Chapter twenty one:Light That Burns the Sky

Chapter twenty one:Light That Burns the Sky

"So guys what you want to do?" Lex looked at them all with a bored expression. He tossed his knife in the air and caught it before it landed on his foot laughing. He got up and motioned for them to get up with him. "I know how about food? I know a good fast food chain!" WIlliam looked over with surprise in his face "They have fast food here?" Lex nodded "Yes! They do it's not as fast as like lets say mcdonalds and we don't have the chemicals that make the food taste good buts it's good old unhealthy food!" Lex managed to say all that in one breath. Looking around William Pulled on his tee shirt collar "That be cool and all but I don't have money so i can't pay.".

"Oh, I can cover you. I just want someone to talk to right now who is using USD for our economy because the majority of us are from america."

William raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. "Wait, USD? As in, like... US dollars? After everything that happened?"

William raised an eyebrow, but the mention of food was enough to keep him focused. "Yeah, I get it. USD's still the go-to, huh?"

Lex nodded. "Exactly. It's what we've got left. The old world's falling apart, but the dollar's still hanging on. Some places, like where we're going, still use it. It's kind of the foundation of whatever economy we have left."

William didn't even flinch. "Alright, cool. Lead the way."

They both turned their attention to Darius, who had been quiet up until now. Darius leaned against a nearby wall, arms crossed, staring into the distance. 

Darius simply gave a small nod, his usual indifference in place. "Food sounds fine," he muttered, though it wasn't clear if he was particularly invested in the idea.

Lex smirked, looking back at William. "Looks like we're all good then. Come on, let's go. I'm starving."

Without waiting for another word, Lex started heading in the direction of the fast food chain. William followed.

Lex led the way, bouncing a knife in his hand as he moved. "It's not gonna be like the old days, but hey, it's food."

Darius, walking a few steps behind, finally spoke. "Doesn't matter if it's convenient. It's a necessity."

Lex turned his head slightly. "You talk like food is just fuel."

Darius met his gaze, unblinking. "Isn't it?"

Lex laughed, shaking his head. "Man, you make everything sound depressing."

They rounded a corner, and the fast food place came into view—a squat, rusting building with a dimly lit sign that flickered between barely legible letters. A few figures loitered outside, their faces hidden under tattered hoods, eyes watching the group as they approached.

Darius exhaled through his nose. "Might have to work for our meal."

William cracked his knuckles. "Figures."

Lex, however, grinned. "Relax, boys. Let me handle this." He sheathed his knife and strode forward, arms spread wide like he was greeting old friends.

The figures shifted, one stepping forward, voice low and gravelly. "You know the deal."

Lex dug into his pocket, pulling out a few crumpled bills. "Yeah, yeah. Save the theatrics, man. We're just here to eat."

A pause. Then, the figure nodded, stepping aside.

Lex shot the others a smirk. "See? Easy."

William shook his head as they stepped inside, the warm, greasy air of the restaurant wrapping around them. "This place better be worth it."

Lex looked over at him, his eyes alight with warmth "Oh shush you i'm paying you just sit here and enjoy the food". He smiled 

As they waited for their food, a comfortable silence settled between them. Then, unexpectedly, William leaned back in his seat, exhaling slowly.

"This is nice, you know?" he said casually, his voice quieter than usual. "Sitting down, eating food, not worrying about dying for five minutes." His gaze flickered to the others, something unspoken in his expression. "Kinda reminds me of before."

Lex raised an eyebrow, then smirked. "See? Told you food makes everything better."

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A deep, shuddering tremor ripped through the world. The ground lurched beneath them, buildings groaned, and distant screams filled the air. Glass shattered. Structures swayed. For a brief, stomach-turning moment, it felt as if the very earth would split open and swallow them whole.

Then came the light.

A blinding fire erupted from the heavens, cutting through the eternal shroud of darkness like a blade through flesh. It wasn't the gentle glow of sunrise or the flicker of a lantern—it was a wildfire, untamed and absolute, surging across the sky in waves of molten gold. The darkness recoiled, peeling back in jagged strips, exposing the world beneath.

People collapsed to their knees, shielding their eyes from the sudden brilliance. Some cried out in shock, others in awe. Panic surged through the streets. They had lived so long in shadow that the return of light felt alien, almost wrong.

Lex cursed, stumbling back as he threw an arm over his face. "What the hell is this!?"

William squinted up at the sky, his heart pounding. He had grown used to the dark, needed it, in a way. Now, with it retreating, everything felt... vulnerable. Exposed.

The firestorm spread outward, devouring the sky, illuminating twisted ruins and faces filled with terror. But just as quickly as it came, it faltered. The flames flickered, as if uncertain. Then, in a violent rush, they pulled back, snapping toward their origin like a beast retreating to its den.

A collective breath held by the world was released. The light was gone.

As the last traces of fire retreated, snapping back toward their origin like a beast withdrawing its claws, the world stood in stunned silence. The sky, once suffocating and endless in its blackness, now flickered uncertainty, as though the darkness itself had been wounded. It no longer pressed down with the same suffocating weight—it trembled, frayed at the edges, struggling to reform.

The air felt... different. Warmer, charged, as if something immense had passed through, leaving a lingering energy behind. The ground, too, held traces of the fire's passing—a faint, unnatural glow that pulsed in dying embers before fading completely.

William inhaled sharply. The air wasn't thick with cold anymore; it was something else. Something new.

A ragged cough broke the silence. Then another.

They turned toward the street outside the fast food place. People who had been caught in the sudden blaze of light now staggered blindly, hands clawing at their faces. Some collapsed to their knees, trembling, murmuring prayers or curses under their breath.

Lex took a hesitant step forward. "Shit… Are they—?"

William was already moving. He crouched beside one of the fallen, shaking the man's shoulder. "Hey. You alright?"

The man flinched violently, his breath coming in panicked gasps. "I—I can't see. I can't—" His hands grasped at nothing, wild and desperate. "What happened?! Where—where is everything?"

William's stomach twisted. He turned to Lex, who stood frozen, staring at the growing number of blinded people in the street.

"Lex took a step back. 'Shit…' he whispered. More people clutched at their eyes, their voices rising into a chorus of confusion and fear. The darkness had broken. But so had they."