When Nox came to, he felt disoriented. His head throbbed, and the flickering memories of the chaos outside the store were fuzzy. He remembered stepping into the cool night air with the others, but the feeling of the concrete under him and the sterile, cold air around him told a different story.

  ‘Huh?’ he wondered, blinking rapidly as he struggled to piece together what happened. ‘Where am I?’

  Turning his head, Nox realized he was in a room—a small, dimly lit room with harsh, fluorescent lights above. The walls were made of dull gray metal, and the floor was covered with a thin, threadbare blanket. He pushed himself up slowly, feeling the weight of his limbs as he did. The room had a strange sterile quality, like an operating room, but much more run-down. A table cluttered with screens, wires, and computers stood next to him, all still functioning. He rubbed his temples, trying to make sense of his surroundings.

  ‘An underground station?’ he thought, narrowing his eyes. ‘How did I end up here?’

  The silence of the room was broken when a door creaked open, and a voice called out from behind him.

  “You’re awake,” the feminine voice exclaimed. “How are you feeling?”

  Nox turned to see Nataly’s face appear before him, her expression a mix of concern and relief. Her messy hair framed her face, and she wore an oversized hoodie with the sleeves rolled up, revealing bruises on her arms.

  “Where am I?” he asked, still scanning the room in confusion. He didn’t remember being carried here, let alone how he got to this underground station.

  “The new underground station,” she shrugged nonchalantly. “It became one of those shelters we mentioned,” she explained, offering him a half-smile. “A safe place, for now.”

  ‘A shelter?’ Nox thought, his gaze lingering on the faint marks of hastily painted signs that read "safe zone" and "do not disturb." ‘Since it’s a new station, there shouldn’t be monsters roaming around. A few years ago, this was just ground...’

  It made sense that people would try to hide from the creatures in places where they were less likely to encounter them. Still, something felt off. The walls of the shelter, once a bustling part of the underground transport network, now seemed hollow. It was as if life had been drained from it.

  After Nox reassured her that he felt fine, and Nataly informed him that he had only been asleep for a few hours, they both ventured out of the room.

  “My younger sister is at this shelter,” she said as they walked. “And Mike’s cousin, too. So the two of us stayed here while the others went ahead to other shelters to join their own families and friends.”

  The sound of muffled conversations echoed as they stepped into the main area. People were milling about, some speaking in hushed tones, others in loud discussions. Nox noted the lack of children’s laughter and the eerie quiet that seemed to permeate the space.

  As they walked deeper into the station, more and more people began to appear. Some were giving Nox curious glances, while others ignored him completely. Small groups gathered together, some family, some friends. Others, like Nox, stood alone, isolated from the rest.

  “I’m just saying...” a voice rang out sharply from the far corner, causing Nataly’s expression to darken. She didn’t even need to look in the direction of the voice to know what was coming.

  “Not this again,” she muttered under her breath, storming toward the source of the noise. Nox followed closely behind her, trying to make sense of what was happening.

  They found Mike in the middle of a heated argument with another man. Both were standing face-to-face, frowns on their faces, clearly upset.

  “I’m just saying...” A voice rang out in that moment, causing Nataly to frown.

  “Not this again,” she muttered angrily and stormed in the direction the noise had come from.

  There, Nox saw Mike arguing with another man. The two of them were both frowning, clearly upset.

  “Why do we have to split everything, while someone gets to monopolize it?” The man’s voice was sharp with anger.

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  “Because this wasn’t ours in the first place,” Mike’s voice was strained, though he seemed to be trying to keep the situation from escalating.

  “If you don’t like it,” Nataly began to shout, stepping into the argument with a fierceness Nox rarely saw from her, “Feel free to go outside and get your own stuff.”

  Nox could feel the tension rising, his body still weak, but the surge of anger he hadn’t expected bubbling just beneath the surface. He’d never been one to lose his temper easily, but something about the man’s words irked him.

  “Nox!” Mike’s anger seemed to vanish as quickly as it had appeared. A bright smile spread across his face. “You don’t know how scary it was seeing you faint like that.”

  Nox blinked, still disoriented. “Uhm…” He was at a loss for words. “Who carried me here?” he asked, genuinely curious.

  “Oh, that was Tylor,” Mike waved his hand dismissively. “Despite being a bit of a scaredy-cat, he’s surprisingly strong,” he added with a laugh.

  Nox could feel the man's gaze still fixed on him, the atmosphere growing tenser by the second. The argument was far from over.

  “So, it’s you,” the man said darkly, his tone accusing.

