yours.
03:21You crazy. That charcoal's moldy. Smokes like hell. Those quilts stink to high heaven.
03:26Deal or not. I pretended to shut the trunk. Deal. Only an idiot wouldn't.
03:30Afraid I'd change my mind, they ran home, and dumped that trash at my door.
03:35Jade, you asked for this. Don't haunt us if you freeze to death.
03:39They gleefully hooked the generator to the floodlights, like it was their lifeline.
03:45I almost laughed.
03:47Even damp charcoal works one stride.
03:50With ventilation, you can heat quietly in the dark.
03:52Rubber mats and old quilts insulate and muffle sound.
03:56After the trade, I dragged the trash inside, and locked the door.
03:59The next two hours were life or death.
04:01No time to reinforce the door.
04:04Steel is useless against light eaters.
04:06As long as no light leaks, as long as there's no sound, they won't know anyone's here.
04:10I started covering the windows with blackout fabric.
04:13One layer. Two. Three.
04:14I sealed every crack with black caulk.
04:17Even stuffed thick padding under the door.
04:19I was sealing myself into a black coffin.
04:221.55 PM.
04:23Five minutes till eternal night.
04:25I'd covered every light source at home.
04:27Phone screen.
04:28Rice cooker indicator.
04:29Power strip LEDs.
04:30All taped black.
04:32Done with that, I sat in the pitch dark living room.
04:34And opened the residence group chat.
04:36Screen dimmed to the lowest.
04:38With privacy film.
04:39The chat was buzzing.
04:41Everyone bragged.
04:42Quinn posted a photo.
04:44Dozens of batteries lit up her room.
04:46Like daylight, string lights and all.
04:47This life, I'll be queen of the night.
04:50Kneel if you fear the dark.
04:52I might spare you a lamp.
04:53Neighbors flooded her with praise.
04:55Quinn's amazing.
04:56Take me in.
04:57I've got food.
04:58Booze and smokes for a power bank.
05:01Where's Jade?
05:02Why is she so quiet?
05:03She traded a generator for charcoal.
05:04Cry now.
05:05Jade.
05:06I'll be nice.
05:07Beg me now.
05:08I'll toss you some candles.
05:10I stared at the screen.
05:11Said nothing.
05:12And muted my phone.
05:13Cry?
05:14No.
05:15I'm digging your graves.
05:162 p.m.
05:18No warning came.
05:19The sun outside was crushed.
05:20By an invisible hand.
05:23A low hum shook the world.
05:25Then, darkness.
05:27Not nightfall.
05:28Total, absolute black.
05:30All natural light vanished.
05:32In 5 minutes, 25 degrees Celsius plunged off a cliff.
05:3510, 0, minus 15.
05:37The windows crackled sharply.
05:39Glass straining from the cold.
05:41It's here.
05:41I'm freezing already.
05:42Turn on the lights.
05:43Screams echoed in the hallway.
05:45Next second, the whole complex lit up.
05:47Especially the top floor.
05:49Home to Quinn and Mr. Kent.
05:51High power floodlights turned snow today.
05:54Huh.
05:55It's bright.
05:55I'm not scared.
05:57Bring it on.
05:58We've got light and heat.
06:00Mr. Kent's family laughed wildly.
06:02I wore the military night vision monocular.
06:06In its green glow, the thermometer outside read minus 30.
06:10But this was only the start.
06:11I chewed a rock-hard ration bar.
06:13No hot water.
06:14Boiling water makes noise and light.
06:16Like a hibernating snake, I waited.
06:18Waiting for the feast called light.
06:20Six hours since eternal night began.
06:22Outside is a twisted carnival.
06:25Through my tiny peephole, sealed with one-way film, I watched the building across.
06:30It looks like a giant Christmas tree.
06:31Almost every apartment has all its lights blazing.
06:34The cold drives them.
06:36Brutal frost makes people crave heat.
06:38Quinn, showing off.
06:39Installed rotating spotlights on the roof.
06:41Beams sweep the black sky.
06:43Announcing her wealth and safety.
06:45In the group chat, they praise her.
06:48Quinn's place is so warm.
06:50You can see the heat through windows.
06:51This is real living.
06:52Unlike some people, frozen stiff by now.
06:54They post hot pot pics under bright lights.
06:56Steam rising.
06:57Chili oil bubbling.
06:58Hey, do you hear that?
07:00Someone sends a voice message.
07:02Their tone's slightly shaky.
07:04Like something's scraping the wall.
07:06Like nails on glass.
07:07So sharp.
07:08The chat goes quiet for a second.
07:10Don't scare us.
07:11With wind this strong, it's just tree branches, right?
07:13Yeah, we're on the 20th floor.
07:15What could climb up here?
07:16Quinn sends a smug voice note.
07:18What's there to fear?
07:19My spotlights are industrial grade.
07:21What monster would dare come?
07:22I'll blind it with light.
07:23I set down my biscuit.
07:24Adjust the night vision.
07:26And lean toward the people.
07:27They're here.
07:28In her blazing spotlight beam.
07:29I see something struggling to breathe.
07:31As the light sweeps past, countless black shapes cling to the wall.
07:35Withered humanoid forms, long limbs, no eyes.
07:38Its head is just a huge, barbed mouth.
07:41They'd been wandering in darkness.
07:43But the second she lit that beam, every monster froze.
07:46In that instant, their light-sensitive skin felt the lumens.
07:50To them, it's not just light.
07:52It was the dinner bell.
07:54Roar.
07:54A piercing shriek split the air.
07:56Then hundreds, thousands of shadows surged along the building's wall, like a black tidal wave, rushing toward the brightest tower.
08:03Bang!
08:03Crash!
08:04The first window shattered.
08:06Then a second.
08:07A third.
08:08Ah, what is that?
08:09Help!
08:09The window's broken.
08:10The group chat turned into screams.
08:12Turn off the lights.
08:14They're coming for the lights.
08:15Someone finally got it.
08:17Too late.
08:18Once marked, it won't stop until the target's gone.
08:21Through the people, I watched.
08:22The Christmas tree, going dark.
08:24Not turned off by switches, but smashed by monsters.
08:27Or the people powering them, were torn apart.
08:29Quinn's top floor was brightest, and most crowded with monsters.
08:33Her huge window shattered.
08:34Under their combined force, wind and monsters stormed.
08:37Her fortress of light.
08:39The rotating spotlight kept spinning.
08:41She swung a stun baton, fighting back.
08:44One monster lunged, and bit off half her hand.
08:48Behind her, Arthur, the man who vowed forever,
08:51shoved her at them with a chair.
08:53Dark green blood splashed across the light,
08:55turning pale light into eerie red.
08:58Quinn, you killed us.
09:00Turn off the spotlight.
09:01Jade, why's your place quiet?
09:03Why aren't there any monsters at your place?
09:05In this citywide frenzy, only my first floor
09:07stayed pitch black and silent.
09:09I exited the chat calmly.
09:11Next door, Mr. Kent screamed.
09:13Stay out.
09:14I've got an ex.
09:15Ah.
09:16His huge solar spotlight shattered.
09:18I wrapped my blanket tighter and closed my eyes.
09:21First rule to survive.
