Within this hell, one group tried to survive. They managed to last longer than most for one simple reason: they had begun preparing for the apocalypse faster than anyone else yet, not better.
They were there, watching the chaotic broadcast just like the rest of the world. But unlike the others, they were not only watching.
They were planning, planning how to survive. Planning how to take revenge for Jean-Francis and Loïc.
"So… that's what killed Jean-Francis and Loïc?" Gabriel asked quietly.
"By the looks of it… I'd say so," Arnaud replied, his voice filled with a mixture of anger and fear.
This group had never experienced the loss of a friend before. Losing two of them at the same time was something they could barely process.
The anger inside the room was suffocating.
"We need to take revenge for them," Jacob said. "Don't you agree?"
Philippe hesitated.
"But Jacob… shouldn't we wait for Nicolas to come back before we start thinking about that?"
Gabriel looked at him for a moment before answering.
"Philippe… didn't you know?"
He paused briefly before finishing his sentence.
"Loïc went to search for Nicolas the day Jean-Francis disappeared."
A heavy silence fell over the room.
Gabriel lowered his eyes.
"…He's probably dead too."
"…"
Didier then began explaining his plan to shake everyone back to reality.
"It's clear that this is the start of some kind of apocalypse," he said seriously. "If that's true, then we need to prepare ourselves. Otherwise, we'll all die very quickly."
Gabriel's eyes immediately lit up at the idea.
"So we should buy a ton of guns?" he said excitedly. "Pistols, revolvers, rifles, shotguns! And we can't forget the ammo and—"
"We probably shouldn't buy guns of any kind," Alexis interrupted. "Not even suppressed ones."
Gabriel slowly turned his head toward him in disbelief.
"But why? You love guns."
Alexis stared back at him for a moment before answering.
"Didn't you watch the stream?"
He paused briefly.
"The entire Japanese task force soldiers, they were probably trained for years yet, were wiped out in seconds."
Didier then continued Alexis's reasoning.
"If we look closely at the feed," he said, "the phantoms only started rushing the chief after he fired his first gunshot."
Gabriel immediately grabbed the remote and replayed the footage. They watched the scene again in silence.
Didier was right.
The phantoms had remained behind, eating the freaked out soldiers while the chief was running. They only began attacking him after the first gunshot echoed through the forest.
Gabriel slowly lowered the remote.
"So what are you suggesting?" he asked. "That we fight with weapons that aren't guns?"
"…Yes."
"That's our only choice, I'm afraid," Didier said.
Gabriel hesitated, unsure what to say. He looked back at the screen where the nightmare had unfolded.
Then he shook his head.
"You want us to fight those things with pieces of metal?" he said. "Seriously?"
Didier met his gaze without hesitation.
"Do you want to survive or not?"
"…"
"fuck!"
Gabriel suddenly stood up and stormed out of the room, furious, his cellphone already in his hand. A moment later, they could hear him calling someone outside.
The room then fell quiet. After a few seconds, Mathieu finally spoke.
"Even if we manage to get weapons that don't attract those things… we're still not going to survive very long."
No one immediately disagreed. Alexis took a moment to think before responding.
"I know that already," he said calmly. "That's exactly why we need to build some kind of bunker."
Everyone then looked at him in a way that clearly meant to ask is he was joking.
"It doesn't need to be extremely expensive," he continued. "We just need something solid enough to hide in. We also shouldn't invest in strong lighting systems. Electricity will probably become too expensive or unstable."
"So what should we take instead?" someone asked.
"Lamps, maybe?"
"Yes," Alexis replied. "That's actually a very good idea. It will cost far less than buying a full generator system and installing electrical lighting everywhere."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Our shelter will also need to be built underground," he said. "And the outer walls should be reinforced with steel."
Victor frowned immediately.
"Why would we put steel walls behind tons of dirt?" he asked. "Wouldn't that just be wasting money?"
Alexis shook his head.
"I read about certain phantoms that dig tunnels through soil to hunt prey hiding underground."
A heavy silence settled over the room.
"Continue please, before this idiot waste more of our time," Mathieu said quietly.
Alexis nodded.
For the next hour, he explained his entire plan to Mathieu, Jacob, Victor, Philippe, Didier, and Arnaud.
He described where each section of the shelter should be built, how deep it should go, what materials should be used, and how they could keep the structure hidden from anything searching above or below the ground.
After running several calculations, they realized the total cost would be barely affordable if everyone contributed all the money they had.
It was possible. But only barely.
The real problem was time.
No one knew exactly when the phantoms would start pouring out of the forests. If that happened before the bunker was finished, the entire plan would collapse. That meant they also needed weapons, good ones and not some useless junk.
And more importantly, they needed to know how to use them.
"But we can't all use the same weapon," Jacob suddenly said.