  “Me?” Nox looked at him, confused.

  “Don’t you think you’re being insensitive?” The man’s smirk grew wider. “The world’s in crisis, resources are scarce, and yet here you are, hoarding supplies.” His voice grew louder, causing more people to look over and start gathering around them. “You’re taking more than you need.”

  Nox felt his frustration build, his calm exterior cracking for the first time. “What am I hoarding?” he asked, genuinely baffled by the accusation.

  “Those bags.” The man pointed to a closed door, the bags that Nox had carefully set aside for himself. “Don’t you think you should share their contents with everyone else?”

  Nox could see some of the onlookers nodding in agreement, their faces filled with judgment. It was as if, in their eyes, his actions were somehow worse than the dangerous world they were all stuck in.

  “Why would I?” The question came out before he could stop it, and Nox could feel the irritation leaking into his voice. “Those bags were collected for me. I didn’t ask for anyone to help me.”

  The man’s face flushed red with anger, his voice rising. “We helped you! We gave you shelter here! Shouldn’t you pay us back?”

  “Pay you back?” Nataly’s furious voice cut through the chaos, sharp as a whip. “Aren’t the carts we brought here enough for you?” She stepped in front of Nox, shielding him, her stance protective. “If it weren’t for Nox, we wouldn’t have anything right now.”

  Mike moved to stand beside Nataly, his presence just as strong. Both of them formed a barrier between Nox and the man, their silent unity making the air crackle with tension.

  “Shouldn’t you say thank you instead?” Mike’s voice was cold, his eyes narrowing as he glared at the crowd. His gaze was enough to make several of them hesitate.

  But the man didn’t back down. He looked around, trying to rally support from others. His eyes brightened as a few stronger men moved to stand by him.

  “Why are we even arguing?” The man spoke loudly, his voice gaining confidence. “We could just break down the door and take everything. It’s here, it belongs to us.”

  Nox didn’t flinch. His cold gaze swept over the group, and he spoke slowly, each word deliberate. “Maybe because you’ll anger Mike and Nataly.” His voice was low, but it carried weight, and everyone around them seemed to hold their breath. “Next time you run out of supplies, it’ll be you going outside for a grocery run,” he said, a cruel smile curling at the corners of his lips.

  The words hung in the air, and for a moment, no one moved. The tension was palpable as greed warred with the understanding that no one wanted to risk their lives for something as trivial as food when others were willing to do so.

  “What’s going on here?” A new voice broke through the heavy silence, causing Nox to freeze.

  “Thank God you’re here,” Nataly sighed, visibly relieved as she turned to the newcomer.

  Mike, too, seemed to breathe easier as he ran toward the new arrivals, quickly filling them in on what had happened. He explained how they had gone out to gather supplies, received help from someone else, and then brought their injured friend back to safety, only to be met with people trying to take what they had gathered.

  As the new group scanned the crowd, their frowns deepening, one man broke away from them.

  “Nox?” he called gently, his voice soft but filled with recognition. He tilted his head, trying to see Nox clearly.

  “It’s good to see you again, Luke,” Nox smiled, feeling something warm in his chest at the sight of the familiar face. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

  Without another word, Luke sprinted toward him, nearly knocking him over as he pulled Nox into a tight hug. His arms trembled, and Nox could feel the fear and relief in his grip.

  “I went back,” Luke whispered, his voice barely audible. “I went back there today, I swear.” He pulled away slightly, his eyes desperate, trying to explain something Nox couldn’t quite understand. “But you weren’t there.”

  Nox’s heart tightened in his chest. ‘So he went back out there to search for me?’ His thoughts raced. No one had ever done something so selfless for him before. Not like this.

  “I’m here,” Nox murmured, his voice thick with emotion. “I’m here.”

  But before he could say anything more, a familiar voice broke through the moment.

  “It’s you!” a young boy shouted, running from the crowd. He bounded toward Nox, a huge grin on his face. “I was sure that monster would eat you!” His eyes sparkled with excitement as he reached Nox.

  Nox froze, his heart skipping a beat. He recognized the voice immediately. The boy—Liam—the one he had saved that day. He’d never imagined he would see him again.

  “Wait.” Mike’s voice was sharp, and he turned to face Nox. “You’re the one who saved Liam?” His eyes widened, a mixture of disbelief and realization crossing his face.

  'Is this his cousin? The one Nataly mentioned?' Nox briefly wondered before nodding, still trying to process the whirlwind of emotions. He looked at Liam, who was now bouncing on his feet, and felt a sense of quiet pride. The boy was safe—he was here.