The cafeteria froze in confusion. A few people stood. Someone laughed nervously and said it was probably a prank. Another person pulled out their phone.
Then the speakers crackled again, this time louder as the distorted voice tried to form words but dissolved into static.
The lights flickered once then twice and then every screen in the cafeteria — phones, wall monitors, even the small display behind the coffee counter — went black at the same time with No signal written on it.
And that when it happened, people started collapsing all of a, sudden. Not violently or from beint attacked but just… dropping.
A man near the counter crumpled straight down like his strings had been cut. A woman stumbled against a table before sliding to the floor. Cups shattered. Coffee spilled across tiles.
Panic erupted — but it lasted less than three seconds.
Because then everyone started falling.
Sarah grabbed my arm. "What's happening?!" she said, her fingers were trembling as she looked all around.
"It's too late to leave now," I said and looked directly in her eyes."It's beginning already," I forced out.
The pressure inside my skull spiked as I started feeling dizzy all of a sudden. It was like something was pushing outward from inside my brain and I have no control over it.
Mike staggered backward, knocking into the bench. "I feel— dizzy—" he muttered as his knees gave out and he hit the floor hard.
Sarah tried to hold herself upright, but her eyes were losing focus. "I can't—"she said as she too collapsed against me.
I couldn't hold her weight either as we both went down.
The suitcase tipped over beside us as the ringing reached a peak so sharp it erased all other sound.
The blue screens appeared and flashed one final time and then everything went black.
And for the third time, apocalypse begins.
.
.
.
"Ughh, this headache." I said as I woke up while rubbing my head.
'Weird...' I thought to myself, 'Sarah was supposed to wake me up, wasn't she?' I thought to myself.
Looking around, I found her still sleeping, including most of the people here, which was unusual as I was the last one to wake up in previous two cycles.
So... What changed? I asked myself and, "System." I called.
[Name:- Adrian Elijah
Species:- High Human
Grade:- F (No further upgrade potential)
Mutation:- None
Characteristics:- None
Abilities:- Telepathy, Telekinesis
Authority:- Level 9
Artifact:- 1]
[Telepathy
Grade:- F
Level:- 1
Description:- Able to connect mind and communicate with them in 100 meter range.
Limit:- 0 / 3.]
[Telekinesis
Grade:- F
Level:- 2
Description:- Able to use the power of mind to affect the physical world, through weakly.]
"Umm, okay?" I said, noticing the biggest difference being my telekinesis being upgraded to level 2.
It's definition changed aswell albeit by a single word, "very weakly" is now "weakly", but that still meant that it's stronger than before, right?
I remember I was able to lift around a kilogram of weight previously, wonder how much I can lift now.
Just I was thinking of all these stuff, Sarah and Mike also started waking up.
"What's... Happening?" Sarah asked as she slowly opens her eyes.
"We don't have time," I said immediately, grabbing the suitcase and forcing myself to stand despite the lingering dizziness. "Get up. Both of you. I'll explain while we move."
Mike was sitting upright now, blinking rapidly as if trying to focus his vision. "Why does my head feel like someone used it as a drum?"
"Because the world just changed," I replied and continued, "And we're not safe staying here."
Around us, people were still unconscious, scattered across the cafeteria floor between overturned chairs and spilled drinks. A few were beginning to stir, groaning in confusion.
It was different. In last two resets, Sarah woke before me but now I was first and my telekinesis had upgraded so atleast there's some progress so it's good, right?
"Stand up," I urged again to both of them, stopping those distracting thoughts.
Sarah didn't argue this time. There was fear in her eyes, but also trust. Mike got to his feet slower, rubbing his face as we all started to move.
We quickly got out of the cafeteria and entered into the deserted hallway. The building felt unnaturally quiet, like it was holding its breath. Emergency lights cast everything in a pale red glow.
"I'm serious," Mike said as we walked. "Explain. Now." He said as he looked at me with a serious face, as I gave him a side eye and decided to break the news.
"You both fainted because of the Awakening," I said bluntly. "Everyone did. When you wake up, you might not be normal human anymore."
"That's not an explanation," Sarah snapped as I looked at her and stopped, "You'll see." I said.
We reached the elevator lobby. The metal doors were shut, but the display above them was dead.
I set the suitcase down and unzipped it quickly as Mike stared at a few things inside. "You packed like you knew this would happen." He said.
"I did." I said and pulled out the crowbar wrapped in cloth and straightened up. The weight felt familiar in my hand.
"What are you doing?" Sarah asked.
"We need to check if the elevator is usable."
"You just said we shouldn't use the elevator," Mike said.
"We're not riding it. I need to see something."
I wedged the curved end of the crowbar between the elevator doors and pushed hard. The metal groaned but didn't budge.
"Help me," I muttered.
Mike stepped forward automatically. "Fine." He said wondering how to help but, "Use your claws." I said a...
"My what?"
"Your claws," I repeated, looking at him directly. "Try to grip the gap with them."
Mike stared at me like I'd lost my mind. "I don't have—"
He stopped mid-sentence as his gaze dropped to his hands, finally he realised that his hands were no longer normal.
They were thicker. Darker. The skin had hardened into something like a reddish shell. And from where his fingernails should have been, curved, sharp extensions protruded — segmented and ridged like the claws of a crab.
For a second, none of us spoke.
Mike lifted one hand closer to his face. "What… the hell…"
The claw clicked faintly as he lifted it as shock flooded his expression. "These weren't here."
"I know," I said calmly. "You mutated."
Sarah stepped back slightly, staring at his hands. "Mike…"
"I don't— I don't feel pain," he said, opening and closing the claw experimentally. "It's like it's just… mine." He said and looked at Sarah clislg aswell only to realise that she has changed aswell.
"Am I dreaming?" He asked I hit him in the knee, "No you are not," I replied. "Now stop daydreaming and use these."
He hesitated only a second before crouching down beside me. Carefully, he slid one claw into the narrow gap between the elevator doors. The sharp edge dug into the metal seam with a scraping sound.
"Pull," I instructed.
I pushed the crowbar deeper and applied force while Mike hooked both claws into the crack and yanked.
The metal screeched as the doors resisted and then, with a loud snap, they parted a few inches.
Mike's eyes widened. "I did that." He asked more to himself than us but still...
"Yes," I replied and continued, Now do it again."
Together we forced the doors wider until there was enough space to see inside.
And then we all went still or atleast two of us as there was no elevator car but just an empty shaft.
Sarah stepped closer looked down, "The lift is like, 3 floor down?" She said as I looked at the ropes connecting to the lift.