A World Without Leon

Eve Voss stumbled forward as the heavy stone door slammed shut behind them, the deafening finality of it echoing through her bones.

Leon was gone.

She turned sharply, slamming her fists against the sealed entrance. "No! No, open the damn door!"

Riley clutched Tyler and Sam, both boys sobbing into her side, their small bodies trembling. "Eve—"

Eve ignored her. She wasn't leaving him.

She spun, grabbing the rusted handle, trying to wrench it open.

Nothing.

"Goddamn it!" She slammed her fist against the cold stone. "This isn't how this ends!"

The air around them shifted.

The whispering was gone.

The heavy, suffocating weight that had pressed against them since they entered the underground tunnels had vanished.

And for the first time in what felt like hours…

The air smelled fresh.

Eve turned, breath still heavy.

They weren't in the tunnels anymore.

They were outside.

A vast, open field stretched before them, the sky overhead a hazy shade of gray. No sun, no stars. Just a void of endless clouds, shifting like waves.

The ground beneath their feet was ashen, cracked, and barren. No grass. No life. Just emptiness.

Riley turned in a slow circle, her face pale. "Where… are we?"

Eve swallowed hard.

She didn't know.

Tyler wiped at his tear-streaked face. "Leon's still in there. We have to go back!"

Sam whimpered, curling into himself. "We c-can't. The door's gone."

Eve turned sharply. "What?"

Then her stomach dropped.

The door wasn't there anymore.

The massive stone structure that had towered over them just seconds ago had vanished—as if it had never existed.

Riley took a shaky breath. "I don't… I don't understand."

Eve clenched her fists.

Leon was gone.

And they had nowhere left to go.

Eve forced herself to breathe.

She could break down later. Right now, she needed a plan.

"Come on," she muttered, adjusting the rifle strap over her shoulder. "We're not staying here."

Riley frowned. "And go where?"

Eve gestured to the horizon. "That way."

It was the only direction available.

The group moved forward, their footsteps barely making a sound on the soft, cracked ground.

The silence was unnatural.

No birds. No insects.

Not even the wind.

Just… nothing.

Eve had seen warzones, abandoned cities, dead streets after riots.

But nothing had ever felt this empty.

She kept her grip tight on her M4 carbine, scanning the horizon.

Something about this place felt wrong.

Like it was watching them.

After what felt like an hour, they reached the first sign of civilization.

A town.

Or what was left of one.

Buildings stood in odd formations, tilted at unnatural angles, as if they had been warped by something unseen.

Streetlights bent backward.

Windows stood open, but the inside of the buildings were pitch black.

Eve's gut twisted.

Riley whispered, "Where the hell are we?"

Eve didn't answer.

Because she had a feeling they weren't anywhere at all.

They moved cautiously into the ruins.

The buildings weren't just abandoned.

They felt wrong.

The houses had furniture inside—tables set with plates, clothes folded neatly on beds.

But no people.

Like everyone had just… vanished.

Tyler clung to Riley's arm. "I don't like this place."

Sam whimpered. "We should go."

Eve ignored them and pushed forward.

Then she saw the first sign of life.

A door stood open ahead, leading into what looked like an old convenience store.

Flickering light glowed from within.

Someone had been here.

Recently.

Eve stepped inside first, gun raised.

The store was mostly intact, shelves still stocked with dust-covered supplies.

And at the counter…

A man sat on a stool, staring at nothing.

His clothes were torn, his beard overgrown, his skin pale like he hadn't seen sunlight in years.

He didn't react when Eve entered.

Didn't flinch when she aimed her rifle at him.

Didn't even blink.

Eve narrowed her eyes. "Who the hell are you?"

The man slowly turned his head toward her.

His voice was hoarse, dry, cracked from disuse.

"You're new."

Eve frowned. "Yeah. What of it?"

The man's lips curled into a sad smile.

"You shouldn't have come here."

Riley stepped beside Eve. "Where are we?"

The man sighed, rubbing his face. "Somewhere else."

Eve scowled. "That's not an answer."

The man finally looked at them fully, his sunken eyes scanning each of their faces.

Then he pointed to the door. "Did you come through it?"

Eve hesitated. "What door?"

The man's jaw clenched. "Then you're trapped."

Riley stiffened. "Trapped?"

The man exhaled slowly. "Nobody leaves this place. Not really."

Eve felt her blood run cold. "What do you mean 'not really'?"

The man's hands trembled.

"You'll see soon enough."

The store shook suddenly, the walls trembling.

Eve snapped her rifle up. "What the hell was that?"

The man's expression turned grim.

"You need to hide."

Tyler whimpered. "Why?"

The man swallowed hard.

"Because they come at sundown."

Eve turned toward the door. The sky outside was already darkening.

Riley backed away. "Who comes?"

The man licked his lips, his face paling further.

"The ones who never left."

Then—

The lights flickered out.

And the screaming started.