- 12 hours ago
[Dubbed]Throne of the Eternal Night - FULL EP 2026-Full Episode Hot Drama
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
00:25dead 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.
00:37Grab 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.
01:25You 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 hunt 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.
02:04Outside. 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. Next door. Mr. Kent was
02:34busy as hell.
02:35He had his son welding bars. On windows. And setting up huge solar flood lights 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.
02:59Last life. They broke in on day three of the freeze.
03:02They robbed me and kicked me into the snow. I opened my trunk without a word.
03:07Pointing at my dusty. High power generator. It's right here. But I don't want it.
03:12They froze. Almost dropping the axe. I want the damp charcoal in your cellar.
03:17And those useless rubber mats and old quilts. Trade 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.
03:28Deal. 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.
03:40They gleefully hooked the generator to the floodlights. Like it was their lifeline.
03:45I almost laughed.
03:47Even damp charcoal works once dried. With ventilation, you can heat quietly in the dark.
03:53Rubber mats and old quilts insulate and muffle sound. After the trade, I dragged the trash inside and locked the
03:59door.
03:59The next two hours were life or death. No 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. One layer. Two. Three.
04:15I sealed every crack with black caulk. Even stuffed thick padding under the door.
04:20I was sealing myself into a black coffin.
04:221.55 PM. Five minutes till eternal night.
04:25I'd covered every light source at home.
04:27Phone screen. Rice 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.
04:47String lights and all.
04:48This 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, booze and smokes for a power bank.
05:01Where's Jade?
05:02Why is she so quiet?
05:03She traded a generator for charcoal.
05:05Cry now.
05:05Jade, I'll be nice.
05:07Beg me now.
05:08I'll toss you some candles.
05:10I stared at the screen, said nothing, and muted my phone.
05:13Cry?
05:14No.
05:15I'm digging your graves.
05:172 PM.
05:18No warning came.
05:19The sun outside was crushed by an invisible hand.
05:23Aloham 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.
05:38The 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, it'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.
06:29It looks like a giant Christmas tree.
06:32Almost every apartment has all its lights blazing.
06:35The 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.
06:53Unlike some people, frozen stiff by now.
06:54They post hot pot pics under bright lights.
06:56Steam rising, chilly oil bubbling.
06:58Hey, do you hear that?
07:00Someone sends a voice message.
07:02Their tone's slightly shaky.
07:04Like something 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.
07:33Countless black shapes cling to the wall.
07:35Withered humanoid forms.
07:37Long limbs.
07:37No 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.
07:45Every monster froze.
07:47In that instant.
07:48Their 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.
08:00Like 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.
08:08What is that?
08:09Help.
08:09The window's broken.
08:10The group chat turned into screams.
08:13Turn off the lights.
08:14They're coming for the lights.
08:15Someone finally got it.
08:17Too late.
08:18Once marked.
08:19It won't stop until the target's gone.
08:21Through the people.
08:22I watched.
08:23The Christmas tree.
08:24Going dark.
08:24Not turned off by switches.
08:26But smashed by monsters.
08:27Or the people powering them.
08:28Were torn apart.
08:29Quinn's top floor was brightest.
08:31And most crowded with monsters.
08:33Her huge window shattered.
08:34Under their combined force.
08:36Wind and monsters stormed.
08:37Her fortress of light.
08:39The rotating spotlight kept spinning.
08:41She swung a stun baton.
08:43Fighting back.
08:45One monster lunged.
08:46And bit off half her hand.
08:48Behind her.
08:49Arthur.
08:50The man who vowed forever.
08:51Shoved her at them with a chair.
08:53Dark green blood splashed across the light.
08:56Turning pale light into eerie red.
08:58Quinn.
08:59You killed us.
09:00Turn off the spotlight.
09:02Jade.
09:02Why's your place quiet?
09:03Why aren't there any monsters at your place?
09:05In this citywide frenzy.
09:06Only my first floor.
09:07Stayed pitch black and silent.
09:09I exited the chat calmly.
09:11Next door.
09:12Mr. Kent screamed.
09:13Stay out.
09:14I've got an ex.
09:15Ah.
09:16His huge solar spotlight shattered.
09:18I wrapped my blanket.
09:19Tighter 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.
09:29But it's only the start.
09:30Because Arthur.
09:31The jerk who pushed me out.
09:33Didn't seem dead.
09:34He was stumbling this way.
09:36Bang.
09:36Bang.
09:37Bang.
09:37Pounding.
09:38Echoed down the hall.
09:40Jade.
09:41I know you're in there.
09:42Open the door.
09:43Open up.
09:43I sat on the couch.
09:45Tablet in hand.
09:46Watching the peephole cam.
09:47Feed.
09:48In night vision.
09:48Arthur was covered in blood.
09:50Not sure who's.
09:51Behind him.
09:52The hallway was pitch black.
09:54Something crawled in the dark.
09:56Not opening up?
09:57He sneered.
09:59I've got a lighter.
10:00And half a bottle of wine.
10:01If I can't live.
10:02We die together.
10:03If I light a fire at your door.
10:05Those things will rush over.
10:07Being reborn.
10:08He figured it out.
10:09He'd use light to break my defense.
10:11Click.
10:12The lighter sparked.
10:14A tiny flame lit the doorway.
10:16On screen.
10:16Deep in the hall.
10:18Shadows snapped their heads around.
10:20I didn't move.
10:21Not even a breath.
10:23Two hours ago.
10:23I'd soaked the hallway tiles outside.
10:26With industrial lube.
10:27He stepped forward with lighter and bottle.
10:31Slide.
10:32His foot slipped.
10:33Ah.
10:34He flailed to balance.
10:36The bottle flew from his hand.
10:38Smashing on the far wall.
10:40The lighter spun away.
10:42Tracing a faint arc.
10:44Then went out.
10:45Thud.
10:46He hit the floor hard.
10:48The oil was too slick.
10:49A black claw shot out.
10:51And grabbed his ankle.
10:53Ah.
10:54Jade.
10:55Save me.
10:56He screamed briefly.
10:57Then.
10:58Was dragged into darkness.
10:59Bones cracked.
11:00Something chewed.
11:02I shut off the tablet and opened a bag of chips.
11:05Crunch.
11:06Almost in rhythm with the chewing.
11:09Trying to kill me?
11:10Watch your step.
11:11Ew.
11:12Outside.
11:13Pitch black and blizzard roaring.
11:15It was day.
11:16But no sun rose.
11:17The first massacre had paused.
11:19Light eaters need to digest.
11:21The group chat was terrifyingly quiet.
11:23Half the group's avatars had gone gray.
11:25The survivors didn't dare speak.
11:27They finally got it.
11:29Light is death.
11:30I could tell they were copying me.
11:32Feeling around in the dark.
11:34Using sheets.
11:35Quilts.
11:35Boards.
11:36Desperately sealing windows.
11:37Jade.
11:38You there?
11:40A weak.
11:41Tearful voice message.
