Connected

Survive.

The word snapped something inside Devyn, jolting him back into action. His instincts screamed to trust no one, especially not some stranger who appeared out of nowhere in the middle of an apocalypse.

But something about Malakai, his presence, the calm certainty in his voice, made Devyn hesitate...

And then the creature roared again, closer this time, its massive form barreling through the street like a wrecking ball.

Malakai didn't flinch. "You don't have time to decide. Move, or you die."

Devyn's pulse pounded in his ears as he looked from Malakai to the chaos around him. He didn't know this man, didn't know if he could trust him. But the monsters were closing in, and every second counted.

He nodded once, a tight, desperate gesture. "Okay, lead the way."

Without another word, Malakai turned and sprinted through the wreckage, moving with an almost unnatural speed. Devyn followed, his heart racing, his mind still trying to make sense of what was happening. Who was this man? And why wasn't he afraid?

The ground shook violently beneath their feet as another fissure opened up, splitting the sidewalk just inches from where they stood. Devyn stumbled, nearly losing his balance, but Malakai caught his arm, pulling him back onto solid ground.

"Watch your step," Malakai said, his voice maddeningly calm.

Devyn shot him a wild look. "Watch my step? Are you serious right now?"

Malakai didn't respond, his eyes fixed on the path ahead. "The subway station is close. We can make it if we move fast."

Devyn swallowed hard, forcing himself to keep up.

The creatures were everywhere now, their grotesque forms casting long shadows over the city. The screams of the people, the sound of buildings collapsing, the roar of the monsters, it was all blurring together into one cacophony of chaos. But through it all, Malakai moved with purpose, as though none of it fazed him.

They turned a corner, and there it was, the entrance to the subway station, half-buried in rubble but still accessible.

Devyn's chest tightened with relief. They were almost there.

But as they approached the entrance, a shadow fell over them.

Devyn looked up, his blood running cold as one of the creatures loomed above, its glowing eyes locked on them. It let out a bone-chilling roar, raising one twisted limb to strike.

Malakai moved faster than Devyn could react, grabbing him by the arm and yanking him into the shadows of the subway entrance just as the creature's massive limb crashed down, sending a shockwave through the street.

Devyn's heart was in his throat, his breath coming in ragged gasps as they tumbled into the darkness of the subway station.

Malakai stood up, brushing off the dust. "Welcome to the new world," he said, his voice calm as ever. "It only gets worse from here."

The darkness of the subway swallowed them whole, a stark contrast to the chaos above.

Dust hung in the air, swirling in the dim light that filtered through the cracked ceiling, casting long, eerie shadows on the crumbling walls. The faint echo of the world breaking apart outside reached them, a distant rumble that never fully faded.

Devyn lay on the cold ground, gasping for air. His chest heaved, his pulse racing as the adrenaline that had kept him moving finally caught up to him. He had barely escaped that creature. He could still hear its roar echoing in his ears, still see its glowing eyes in the corners of his vision.

Malakai stood a few feet away, inspecting the subway entrance with an unsettling calm. He moved with purpose, his silver eyes scanning their surroundings, but there wasn't a trace of fear in his expression. Devyn had no idea how he could be so composed. Everything was falling apart, literally, and this man acted as if it was just another day.

"Get up," Malakai said without looking back. His voice was firm but not unkind. "We don't have much time."

Devyn blinked, the fog in his mind slowly clearing. His muscles screamed in protest as he pushed himself up, his legs trembling from the exertion. "What... what was that thing?" he asked, his voice hoarse. "Those creatures... I saw them in my dreams, but I didn't think... I didn't know they were real."

Malakai finally turned, his silver eyes locking onto Devyn's. "They're real. More real than you can imagine. And they've been waiting for this moment for a long time."

The cryptic answer sent a shiver down Devyn's spine. He didn't have time for riddles.

His entire world was falling apart, and this man seemed to know more than he was letting on. "How do you know about them?" Devyn demanded, his voice rising. "How do you know what's happening?"

Malakai's gaze didn't waver. "I've seen this before. The dungeons... the rifts... the creatures that come from them. I've been preparing for this my whole life. And so have you, even if you didn't realize it."

Devyn stared at him, stunned. His mind was still reeling, struggling to process everything that had happened in the last few hours. The visions, the monsters, the world falling apart... and now this stranger who seemed to know exactly what was going on, who acted as if he'd been waiting for this day.

"I don't understand," Devyn said, shaking his head. "I've had these dreams, visions, for years, but I don't know why. I don't know what's happening, or why it's happening."

Malakai's expression softened slightly, a flicker of understanding passing over his face. "You've been seeing the future, Devyn. The disaster that's unfolding right now. The dungeons that are tearing this world apart, they've been building for centuries. And you... you're connected to them."

Devyn's heart pounded in his chest. Connected? That couldn't be right. He was just an ordinary guy. Sure, the visions were weird, terrifying, even, but he wasn't special. He wasn't some kind of hero.

"I'm not connected to anything," Devyn said, his voice trembling. "I'm just..."