Everyone turned toward him. Out of all of them, Jacob was the one who had spent the most time researching the phantoms. Alexis then looked at him, intrigued.
"Why do you think that?" he asked. "Wouldn't it be better if we all used the same weapon? It would make it easier to help each other during training."
Jacob shook his head.
"Phantoms are extremely good at recognizing patterns," he explained. "If we all use the same weapon and fighting style, it might work well at first… but they'll adapt quickly. Once they understand the pattern, the situation could turn against us very fast."
The room fell silent for a moment as everyone processed what he had said.
"So what are you suggesting?" Didier asked.
"That we each specialize in a different weapon," Jacob replied. "If every fight looks different to them, it will be harder for them to adapt."
Alexis slowly nodded.
"So you're proposing that each of us learns a different weapon… and maybe even different fighting styles?"
Jacob nodded slightly.
"Learning multiple fighting styles might not be necessary right away," he said. "But after mastering one a bit… we could expand our knowledge of our weapon."
He paused before finishing.
"So yes."
The door suddenly burst open.
Gabriel rushed back into the room, nearly out of breath.
"I got them! I got them!" he shouted excitedly. "I managed to secure weapons for all of us!"
The entire group stared at him in confusion. He had already secured weapons for everyone? Alexis hadn't even told him what kind to buy yet. For all they knew, he could have bought useless replicas.
Arnaud crossed his arms and spoke coldly.
"What kind of weapons did you buy?"
Gabriel waved his hands.
"I didn't buy anything yet," he said quickly. "I just secured a location that sells high-quality weapons. The only thing we need to decide now is which ones we want."
Didier raised an eyebrow.
"Do you even have the money to buy weapons for everyone?"
Gabriel blinked.
"Why me?"
"We're planning to build a bunker to protect ourselves," Didier replied calmly. "And we barely have enough money for that even if we combine everything we've saved."
Gabriel shrugged.
"I don't have that much money," he admitted. "But I probably have enough to cover most of the weapons."
Didier let out a quiet laugh.
"We'll see soon enough if that's true," Alexis replied. "But I doubt it."
Gabriel slowly turned toward Alexis.
"Alexis…" he said."Are you saying I'm broke?"
Alexis stayed silent for a moment.
"…Maybe."
Gabriel's face twisted in small anger.
"You little—"
Days passed, and the construction of the bunker advanced little by little. The structure slowly took shape underground. It was not luxurious, nor particularly comfortable, but it was solid. That was all that mattered now.
Even so, one major problem remained: they did not have nearly enough supplies to survive long in a ruined world.
Sooner or later, they would be forced to go outside. Regular expeditions to supermarkets would become necessary, and they might even have to enter restricted areas. At this point, they would need to gather anything that could help them survive.
The bunker itself was divided into several rooms. Three of them were considered the main ones: the kitchen, the living room, and the training room.
However, none of them resembled normal rooms.
The kitchen had no real food stored inside yet. The living room contained nothing but a few couches placed against the walls. The training room was almost empty as well, waiting to be filled with whatever equipment they could afford later.
Every room contained only the bare minimum. No decorations. No comfort. Only survival.
The remaining rooms were personal spaces. There were two bedrooms and a laboratory. The laboratory had a very specific purpose. It existed for two reason at most: to help them create anything that might be effective against the phantoms and if necessary they would use it for some kind of operation on their own body.
If the group somehow managed to kill one of those creatures and drag the body back to the bunker, Gabriel might be able to study it. Assuming, of course, that he was still alive by that time.
"Shouldn't we go to the shop I mentioned while the bunker is still being built?" Gabriel asked.
Arnaud and Didier exchanged confused glances.
"We don't even know what weapons we want yet," Arnaud replied. "And most of us have never used a piece of metal with the intention of killing something or someone."
Gabriel threw his hands in the air.
"But there are so many weapons there! There's no way you won't be able to find one you like."
"Let's go then."
The voice came from behind them. Everyone turned. Alexis had appeared in the room without anyone noticing.
"You said the place has a lot of weapons, right?" he continued. "If that's true, then we can probably buy several for each of us. As long as everyone chooses one main weapon to focus on."
Gabriel frowned.
"That might cost me more money then expected if we take more then one."
Alexis shrugged.
"That… or we go buy weapons somewhere else for a lower price and lower quality."
"…"
"Alright," Gabriel sighed. "But no more than two weapons each, or I won't be able to cover the whole bill."
Around them, the constructors and builders working on the bunker exchanged amused looks. Some even laughed quietly. These kids were seriously planning to fight those monsters? Ridiculous, why not just let the military handle it? After all, the phantoms had never even left the forests.
To the workers, the group simply looked like paranoid fools throwing away their money. But in the end, it didn't really matter. Crazy or not, they were paying well. And that meant more money for the builders.
12 days later, the bunker was almost complete. The underground structure was finally close to being usable, which meant it was time for the group to gather anything that might help them survive the coming apocalypse.