11:42It was Quinn.
11:43I raised a brow.
11:44She survived?
11:45Jade.
11:46I know you hear this.
11:47Arthur went to you.
11:48He's dead.
11:49Why didn't you open the door?
11:50You're alive.
11:51She hoarded.
11:51That's murder.
11:52Share with us.
11:54Quinn posted a photo.
11:56Her hand wrapped in bloody gauze.
11:58My hands ruined.
12:00No heart.
12:00Jade.
12:01I even saved fever meds for you.
12:03She was lying.
12:04She has no meds at all.
12:05She wanted others to blame me.
12:07I watched the accusations scroll and laughed coldly.
12:10Last night you had hot pot under blazing spotlights.
12:12Did anyone call my name?
12:13Now your hand's gone.
12:14You remember me?
12:15Sorry.
12:15My blackout cloth only covers myself.
12:18I hit send with one image.
12:19A pure black picture.
12:20Nothing visible.
12:21But right.
12:22Now.
12:23That absolute darkness.
12:24Was the ultimate flex.
12:25It meant absolute safety.
12:27The temperature dropped to minus 50.
12:29Normal clothes offered no warmth.
12:31Survivors dodged monsters.
12:33But froze slowly.
12:34Afraid of light.
12:35They dared not make fire.
12:37No lights.
12:37No candles.
12:38Not even the stove.
12:39They huddled in the dark.
12:41Shivering together.
12:42Meanwhile.
12:42My home was warm as spring.
12:44I set up a simple smokeless.
12:46Stove in my room.
12:47Red oil bubbled in the pot.
12:49Lamb slices hit the broth.
12:51Changed color fast.
12:52And were drenched in sesame.
12:53And sauce.
12:54I blew on a piece.
12:55And popped it in my mouth.
12:56Spicy.
12:57Hot.
12:58Savory.
12:58Being alive felt amazing.
13:00Even with filters.
13:01The hot pot aroma leaked out.
13:03A faint smell traveled through the old vents.
13:06The chat blew up.
13:08What's that smell?
13:09Yum.
13:09Hot pot.
13:10Who's cooking hot pot?
13:11I smelled it too.
13:12It was a rich, spicy beef aroma.
13:14Jade.
13:14Was that you?
13:15That smell's coming from downstairs.
13:17Quinn sent a jealous.
13:18Crazy voice message.
13:19Must be her.
13:20She traded a generator for charcoal.
13:22She planned this.
13:23Eating alone.
13:24We're freezing.
13:25She's eating hot pot.
13:26Jade.
13:27Are you human?
13:28We're dying.
13:29You're actually eating hot pot.
13:30I sipped cold cola.
13:31And burped.
13:32Then I replied.
13:33Sorry.
13:33Just clearing stock.
13:34Too much meat.
13:35Gotta eat it or it'll spoil.
13:36That line crushed their patience completely.
13:39Hunger and cold pushed the neighbors to their limits.
13:42Half an hour later, footsteps echoed outside.
13:45Mr. Kent lost his generator, but he survived since he lives on the first floor.
13:49Jade.
13:49Mr. Kent spoke from outside.
13:52We're neighbors.
13:53We should help each other.
13:54I heard you've got food.
13:56I'm not taking it for free.
13:57Once the area's safe, I'll have David protect you.
13:59David, his son with the axes, says.
14:01Exactly.
14:02Open up.
14:03Share some charcoal.
14:03We're freezing to death.
14:05Open up or we won't be polite.
14:06This door stops monsters, not chainsaws.
14:08They started kicking hard.
14:10Bang.
14:11The door shook.
14:11I put down my chopsticks and wiped my mouth.
14:14Trying to steal?
14:14I moved to the corner with my hi-fi system.
14:17I connected to my tablet and opened a file.
14:20It was the sounds of the light eaters eating.
14:23I turned up the volume.
14:25Just enough to feel like it's right outside.
14:27Then I hit play.
14:29Terrifying sounds echoed clearly through the door.
14:31The kicks stopped instantly.
14:33W-H walks that?
14:35Sounds like that monster.
14:36Holy crap.
14:37Monster in Jade's place?
14:39Is she feeding it?
14:39Or being eaten?
14:41Mr. Kent's voice trembled.
14:43David, that doesn't sound right.
14:44Sounds like it's chewing bones.
14:46I slammed the volume to max.
14:48A scream rang out.
14:49Ah.
14:49Then a chaotic stampede of fleeing feet.
14:52Steps scrambled.
14:53Some falling.
14:54Crawling back up.
14:55Ron, Jade's full of monsters.
14:57She's doomed.
14:58Don't get caught.
14:59Hearing silence return, I shut off the system.
15:01I sneered.
15:02What a bunch of cowards.
15:04It scared off most, but a few thought they were smart.
15:07The IT guy.
15:08On the third floor.
15:09With glasses.
15:10Polite type.
15:10He survived last life because he was smart.
15:13This time, he found a blind spot.
15:15If monsters got.
15:16In my place.
15:17Why is there no screams?
15:18No blood smell.
15:19Only the smell of hot pot.
15:20He guessed I'm alive.
15:21And living well.
15:22But he didn't expose me in the group chat.
15:25Nor did he dumbly try to break in.
15:26He's smart.
15:27At 4 p.m., my thermal monitor went off.
15:30It showed someone lying on the floor above me.
15:32He was in an empty room on the second floor.
15:35He was holding a handheld thermal scanner.
15:38My ceiling had extra insulation.
15:40Yet my flat still radiated tons of heat.
15:42Compared to minus 50 outside, my home was a burning furnace.
15:46He pushed up his glasses, grinning greedily.
15:49He took out tools.
15:50He'd prepped.
15:50A manual drill.
15:51And a silent hammer.
15:52He planned to pierce my ceiling from above.
15:54He picked a tricky spot.
15:56Right above my bathroom.
15:57There was a pipe shaft and thin cement there.
15:59Ha.
15:59Clever fool.
16:00I watched his careful moves.
16:02On monitor without stopping him.
16:03I even grabbed a chilled sprite.
16:05Watching with interest.
16:07Are you trying to dig your way in?
16:09Tap.
16:10Tap.
16:10Tap.
16:10Faint vibrations from the ceiling.
16:12The IT guy was careful.
16:14Hammer wrapped in a towel.
16:16I used a stethoscope to track his progress.
16:19Almost there.
16:202 centimeters to go.
16:21I grabbed some bare copper wire.
16:24One end to the industrial battery bank.
16:28The other wrapped around a rebar rod.
16:31I slide it into the ceiling gap.
16:34Exactly under his drilling spot.
16:36Once he hits the last layer, the drill would hit live steel.
16:40Z-Z-Z-Z.
16:41The battery hummed lightly.
16:43Enough voltage to jumpstart a truck.
16:45He's digging faster.
16:46He thinks he's in.
16:48He can probably feel my warmth rising.
16:50Break open.
16:51Damn it.
16:52On screen, he swings the hammer down.