09:23Embrace the dark.
09:24Those holding torches are the first sacrifices.
09:27The first night's purge began, but it's only the start.
09:30Because Arthur, the jerk who pushed me out,
09:32didn't seem dead.
09:34He was stumbling this way.
09:36Bang, bang, bang, pounding.
09:38Echoed down the hall.
09:40Jade, I know you're in there.
09:42Open the door.
09:43Open up.
09:43I sat on the couch, tablet in hand,
09:45watching the peephole cam feed.
09:47In night vision, Arthur was covered in blood.
09:50Not sure who's.
09:51Behind him, the hallway was pitch black.
09:54Something crawled in the dark.
09:56Not opening up?
09:57He sneered.
09:59I've got a lighter, and half a bottle of wine.
10:01If I can't live, we die together.
10:03If I light a fire at your door, those things will rush over.
10:07Being reborn, he figured it out.
10:09He'd use light to break my defense.
10:11Click.
10:11The lighter sparked.
10:13A tiny flame lit the doorway.
10:15On screen, deep in the hall.
10:18Shadows snapped their heads around.
10:20I didn't move.
10:21Not even a breath.
10:22Two hours ago, I'd soaked the hallway tiles outside.
10:25With industrial lube.
10:27He stepped forward with lighter and bottle.
10:31Slide.
10:32His foot slipped.
10:33Ah.
10:34He flailed to balance.
10:35The bottle flew from his hand, smashing on the far wall.
10:40The lighter spun away, tracing a faint arc.
10:44Then went out.
10:45Thud.
10:46He hit the floor hard.
10:48A hiss rose from the dark.
10:51No.
10:52He tried to crawl.
10:53The oil was too slick.
10:55A black claw shot out, and grabbed his ankle.
10:59Ah.
11:00Jade.
11:01Save me.
11:02He screamed briefly, then, was dragged into darkness.
11:05Bones cracked.
11:06Something chewed.
11:08I shut off the tablet and opened a bag of chips.
11:11Crunch.
11:12Almost in rhythm with the chewing.
11:15Trying to kill me?
11:16Watch your step.
11:17It was 8 in the morning.
11:19Should've been bright and sunny.
11:21Outside, pitch black and blizzard roaring.
11:24It was day, but no sun rose.
11:26The first massacre had paused.
11:28Light eaters need to digest.
11:30The group chat was terrifyingly quiet.
11:32Half the group's avatars had gone gray.
11:34The survivors didn't dare speak.
11:36They finally got it.
11:37Light is death.
11:39I could tell they were copying me.
11:41Feeling around in the dark.
11:43Using sheets, quilts, boards.
11:45Desperately sealing windows.
11:46Jade.
11:47You there?
11:48A weak, tearful voice message.
11:51It was Quinn.
11:52I raised a brow.
11:53She survived?
11:54Jade, I know you hear this.
11:56Arthur went to you.
11:57He's dead.
11:57Why didn't you open the door?
11:59You're alive.
12:00So quiet in there.
12:01The dead chat stirred.
12:02What?
12:03She's fine?
12:04She's got supplies.
12:05She hoarded.
12:06That's murder.
12:07Share with us.
12:09Quinn posted a photo.
12:11Her hand wrapped in bloody gauze.
12:13My hands ruined.
12:14No heart.
12:15Jade, I even saved fever meds for you.
12:18She was lying.
12:19She has no meds at all.
12:20She wanted others to blame me.
12:22I watched the accusations scroll and laughed coldly.
12:25Last night you had hot pot under blazing spotlights.
12:27Did anyone call my name?
12:28Now your hand's gone.
12:29You remember me?
12:30Sorry.
12:30My blackout cloth only covers myself.
12:32I hit send with one image.
12:34A pure black picture.
12:35Nothing visible.
12:36But right.
12:37Now.
12:38That absolute darkness.
12:39Was the ultimate flex.
12:40It meant absolute safety.
12:42The temperature dropped to minus 50.
12:44Normal clothes offered no warmth.
12:46Survivors dodged monsters.
12:48But froze slowly.
12:49Afraid of light.
12:50They dared not make fire.
12:51No lights.
12:52No candles.
12:53Not even the stove.
12:54They huddled in the dark.
12:56Shivering together.
12:57Meanwhile.
12:58My home was warm as spring.
12:59I set up a simple smokeless.
13:01Stove in my room.
13:02Red oil bubbled in the pot.
13:04Lamb slices hit the broth.
13:06Changed color fast.
13:07And were drenched in sesame.
13:08And sauce.
13:09I blew on a piece.
13:10And popped it in my mouth.
13:11Spicy.
13:12Hot.
13:12Savory.
13:13Being alive felt amazing.
13:15Even with filters.
13:16The hot pot aroma leaked out.
13:18A faint smell traveled through the old vents.
13:21The chat blew up.
13:23What's that smell?
13:23Yum.
13:24Hot pot.
13:25Who's cooking hot pot?
13:26I smelled it too.
13:27It was a rich, spicy beef aroma.
13:29Jade.
13:29Was that you?
13:30That smells coming from downstairs.
13:32Quinn sent a jealous.
13:33Crazy voice message.
13:34Must be her.
13:35She traded a generator for charcoal.
13:37She planned this.
13:38Eating alone.
13:39We're freezing.
13:40She's eating hot pot.
13:41Jade.
13:42Are you human?
13:43We're dying.
13:43You're actually eating hot pot.
13:45I sipped cold cola.
13:46And burped.
13:47Then I replied.
13:48Sorry.
13:48Just clearing stock.
13:49Too much meat.
13:50Gotta eat it or it'll spoil.
13:51That line crushed their patience completely.
13:54Hunger and cold pushed the neighbors to their limits.
13:57Half an hour later.
13:58Footsteps echoed outside.
13:59Mr. Kent lost his generator.
14:01But he survived.
14:02Since he lives on the first floor.
14:04Jade.
14:04Mr. Kent spoke from outside.
14:07We're neighbors.
14:08We should help each other.
14:09I heard you've got food.
14:11I'm not taking it for free.
14:12Once the area's safe, I'll have David protect you.
14:14David, his son with the axes, says.
14:16Exactly.
14:17Open up.
14:17Share some charcoal.
14:18We're freezing to death.
14:20Open up or we won't be polite.
14:21This door stops monsters, not chainsaws.
14:23They started kicking hard.
14:25Bang.
14:25The door shook.
14:26I put down my chopsticks and wiped my mouth.
14:28Trying to steal?
14:29I moved to the corner with my hi-fi system.
14:32I connected to my tablet and opened a file.
14:35It was the sounds of the light eaters eating.
14:38I turned up the volume.
14:40Just enough to feel like it's right outside.
14:42Then I hit play.
14:43Terrifying sounds echoed clearly through the door.
14:46The kicks stopped instantly.
14:49WH walks that?
14:50Sounds like that monster.
14:51Holy crap.
14:52Monster in Jade's place?
14:53Is she feeding it?
14:54Or being eaten?
14:56Mr. Kent's voice trembled.
14:58David, that doesn't sound right.
14:59Sounds like it's chewing bones.
15:01I slammed the volume to max.
15:02A scream rang out.
