End of the world

The sun mercilessly scorched the city, turning the air thick with heat and dust. The five-lane highway was packed with moving vehicles, while pedestrians struggled to stay within the shadows of towering buildings.

Adam walked along the sidewalk, his long white shirt drenched in sweat. His right hand wiped away the beads of perspiration dripping down his face, while his left hand clutched a small white envelope tightly. His breathing was heavy—not just from the heat, but from the weight of his thoughts.

"So damn hot…" he muttered, quickening his pace in search of shade.

Beside a street food cart, a small tent offered some shelter. It wasn't much, but it was enough to take a short break. He reached into his pocket, fingers brushing against the last few bills he had.

"There's still… enough for water and some snacks, right?" he murmured to himself before stepping toward the cart.

"One bottle of water and ten thousand rupiah worth of fried snacks," he said quickly, then dropped onto a plastic chair under the tent. His shoulders sagged, his body going limp as if the sun had drained every ounce of his strength.

The vendor swiftly prepared his order. Moments later, a cold bottle of water and a plate of fried snacks were placed before him.

"Here you go, sir."

"Thanks."

Without hesitation, Adam twisted open the bottle and gulped it down. The cold liquid flowed down his throat, offering momentary relief from the heat burning his body. Half the bottle was gone within seconds.

With a steadier breath, Adam observed the chaos of the city. Towering buildings, sidewalks packed with people—some lost in their phones, others chatting about work. The world kept moving, indifferent to him.

"Some people have all the luck…" he muttered bitterly.. Life was never fair. He wasn't disabled, he was healthy, yet opportunities always seemed to slip away from him.

His gaze fell to the white envelope in his hand. He stared at it for a long time, as if searching for answers in the paper he had yet to open. Hope? Or destruction? His weary face slowly darkened, his eyes clouding over as his breath grew heavier.

Suddenly, his teeth clenched. The rage he had been suppressing began to bubble to the surface.

"I really want to kill you…" he whispered, barely audible.

His grip tightened around the envelope as if he could crush it along with all the frustration weighing him down.

Adam took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

"Relax… stay calm," he muttered. His face appeared neutral, but his swollen eyes still burned with quiet fury.

A small chuckle escaped his lips. "I'm still alive. What more could I ask for?" he murmured bitterly. But that facade lasted only a moment.

With slightly trembling hands, he pulled out the folded paper from the envelope. The official-looking letters at the top of the page felt like a dagger to his soul.

Subject: Termination of Employment.

Just reading those words made his chest tighten. Each sentence on the letter stabbed at him like a blade. When he finished reading, the calm mask on his face crumbled. With a harsh motion, he crumpled the paper and tossed it aside.

"Fucking company…" he hissed.

The reason? Declining performance. Bullshit. It was just an excuse to protect the regional supervisor.

The memory hit him like a storm. A few weeks ago, the supervisor came in for an audit. Everything was inspected, from the smallest items to the largest. But in the end, that man demanded that the audit results be altered.

Adam refused—even though it meant a heated argument in front of many people.

"You damn village boy! Who do you think you are?" That threat still echoed in his mind.

And now, he had lost his job. He had done the right thing, yet he was the one being punished.

"If I kill him… I'll go to prison," he muttered. But his thoughts only grew darker.

That man needed to die.

His expression shifted. The fiery anger had vanished, replaced by a chilling calmness. With a casual motion, he grabbed one of the fried snacks beside him.

"Crispy," he murmured, glancing briefly at the vendor—an old man busy slicing onions.

"He's probably working for his family," he thought. But that comparison didn't last long. His resentment was far greater than his empathy.

Agung… If he remembered correctly, his name was Agung.

He burned the man's face into his memory, engraving it deep in his mind. Step by step, a plan began to form.

"I need a weapon."

He reached into his pocket, counting his remaining money, then stood up. Without another word, he paid for the snacks and walked away.

Adam stopped in front of a store with a large sign: Sumenep Store, Flash Cuts. A dim red neon light flickered above it. He hesitated for a moment before finally pushing open the glass door.

Cold air greeted him, mixed with the scent of metal and aged wood. Steel shelves were lined with knives, machetes, and axes—this shop looked like something straight out of a nightmare.

He picked up a machete, sixty centimeters long, with engravings on the blade. The steel gleamed under the dim lights.

"128,000 Rupiah? So cheap…"

He recalled his uncle's old machete, which had cost a million. His uncle must have been scammed.

Suddenly, the store lights went out.

Darkness swallowed the room. Adam instinctively ducked, pressing himself against the display case.

"Help… AARGH!" A woman's scream pierced the air—not just in panic, but in pure terror.

Adam held his breath. Rushed footsteps and frantic whispers echoed around him.

"What's going on?!" a man's voice broke the silence.

"Calm down! Don't panic!" The shop owner flicked on a small flashlight, but the situation only grew more chaotic. Phones lost signal. There was no connection.

Adam gripped the machete tighter. Its weight gave him a false sense of security.

Outside the store, the city was drowning in darkness. Only the faint glow of car headlights remained. People gathered, murmuring anxiously.

Then, a distant scream rang out.

"THE APOCALYPSE IS HERE! THE GODS' ARMY WILL DESCEND!"

Some people collapsed onto the asphalt, sobbing and praying. Adam watched them coldly.

"Bullshit," he muttered.

But at that moment, a sound far more terrifying emerged.

"RUN! ZOMBIES!!!"

The crowd erupted into chaos, screams and panicked footsteps filling the night. Engines roared as people scrambled to escape.

Adam turned. From the darkness, figures emerged. Their skin was torn, blood dripping from their mouths, their eyes empty and filled with rage.

His heart pounded. He stepped back but stumbled over a large stone. Almost falling, he barely regained his balance as one of the creatures lunged at a man in front of him.

The scream was cut off instantly. Flesh tore. Blood splattered.

Adam staggered back, his breath ragged. The world he knew had collapsed.

"No… this can't be real…" he whispered.

But as more screams echoed through the night, his body moved before his mind could process it.

He sprinted across the street, throwing himself into a computer shop. Slamming the door shut, he locked it tight. Through the glass, he watched as the streets turned into hell.

His hand clenched the machete. His whole body trembled violently.

This wasn't a war.

It was worse.

This was the end.