16:55Boom.
16:56The hammer hit the steel.
16:57A blue spark flashed in the dark.
16:59He stiffens instantly.
17:01Not even a scream.
17:03The surge fries his insides instantly.
17:07Thud.
17:07He hit the floor.
17:08Smoke rising.
17:09Gripping a half-melted hammer.
17:12The air smells like burnt meat.
17:14I cut the power.
17:15Pulled up the steel rod.
17:16I looked at the small hole in the ceiling.
17:17And plugged it with a piece of gum.
17:19It was a warning to the others.
17:21This one died nice and quiet.
17:22The IT guy's death went unnoticed at first.
17:25He never returned.
17:26Someone would eventually check.
17:28The burnt smell drifted through the vents.
17:30Someone said.
17:31Why does it smell like barbecue?
17:33Is Jade cooking again?
17:34No.
17:34This meat smells kind of bitter.
17:36I frowned at his corpse on the second floor cam.
17:38Coldness slows decay.
17:40But the body's still a hazard.
17:42What if send-driven monsters show up?
17:44At 3 a.m., when light-eaters move least, the cold slows them down even more.
17:48I donned my suit, snuck to the second floor.
17:51Dragged the IT guy to the hallway.
17:53And left a note beside him.
17:56Trespasser dies.
17:58Done.
17:59I rushed back home.
18:00Next morning, the body was gone.
18:02No monster tracks anywhere.
18:04Half an hour later, someone.
18:05Posted a blurry photo.
18:07The Kents were gathering around a pot.
18:09The IT guy's arm lay on the floor.
18:13The chat blew up.
18:15WTF?
18:15Is that a human hand?
18:16Mr. Kent, what are you eating?
18:18There was no reply.
18:19But I knew.
18:20Cannibalism had begun.
18:21Hunger strips morals thinner than paper.
18:24The neighbors went from looters to hunters.
18:26I was their biggest target.
18:28Neighbors who ate people.
18:29Their eyes changed.
18:30There was no human light left in them.
18:32Quinn noticed.
18:33She was still alive.
18:36She stayed close to security chief Arlo.
18:38Arlo was an ex-soldier with a shield, stun gun, and fork.
18:41He gathered thugs, becoming the block's biggest force.
18:45Quinn became his strategist.
18:46She sent a fired up 60 second voice message in the chat, stirring everyone up.
18:51Neighbors, we can't stay scattered.
18:53It was wrong for Mr. Kent to eat people, but he was starving.
18:55Why are we starving?
18:57Because someone hoarded what's ours.
18:59Jade, she kept all that food, letting us starve instead of sharing.
19:03This is inhumane.
19:04For the kids and all of us, she proposed seizing Jade's supplies.
19:07Once we get them, we'll share.
19:09Everyone eats.
19:10Right.
19:11Why should she feast?
19:12Let's storm in.
19:13Arlo leads.
19:14We follow.
19:15The chat erupted.
19:16Through the cam, I saw Arlo and a dozen guys.
19:19Pipes and axes in hand.
19:20Marching straight to my place.
19:22Quinn followed behind.
19:23Her severed hand dangling in front of her.
19:24A thrill of revenge on her face.
19:26Jade, let's see how you die this time.
19:28Go.
19:28Arlo shouted.
19:29Two big guys grabbed chainsaws.
19:31They started cutting my door.
19:33ZZ.
19:34Metal screeching filled the hallway.
19:36Sparks flew everywhere.
19:37The sound was loud, alerting.
19:39All nearby monsters.
19:40But I stayed calm.
19:41My door was made from steel, mesh, and bulletproof plate.
19:44It would take half an hour to cut through.
19:46Half an hour is enough time for them to die ten times.
19:49I didn't want monsters at my door.
19:50I went to the balcony with a big slingshot.
19:54The ammo was a glowing toy I made.
19:56A cheap toy that flashes and sings when turned on.
19:59I turned it on.
20:00Happy birthday to you.
20:02I pulled back the slingshot aimed at Arlo's floor.
20:05Whoosh.
20:05Toy flew in an arc through the already broken window and dropped into their corridor.
20:10Happy birthday to you.
20:11Echoed with light and sound.
20:13In the dark, countless green eyes opened.
20:15The monsters heading my way.
20:17Got distracted.
20:18Rare.
20:19They charged for Arlo's block.
20:21Arlo and the others.
20:22Heard terrifying roars behind them.
20:24Their hands shook.
20:25The saws nearly cut their legs.
20:27Sir.
20:28The monsters went the opposite way.
20:29Lots of them.
20:30At least dozens.
20:31Arlo snapped.
20:32Damn.
20:33Too loud.
20:34Stop sawing.
20:35They shut the tools.
20:36Fearing monsters would return.
20:38They each lay flat.
20:39Playing dead.
20:40Barely breathing.
20:40The siege ended with a happy birthday song.
20:43They survived the siege.
20:44But the real despair started.
20:46The temperature dropped below minus 70 degrees.
20:49This wasn't just cold.
20:50It could shatter steel.
20:51Crack.
20:52I heard my door's steel plate snap.
20:54It's the metal going brittle from cold.
20:56Without the inner insulation, the door would have split open.
20:59Out there, survivors were doomed.
21:01Quilts won't help.
21:03So cold.
21:04Even swearing stopped.
21:06Some started hallucinating and stripping naked.
21:09They laugh, freezing to death in the hallway.
21:11Arlo's group huddled together, shivering.
21:14Mr. Kent's family couldn't take it.
21:16Burn.
21:17They burned their neighbor.
21:18Leo's house for heat.
21:19His family had already died the day before.
21:20Mr. Kent and his son ripped up Leo's furniture and floor.
21:23They lit a huge fire right in the living room.
21:25Flame shot high, giving only brief warmth.
21:28It was like lighting a cigarette in a nuke.
21:30I sighed as I watched the blaze on the monitor.
21:33And quietly switched.
21:35On my home heating system, the floor heating and wall panels warmed up.
21:37I grabbed a popsicle from the fridge.
21:39Idiots.
21:40You don't understand.
21:40Minus 70 is terrifying.
21:42Yes.
21:42But this cold wakes even worse monsters.
21:45Mr. Kent's fire opened hell's door.
21:48Crackle.
21:49Wood hissed in the dead night.
21:51Mr. Kent set Leo's floor and furniture on fire.
21:54Flames soared.
21:55Waves of heat rolling out.
21:57For near-frozen survivors, it felt like heaven.
22:00So warm.
22:00Finally warm.
22:01Mr. Kent rubbed his hands.
22:02A greedy, satisfied grin spread across his face.
22:05But I watched the monitors.
22:06I added another layer of dense soundproofing at home.
22:08Idiots.
22:09They think surviving the light eaters is enough.
22:11They don't know that.
22:12The extreme cold spawns the listeners.
22:14Their sight is weak, but their hearing is sharp.
22:17Even a heartbeat sounds like thunder in their ears.