15:04Ah.
15:04Then a chaotic stampede of fleeing feet.
15:07Steps scrambled.
15:08Some falling.
15:09Crawling back up.
15:10Ron.
15:10Jade's full of monsters.
15:12She's doomed.
15:13Don't get caught.
15:14Hearing silence return.
15:15I shut off the system.
15:16I sneered.
15:17What a bunch of cowards.
15:19It scared off most.
15:20But a few thought they were smart.
15:22The IT guy.
15:23On the third floor.
15:24With glasses.
15:24Polite type.
15:25He survived last life.
15:27Because he was smart.
15:28This time.
15:29He found a blind spot.
15:30If monsters got.
15:31In my place.
15:31Why is there no screams?
15:32No blood smell.
15:33Only the smell of hot pot.
15:35He guessed I'm alive.
15:36And living well.
15:37But he didn't expose me in the group chat.
15:40Nor did he dumbly try to break in.
15:41He's smart.
15:42At 4pm.
15:43My thermal monitor.
15:44Went off.
15:44It showed someone lying on the floor above me.
15:47He was in an empty room on the second floor.
15:50He was holding a handheld thermal scanner.
15:53My ceiling had extra insulation.
15:55Yet my flat still radiated tons of heat.
15:57Compared to minus 50 outside.
15:59My home was a burning furnace.
16:01He pushed up his glasses.
16:02Grinning greedily.
16:03He took out tools.
16:04He'd prepped.
16:05A manual drill.
16:06And a silent hammer.
16:07He planned to pierce my ceiling from above.
16:09He picked a tricky spot.
16:11Right above my bathroom.
16:12There was a pipe shaft and thin cement there.
16:14Ha.
16:14Clever fool.
16:15I watched his careful moves.
16:17On monitor without stopping him.
16:18I even grabbed a chilled sprite.
16:20Watching with interest.
16:21Are you trying to dig your way in?
16:24Tap.
16:24Tap.
16:25Tap.
16:25Faint vibrations from the ceiling.
16:27The IT guy was careful.
16:29Hammer wrapped in a towel.
16:31I used a stethoscope to track his progress.
16:34Almost there.
16:35Two centimeters to go.
16:37I grabbed some bare copper wire.
16:39One end to the industrial battery bank.
16:42The other wrapped around a rebar rod.
16:46I slid it into the ceiling gap.
16:49Exactly under his drilling spot.
16:51Once he hits the last layer.
16:53The drill would hit live steel.
16:54Z Z Z Z.
16:56The battery hummed lightly.
16:58Enough voltage to jumpstart a truck.
17:00He's digging faster.
17:01He thinks he's in.
17:03He can probably feel my warmth rising.
17:06Break open.
17:06Damn it.
17:07On screen.
17:07He swings the hammer down.
17:10Boom.
17:10The hammer hit the steel.
17:12A blue spark flashed in the dark.
17:14He stiffens instantly.
17:16Not even a scream.
17:18The surge fries his insides instantly.
17:22Thud.
17:22He hit the floor.
17:23Smoke rising.
17:24Gripping a half-melted hammer.
17:27The air smells like burnt meat.
17:29I cut the power.
17:30Pulled out the steel rod.
17:31I looked at the small hole in the ceiling.
17:32And plugged it with a piece of gum.
17:34It was a warning to the others.
17:35This one died nice and quiet.
17:37The IT guy's death went unnoticed at first.
17:39He never returned.
17:40Someone would eventually check.
17:43The burnt smell drifted through the vents.
17:45Someone said.
17:46Why does it smell like barbecue?
17:48Is Jade cooking again?
17:49No.
17:49This meat smells kind of bitter.
17:51I frowned at his corpse on the second floor cam.
17:53Coldness slows decay.
17:55But the body's still a hazard.
17:56What if scent-driven monsters show up?
17:58At 3 a.m., when light eaters move least, the cold slows them down even more.
18:03I donned my suit, snuck to the second floor, dragged the IT guy to the hallway, and left a note
18:09beside him.
18:11Trespasser dies.
18:13Done.
18:13I rushed back home.
18:15Next morning, the body was gone.
18:17No monster tracks anywhere.
18:19Half an hour later, someone posted a blurry photo.
18:22The Kents were gathering around a pot.
18:24The IT guy's arm lay on the floor.
18:28The chat blew up.
18:29WTF?
18:30Is that a human hand?
18:31Mr. Kent, what are you eating?
18:32There was no reply.
18:34But I knew.
18:34Cannibalism had begun.
18:36Hunger strips morals thinner than paper.
18:38The neighbors went from looters to hunters.
18:41I was their biggest target.
18:43Neighbors who ate people, their eyes changed.
18:45There was no human light left in them.
18:47Quinn noticed.
18:48She was still alive.
18:50She stayed close to security chief Arlo.
18:53Arlo was an ex-soldier with a shield, stun gun, and fork.
18:56He gathered thugs, becoming the block's biggest force.
18:59Quinn became his strategist.
19:01She sent a fired up 60 second voice message in the chat, stirring everyone up.
19:06Neighbors, we can't stay scattered.
19:08It was wrong for Mr. Kent to eat people, but he was starving.
19:10Why are we starving?
19:11Because someone hoarded what's ours.
19:13Jade, she kept all that food, letting us starve instead of sharing.
19:18This is inhumane for the kids and all of us.
19:20She proposed seizing Jade's supplies.
19:22Once we get them, we'll share.
19:24Everyone eats.
19:25Right.
19:26Why should she feast?
19:27Let's storm in.
19:28Arlo leads.
19:29We follow.
19:30The chat erupted.
19:31Through the cam, I saw Arlo and a dozen guys.
19:33Pipes and axes in hand.
19:35Marching straight to my place.
19:36Quinn followed behind.
19:38Her severed hand dangling in front of her.
19:39A thrill of revenge on her face.
19:41Jade, let's see how you die this time.
19:42Go.
19:43Arlo shouted.
19:44Two big guys grabbed chainsaws.
19:46They started cutting my door.
19:48ZZ.
19:49Metal screeching filled the hallway.
19:51Sparks flew everywhere.
19:52The sound was loud, alerting.
19:54All nearby monsters.
19:55But I stayed calm.
19:56My door was made from steel, mesh and bulletproof plate.
19:59It would take half an hour to cut through.
20:01Half an hour is enough time for them to die ten times.
20:03I didn't want monsters at my door.
20:05I went to the balcony with a big slingshot.
20:09The ammo was a glowing toy I made.
20:11A cheap toy that flashes and sings when turned on.
20:14I turned it on.
20:15Happy birthday to you.
20:17I pulled back the slingshot aimed at Arlo's floor.
20:19Whoosh.
20:20Toy flew in an arc through the already broken window and dropped into their corridor.
20:25Happy birthday to you.
20:26Echoed with light and sound.
20:28In the dark, countless green eyes opened.
20:30The monsters heading my way.
20:32Got distracted.
20:33Rare.
20:34They charged for Arlo's block.
20:36Arlo and the others.
20:37Heard terrifying roars behind them.
20:39Their hands shook.
20:40The saws nearly cut their legs.
20:42Sir.
20:42The monsters went the opposite way.
