The mysterious girl

Voices echoed in the darkness.

People crying for help.

Flashes of blurred figures—some running, others falling.

A voice, desperate and urgent: "Find another shelter! Get help!"

Then, nothing.

She gasped awake.

Her body jolted, her head pounding. The unfamiliar ceiling above her came into focus. A bed. A warm blanket.

Her breath was uneven as she scanned the room. Then, she saw him.

A man sat nearby, watching her.

And on her shoulder—

Her mantis companion.

The man noticed her stirring and spoke.

"Are you okay?"

Her heart pounded. Who is he? Where am I?

Her fingers brushed against something under the blanket. Her weapon.

In an instant, she grabbed it and pointed it at him.

"Who are you!?"

Chris raised both hands in surrender, his tone calm but amused. "Whoa, whoa! I'm not your enemy. Relax."

Her mantis nudged her gently, clicking softly as if telling her to calm down.

Her grip on the weapon loosened slightly, but her guard stayed up.

Chris, unfazed, reached beside him and grabbed a small bag of chips. He casually ate one before offering the bag to her.

"You hungry?"

Her stomach growled.

She hesitated… but hunger won. She snatched the bag and devoured the chips instantly.

The second the flavor hit her tongue, her eyes sparkled with delight.

"W-Where did you get this!?" she exclaimed, stuffing more in her mouth.

Chris blinked. "Uh… the storage?"

She swallowed quickly, still in shock. "This is a rare snack! I'm from a higher shelter, and even there, we barely get these!"

Chris raised an eyebrow. "Higher shelter?"

She stopped eating, her expression serious. "Where am I?"

"Shelter 117."

She froze.

"…Shelter 117?" Her voice shook.

Slowly, she looked at him, disbelief filling her eyes.

"But… Shelter 117 was attacked by a Zeezo. It vanished after that."

The room fell into silence.

Chris's casual demeanor shifted. His expression confuse.

"…Vanished?" he said.