22:20The crackle of fire?
22:22A full-blown metal concert.
22:24Shoo.
22:24A new, different sound echoed the hall.
22:27Small gray monsters crawled inside.
22:30They have no face, just one huge pair of ears.
22:33Mr. Kent's son flung chairs into the fire.
22:36Bang.
22:37The chair hit the floor.
22:38The next second, a listener leapt on him.
22:41There was no roar, only teeth slicing his throat.
22:43Ah.
22:44A scream tore through the air, but that scream drew more gray shadows.
22:47By the fire, it became a slaughterhouse.
22:49The fire's out of control.
22:51Mr. Kent rang the buildings.
22:53Death knell.
22:54Frozen floorboards now burned fiercely in the heat.
22:57In the dark, the flames looked like a volcano.
23:01Shoo.
23:02A tight scraping echoed in the hall.
23:04The listeners surged in.
23:05Ah.
23:06Help.
23:06Fire.
23:07Monsters.
23:08Survivors lost it.
23:09Fire ahead.
23:10Monsters behind.
23:11They ran downstairs.
23:12I was on the first floor.
23:14My home as solid as a vault.
23:15Bang.
23:16Bang.
23:16Bang.
23:17The pounding shook the door.
23:19Jade.
23:20I know you're home.
23:21You can't just watch.
23:22I have a kid.
23:23Please, let him in.
23:25Screams, curses, and banging.
23:27All mixed together.
23:28I watched hell through the people.
23:31In the crowd, I saw Quinn being shoved behind Arlo.
23:34Desperately pushing into the mob.
23:35Suddenly, a listener dropped down upside down.
23:39In the chaos, Quinn shoved.
23:40A seven-year-old girl away.
23:42Move.
23:43Don't block me.
23:44The girl screamed and fell.
23:46Claws silenced her.
23:47Dark green blood hit Quinn's face.
23:49She didn't wipe it off.
23:51Using the gap while the monster fed, she stepped over the girl and melted into shadow.
23:54My hand turned white from gripping the handle so hard.
23:57Last life.
23:57You shoved me for a flashlight.
23:59Now, you shove a kid just to survive.
24:01Quinn, I'll decide your death myself.
24:03Outside, screams faded as monsters dragged bodies away.
24:06The hall smelled of blood and burning flesh.
24:08But I knew Quinn and Arlo were alive.
24:11They hid in the second floor.
24:13Staring at my door.
24:14To them, my place was a goldmine of supplies.
24:17Since they want in, I'll help them.
24:18Kind of.
24:19I grabbed my phone.
24:20Opened the group chat.
24:21I cleared my throat.
24:23Sent a voice clip.
24:25Cough.
24:25I was weak.
24:26Trembling with fear.
24:27Pain and terror dripped from every word.
24:29Help.
24:30Those guys smashed my doorframe.
24:31It's freezing.
24:32Wind's in.
24:33I've got a fever.
24:33I can't move.
24:34Someone help.
24:35I'll share half my stuff.
24:37Arlo and Quinn's eyes lit up instantly.
24:39Supplies?
24:40She's finally breaking.
24:41Arlo gripped his riot fork with excitement.
24:43I knew the door couldn't hold to get so many hits.
24:45Quinn's blood-smeared face twisted into a vicious grin.
24:47Her doors cracked.
24:48Perfect.
24:49She's stuck with a fever now.
24:50Just the right time to slaughter her.
24:52Sir, we go down now.
24:53Kill her.
24:54This place is ours.
24:55They thought I was a lamb.
24:56Struggling to die.
24:58But top hunters often appear as prey first.
25:01I put down my phone.
25:02Killed all lights.
25:03Slipped on night vision goggles.
25:04Opened the first door.
25:06Just enough to tempt them.
25:08Then lined the hall with glue traps.
25:11They can tear apart heavy rats.
25:13Let alone humans.
25:14Crossbow in hand.
25:15I sat on the dark sofa.
25:16Quietly waiting for my guests.
25:18The hallway was pitch black.
25:19Arlo and Quinn.
25:20With two guys.
25:21Crept downstairs.
25:22No lights on.
25:23Shoes off.
25:24Only in socks.
25:25Moving slowly.
25:26The doors open a crack.
25:27Arlo saw it.
25:29Greed beat reason.
25:30Go.
25:31Quick and clean.
25:32Arlo led.
25:32Stepping into my foyer first.
25:35Squish.
25:35His foot sank.
25:37Glue.
25:37What the hell?
25:39He tried to lift his foot.
25:40His sock and shoe stuck tight.
25:42He yanked hard.
25:43Pop.
25:44He fell forward.
25:45Perfect.
25:46Hands.
25:46Chest.
25:47Face all slammed into glue boards.
25:50Ugh.
25:50He tries fell in too.
25:53Help.
25:53What's this?
25:54I'm stuck.
25:55They struggled in the hall.
25:59This industrial glue could rip skin right off.
26:01Click.
26:02I turned on the foyer light.
26:04The glare blinded them instantly.
26:05With crossbow in hand.
26:06I looked down at them.
26:08Welcome.
26:09I said with a smile.
26:10M.M.
26:11M.M.
26:11Arlo tried to lift his head.
26:13Begging.
26:14No words.
26:15I fired.
26:16Whoosh.
26:17The bolt pierced his temple.
26:19The two lackeys.
26:20Wet themselves.
26:21Cowtowing.
26:21Two more bolts.
26:22Only Quinn left.
26:24I saved her for last.
26:25Hatred in her eyes turned to fear.
26:28J.Jade.
26:29She tore glue from her lips.
26:31Don't kill me.
26:33We're best friends.
26:34I'm sorry.
26:36Please.
26:36For old times sake.
26:38I crouched.
26:39Staring at that face.
26:41Old times?
26:42I sneered.
26:43I pulled out a tiny glowing lure.
26:45You love light?
26:47Here's a gift.
26:48I forced her mouth open and shoved it in.
26:50Then taped her mouth shut tight.
26:52Red light glowed to her cheeks.
26:54Mmm.
26:55Quinn thrashed wildly.
26:56I sliced her clothes.
26:58Ripped her off the glue boards.
27:00Dragged her to the entrance.
27:02Kicked her out.
27:03Door shut.
27:04Through the peephole.
27:05She writhed in the snow.
27:08In the dark.
27:09Green eyes blinked open.
27:10Listeners.
27:11Light eaters.
27:12All of them.
27:13Where would they bite first?
27:14The glow.
27:15Her last muffled groan came from outside.
27:17Then the sound of a throat tearing open.
27:19The day after Quinn died.
27:21The world went quiet.
27:22Arlo's crew was wiped out.
27:24The Kents were missing.
27:25You could count survivors by one hand.
27:28Hall clear.
27:29I suited up in stab gear.
27:31Time for a sweep.
27:32A lonely scavenger run.
27:34Gold first.
27:35In chaos.
27:36Gold is king.
27:37Strong liquor.
27:38Best fuel and disinfectant.