20:44Lots of them.
20:45At least dozens.
20:46Arlo snapped.
20:47Damn.
20:48Too loud.
20:48Stop sawing.
20:50They shut the tools, fearing monsters would return.
20:53They each lay flat, playing dead, barely breathing.
20:55The siege ended with a happy birthday song.
20:58They survived the siege.
20:59But, the real despair started.
21:01The temperature dropped below minus 70 degrees.
21:04This wasn't just cold.
21:05It could shatter steel.
21:06Crack.
21:07I heard my door's steel plate snap.
21:09It's the metal going brittle from cold.
21:11Without the inner insulation, the door would have split open.
21:14Out there, survivors were doomed.
21:16Quilts won't help.
21:18So cold.
21:19Even swearing stopped.
21:20Some started hallucinating and stripping naked.
21:23They laugh, freezing to death in the hallway.
21:26Arlo's group huddled together, shivering.
21:29Mr. Kent's family couldn't take it.
21:31Burn.
21:32They burned their neighbor.
21:33Leo's house for heat.
21:34His family had already died the day before.
21:35Mr. Kent and his son ripped up Leo's furniture and floor.
21:38They lit a huge fire right in the living room.
21:40Flames shot high, giving only brief warmth.
21:43It was like lighting a cigarette in a nuke.
21:45I sighed as I watched the blaze on the monitor.
21:48And quietly switched.
21:49On my home heating system, the floor heating and wall panels warmed up.
21:52I grabbed a popsicle from the fridge.
21:54Idiots.
21:54You don't understand.
21:55Minus 70 is terrifying.
21:57Yes.
21:57But this cold wakes even worse monsters.
22:00The listeners.
22:01They wake in the frost.
22:03Mr. Kent's fire opened hell's door.
22:06Crackle.
22:07Wood hissed in the dead night.
22:09Mr. Kent set Leo's floor and furniture on fire.
22:12Flames soared.
22:13Waves of heat rolling out.
22:15For near-frozen survivors, it felt like heaven.
22:17So warm.
22:18Finally warm.
22:19Mr. Kent rubbed his hands.
22:20A greedy, satisfy grin spread across his face.
22:22But I watched the monitors.
22:24I added another layer of dense soundproofing at home.
22:26Idiots.
22:27They think surviving the light eaters is enough.
22:29They don't know that.
22:30The extreme cold spawns the listeners.
22:32Their sight is weak, but their hearing is sharp.
22:35Even a heartbeat sounds like thunder in their ears.
22:38The crackle of fire?
22:40A full-blown metal concert.
22:42Shoo.
22:42A new, different sound echoed the hall.
22:45Small gray monsters crawled inside.
22:48They have no face, just one huge pair of ears.
22:51Mr. Kent's son flung chairs into the fire.
22:54Bang.
22:55The chair hit the floor.
22:56The next second, a listener leapt on him.
22:59There was no roar, only teeth slicing his throat.
23:01A scream tore through the air, but that scream drew more gray shadows.
23:05By the fire, it became a slaughterhouse.
23:07The fire's out of control.
23:09Mr. Kent rang the buildings.
23:11Death knell.
23:12Frozen floorboards now burned fiercely in the heat.
23:15In the dark, the flames looked like a volcano.
23:19Shoo.
23:20A tight scraping echoed in the hall.
23:22The listeners surged in.
23:23Ah.
23:24Help.
23:24Fire.
23:25Monsters.
23:26Survivors lost it.
23:27Fire ahead.
23:28Monsters behind.
23:29They ran downstairs.
23:30I was on the first floor.
23:31My home as solid as a vault.
23:33Bang.
23:33Bang.
23:34Bang.
23:35The pounding shook the door.
23:37Jade.
23:38I know you're home.
23:39You can't just watch.
23:40I have a kid.
23:41Please, let him in.
23:43Screams, curses, and banging.
23:45All mixed together.
23:46I watched hell through the people.
23:49In the crowd, I saw Quinn being shoved behind Arlo.
23:51Desperately pushing into the mob.
23:53Suddenly, a listener dropped down upside down.
23:56In the chaos, Quinn shoved a seven-year-old girl away.
24:00Move.
24:01Don't block me.
24:02The girl screamed and fell.
24:04Claws silenced her.
24:05Dark green blood hit Quinn's face.
24:07She didn't wipe it off.
24:08Using the gap while the monster fed, she stepped over the girl and melted into shadow.
24:12My hand turned white from gripping the handle so hard.
24:15Last life.
24:15You shoved me for a flashlight.
24:17Now, you shove a kid just to survive.
24:19Quinn, I'll decide your death myself.
24:21Outside.
24:21Screams faded as monsters dragged bodies away.
24:24The hall smelled of blood and burning flesh.
24:26But I knew Quinn and Arlo were alive.
24:29They hid in the second floor.
24:30Staring at my door.
24:32To them, my place was a goldmine of supplies.
24:34Since they want in, I'll help them.
24:36Kind of.
24:37I grabbed my phone.
24:38Opened the group chat.
24:39I cleared my throat.
24:41Sent a voice clip.
24:43Cough.
24:43I was weak.
24:44Trembling with fear.
24:45Pain and terror dripped from every word.
24:47Help.
24:47Those guys smashed my doorframe.
24:49It's freezing.
24:50Wind's in.
24:50I've got a fever.
24:51I can't move.
24:52Someone help.
24:53I'll share half my stuff.
24:54Arlo and Quinn's eyes lit up instantly.
24:57Supplies?
24:57She's finally breaking.
24:58Arlo gripped his riot fork with excitement.
25:01I knew the door couldn't hold to get so many hits.
25:03Quinn's blood-smeared face twisted into a vicious grin.
25:05Her doors cracked.
25:06Perfect.
25:07She's stuck with a fever now.
25:08Just the right time to slaughter her.
25:09Sir.
25:10We go down now.
25:11Kill her.
25:12This place is ours.
25:13They thought I was a lamb.
25:14Struggling to die.
25:16But top hunters often appear as prey first.
25:18I put down my phone.
25:20Killed all lights.
25:21Slipped on night vision bottles.
25:23Opened the first door.
25:24Just enough to tempt them.
25:26Then lined the hall with glue traps.
25:28They can tear apart heavy rats.
25:31Let alone humans.
25:32Crossbow in hand.
25:33I sat on the dark sofa.
25:34Quietly waiting for my guests.
25:36The hallway was pitch black.
25:37Arlo and Quinn.
25:38With two guys.
25:39Crept downstairs.
25:40No lights on.
25:41Shoes off.
25:42Only in socks.
25:43Moving slowly.
25:43The doors open a crack.
25:45Arlo saw it.
25:47Greed beat reason.
25:48Go.
25:48Quick and clean.
25:50Arlo led.
25:50Stepping into my foyer first.
25:52Squish.
25:53His foot sank.
25:54Glue.
25:55What the hell?
25:56He tried to lift his foot.
25:58His sock and shoe stuck tight.
25:59He yanked hard.
26:01Pop.
26:02He fell forward.
26:03Perfect.
26:04Hands.
26:04Chest.
26:05Face all slammed into glue boards.
26:07Ugh.
