After absorbing the last bits of death energy in the hallway, Damien began checking the rooms that were left unlocked. He needed supplies. Food, water, anything useful.
The world had ended. There was no more law, no more order. People would soon show their worst sides, and Damien knew it. In times like these, human nature turns cruel.
As he scavenged, he killed a few zombies hiding inside the rooms.
When he was done searching, he carried what he could, and his skeletons carried the rest back to his room.
Along the way, Damien noticed something about his summons. Most of the skeletons could only follow simple commands like attack or move. They were strong but not smart.
But one of them was different. The sword-and-shield skeleton.
It seemed sharper, able to handle orders a little more complex than the others. An idea formed in Damien's mind.
"I will call you Captain Skeleton from now on," he said.
Damien ordered the skeletons to follow "Captain Skeleton." They would actually listen and move in order. The captain could even give them basic commands when Damien was busy. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.
Once his supplies were safe in his room, Damien shut the door. The sun was already setting, shadows stretching long across the floor. Night was coming, and with it, even more danger.
"It's too risky to move around in the dark," Damien muttered. "Who knows how many zombies are still inside this building?"
He lay down, his skeletons standing guard in the room like silent statues.
For the first time since the end of the world began, Damien closed his eyes and tried to sleep—knowing that tomorrow, survival would only get harder.
In the middle of the night, Damien was woken by a loud crash.
He rushed to the window and froze.
A helicopter had fallen out of the sky and crashed near the university park. Smoke and fire rose into the night, lighting up the darkness.
The sight hit Damien hard. Deep inside, he had been hoping the military would save them—that order would return, that this nightmare would end.
But the burning wreck told him the truth. No one was coming. He was on his own.
As he stared at the flames, he suddenly heard something else.The sound of his doorknob clicking.
His heart tightened. Someone was trying to break in.
Damien stayed quiet and gave a mental command. His skeletons moved into the dark corners of the room, hiding in the shadows. Silent, waiting.
The clicking stopped, and with a faint click, the lock turned.Whoever it was, they were good. A thief, maybe even a professional.
The door opened slowly, and a dark figure slipped inside. The intruder quickly locked the door again and began moving carefully, checking the room.
Damien stepped out of the shadows."Who are you, and what are you doing here?" he demanded.
The figure spun around and rushed toward him. Damien tensed, ready to call his skeletons—when he caught sight of the face.
His eyes widened."Alice…?"
It was her.
Alice, his childhood friend. Alice, the redhead with the curvy figure, was the nerdy gamer girl who had always been by his side while growing up. A few nights ago, they had gotten drunk and hooked up. Since then, both of them had been too embarrassed to talk.
But now, here she was.
"Thank God you're safe!" Alice said, her voice shaking. Tears filled her eyes. "I… I didn't know what to do without you. I was so scared."
Her words poured out. She admitted that she had always liked him, but never dared to confess. The drunken night had only made it harder for her to face him. She had felt awkward, depressed, and unsure how to act—but the end of the world had pushed her to come to him anyway.
Finally, she broke down crying.
Damien sighed softly and pulled her close, letting her cry against his shoulder. For the first time since everything began, he felt a trace of warmth in this cold, broken world.
Alice's sobs grew softer, her breathing slower. Before long, she had fallen asleep against him, her face buried in his shoulder.
Damien sat there in silence, holding her, while his skeletons stood guard in the dark.
After seeing Alice asleep, Damien carefully carried her like a princess and laid her down on the bed. He pulled a blanket over her to keep her warm.
Glancing at his watch, Damien realized it was late. He quietly locked the door and gave an order to one of his skeletons to hold the doorknob from the inside—just in case anyone tried to break in again, like Alice had.
The next morning, Damien woke up early. He heated some water to make coffee and toasted a few slices of bread. Soon after, he walked into the main room and found Alice already awake.
He handed her a cup of coffee and a piece of toast. Alice looked truly happy to see him serving her breakfast.
But while drinking, her eyes suddenly turned to the corner—where one of Damien's skeletons stood, its bony hand gripping the doorknob. She almost screamed, but Damien quickly stopped her.
"Don't worry, it's my summon," he explained calmly.
After settling down, they talked about their inheritances. Damien explained his necromancer powers, and Alice revealed hers.
She had awakened as an assassin. That was how she was able to sneak into his room so easily last night—unlocking the door with skill and hiding in shadows for a few seconds at a time.
Alice then mentioned something troubling.
"Last night, I heard a few people going downstairs… but I also heard a monster-like growl coming from the ground floor. I think there's a stronger zombie down there."
Damien frowned but nodded. It made sense—stronger monsters were bound to appear sooner or later.
After breakfast, he ordered one of his skeletons to carry the bags of food they had gathered. Alice seemed calmer than before, far different from the panicked girl who had burst into his room in the middle of the night.
Maybe her inheritance gave her more courage… or maybe she was simply starting to accept this cruel new world.