~ Across S-City ~
Cries for help echoed throughout the streets.
People ran through smoke-filled roads, desperately searching for their families.
Some were injured.
Some had collapsed.
Others were trapped beneath fallen debris.
The city's emergency services were quickly overwhelmed by the sheer number of calls flooding in at once.
Phones rang endlessly.
Ambulances were dispatched in every direction.
Rescue teams rushed from one disaster site to another.
But there simply weren't enough of them.
For countless people across S-City, help wasn't coming.
They were on their own.
And above the city...
the meteor shower continued.
Beautiful.
Silent.
Completely indifferent to the devastation unfolding below.
---
~ S-City Hospital ~
Back at S-City Hospital, firefighters desperately worked to contain the fire that had erupted at the western end of the hospital grounds.
The flames had to be brought under control quickly.
With much of S-City descending into chaos, the hospital had become one of the most important centers for emergency treatment and disaster relief.
Inside, the emergency room was already overflowing.
More and more injured people continued arriving in waves. Some were carried in by family members, while others were brought in by hospital staff and rescue workers.
The hospital director stood in the middle of the chaos, issuing orders.
"All hands on deck!" he shouted. "Your team will handle the injured patients! Your team will attend to those who are unconscious! Security, search the entire hospital grounds. If you find anyone who's collapsed, bring them here immediately!"
"Yes, sir!"
The medical staff immediately scattered toward their assigned stations.
"Help, please!"
Cindy rushed into the emergency room with tears streaming down her face.
"Our friends collapsed after the meteorite hit the park!"
A team of nurses immediately hurried toward them.
"Bring the patients over here!"
The medical staff carefully took Mike and Katie from Cindy and Brent before rushing them toward the treatment area.
Cindy and Brent were left sitting on nearby chairs, exhausted and shaken as they watched their friends being treated.
"Please be okay..." Cindy whispered.
Brent remained silent, his fists clenched tightly in his lap.
Meanwhile, the hospital security team searched every corner of the building and its surrounding grounds.
They found several people who had collapsed.
Some were patients who had been unable to evacuate their rooms.
Others were hospital staff caught outside during the impact.
One by one, the security personnel carried them back to the emergency room.
Hours passed.
Eventually, the firefighters managed to contain the blaze at the western end of the hospital.
With the flames under control, they moved on to other parts of the city where their assistance was desperately needed.
But inside S-City Hospital...
the battle had only just begun.
---
~ S-City Park ~
At the park, Mayor Smith struggled beneath a pile of debris.
"Ugh..."
She tried to pull herself free, but a sharp pain shot through her injured legs.
She gritted her teeth and looked around.
Chaos surrounded her.
People ran in every direction, desperately trying to escape the falling debris and the meteorites still streaking across the sky.
"Where...?"
Her eyes frantically searched the crowd.
"My son..."
She couldn't see him anywhere.
"Where is he?"
The mayor pushed against the debris with all her strength.
Pain shot through her legs, but she refused to stop.
With one final effort, she managed to pull herself free.
She stumbled forward and nearly fell again.
"Where are you...?"
Ignoring her injuries, Mayor Smith continued searching desperately through the devastated park.
Her only thought was finding her son.
---
~ Miller Residence ~
Meanwhile, Mr. Miller remained at home with his unconscious wife and daughter.
He carefully followed the first-aid instructions he had found online, doing everything he could to keep them safe.
Every few minutes, he checked their breathing and condition.
His phone remained beside him.
Still no signal.
Still no help.
Outside, sirens continued to echo through the streets.
Mr. Miller sat beside his family, helplessly waiting.
All he could do was hope they would wake up.
---
Day 2
~ The Following Morning — S-City ~
By morning, S-City was almost unrecognizable.
Buildings had been damaged or partially destroyed.
Roads were blocked by fallen debris.
The train station had suffered heavy damage, while several bridges connecting the city to surrounding areas had been destroyed by the falling meteorites.
Authorities and rescue teams worked tirelessly throughout the city.
They searched for survivors.
They rescued people trapped beneath debris.
They evacuated residents from dangerous areas.
But despite their efforts, the scale of the disaster was overwhelming.
S-City was still struggling to recover from the night before.
And S-City Hospital was no different.
---
~ S-City Hospital ~
The emergency room was overflowing with patients.
Every available bed was occupied.
Patients were being treated in hallways, waiting areas, and any other space the medical staff could use.
Doctors and nurses moved constantly from one patient to another, many of them having worked throughout the entire night without rest.
The head nurse hurried through the crowded hospital before stopping at the security station.
"Where is Liam?" she asked. "Wasn't he on duty last night?"
A security officer shook his head.
"We searched the entire hospital. Everyone we found who had collapsed has already been brought to the emergency room."
He hesitated.
"Maybe we missed somewhere. We'll search again."
The head nurse frowned.
"Do it. Find him."
"Yes, ma'am."
---
~ Medicine Storage Room ~
Inside the hospital's medicine storage room, Liam slowly opened his eyes.
"Ugh..."
His vision was blurry.
He tried to move, but a sharp pain immediately shot through his head.
"Ack... my head hurts."
He slowly pushed himself upright, using the cabinet beside him for support.
As he touched his forehead, he noticed something dried on his fingers.
Blood.
Liam looked down.
A dark stain remained on the floor where he had fallen.
"Oh..."
He carefully reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
The screen was filled with notifications.
38 missed calls from his colleagues.
Liam's expression immediately changed.
Then he noticed another list.
9 missed calls from his family.
"Crap..."
He quickly steadied himself.
"I need to let them know I'm okay."
Still dizzy, Liam slowly made his way toward the door.
---
~ 5th Floor Corridors ~
Liam stepped into the hallway.
Bump!
"Ouch!"
He nearly stumbled into someone.
"Liam?!"
It was Trish.
Her eyes widened the moment she saw him.
"Where have you been?! The head nurse has been looking everywhere for you!"
"Sorry..." Liam rubbed his forehead. "I passed out in the medicine storage room. I think I hit my head on one of the cabinets."
Trish stared at him in disbelief.
"You idiot!"
She grabbed his arm.
"Come on. I'll patch you up. And after that, you're going straight to the head nurse."
Liam gave a tired nod.
"Yes, ma'am."
Trish helped him toward the nurses' station.
As they walked through the crowded hospital, Liam looked around.
Countless injured patients filled the corridors.
Doctors and nurses rushed from one emergency to another.
Some medical workers looked exhausted beyond words, yet they continued working.
Liam's expression slowly became serious.
Whatever had happened the night before...
S-City was no longer the same.
But something about the disaster bothered him.
The meteorites had caused enormous destruction.
That much was obvious.
Yet as Liam looked around at the injured survivors, an uneasy feeling settled in his chest.
The meteor shower had brought more than destruction.
Somewhere beneath the chaos...
something else had begun.