Amid the ruins—Felled trees littered the roads. A long trail of wrecked cars stretched along the highway. Screams echoed through the chaos as people ran in all directions, desperate to survive.
A young woman lay by the roadside, barely breathing. Her head had hit a stone, blood trailing down her forehead. Her disheveled hair stuck to her face, obscuring her features.
Her name was Xiao Mei.A delivery girl for a small private company, her daily job was to pick up parcels and get them to the right address.
She was a fresh graduate—brilliant, beautiful, and totally out of luck. She had finished university at the top of her class… only to step straight into unemployment. Her dream was to be a sweet, caring teacher surrounded by children. Instead, she failed every job exam she applied for. Desperate, she picked up temporary work to get by—delivering packages on her motorbike.
Xiao Mei, the unlucky beauty.Less than a year out of school, juggling exams and deliveries, she barely had time to think. And while she worked and hoped for something better… the world slowly began to unravel.
The environment turned against them.Toxic air, dangerous levels of dust and pollution. Summers were so scorching that people collapsed dead in the streets. Winters were cold enough to cause state-level emergencies.
Governments around the world issued vague warnings. Online, rumors of an impending apocalypse started spreading. Most people didn't take them seriously.
Until… New Year's morning.
While people were still recovering from all-night parties, an emergency broadcast aired across the globe.
"Two asteroids have deviated from orbit and are now on a collision course near Earth.Scientists predict the impact will cause a massive explosion, creating meteor showers visible from the surface. Some debris may survive re-entry and hit the planet.
We urge all citizens to stay indoors for three days.There is no need to panic.According to calculations, the meteor shower will last only one day.Remain calm and follow government instructions."
And so, most people trusted their leaders.Xiao Mei was one of them. She went on with her day as usual.
Until January 3rd arrived—The day the meteors fell.
At 7:11 PM, the sky turned orange. Dust filled the air, thick enough to choke. The heat was unbearable, like the atmosphere itself wanted to burn the skin off your bones. No one could survive outside for long.
Then—BOOM!The meteor rain began.
Fireballs of varying sizes streaked across the sky, igniting from friction as they tore through the atmosphere. Many burned up, but thousands didn't. They slammed into buildings, streets, forests… destroying everything in their path. Cities turned to rubble. Countless lives—animal and human—were wiped out.
The meteors didn't stop.They fell for a full day and night without rest.
Xiao Mei had gone out for a routine delivery that evening. It should've been like any other job—quick drop-off in a narrow alley. But she was caught in the chaos.
A car spun out of control and smashed into her motorbike. She was thrown to the ground, her body hitting hard and sliding to the roadside.
People were panicking.No one helped anyone. Everyone ran, screamed, trampled over each other to save themselves. The air filled with cries, shouts, and the deafening sound of destruction.
But the worst wasn't the meteors.Not by a long shot.
People—those still alive—began to change.Some stood still, lost. Others twitched, stared blankly, or collapsed.Then… they snapped.
Screams turned to growls.Cries became snarls.Madness spread like wildfire.
And there, on the ground, blood running down her face, Xiao Mei's consciousness faded.
Just before the darkness claimed her—A small voice whispered softly beside her ear.Childlike. Gentle.
"Master... Master... Let Bao Bei take you home."