26:08He tried to scream.
26:09But his mouth was stuck.
26:10Quinn and the other two guys fell in too.
26:13Help.
26:14What's this?
26:15I'm stuck.
26:16They struggled in the hall.
26:20This industrial glue could rip skin right off.
26:22Click.
26:23I turned on the foyer light.
26:24The glare blinded them instantly.
26:26With crossbow in hand.
26:27I looked down at them.
26:29Welcome.
26:29I said with a smile.
26:31M.
26:31M.
26:31M.
26:32M.
26:32Arlo tried to lift his head.
26:34Begging.
26:35No words.
26:36I fired.
26:37Whoosh.
26:38The bolt pierced his temple.
26:40The two lackeys.
26:41Wet themselves.
26:42Cowtowing.
26:42Two more bolts.
26:43Only Quinn left.
26:45I saved her for last.
26:46Hatred in her eyes turned to fear.
26:49J.Jade.
26:50She tore glue from her lips.
26:52Don't kill me.
26:53We're best friends.
26:55I'm sorry.
26:56Please.
26:57For old times sake.
26:59I crouched.
27:00Staring at that face.
27:01Old times?
27:02I sneered.
27:04I pulled out a tiny glowing lure.
27:06You love light?
27:07Here's a gift.
27:08I forced her mouth open and shoved it in.
27:11Then taped her mouth shut tight.
27:13Red light glowed to her cheeks.
27:15Mmm.
27:16Quinn thrashed wildly.
27:17I sliced her clothes.
27:19Ripped her off the glue boards.
27:21Dragged her to the entrance.
27:23Kicked her out.
27:24Door shut.
27:25Through the peephole.
27:26She writhed in the snow.
27:28In the dark.
27:30Green eyes blinked open.
27:31Listeners.
27:32Light eaters.
27:33All of them.
27:34Where would they bite first?
27:35The glow.
27:36Her last muffled groan came from outside.
27:38Then the sound of a throat tearing open.
27:40The day after Quinn died.
27:41The world went quiet.
27:43Arlo's crew was wiped out.
27:45The Kents were missing.
27:46You could count survivors by one hand.
27:49Hall clear.
27:50I suited up in stab gear.
27:52Time for a sweep.
27:53A lonely scavenger run.
27:55Gold first.
27:55In chaos.
27:56Gold is king.
27:58Strong liquor.
27:59Best fuel and disinfectant.
28:00I pried open Mr. Kent's door.
28:02The second it opened.
28:03Rotten smell hit me.
28:04The living room was wrecked.
28:05Walls black.
28:06By the stove.
28:07I saw something chilling.
28:09Clean picked skulls lay on the floor.
28:12Dry pot.
28:13Bits of bone still inside.
28:15Ugh.
28:16Even after being reborn.
28:17My stomach turned.
28:19This is apocalypse.
28:20No order.
28:21No morals.
28:22I took nothing because this place was filthy.
28:25On my way out, I poured gas inside.
28:28I lit a match.
28:30Flames erased the sins.
28:31I watched smoke rise, feeling nothing.
28:34In a world that devours, only the dead are clean.
28:37A week later, late at night, I was fixing the generator.
28:40The old radio suddenly crackled with a voice.
28:43This is Southside Stadium.
28:45We've set up an official shelter.
28:46There's heat, food, and full military protection.
28:49All survivors, head to Southside Stadium now.
28:52I went to the window, pulled the curtain aside, through my night vision scope.
28:55The windows, ones like tombs, lit up one by one with candles.
28:58Then people rushed out of their buildings.
29:00Their eyes flared with frenzy.
29:03We're saved.
29:03The government hasn't abandoned us.
29:05Move.
29:06Southside Stadium.
29:07There's food.
29:07They sprinted through knee-deep snow.
29:09I watched coldly, then turned off the radio.
29:12Rescue?
29:13In your dreams.
29:14Last life, I believed it too.
29:15It almost got me killed.
29:17It wasn't the military.
29:18It was the immortal jellyfish.
29:19It can hijack and mimic human radio signals.
29:21You can't save someone who is dying.
29:23I drew the curtains tight, and checked the locks again.
29:25That night, blood would flow again.
29:27To check what was happening outside, I took my binoculars up to the second floor lookout.
29:31To me, it was brutal.
29:32A march of death.
29:33On the streets, survivors moved like pilgrims, struggling toward the Southside.
29:37The sky was still pitch black, but a pink glow glimmered through the clouds.
29:41Look.
29:42That's light.
29:43There really is a base.
29:44Someone pointed at the sky, thrilled.
29:46Then, the next second, the clouds churned, and massive tentacles slid out of the pink glow.
29:51They wrapped survivors with eerie precision.
29:53Ah, let me go.
29:55Help.
29:56Something's in the sky.
29:57Joyful shouts turned into piercing screams.
29:59Through the lens, they were, lifted hundreds of meters.
30:03Stingers pierced them before they could struggle.
30:06Then they were hung beneath, the giant jellyfish bell.
30:09They wouldn't die at once, paralyzed but conscious.
30:12Forced to watch themselves, slowly digested.
30:14It was worse than hell itself.
30:16I lowered the binoculars, palms slick with sweat.
30:18My heart pounded wildly.
30:20This was the truth of the end times.
30:22No luck, only a ruthless, edge of wit and knowledge.
30:24Those who believed in the light became its sacrifices.
30:26I'd avoided the trap outside, but a crisis hit my safe house.
30:30Water was running low.
30:32Only five barrels remained.
30:34Before, I could melt snow.
30:36Not anymore.
30:37The snow was acidic.
30:38Through a microscope, the snow looked pale yellow.
30:42Full of waste, dust, and viruses.
30:45I stared at the yellowish liquid.
30:49Gross, but it was the only safe source.
30:52I built a simple distiller.
30:56Using charcoal heat to boil urine.
30:58Steam ran through a copper pipe.
31:00Cooling into drops.
31:02I filtered it again through charcoal and gauze.
31:04A strange smell filled the room.
31:07Hours later, the first cup filled.
31:09Clear water, but my mind resisted.
31:12Survive.
31:12I told myself.
31:13I shut my eyes and drank it down.
31:16Bitter, burnt, but safe.
31:18This is hell.
31:19Most days, it's enduring disgust and surviving.
31:22I was focused on making water.
31:24Clang.
31:25Metal hit inside the vent duct.
31:28Soft, but in the silence, it was thunder.
31:31Something got in.
31:32I turned off my flashlight.
31:33I grabbed my sharpened tactical knife, held my breath, and pressed to the wall.
31:38Something pushed the vent hole open.
31:40In the faint light, a cat-sized creature crawled in.
31:43A burrower.
31:45Its feelers twitched in the dark.
31:47Hiss.
31:47It arched its body.
31:50I didn't back down.
31:53I'd strung a thin fishing line across the doorway.
31:56As it leapt, its forelegs caught the line.
31:59It flipped midair and crashed down.
32:02Now, I lunged forward.
32:04The blade drove into the weak spot at its skull.
32:08I sliced open its nerve center.
32:10It thrashed, spraying dark green slime.
32:13Seconds later, it went still.
32:15I gasped, my hand trembling.