27:39I pried open Mr. Kent's door.
27:41The second it opened.
27:42Rotten smell hit me.
27:43The living room was wrecked.
27:44Walls black.
27:46By the stove.
27:46I saw something chilling.
27:48Clean picked skulls lay on the floor.
27:51Dry pot.
27:52Bits of bone still inside.
27:54Ugh.
27:55Even after being reborn.
27:57My stomach turned.
27:58This is apocalypse.
28:00No order.
28:00No morals.
28:01I took nothing because this place was filthy.
28:04On my way out.
28:06I poured gas inside.
28:07I lit a match.
28:09Flames erased the sins.
28:10I watched smoke rise.
28:12Feeling nothing.
28:13In a world that devours.
28:15Only the dead are clean.
28:16A week later.
28:17Late at night.
28:18I was fixing the generator.
28:19The old radio suddenly crackled with a voice.
28:22This is Southside Stadium.
28:24We've set up an official shelter.
28:26There's heat.
28:26Food.
28:27And full military protection.
28:28All survivors.
28:29Head to Southside Stadium now.
28:31I went to the window.
28:32Pulled the curtain aside.
28:33Through my night vision scope.
28:34The windows.
28:35Ones like tombs.
28:36Lit up one by one with candles.
28:37Then people rushed out of their buildings.
28:39Their eyes flared with frenzy.
28:42We're saved.
28:43The government hasn't abandoned us.
28:44Move.
28:45Southside Stadium.
28:46There's food.
28:46They sprinted through knee deep snow.
28:48I watched coldly.
28:50Then turned off the radio.
28:51Rescue?
28:52In your dreams.
28:53Last life.
28:54I believed it too.
28:54It almost got me killed.
28:56It wasn't the military.
28:57It was the immortal jellyfish.
28:58It can hijack and mimic human radio signals.
29:00You can't save someone who is dying.
29:02I drew the curtains tight.
29:03And checked the locks again.
29:04That night.
29:05Blood would flow again.
29:06To check what was happening outside.
29:08I took my binoculars up to the second floor lookout.
29:10To me.
29:10It was brutal.
29:11A march of death.
29:12On the streets.
29:13Survivors moved like pilgrims.
29:15Struggling toward the south side.
29:16The sky was still pitch black.
29:18But a pink glow glimmered through the clouds.
29:21Look.
29:21That's light.
29:22There really is a base.
29:23Someone pointed at the sky.
29:25Thrilled.
29:25Then.
29:26The next second.
29:27The clouds turned.
29:28And massive tentacles slid out of the pink glow.
29:30They wrapped survivors with eerie precision.
29:32Ah.
29:33Let me go.
29:34Help.
29:35Something's in the sky.
29:36Joyful shouts turned into piercing screams.
29:38Through the lens.
29:39They were.
29:40Lifted hundreds of meters.
29:42Stingers pierced them before they could struggle.
29:45Then they were hung beneath.
29:46The giant jellyfish bell.
29:48They wouldn't die at once.
29:50Paralyzed but conscious.
29:51Forced to watch themselves.
29:52Slowly digested.
29:54It was worse than hell itself.
29:55I lowered the binoculars.
29:56Palms slick with sweat.
29:58My heart pounded wildly.
29:59This was the truth of the end times.
30:01No luck.
30:01Only a ruthless.
30:02Edge of wit and knowledge.
30:03Those who believed in the light became its sacrifices.
30:05I'd avoided the trap outside.
30:07But a crisis hit my safe house.
30:09Water was running low.
30:11Only five barrels remained.
30:13Before.
30:13I could melt snow.
30:15Not anymore.
30:16The snow was acidic.
30:18Through a microscope.
30:19The snow looked pale yellow.
30:21Full of waste.
30:22Dust.
30:23And viruses.
30:25I stared at the yellowish liquid.
30:28Gross.
30:29But it was the only safe source.
30:31I built a simple distiller.
30:35Using charcoal heat to boil urine.
30:38Steam ran through a copper pipe.
30:40Cooling into drops.
30:41I filtered it again through charcoal and gauze.
30:43A strange smell filled the room.
30:46Hours later.
30:47The first cup filled.
30:48Clear water.
30:49But my mind resisted.
30:51Survive.
30:51I told myself.
30:52I shut my eyes and drank it down.
30:55Bitter.
30:55Burnt.
30:56But safe.
30:57This is hell.
30:58Most days.
30:59It's enduring disgust and surviving.
31:01I was focused on making water.
31:04Clang.
31:04Metal hit inside the vent duct.
31:07Soft.
31:07But in the silence.
31:09It was thunder.
31:10Something got in.
31:11I turned off my flashlight.
31:13I grabbed my sharpened tactical knife.
31:15Held my breath.
31:16And pressed to the wall.
31:17Something pushed the vent hole open.
31:19In the faint light.
31:20A cat-sized creature crawled in.
31:23A burrower.
31:24Its feelers twitched in the dark.
31:26Hiss.
31:27It arched its body.
31:29I didn't back down.
31:32I'd strung a thin fishing line across the doorway.
31:36As it leapt.
31:37Its forelegs caught the line.
31:38It flipped midair and crashed down.
31:41Now.
31:42I lunged forward.
31:44The blade drove into the weak spot at its skull.
31:47I sliced open its nerve center.
31:48It thrashed.
31:50Spraying dark green slime.
31:53Seconds later.
31:54It went still.
31:54I gasped.
31:55My hand trembling.
31:57That was close.
31:58If I didn't know the layout.
31:59If I hadn't set the trap.
32:00I'd be the one dead today.
32:02I dragged the dead burrower.
32:03To the living room.
32:04I planned to toss it out.
32:06But I noticed something.
32:07Its body wasn't cold.
32:09Its belly glowed faintly.
32:10Radiating intense heat.
32:12My gut told me it wasn't normal.
32:13I put on rubber gloves and grabbed a scalpel.
32:16Time to dissect.
32:17Last life.
32:18I'd heard a rumor.
32:19Now.
32:19I have the chance to test it.
32:21Cutting through the shell.
32:22A wave of heat hit me.
32:24Like opening an oven.
32:25At its heart sat a crystal.
32:27Red and translucent.
32:28A thermal crystal.
32:30I plucked it out with tweezers.
32:31Even outside the body.
32:32It kept radiating heat.
32:34About 60 degrees Celsius on the surface.
32:36To test it.
32:36I dropped it in a cup of cold water.
32:38A miracle happened.
32:39In under a minute.
32:40The water started bubbling.
32:42Boiling.
32:42I stared.
32:43Heart pounding in shock.
32:44This wasn't an organ.
32:46But a tiny perpetual reactor.
32:48At that moment.
32:49I saw.
32:49The monsters in a new way.
32:51They weren't monsters anymore.
32:52They were walking batteries.
32:53An endless powerhouse.
32:55Once my mindset changed.
32:56My tactics changed too.
32:57Previously I only hid.
32:58Now I hunt.
