Ashes of the Old World

The gymnasium reeked of fear and sweat. Shattered windows filtered in a crimson hue from the sky, casting everything in a hellish glow. Makeshift barricades—folded tables, sports equipment, and chairs—lined the doors, trembling with every gust of wind that carried distant screams.

Leo Grayson stood near the far wall, his black eyes absorbing the chaos around him. The system's activation had been a shock—an unseen force embedding itself into their minds. But Leo had felt something deeper. A pull. An instinct. Not just to survive... but to evolve.

His screen glowed faintly in his vision:

[System Activated: Human Evolution Program]

Name: Leo Grayson

Level: Dormant (Tier 1/10)

XP: 10/500

Stats: Strength 5 | Agility 6 | Endurance 4 | Perception 7 | Willpower 5

Stat Points Available: 5

The XP requirement was steep. And it grew with every tier. From 10 to 50. From 50 to 150. Now it was 500.

Leo had gained those ten points from a single, brutal kill—and it had nearly cost him his life. The system wasn't generous. It was merciless.

Damien Blake sat nearby, his frame taut with restless energy. Evelyn Blackwood leaned against the wall, cold and composed. Logan Hayes tried to lighten the mood, but his jokes were hollow. Miles Thompson was already calculating probability models on a salvaged tablet. Ana Fisher was marking out supply routes using a crude map.

They weren't just survivors. They were a ticking time bomb of clashing personalities.

"Did you really kill one with a metal pipe?" Damien asked later, voice low.

Leo nodded. "It took five blows to break its skull. One misstep and it would've torn my throat."

"That's not what Logan said. He said you moved like... I don't know, a soldier."

Leo's tone was flat. "I'm not a soldier. I just learn fast."

Evelyn glanced at him. "No. You enjoy it."

Leo didn't respond. He stood and walked to the edge of the gym, staring through the broken glass.

The night air was sharp.

He thought back to that fight. The screams. The blood. The way the world slowed when he struck the zombie. He hadn't felt fear. He'd felt focus.

The others didn't need to know what stirred in his mind.

The next night, he left alone.

The hallway was thick with the stench of death. Blood trailed across lockers and ceilings. Leo gripped his sharpened pipe tightly, nerves buzzing.

A single zombie staggered into view. Taller than before. Its skin stretched, limbs swollen. A Tier 2, perhaps.

Leo waited. Calculated. Then struck.

The zombie dodged.

Leo's eyes widened—this one thought.

It hissed and lunged. Leo twisted, barely avoiding its claws. The pipe met its ribs but bounced off.

He gritted his teeth. Every movement was a risk. Every swing a gamble.

He lured it toward a stairwell. Waited until it lunged again—then kicked it down the stairs. The crunch of bones below was sickening.

But not fatal.

The thing rose again.

Panting, Leo sprinted down and impaled it through the chest, then stabbed again, and again, and again—until the red glow in its eyes dimmed.

[XP Gained: 25]

[XP: 35/500]

No tier up. No stat points. Just blood.

Back at the gym, Ana gathered the group. "Tomorrow, we begin a scouting operation. We need weapons, food, and medicine."

Damien volunteered quickly. Evelyn, too. Logan wanted to join, but his injuries hadn't fully healed.

Leo raised his hand without a word.

Ana didn't object. "You're efficient. I need that."

Later, as they planned, Evelyn approached Leo.

"You don't talk much."

"I say what's needed."

"You're not like them. You don't joke. You don't flinch."

Leo looked at her. "Is that a problem?"

"No," she replied after a pause. "But it's... unsettling."

He didn't answer. He didn't need to.

The next day, the scouting party moved out. The school corridors were silent save for the distant groans of the undead.

They moved carefully. Leo at the front, Damien close behind, Evelyn covering the rear.

They reached the supply wing. Inside, half the windows were shattered, and overturned desks blocked half the room. There were noises ahead—scraping.

Leo signaled for silence.

Three zombies. One normal. Two with warped limbs—possibly Tier 2 or higher.

He whispered, "We take out the weaker one first. Draw the others out."

Damien nodded. He moved, making a sharp noise with his foot. As the weakest zombie turned, Leo dashed forward, pipe raised.

The kill was clean.

The others charged.

Evelyn fired a sharpened metal rod, impaling one's leg. It stumbled.

Damien engaged the second, fists blazing. He dodged, ducked, struck—like a boxer in a deathmatch.

Leo took on the injured one. It was still fast.

It lashed out. He blocked with his pipe—but his arm throbbed from the force. He swung low, knocking it off balance, then stomped its head against the floor repeatedly.

[XP Gained: 20]

He turned to help Damien—just in time. The zombie had Damien pinned.

Leo tackled it, driving his weapon through its neck. It thrashed violently before going limp.

[XP Gained: 35]

[XP: 90/500]

Still not enough.

They caught their breath.

Evelyn wiped her blade. "That wasn't easy."

"It won't get easier," Leo said.

Damien leaned back. "We need real weapons."

Leo agreed, but said nothing.

As they gathered what little supplies they could, Evelyn walked beside him.

"You saved him."

"He would've died."

"You don't strike me as the type who cares."

Leo glanced at her. "I don't. But we're not strong enough to survive alone. Yet."

Her eyes narrowed, but she didn't argue.

When they returned, Ana reviewed their supplies. "Not much, but it's something."

Miles had set up a basic surveillance system using leftover cameras and drones. He nodded. "I detected movement two blocks away. A larger group. Could be... different types."

Leo listened, silent. His mind wasn't on the supplies. It was on the fight. The tiers. The grind.

Five zombies. One night. 90 XP.

At this rate, he'd hit Tier 2 only after dozens more kills. And each one was getting smarter, stronger.

Good.

He welcomed the challenge.

Late that night, Ana convened the group again.

"Tomorrow, we hit the hospital. It's risky—but worth it. We need medicine and tools."

Everyone nodded.

Leo looked out the window, watching as the red hue returned to the sky.

The world was falling apart.

But piece by piece, he would carve something new from its ashes.

And no one needed to know what he truly intended to build.