32:17That was close.
32:18If I didn't know the layout, if I hadn't set the trap, I'd be the one dead today.
32:22I dragged the dead burrower, to the living room.
32:25I planned to toss it out, but I noticed something.
32:28Its body wasn't cold.
32:30Its belly glowed faintly.
32:31Radiating intense heat.
32:33My gut told me it wasn't normal.
32:35I put on rubber gloves and grabbed a scalpel.
32:37Time to dissect.
32:38Last life, I'd heard a rumor.
32:40Now, I have the chance to test it.
32:42Cutting through the shell, a wave of heat hit me.
32:45Like opening an oven.
32:46At its heart sat a crystal, red and translucent.
32:49A thermal crystal.
32:50I plucked it out with tweezers.
32:52Even outside the body, it kept radiating heat.
32:54About 60 degrees Celsius on the surface.
32:57To test it, I dropped it in a cup of cold water.
32:59A miracle happened.
33:00In under a minute, the water started bubbling.
33:03Boiling.
33:03I stared, heart pounding in shock.
33:05This wasn't an organ, but a tiny perpetual reactor.
33:09At that moment, I saw the monsters in a new way.
33:12They weren't monsters anymore.
33:13They were walking batteries.
33:14An endless powerhouse.
33:16Once my mindset changed, my tactics changed too.
33:18Previously I only hid.
33:19Now I hunt.
33:20My eyes glowing gold.
33:21I made a simple sonic lure.
33:22Recorded a piercing scream, on my phone, and placed it at the trap by the door.
33:27Then I hid upstairs behind the slit, armed with my modified crossbow.
33:30Ah, help!
33:31The lure screamed from the speaker.
33:33Two listeners crawled in, drawn by the sound.
33:36They hovered in the trap, listening closely.
33:38Whoosh!
33:39I pulled the trigger.
33:40The arrow pierced its left eye into the brain.
33:42The other tried to flee.
33:44I yanked a rope.
33:45Crash!
33:46The chardonnay fell from the ceiling.
33:48The more it struggled, the deeper the cuts.
33:52I finished it calmly, like a skilled butcher.
33:54Half an hour later, I had two new crystals.
33:57One red, and one blue.
33:59And another blue one.
34:01Dropped the blue one in water.
34:02It froze instantly.
34:04Red one went in the water tank.
34:06Hot water all day.
34:08Blue crystal in the food cabinet became a fridge.
34:12From now on, life felt manageable.
34:15Crystals kick-started my shelters.
34:16Industrial revolution.
34:18I placed 10 red crystals.
34:19In a custom-made metal box.
34:21I made a crystal generator with thermal electricity.
34:24I flipped the main switch.
34:25Hung.
34:26The underfloor heating roared to life.
34:27The room temperature shot.
34:28From 0 to 25 degrees.
34:30I finally shed that heavy coat.
34:32Slipped into light silk pajamas.
34:33I even boiled a huge tub of hot water.
34:35In the minus 70 degrees Celsius apocalypse.
34:37I lay in the bathtub.
34:38Enjoying a 40 degrees Celsius hot bath.
34:40Steam swirling.
34:41I stared at myself in the mirror.
34:42Rosy cheeks.
34:43Sharp eyes.
34:44Glowing skin.
34:45Boom.
34:45Just as I savored the peace.
34:47A loud crash shook the floor below.
34:49The tub water sloshed violently.
34:51I jumped up.
34:52Wrapped a robe.
34:53And ran to the monitors.
34:54On screen.
34:55An armored truck.
34:57Smashed the gate.
34:58A team of fully armed men got out.
35:00They wore infrared night vision goggles.
35:01And carried automatic rifles.
35:02Moving in perfect formation.
35:04Clearly, they weren't ordinary survivors.
35:05They were the Marauder Corps.
35:07Trouble had arrived.
35:08These guys weren't here to survive.
35:09They came to raid.
35:10The leader was a bald man.
35:11Massive like a bear.
35:13One eye was prosthetic.
35:14Glowing red in the dark.
35:16Team 1.
35:17Search left.
35:17Team 2.
35:18Search right.
35:18Survivors and crystals only.
35:20Kill anyone who resists.
35:21This place is solid.
35:22Clear it.
35:22We'll make it a base.
35:23They began blasting through each unit door.
35:25Now, they were heading toward my building.
35:27Sir, something's off with this building.
35:29All first floor windows were sealed.
35:31And heat readings were strong.
35:32It was practically a furnace inside.
35:34The bald man grinned cruelly, licking his lips.
35:37There must be a generator or someone with power.
35:40I took a deep breath on my tactical vest.
35:42And checked my weapons.
35:43They had guns, explosives, and mutant too.
35:46I had to use the terrain for guerrilla tactics.
35:48I pressed a red button on the wall.
35:49Click.
35:50Throughout the hallways, sealed compartments sprang open.
35:53My surprise for this day.
35:55The trap was ready.
35:56Bring it on.
35:57Two demolitions experts reached my security door.
35:59They skillfully stuck bombs onto the locks.
36:01But I wasn't inside anymore.
36:03I crawled up the passage to the second floor.
36:05Hidden in the stair gap, I clutched a remote.
36:09Through the gap, I saw their tactical spotlights swaying overhead.
36:12As they are setting the explosives, ready to retreat, I pressed the button.
36:17Boom!
36:17It wasn't their bombs that went off.
36:19But my ceiling-mounted shrapnel bomb exploded.
36:21Steel balls and nails flew everywhere.
36:23The two demolition experts were shredded.
36:26The squad behind was thrown by the blast.
36:28Wailing.
36:29Ambush!
36:29Scatter!
36:30The bald leader shouted.
36:31His red prosthetic eye flared instantly.
36:33And he smashed a nearby wall with one punch.
36:35He pressed against the wall for cover.
36:37Concrete crumbled in his hands.
36:40Interesting.
36:41I hid in the second floor dark, aiming my nail gun.
36:43This gun makes no muzzle flash.
36:45And is almost silent.
36:46Up close, it hits as hard as a pistol.
36:48If you want to play, I'll play too.
36:50In this building, I'm a ghost, master of the dark.
36:53A game of blood begins.
36:55Explosions rocked the hull.
36:57Smoke everywhere.
36:58I underestimated the bald leader.
37:00He's a rare strength-type mutant.
37:02Nail shots barely left white marks on him.
37:05Bronze skin shone like metal in light.
37:08Found you, little rat.
37:09He grinned, ear to ear.
37:11Ignoring traps, he leapt forward.
37:14Grabbed the railing, hauled himself up.
37:16Blow this floor to bits.
37:18Things were dire.
37:18I pulled out my last card.
37:20Crystal bomb.
37:21Three high-level red crystals, rigged with C4.
37:24Since you're tough, try this.
37:26I pulled the pin and threw it at him.
37:28He reached for it.
37:29A rock?
37:30Cute trick.
37:31The package touched his hand.
37:32I pressed the remote.
37:34Hit behind shield, ears clamped tight.
37:36Boom.
37:36A dull, deafening boom.
37:38Blinding white light.
37:40A scorching heatwave swallowed the hull.
37:42The shockwave flattened everything around.