32:59My eyes glowing gold.
33:00I made a simple sonic lure.
33:02Recorded a piercing scream.
33:03On my phone.
33:04And placed it at the trap by the door.
33:05Then I hid upstairs behind the slit.
33:08Armed with my modified crossbow.
33:09Ah.
33:10Help.
33:10The lure.
33:11Screamed from the speaker.
33:12Two listeners crawled in.
33:13Drawn by the sound.
33:15They hovered in the trap.
33:16Listening closely.
33:17Whoosh.
33:18I pulled the trigger.
33:19The arrow pierced its left eye into the brain.
33:21The other tried to flee.
33:23I yanked a rope.
33:24Crash.
33:25The chardonnette fell from the ceiling.
33:27The more it struggled.
33:29The deeper the cuts.
33:31I finished it calmly.
33:32Like a skilled butcher.
33:34Half an hour later.
33:35I had two new crystals.
33:36One red.
33:37And one blue.
33:38And another blue one.
33:40Dropped the blue one in water.
33:41It froze instantly.
33:43Red one went in the water tank.
33:45Hot water all day.
33:47Blue crystal in the food cabinet became a fridge.
33:51From now on.
33:52Life felt manageable.
33:54Crystals kickstarted my shelters.
33:56Industrial revolution.
33:57I placed 10 red crystals.
33:58In a custom made metal box.
34:00I made a crystal generator with thermal electricity.
34:02I flipped the main switch.
34:04Hum.
34:05The underfloor heating roared to life.
34:06The room temperature shot.
34:08From 0 to 25 degrees.
34:09I finally shed that heavy coat.
34:11Slipped into light silk pajamas.
34:13I even boiled a huge tub of hot water.
34:15In the minus 70 degrees Celsius apocalypse.
34:16I lay in the bathtub.
34:17Enjoying a 40 degrees Celsius hot bath.
34:19Steam swirling.
34:20I stared at myself in the mirror.
34:21Rosy cheeks.
34:22Sharp eyes.
34:23Glowing skin.
34:24Boom.
34:24Just as I savored the peace.
34:26A loud crash shook the floor below.
34:28The tub water sloshed violently.
34:30I jumped up.
34:31Wrapped a robe.
34:32And ran to the monitors.
34:34On screen.
34:34An armored truck.
34:36Smashed the gate.
34:37A team of fully armed men got out.
34:39They wore infrared night vision goggles.
34:40And carried automatic rifles.
34:42Moving in perfect formation.
34:43Clearly.
34:43They weren't ordinary survivors.
34:45They were the marauder corps.
34:46Trouble had arrived.
34:47These guys weren't here to survive.
34:48They came to raid.
34:49The leader was a bald man.
34:51Massive like a bear.
34:52One eye was prosthetic.
34:53Glowing red in the dark.
34:55Team one.
34:56Search left.
34:56Team two.
34:57Search right.
34:58Survivors and crystals only.
34:59Kill anyone who resists.
35:00This place is solid.
35:01Clear it.
35:02We'll make it a base.
35:02They began blasting through each unit door.
35:05Now.
35:05They were heading toward my building.
35:07Sir.
35:07Something's off with this building.
35:08All first floor windows were sealed.
35:10And heat readings were strong.
35:11It was practically a furnace inside.
35:13The bald man grinned cruelly.
35:15Licking his lips.
35:16There must be a generator or someone with power.
35:19I took a deep breath.
35:20Donned my tactical vest.
35:21And checked my weapons.
35:22They had guns.
35:23Explosives.
35:24And mutant too.
35:25I had to use the terrain for guerrilla tactics.
35:27I pressed a red button on the wall.
35:29Click.
35:29Throughout the hallways.
35:30Sealed compartments sprang open.
35:32My surprise for this day.
35:34The trap was ready.
35:35Bring it on.
35:36Two demolitions experts reached my security door.
35:38They skillfully stuck bombs onto the locks.
35:40But I wasn't inside anymore.
35:42I crawled up the passage to the second floor.
35:45Hidden in the stair gap.
35:46I clutched a remote.
35:48Through the gap.
35:49I saw their tactical.
35:50Spotlights swaying overhead.
35:52As they are setting the explosives.
35:54Ready to retreat.
35:55I pressed the button.
35:56Boom.
35:56It wasn't their bombs that went off.
35:58But my ceiling mounted shrapnel.
35:59Bomb exploded.
36:00Steel balls and nails flew everywhere.
36:02The two demolition experts.
36:04Were shredded.
36:05The squad behind was thrown.
36:06By the blast.
36:07Wailing.
36:08Ambush.
36:08Scatter.
36:09The bald leader shouted.
36:10His red prosthetic eye flared instantly.
36:12And he smashed a nearby wall with one punch.
36:14He pressed against the wall.
36:15For cover.
36:16Concrete crumbled in his hands.
36:19Interesting.
36:20I hid in the second floor dark.
36:21Aiming my nail gun.
36:22This gun makes no muzzle flash.
36:24And is almost silent.
36:25Up close.
36:26It hits as hard as a pistol.
36:27If you want to play.
36:28I'll play too.
36:29In this building.
36:30I'm.
36:30A ghost.
36:31Master of the dark.
36:32A game of blood begins.
36:34Explosions rocked the hall.
36:36Smoke everywhere.
36:36I underestimated the bald leader.
36:39He's a rare strength type mutant.
36:41Nail shots barely left white marks on him.
36:44Bronze skin shone like metal in light.
36:47Found you.
36:48Little rat.
36:48He grinned.
36:49Ear to ear.
36:50Ignoring traps.
36:52He leapt forward.
36:53Grabbed the railing.
36:54Hauled himself up.
36:55Blow this floor to bits.
36:57Things were dire.
36:58I pulled out my last card.
37:00Crystal bomb.
37:01Three high level red crystals.
37:02Rigged with c4.
37:03Since you're tough.
37:04Try this.
37:05I pulled the pin and threw it at him.
37:07He reached for it.
37:08A rock?
37:09Cute trick.
37:10The package touched his hand.
37:12I pressed the remote.
37:13Hit behind shield.
37:14Ears clamped tight.
37:15Boom.
37:16A dull, deafening boom.
37:17Blinding white light.
37:19A scorching heat wave swallowed the hall.
37:21The shock wave flattened everything around.
37:23He let out a piercing, horrific scream.
37:25Smoke cleared.
37:26The air reeked of burnt flesh.
37:27The stairs too.
37:28The second floor were gone.
37:29He was charred.
37:30His cyber eye shattered.
37:32Before I could finish him, worse things came.
37:34The ground shook violently.
37:36A three story light eater stormed in.
37:37Drawn by heat.
37:38It smashed through the unit door.
37:40Huge claws swept the first floor lobby.
37:42The surviving raiders were snatched up.
37:44Stuffed into it spiked.
37:45Massive maw.
37:46He froze as the monster's paw came down.
37:48I crouched on the second floor.
37:50Raising my crossbow.