Their first destination was the weapon shop Gabriel had mentioned earlier. It wasn't that far, just a 30 minute walk. But just to be safe, they decided to use Gabriel's car.
The sign above the entrance read:
"Steel and Bullet."
When they pushed the door open and stepped inside, the room was completely silent. No customers. No employee. No one.
The group stopped near the entrance, exchanging uncertain glances.
"…Are we sure this is the right place?" Philippe asked.
"I'm 100% certain," Gabriel replied quickly in anger.
Arnaud slowly looked around the empty store.
"Then why are we standing in a building with no weapons… and no one inside it?" he asked.
Gabriel froze.
"…Good question."
He quickly rushed toward the counter, hoping to find a note or some sort of explanation near the main desk. But there was nothing. No note. No letter. Nothing to tell customers the store was closed. In fact, there wasn't even a single sheet of paper on the bright red desk.
Gabriel frowned and looked around more carefully. There were no computers either. Not even a phone. His stomach tightened as he leaned over the counter and opened the cash register.
Empty.
There wasn't a single coin inside. Gabriel slowly straightened up.
"…Was I wrong?" he asked quietly.
"Yep" Arnaud replied immediately. "Looks like you were."
The group was about to leave when Gabriel suddenly froze.
"Wait guys!" he shouted.
Everyone turned back toward him.
"There's a button inside the register!"
Sure enough, a small black button was hidden inside the empty cash register. Gabriel then stared at it for a moment. There were only two possibilities.
Either it was a silent alarm meant to alert the police during a robbery or it was connected to something that could somehow explain why this weapon shop looked completely abandoned.
"Well," Didier said, crossing his arms, "press it."
Gabriel took a deep breath and pushed the button. For a moment, nothing happened. No alarm. No sound.
Then suddenly, a mechanical noise echoed through the empty store. The wall directly behind Gabriel slowly slid open, revealing a hidden room. Inside the small secret space stood a man. And that man was pointing a revolver directly at them.
His eyes were cold.
"Get out of my sight," he growled.
Gabriel, who was standing closest to the hidden room, froze when he saw the revolver pointed directly at him.
His eyes quickly scanned the floor.
A wooden plank lay a few steps away. If he moved fast enough, he might be able to grab it and knock the man out before he fired. But before Gabriel could even take a single step, the mysterious man pulled the trigger.
The gunshot echoed through the empty shop. The bullet tore straight through Gabriel's left thigh.
"AAAAAAH!"
Gabriel collapsed to the ground, screaming in agony as pain shot through his entire body. The man didn't lower his weapon.
"As I said," he growled coldly, "get out of my sight. I won't hesitate to fire again."
Philippe immediately rushed forward, trying to drag Gabriel away from the open wall. Another shot rang out.
The bullet whistled past Philippe's shoulder, missing him by only a few centimeters.
"Get out!" the man shouted. "And leave this guy behind!"
The group froze. This was bad. Losing someone before the apocalypse had even begun could destroy everything they had planned.
Alexis stepped backwards slightly as he hid behind the counter, his fists clenched.
"Why are you shooting at us?" he demanded angrily.
"…"
The man hesitated. For a brief moment, the revolver trembled slightly in his hand before he suddenly shouted.
"You're here to rob me, just like those other guys earlier! I won't let you!"
His voice echoed through the empty shop. Alexis's mind immediately started racing. Robbing him?
That meant the man in the hidden room was most likely the owner of the weapon shop. And if he believed they were robbers, then something must have happened before they arrived.
A robbery. That would explain everything. The empty store. The missing weapons. The abandoned counter.
Someone had already taken everything.
A low groan suddenly broke the tense silence. Gabriel. He was still lying on the floor, clutching his wounded leg and breathing heavily through clenched teeth as blood started to pour out.
Alexis clenched his jaw.
He needed to calm the owner down, but the man was clearly terrified and already convinced they were criminals. There was almost no chance he would trust anything they said.
And sneaking into the hidden room was impossible. The narrow entrance was completely blocked by the owner's body and the revolver aimed at them.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then Victor suddenly stepped forward.
"We're not here to rob you!" he shouted. "We came here to buy weapons!"
The owner's eyes narrowed. He clearly didn't believe a single word. Still, doubt flickered across his face.
Had he… just shot an innocent kid? No. His grip tightened around the revolver. In his mind, the answer was simple. He hadn't shot an innocent person. He had shot a robber. He was only protecting himself.
Yes.
That had to be the truth.
"I don't believe a single damn word you're saying," the owner snapped. "Do you have any proof? Identification papers… or proof that you're actually here to buy something?"
Identification papers? Victor frowned. Why would he want that?
Identification papers felt almost useless in a situation like this. And even if they showed them, it wouldn't prove their intentions anyway.