37:44He let out a piercing, horrific scream.
37:46Smoke cleared.
37:46The air reeked of burnt flesh.
37:48The stairs too.
37:49The second floor were gone.
37:50He was charred.
37:51His cyber eye shattered.
37:53Before I could finish him, worse things came.
37:55The ground shook violently.
37:56A three-story light eater stormed in, drawn by heat.
37:59It smashed through the unit door.
38:01Huge claws swept the first floor lobby.
38:03The surviving raiders were snatched up.
38:05Stuffed into its spiked, massive maw.
38:07He froze as the monster's paw came down.
38:09I crotched on the second floor, raising my crossbow.
38:12Next life, don't mess with women.
38:14An arrow pierced his throat.
38:15He died by my hand before the monster struck.
38:17His crystal is mine.
38:19The monster devoured the raiders, crushing rubble.
38:22Finding the heat gone, it lost interest.
38:25It stomped away, vanishing, into the snowstorm.
38:28The blizzard returned, covering all the blood.
38:31Silence reclaimed the world.
38:32Once I was sure it was safe, I donned the hazmat suit, rappelling down from the second floor.
38:36His corpse rotted, but the gear was still intact.
38:38I fumbled through it.
38:39Finally, I found a heavy bunch of keys.
38:40They unlocked the armored, truck outside.
38:43I ran out and jumped into the truck.
38:45Engine roared to life, heat kicking in.
38:47Inside was an arsenal, rifles, grenades, rations.
38:51Even a field surgery table and med kit.
38:53This delivery was pure jackpot.
38:55I reversed the truck into the lobby.
38:57Blocked the entrance with materials and doors.
39:00I sat inside, hand on the armor, feeling safe.
39:03I'm no longer a mouse hiding in a hole.
39:05With this truck and heavy guns, I'm the lion.
39:07In this building, I wasn't the only survivor.
39:10A young couple lived on the sixth floor, and a retired teacher on the seventh.
39:14They hid in a loft, surviving on moldy bread.
39:17They saw me wipe out the marauders.
39:20To them, I wasn't human.
39:22I was a god.
39:23Next day, I was sorting out loot on the first floor.
39:26They came to the second floor stairs.
39:28The guy knelt, holding the last chocolate in his hands.
39:31Jade, we want to follow you.
39:33We'll do anything.
39:34Clean, corpses, even be bait for you.
39:36Please don't leave us.
39:37We won't eat much.
39:39I stared at them, lowering my gun.
39:41One needs no friends.
39:42Only obedience in this apocalypse.
39:44I kicked the chocolate back coldly.
39:46I don't feed freeloaders or trash.
39:48I pointed at the corpses in the hall.
39:50Clean it up and dump it two kilometers away.
39:53Once done, each gets a bowl of noodles and water.
39:56Hearing about the noodles, they got excited.
39:58They cowed out madly, green liquid on their foreheads.
40:02Thanks, Jade.
40:03We'll get right to it.
40:04Order was built on food and force.
40:06With three free workers, the defense went up faster.
40:09I had them break through all walls from 1F to 3F.
40:12Using cement, steel, and materials left by raiders.
40:15We built a complex maze as a buffer.
40:17No more simple hallways inside this maze.
40:19The floor was filled with traps and landmines.
40:22Walls had countless shooting holes.
40:24Ceilings held glass bottles filled with acid.
40:26Anyone reaching the core must pass this death maze.
40:29I had the teacher mix a special potion.
40:31Walls were coated with chemical powder.
40:34Now my home is an unbreakable fortress.
40:36A black hole that devours life.
40:38The three survivors lived on 3F's sentries.
40:41I gave them radios and simple self-defense gear.
40:43They were loyal, devoted, and unwavering.
40:46I'm the only one providing food, heat, and safety.
40:48Once, the guy found a mutated rat on patrol.
40:51He brought it to my door as a snack.
40:53Absolute obedience beats any contract.
40:56The armored truck had a high-powered military radio.
40:59One night, the blizzard finally eased a bit.
41:01The radio picked up.
41:02A sudden encrypted message.
41:03ZZZ, this is Core, dungeon number 3.
41:06The surface is now unlivable for humans.
41:07The eternal night is expected to last 10 years.
41:10We're opening an emergency.
41:11Entry, priority, techs, doctors, and healthy women.
41:14Survivors, please go there for humanity's sake.
41:17I heard it and gave a cold, mocking smirk.
41:19Last life, I'd been to a dungeon.
41:22It was hell on earth.
41:23Men mined 18 hours every single day.
41:25Women became breeding machines.
41:26No dignity.
41:27They ate synthetic starch, drank recycled water.
41:30I have endless supplies, heat, and hot showers.
41:32My life now is even better than the dungeon lords.
41:35Why would I become a slave?
41:36I switched off the radio and blocked that frequency.
41:38The surface is dark and cold, but it's free.
41:40Freedom is the rarest luxury in this apocalypse.
41:43Over time, I noticed strange changes in my body.
41:46It started with a high fever that lasted 3 days.
41:48Every organ felt like it was on fire.
41:50I even prepared to end my own life.
41:51But after 3 days, the fever broke.
41:53And in its place came a terrifying rebirth.
41:56I saw strange changes in the mirror.
41:58Red veins showed on my collar and neck.
42:00When I get excited, they glowed faintly.
42:03My genes had been rewritten.
42:04With all lights off, I could see every cobweb.
42:07Through 3 blast doors, I could hear people breathe.
42:10I could lift that ammo crate with one hand.
42:12I cut my fingertip with a dagger to test it.
42:14The wound closed fast, leaving no scar.
42:17I trace the veins on my collarbone, smiling wildly.
42:20This is my ticket to evolution.
42:22Only by becoming stronger.
42:23Can I top the food chain?
42:25I am the chosen new human.
42:26In this world of monsters, I have evolved.
42:28The calm days didn't last long.
42:303 months passed.
42:32Jade, a huge squad's approaching.
42:3350 men.
42:34They have heavy weapons.
42:35And a few modified trucks.
42:36I switched to the outside cameras.
42:38Zooming in, I saw the leader.
42:40A wave of hatred surged through me.
42:42That figure.
42:42I'd recognize him even in ashes.
42:44Felix, he was my ex-husband, who sold me to cannibals last life.
42:47He wore polar gear, a scar cutting across his face.
42:50Sir, this is the place.
42:51I heard a woman here has a red stone that heats.
42:54A heating stone?
42:55That's a treasure.
42:56Surround the building.
42:57Kill the men.
42:58Keep the women.
42:59I'll interrogate the leading woman.
43:01Hearing this, I laughed, trembling all over.
43:03Tears almost came out.
43:05God's really been kind to me.
43:06I thought I'd never get this revenge.
43:08But here you are, delivering yourself here.
43:10Felix, this life, I'll show you hell.
43:13His group was cautious, sending scouts first.
43:15I decided to play along, feigning weakness.
43:18Killian trembled, standing at the window, yelling.
43:21Don't shoot.
43:21We surrender.
43:22Our boss is a woman.
43:23She's terrified.
43:24She has lots of crystals.
43:26She'll give them all.
43:27Felix eased his guard a little.
43:29A woman?
43:30Fine.
