Meep. Meep.
The alarm echoed softly through Jacob's room.
He was already awake.
Jacob sat on the edge of his bed, boots laced, gear ready, eyes clear. There was no hesitation in him anymore no doubt. Today wasn't something to fear. It was something to face.
He gathered his things and stepped into the corridor.
The facility was quiet. Too quiet. Most people were still asleep or just beginning to stir in their rooms. Dim lights lined the halls, casting long shadows along the walls as Jacob moved with purpose.
He had been awake for hours.
When he reached the training classroom, the doors slid open to reveal an empty room except for one person.
Sergeant Walker.
Walker looked up sharply as Jacob entered, surprise flashing across his face. He glanced down at his watch.
"0641," he muttered. "You're early."
Jacob straightened instinctively.
"I wasn't expecting anyone this soon," Walker said. "Go ahead take a seat. We'll wait for the others."
Jacob nodded and sat down.
Walker studied him for a moment. "What's your name, kid?"
"Jacob."
Walker raised an eyebrow. "Jacob… ah. You're the one Victoria mentioned."
Jacob stiffened slightly.
"You've got potential," Walker continued. "A lot of it. If you don't waste it, you'll do just fine."
Jacob swallowed. "Sir… what's the training going to be like?"
Walker shook his head. "Can't disclose that here. Training details are discussed during class."
They sat in silence for a short while, exchanging a few words here and there as time passed. Gradually, other trainees began filtering into the room some alert, others clearly still half-asleep.
Then the clock hit 0800.
Walker stood.
"All right," he said sharply. "Let's begin."
He scanned the room, eyes moving from face to face, mentally checking names.
"Hm," he muttered. "Looks like we're missing one."
Right on cue, the doors burst open.
A guy came rushing in, breathing hard. "I know I'm late! I'm sorry! My alarm didn't go off!"
He hurried toward an empty seat.
Walker's voice cut through the room like a blade.
"You. Stop."
The guy froze.
"I'm gonna need ten push-ups. Right now."
The room went silent.
The trainee blinked. "Sir? I... I'm sorry, it was a one time thing. It won't happen again."
"Training starts at 0800," Walker said flatly. "Not 0801. Drop."
Murmurs rippled through the room. Disbelief. Shock. No one could believe he was being punished for being barely late.
The trainee hesitated then dropped to the floor.
The trainee began.
"One... Two...Three …"
Walker turned his gaze back to the class.
"This is your warning," he said calmly. "Be on time. Every day."
"Nine… ten!"
The trainee finished and pushed himself to his feet, breathing hard.
Walker looked at him. "Name."
"Lucas Morgan, sir."
"Hurry up," Walker said, pointing to a seat. "And sit down."
Lucas scrambled into his chair.
Walker turned back to the room, arms crossed.
"Welcome to training."
Sergeant Walker stood at the front of the classroom, arms crossed, his sharp gaze sweeping over the trainees until the last whisper died out.
"Your first lesson," he said, "is on the creatures."
He tapped a control panel, and the wall behind him lit up with shifting images dark silhouettes, distorted anatomy, glowing eyes.
"The ones you encountered during the initial invasion were classified as Scavengers," Walker continued. "Small, aggressive, and disposable. They travel in packs, rely on crude weapons, and overwhelm targets through numbers. Individually, they're weak. Collectively, they're deadly."
Jacob clenched his jaw.
Walker pressed another button.
The image changed.
"These are Sky Reapers."
The projection showed thin, winged creatures with elongated limbs and blade-like feathers.
"They're fast. Silent. Aerial predators designed to strike from above. Sky Reapers hunt in coordinated flocks and target isolated individuals. Most casualties during evacuations came from these things dropping out of the clouds and ripping people apart before anyone realized they were there."
A murmur of unease spread through the room.
Walker didn't pause.
"Next Night Stalkers."
The screen darkened. A creature appeared, hunched and long-limbed, its eyes glowing faintly in the black.
"These things only come out after sunset. They see perfectly in total darkness and are nearly impossible to track. They hunt alone or in pairs, picking off targets silently. If you're outside at night without proper gear or Runeshard weapons… you're already dead."
Jacob felt a chill crawl up his spine.
The next image made several trainees shift in their seats.
"Burrowers," Walker said. "They move underground, collapse streets, and drag prey below the surface. You won't see them until the ground gives way beneath your feet. If you feel vibration move. Immediately."
"And finally for now Brutes."
The image showed something massive. Thick armor-like skin. Hands the size of car doors.
"Brutes are siege units. Slow, but nearly unstoppable. Conventional weapons barely scratch them. Only Runeshard blades or Marked abilities can bring one down and even then, not easily."
Walker shut off the display.
"These aren't animals," he said. "They don't act on instinct. They adapt. They learn."
He leaned forward slightly.
"And you're not here to be heroes."
Silence.
"You're here to survive and to make sure humanity does."
Sergeant Walker paused, letting the weight of his words settle over the room.
"There are other creatures out there," he continued, his voice lower now. "Ones we know nothing about. No classification. No recorded behavior. No confirmed weaknesses."
He looked slowly across the trainees.
"If you encounter a creature that is not shown in our files, my advice is simple run. Do not engage. Survival comes first. Retreat, observe from a distance if possible, and report everything you saw. Size. Speed. Abilities. Behavior. That information may save lives later."
The room was silent.
Then a hand rose from the back.
Walker turned and pointed. "You may speak."
A trainee stood slightly in his seat. "Sir… how do you know so much about these monsters? They only appeared less than a month ago."
Walker didn't answer immediately.
For a moment, he looked tired.
"It's… complicated," he finally said.
He folded his arms behind his back. "Weeks before the first attack, a man approached several world governments. No official rank. No organization. Just a civilian."
Jacob leaned forward slightly.
"The man claimed he was having visions," Walker continued. "Visions of the world ending. Of creatures descending from the sky. He said humanity would be nearly wiped out but that some individuals would awaken special abilities to fight back."
A few trainees exchanged uneasy glances.
"He provided detailed descriptions of the creatures. Their hierarchy. Their behavior. He even told us about Runeshards metals capable of killing entities normal weapons couldn't touch."
Walker exhaled slowly.
"Of course, no one believed him. Not fully."
He paused.
"But he also gave us something else."
Walker tapped the screen behind him. A map appeared coordinates highlighted in red.
"He told us where the first attack would happen."
The room grew tense.
"Governments didn't panic," Walker said. "But they were cautious. Surveillance teams were quietly stationed at the location."
His jaw tightened.
"And the attack happened. Exactly as he said."
A few people sucked in sharp breaths.
"The team on-site barely survived," Walker continued. "It took everything they had just to eliminate a small group of the weakest creatures. That confirmed the threat."
He gestured broadly.
"After that, bunker facilities like this one were approved and rushed into construction civilian shelters and seven specialized bases meant to house and train Marked individuals."
Walker's gaze hardened.
"But the global assault began sooner than predicted."
Silence.
"We didn't have time to evacuate everyone," he said flatly. "And you've all seen the result of that."
No one spoke.
Walker straightened.
"That's why this training matters. That's why discipline matters. And that's why you listen when we tell you to run."
His eyes locked onto the room.
"Because the next unknown creature you meet won't care how brave you are."
"And it won't give you a second chance."