37:51Next life.
37:52Don't mess with women.
37:53An arrow pierced his throat.
37:54He died by my hand before the monster struck.
37:57His crystal is mine.
37:58The monster devoured the raiders.
38:00Crushing rubble.
38:01Finding the heat gone.
38:02It lost interest.
38:04It stomped away.
38:05Vanishing.
38:06Into the snowstorm.
38:07The blizzard returned.
38:08Covering all the blood.
38:10Silence reclaimed the world.
38:11Once I was sure it was safe.
38:12I donned the hazmat suit.
38:13Rappelling down from the second floor.
38:15His corpse rotted.
38:16But the gear was still intact.
38:17I fumbled through it.
38:18Finally, I found a heavy bunch of keys.
38:20They unlocked the armored truck outside.
38:22I ran out and jumped into the truck.
38:24Engine roared to life.
38:25Heat kicking in.
38:26Inside was an arsenal.
38:28Rifles.
38:28Grenades.
38:29Rations.
38:30Even a field surgery table and med kit.
38:32This delivery was pure jackpot.
38:34I reversed the truck into the lobby.
38:36Blocked the entrance with materials and doors.
38:39I sat inside.
38:40Hand on the armor.
38:41Feeling safe.
38:42I'm no longer a mouse hiding in a hole.
38:44With this truck and heavy guns.
38:46I'm the lion.
38:47In this building.
38:48I wasn't the only survivor.
38:49A young couple lived on the sixth floor.
38:51And a retired teacher on the seventh.
38:53They hid in a loft.
38:54Surviving on moldy bread.
38:56They saw me wipe out the marauders.
38:59To them, I wasn't human.
39:01I was a god.
39:02Next day, I was sorting out loot on the first floor.
39:05They came to the second floor stairs.
39:07The guy knelt, holding the last chocolate in his hands.
39:10Jade, we want to follow you.
39:12We'll do anything.
39:14Clean.
39:14Corpses.
39:15Even be bait for you.
39:16Please don't leave us.
39:17We won't eat much.
39:18I stared at them, lowering my gun.
39:20One needs shh.
39:21I pointed at the corpses in the hall.
39:23Clean it up and dump it two kilometers away.
39:26Once done, each gets a bowl of noodles and water.
39:29Hearing about the noodles, they got excited.
39:32They cowed out madly.
39:33Green liquid on their foreheads.
39:35Thanks, Jade.
39:36We'll get right to it.
39:37Order was built on food and force.
39:39With three free workers, the defense went up faster.
39:43I had them break through all walls from 1F to 3F.
39:45Using cement, steel, and materials left by raiders.
39:48We built a complex maze as a buffer.
39:50No more simple hallways inside this maze.
39:52The floor was filled with traps and landmines.
39:54Walls had countless shooting holes.
39:57Ceilings held glass bottles filled with acid.
39:59Anyone reaching the core, must pass this death maze.
40:02I had the teacher mix a special potion.
40:04Walls were coated with chemical powder.
40:07Now my home is an unbreakable fortress.
40:09A black hole that devours life.
40:11The three survivors lived on 3Fs sentries.
40:14I gave them radios and simple self-defense gear.
40:16They were loyal, devoted, and unwavering.
40:19I'm the only one providing food, heat, and safety.
40:22Once, the guy found a mutated rat on patrol.
40:24He brought it to my door as a snack.
40:27Absolute obedience beats any contract.
40:29The armored truck had a high-powered military radio.
40:32One night, the blizzard finally eased a bit.
40:34The radio picked up.
40:35A sudden encrypted message.
40:36ZZZ, this is Core, dungeon number 3.
40:39The service is now unlivable for humans.
40:41The eternal night is expected to last 10 years.
40:43We're opening an emergency.
40:44Entry, priority, techs, doctors, and healthy women.
40:48Survivors, please go there for humanity's sake.
40:50I heard it and gave a cold, mocking smirk.
40:53Last life, I'd been to a dungeon.
40:55It was hell on earth.
40:56Men mined 18 hours every single day.
40:58Women became breeding machines.
41:00No dignity.
41:00They ate synthetic starch, drank recycled water.
41:03I have endless supplies, heat, and hot showers.
41:05My life now is even better than the dungeon lords.
41:08Why would I become a slave?
41:09I switched off the radio and blocked that frequency.
41:11The surface is dark and cold, but it's free.
41:13Freedom is the rarest luxury in this apocalypse.
41:16Over time, I noticed strange changes in my body.
41:19It started with a high fever that lasted 3 days.
41:21Every organ felt like it was on fire.
41:23I even prepared to end my own life.
41:25But after 3 days, the fever broke.
41:26And in its place came a terrifying rebirth.
41:29I saw strange changes in the mirror.
41:31Red veins showed on my collar and neck.
41:33When I get excited, they glowed faintly.
41:36My genes had been rewritten.
41:37With all lights off, I could see every cobweb.
41:40Through 3 blast doors, I could hear people breathe.
41:43I could lift that ammo crate with one hand.
41:45I cut my fingertip with a dagger to test it.
41:47The wound closed fast, leaving no scar.
41:50I traced the veins on my collarbone, smiling wildly.
41:53This is my ticket to evolution, only by becoming stronger.
41:57Can I top the food chain?
41:58I am the chosen new human.
41:59In this world of monsters, I have evolved.
42:02The calm days didn't last long.
42:043 months passed.
42:05Jade, a huge squad's approaching.
42:0650 men.
42:07They have heavy weapons and a few modified trucks.
42:09I switched to the outside cameras.
42:11Zooming in, I saw the leader.
42:13A wave of hatred surged through me.
42:15That figure, I'd recognize him even in ashes.
42:17Felix, he was my ex-husband, who sold me to cannibals last life.
42:20He wore polar gear, a scar cutting across his face.
42:23Sir, this is the place.
42:24I heard a woman here has a red stone that heats.
42:27A heating stone?
42:28That's a treasure.
42:29Surround the building.
42:30Kill the men.
42:31Keep the women.
42:32I'll interrogate the leading woman.
42:34Hearing this, I laughed, trembling all over.
42:37Tears almost came out.
42:38God's really been kind to me.
42:39I thought I'd never get this revenge.
42:41But here you are, delivering yourself here.
42:43Felix, this life, I'll show you hell.
42:46His group was cautious, sending scouts first.
42:49I decided to play along, feigning weakness.
42:51Killian trembled, standing at the window, yelling.
42:54Don't shoot.
42:54We surrender.
42:55Our boss is a woman.
42:56She's terrified.
42:57She has lots of crystals.
42:59She'll give them all.
43:00Felix eased his guard a little.
43:02A woman.
43:03Fine.
43:03Let her strip and come out.
43:05She's having a bad fever.
43:07Just come in.
43:09Greed is the original sin.
43:10He wanted all the credit.
43:11He waved.
43:12Team 1, Team 2, follow me.
43:14He led his elites through the unit door.