43:30Let her strip and come out.
43:32She's having a bad fever.
43:34Just come in.
43:36Greed is the original sin.
43:37He wanted all the credit.
43:38He waved.
43:39Team one, team two, follow me.
43:40He led his elites through the unit door.
43:43Into the maze entrance I'd designed with care.
43:45I sipped red wine in the control room.
43:48My eyes were cold as ice.
43:49My finger hovered over a red button.
43:51Welcome to my world, Felix.
43:53I pressed the button.
43:54A thousand pound stone fell, blocking the exit.
43:56Lights went out in the maze, plunging them into darkness.
43:59What's happening?
44:00Why did the lights go out?
44:02The doors blocked.
44:03Boss, it's a trap.
44:04Hidden nozzles on the walls.
44:06Activated.
44:07They sprayed a high concentration blood lure.
44:08What's that smell?
44:09So bloody.
44:10The maze's underground gates opened.
44:12Hundreds of starved mutant rats poured out.
44:14Aw.
44:15Rats.
44:16So many rats.
44:17Shoot.
44:17Random shots hit their own teammates.
44:19Screams rose, green fluid agitating the swarm.
44:22Felix climbed over his men's corpses.
44:25He actually reached the maze.
44:26Exit on the second floor.
44:28But the platform was a suspended cage.
44:30I sat outside, watching silently.
44:33Felix, long time no see.
44:35Seeing my face, he froze in terror.
44:37Jade, it's you.
44:39Impossible.
44:40Honey, I'm sorry.
44:41Spare me.
44:42I'll be your dog.
44:43I sat down my wine, expression cold as ice.
44:45I pressed the switch in my hand.
44:46The cage floor dropped instantly.
44:48Below was a bottomless rat pit, eyes glowing red.
44:51A dog?
44:52You don't deserve it.
44:53Enjoy yourself.
44:54Felix screamed as he fell in.
44:56He struggled as the swarm ripped him apart.
44:58All the grudges for my last life vanished.
45:01After Felix died, I announced his fate.
45:04His remaining men outside instantly lost all will to fight.
45:07Seeing what I could do, they switched sides.
45:09They became my outer guards.
45:11My power peaked.
45:12Second year of the eternal night.
45:13Temp hit minus 100 degrees Celsius.
45:15Air started to condense.
45:17White miss settled.
45:18Ordinary metal became brittle like glass.
45:21Even the raiders armored trucks.
45:22Cracked their engines.
45:24Absolute silence.
45:25Not even the wind blew.
45:26Monsters froze or burrowed.
45:28Deep underground.
45:29I led my core team to the first floor shelter.
45:31Inside, the temperature barely stayed at zero degrees Celsius.
45:33We wore layers.
45:34Huddled together like a ball.
45:35Huddled together.
45:36Using crystals to stay alive.
45:37I entered a half hibernation.
45:39I woke only two hours a day.
45:40To check the crystals.
45:41I ate some high calorie liquid food.
45:43In dreams, I saw the sun rise.
45:45But it burned me to death.
45:46It was a marathon against death itself.
45:47We had to survive.
45:49After what felt like forever, the deep freeze eased.
45:52Temps stabilized around minus 40 degrees Celsius.
45:54I pushed open the frozen blast door at last.
45:56With metal screeching, I stepped outside.
45:59The world had changed.
46:00Only tower tops were visible, like white tombstones sticking out.
46:03Sky was still black.
46:05Auroras shifting wildly.
46:06Air smelled of rust and sulfur.
46:08On distant ruins, shadows leapt about.
46:11They were evolved humans, adapted to dark and cold.
46:14Their eyes glowed green or red in the dark.
46:16I'd changed to, gloves off, skin bare to air.
46:20There was no sting, just a strange comfort.
46:22I stomped, feeling vibrations miles around.
46:25A group of new humans saw me, and got ready to strike.
46:28But seeing me, they sensed, a top predator.
46:31They froze and bowed their heads in unison.
46:33On this ruined land, I was no longer prey.
46:36I was master of this snow land.
46:37A new era had begun.
46:39My block became the only holy city nearby.
46:41Only I had heat, running water, and greenhouses.
46:45Scattered survivor groups flocked here with families.
46:48They knelt in snow, begging, for a warm red crystal.
46:51Or just a bowl of soup that wouldn't freeze.
46:53I no longer turned them away, but I wasn't normal.
46:56I built a ruthless new order.
46:58First, no freeloaders.
47:00No matter, old or young, everyone works.
47:02The useless got thrown to the light eaters.
47:05Second, crystal first.
47:06Crystals are currency.
47:07A low-level red crystal buys a week's rations.
47:10Third, absolute obedience.
47:12Questioners die.
47:13My armored trucks patrolled.
47:15The land daily.
47:16Black flags flapped in wind and snow.
47:17It's fixed by the teacher.
47:19No one called my name.
47:20I was the night queen.
47:21I sat by the tower window, watching the crowd.
47:25They scrambled under my shelter, busy to survive.
47:28I realized the apocalypse hadn't ended, only changed.
47:32And I became the lawmaker of this new world.
47:34I am the night queen.
47:35Early morning, year three of eternal night.
47:38Queen, the horizon, it's glowing.
47:40The news spread like wildfire.
47:42The crowd erupted.
47:44The sun, the sun's out.
47:46We're saved.
47:46Some knelt, crying their eyes out.
47:48Some wildly tore off their protective suits.
47:50Some ran past guards, reaching for sunlight.
47:53I stood atop the tallest tower, watching coldly.
47:56I put on radiation goggles and a lead suit.
47:59I knew this was death's beam, not salvation.
48:02If you don't want to die, go back underground.
48:05Hide.
48:05But no one listened.
48:07They craved the light.
48:08The first ray pierced the clouds.
48:10It hit the face of the lead reveler.
48:12No warmth, only scorching.
48:14His skin blackened.
48:16Next came the second.
48:17The third.
48:18Flesh peeled off.
48:19Cheers turned to shrill, horrid screams.
48:21The sun shone, bringing silent slaughter.
48:24The world turned into a giant microwave.
48:27All exposed flesh quickly charred.
48:29Screams went on all day long.
48:31Those who ran to the sun turned to pools of blood.
48:34Only those hiding in shadows survived.
48:36Night fell again, and the sun went down.
48:39The survivors stared at me, eyes full of frenzy.
48:42I saved them, or maybe darkness saved them.
48:44In this world, daylight brings death.
48:46Only darkness is safe.
48:47I sit on a throne built from black crystals.
48:50No lights, only the crystals faint red glow.
48:53The patterns on my arms pulse faintly.
48:55Outside, the world seems completely dead.
48:58But in infrared, countless creatures rise.
49:00The next round of revelry begins.
49:02This world will never go back to before.
49:05Civilization and sunshine were long gone.
49:07I stand.
49:08My black robe drags on the floor.
49:10All my followers kneel in unison.
49:12I smiled coldly.
49:14Remember, light will deceive, heat will burn.
49:17Only darkness is eternal shelter.
49:19In this world, I am the only light.
49:21I am the queen of eternal night.
49:22This is my kingdom.
49:23Eternal night is the new beginning.
Comments