The only real proof they had was the money. And the money was in Gabriel's orange backpack. The problem was that Gabriel was the one lying on the floor.
Victor hesitated, quickly trying to think of a way to reach the backpack without provoking the man with the revolver. Before he could speak, Didier stepped forward slightly.
"The proof is in the backpack of the friend you just shot," he said calmly. "If you let me get it without shooting me, you'll see we're telling the truth."
The shop owner's face tightened. Sweat slowly ran down the side of his forehead. It could be true. But it could also be a trick. The backpack might contain a revolver for all he could know.
The only way to know for sure would normally be identification papers. After all, before everything started falling apart, you had to be at least eighteen to legally buy a gun anywhere in the world.
His fingers tightened around the revolver.
"I'll check it myself," he said slowly. "And if any of you try something funny…"
His eyes shifted toward Gabriel.
"I won't hesitate to shoot your friend in the head."
The owner slowly stepped out of the hidden room, the revolver still firmly aimed at the group. Every movement was cautious and measured. His eyes never left the group.
When he finally reached Gabriel's orange backpack, he quickly grabbed it and hurried back toward the hidden room, clearly afraid that someone might try to rush him. Halfway back, however, he suddenly stopped. A terrifying thought crossed his mind. What if it was a bomb?
His hands began to shake as he stared down at the backpack. Slowly, he placed it on the floor. If it exploded, at least he would have a chance to jump back.
The man carefully unzipped the bag, his finger still resting on the revolver's trigger. The moment the zipper opened, he immediately stepped backward, bracing himself for an explosion.
One second passed.
Then two.
Three.
Five seconds later, nothing had happened.
The owner cautiously leaned forward and looked inside the bag. His eyes widened. It was filled with cash, a lot of cash at that.
"I knew it!" he suddenly shouted.
His revolver snapped back towards the group.
"You are robbers!"
"What?" Victor shouted back. "How?!"
"This is stolen money!" the owner barked. "You robbed other stores and now you came here to rob mine too!"
Victor's patience began to break.
"That money is ours!" he shouted. "We brought it here to pay for weapons!"
"Then where's your proof?" the owner fired back.
Victor threw his hands in frustration.
"Why the hell would we steal money when the entire country is falling apart like shit?!"
"..."
"You're probably trying to buy tickets to escape the country by stealing other shops including mine!" the owner screamed back.
Victor let out a frustrated sigh while the others were laughing in their corners.
"With the money in that bag we could buy thirty tickets to France," he finally answered back. "If leaving was our plan, we would've already done it."
The room fell silent again. The owner's expression slowly changed. He then looked back at the backpack. Then at the group again.
Thirty tickets. While thinking about it, they really could have already left yet they were standing here in his shop. They were right. If they truly wanted to run away, nothing was stopping them. They already had the money for it.
Which meant that they hadn't come here to rob him. And if that was true... his stomach dropped.
That meant he had just shot an innocent kid!
Guilt spread across his face almost instantly. His hand trembled as he lowered the revolver.
"I… I'm sorry I doubted you lot," he muttered.
He quickly waved them forward.
"Come in. Let me help the boy I just shot."
The owner hurried out of the hidden room and rushed toward Gabriel. Philippe quickly grabbed Gabriel under one arm while the owner grabbed the other, helping drag the wounded boy toward the secret room. Gabriel groaned in pain with every movement.
The rest of the group hesitated for a moment before slowly following them inside. Just before entering, however, Arnaud suddenly stopped.
Something caught his eye, something wrong.
His eyes narrowed as he stared behind him, at the entrance of the shop.
"Was there always a forest outside the store?" Arnaud asked slowly. "If I remember correctly… there wasn't. Right?"
The others turned toward him in confusion.
Before anyone could answer, a deep, monstrous roar suddenly echoed across the town. A few seconds later, screams erupted from every direction outside. Some were filled with raw terror. Others were far worse, screams twisted by unbearable pain.
The apocalypse had arrived started earlier than expected.
Without wasting another second, the owner shouted at Arnaud, who was still standing outside the hidden room.
"Quick! Close the door!" he yelled. "The button is the same one you pressed earlier!"
"But I'll be trapped out here!" Arnaud rapidly answered
"Don't worry!" the owner shouted back. "The door closes after five seconds!"
Arnaud would need to try and trust the guy who just shot his friend but he had no other choice. He quickly sprinted to the counter, slammed the hidden button inside the register, and immediately ran back toward the secret room.
Behind him, the wall slowly began sliding shut.
Arnaud dove through the opening as fast as he could. As he turned his head toward the entrance of the shop, something moved in the doorway.
Stupidly long claws. These claws scraping against the frame of the entrance. And then, for the briefest moment, Arnaud saw it. A phantom's head slowly leaning inside the shop.
It was accompanied by a wide bright smile but before the he could react, the wall slammed shut.