43:16Into the maze entrance I'd designed with care.
43:19I sipped red wine in the control room.
43:21My eyes were cold as ice.
43:22My finger hovered over a red button.
43:24Welcome to my world, Felix.
43:26I pressed the button.
43:27A thousand pound stone fell, blocking the exit.
43:30Lights went out in the maze, plunging them into darkness.
43:33What's happening?
43:34Why did the lights go out?
43:35The door's blocked.
43:36Boss, it's a trap.
43:37Hidden nozzles on the walls.
43:39Activated.
43:39They sprayed a high concentration blood lure.
43:42What's that smell?
43:43So bloody.
43:43The maze's underground gates opened.
43:45Hundreds of starved mutant rats poured out.
43:47Aw.
43:48Rats.
43:49So many rats.
43:50Shoot.
43:50Random shots hit their own teammates.
43:53Screams rose, green fluid agitating the swarm.
43:56Felix climbed over his men's corpses.
43:58He actually reached the maze.
44:00Exit on the second floor.
44:01But the platform was a suspended cage.
44:04I sat outside, watching silently.
44:06Felix, long time no see.
44:08Seeing my face, he froze in terror.
44:11Jade.
44:11It's you.
44:12Impossible.
44:13Honey.
44:14I'm sorry.
44:14Spare me.
44:15I'll be your dog.
44:16I sat down my wine, expression cold as ice.
44:18I pressed the switch in my hand.
44:19The cage floor dropped instantly.
44:21Below was a bottomless rat pit, eyes glowing red.
44:24A dog?
44:25You don't deserve it.
44:26Enjoy yourself.
44:27Felix screamed as he fell in.
44:29He struggled as the swarm ripped him apart.
44:31All the grudges for my last life vanished.
44:34After Felix died, I announced his fate.
44:37His remaining men outside, instantly lost all will to fight.
44:40Seeing what I could do, they switched sides.
44:42They became my outer guards.
44:44My power peaked.
44:45Second year of the eternal night.
44:47Temp hit minus 100 degrees Celsius.
44:48Air started to condense.
44:50Weight miss settled.
44:51Ordinary metal became brittle like glass.
44:54Even the raiders armored trucks.
44:56Cracked their engines.
44:57Absolute silence.
44:58Not even the wind blew.
44:59Monsters froze or burrowed.
45:01Deep underground.
45:02I led my core team to the first floor shelter.
45:04Inside, the temperature barely stayed at 0 degrees Celsius.
45:07We wore layers.
45:08Huddled together like a ball.
45:08Huddled together.
45:09Using crystals to stay alive.
45:10I entered a half hibernation.
45:12I woke only 2 hours a day.
45:13To check the crystals.
45:15I ate some high calorie liquid food.
45:16In dreams, I saw the sun rise.
45:18But it burned me to death.
45:19It was a marathon against death itself.
45:21We had to survive.
45:22After what felt like forever, the deep freeze eased.
45:25Temps stabilized around minus 40 degrees Celsius.
45:27I pushed open the frozen blast door at last.
45:30With metal screeching, I stepped outside.
45:32The world had changed.
45:33Only tower tops were visible.
45:35Like white tombstones sticking out.
45:36Sky was still black.
45:38Aurora shifting wildly.
45:39Air smelled of rust and sulfur.
45:42On distant ruins, shadows leapt about.
45:44They were evolved humans.
45:45Adapted to dark and cold.
45:47Their eyes glowed green or red in the dark.
45:49I changed to, gloves off, skin bare to air.
45:53There was no sting.
45:54Just a strange comfort.
45:55I stomped, feeling vibrations miles around.
45:58A group of new humans saw me, and got ready to strike.
46:01But seeing me, they sensed, a top predator.
46:04They froze and bowed their heads in unison.
46:06On this ruined land, I was no longer prey.
46:09I was master of this snow land.
46:10A new era had begun.
46:12My block became the only holy city nearby.
46:15Only I had heat, running water, and greenhouses.
46:18Scattered survivor groups flocked here with families.
46:21They knelt in snow, begging, for a warm red crystal.
46:24Or just a bowl of soup that wouldn't freeze.
46:26I no longer turned them away, but I wasn't normal.
46:29I built a ruthless new order.
46:31First, no freeloaders.
46:33No matter, old or young, everyone works.
46:35The useless got thrown to the light eaters.
46:38Second, crystal first.
46:39Crystals are currency.
46:41A low-level red crystal buys a week's rations.
46:43Third, absolute obedience.
46:45Questioners die.
46:46My armored trucks patrolled.
46:48The land daily.
46:48Black flags flapped in wind and snow.
46:50It's fixed by the teacher.
46:52No one called my name.
46:53I was the night queen.
46:54I sat by the tower window, watching the crowd.
46:58They scrambled under my shelter, busy to survive.
47:01I realized the apocalypse hadn't ended, only changed.
47:05And I became the lawmaker of this new world.
47:07I am the night queen.
47:08Early morning, year three of eternal night.
47:11Queen, the horizon, it's glowing.
47:14The news spread like wildfire.
47:16The crowd erupted.
47:17The sun, the sun's out.
47:19We're saved.
47:20Some knelt, crying their eyes out.
47:21Some wildly tore off their protective suits.
47:24Some ran past guards, reaching for sunlight.
47:26I stood atop the tallest tower, watching coldly.
47:29I put on radiation goggles and a lead suit.
47:32I knew this was death's beam, not salvation.
47:35If you don't want to die, go back underground.
47:38Hide.
47:39But no one listened.
47:40They craved the light.
47:41The first ray pierced the clouds.
47:43It hit the face of the lead reveler.
47:44No warmth, only scorching.
47:47His skin blackened.
47:49Next came the second, the third.
47:51Flesh peeled off.
47:53Cheers turned to shrill, horrid screams.
47:55The sun shone, bringing silent slaughter.
47:57The world turned into a giant microwave.
48:00All exposed flesh quickly charred.
48:02Screams went on all day long.
48:04Those who ran to the sun turned to pools of blood.
48:07Only those hiding in shadows survived.
48:09Night fell again, and the sun went down.
48:12The survivors stared at me, eyes full of frenzy.
48:15I saved them, or maybe darkness saved them.
48:18In this world, daylight brings death.
48:19Only darkness is safe.
48:21I sit on a throne built from black crystals.
48:23No lights, only the crystals faint red glow.
48:26The patterns on my arms pulse faintly.
48:28Outside, the world seems completely dead.
48:31But in infrared, countless creatures rise.
48:34The next round of revelry begins.
48:35This world will never go back to before.
48:38Civilization and sunshine were long gone.
48:40I stand, my black robe drags on the floor.
48:43All my followers kneel in unison.
48:45I smiled coldly.
48:47Remember, light will deceive, heat will burn.
48:50Only darkness is eternal shelter.
48:52In this world, I am the only light.
48:54I am the queen of eternal night.
48:55This is my kingdom.
48:56Eternal night is the new beginning.
Comments