Anastasia stood at the intersection, raindrops sliding down her skin, soaking through her hoodie and jeans. It was cold. She shivered, blinking away droplets.
She had lost track of time in the study hall, and when she finally came to, the sky was getting dark, and it was already pouring.
She had no choice but to step into the rain and head for the hospital with no umbrella.
She sighed, hugging her backpack tighter.
'The struggles of a second-year mechanical engineering student.'
Her days were filled with calculus, failed experiments, and sleep-derived lectures. And in between all that, visiting her sick mother in the hospital.
It was a challenge.
Regardless, no amount of schoolwork would stop her from caring for her mother, who was diagnosed with stage four cancer four years ago, and only had two years left to live.
Anastasia had long given up on hope for a cure. Her mother had, too. The least they could do now was make her final moments count.
Her single mom had suffered endlessly for her. These two years were the only thing Anastasia could give back. She didn't want her mom to die worrying.
Lost in thought, she barely noticed an agitated girl stepping next to her, face turned in a frown, murmuring something under her breath. They both waited for the lights to turn green.
Anastasia caught a glimpse of the ID hanging around the girl's neck.
Aurora… Oxford…
They were from the same university.
When the lights turned green, Anastasia didn't waste time. She dashed across the street, her bag over her head, shielding herself as best as she could.
Then—
When she got to the middle of the road, she heard a scream behind her.
"Hey, watch out!"
Immediately, a blinding light came from nowhere, followed by the deafening blare of a horn. A vehicle was barreling towards her, tires screeching against the concrete road.
She froze. Heart in her throat. Legs like stone.
'This is it. This is how I die?'
She shut her eyes, bracing for impact. But instead of pain, she felt a hard shove from behind, and then… silence.
When Anastasia's eyes snapped open again, the scene around her had changed. Raindrops still drizzled from the sky, but the quiet city intersection was gone. In its place was a crowded, chaotic street.
People bustled past her in every direction, dressed in faded, mismatched clothes and plastic sheets. The sky overhead was a dull, stormy gray with only a bit of light peeking through.
Neon lights blinked lazily on cracked signs. Crumbling buildings leaned over the street.
The sky above was a dull smear of grey. Neon signs flickered weakly against tall, crumbling buildings.
Another horn blared, louder, snapping her to reality.
She jolted.
She was standing in the middle of a cracked, grimy road, and a car was speeding towards her.
'What in the world happened?' She stumbled back.
Before she could process what was happening, a pair of rough hands yanked her from behind, pulling her with them from the busy road to the sidewalk.
"Kiah, you know we can't draw any attention to ourselves. Why were you standing in the middle of the road like a lunatic? They are still after us. We can't afford to waste any more time." A woman's sharp voice hissed in her ears.
Anastasia's head whipped to the side to find a striking lady with dark, luscious hair, dragging through a dense, loud marketplace. The woman's skin shimmered faintly beneath the streetlight, almost… unnatural.
She stopped, pulling her arm from the strange lady's.
"W-who are you?" Her gaze wandered around the unfamiliar world. "Where am I?"
"This isn't the time for games. We have to go." The woman snapped, reaching for her again.
Anastasia recoiled, stepping back in stunned confusion.
Just moments ago, she'd been crossing the street in the rain. How did she end up in a rusty, debilitated place like this?
Her eyes wandered around, wide in panic.
A trader barked nearby, selling something that looked like a mechanical insect. A child sprinted past, holding a canister. The air buzzed with the whir of strange machines. Bulky, aerodynamic vehicles rolled by.
Her hands trembled.
Her lungs burned.
What in the world!
'What is this place?'
Suddenly, her skull erupted in pain. She clutched her head and collapsed to her knees with a groan as a searing flood of information surged into her mind.
★★★
Name: Kiah Solvane.
Age: 19
Member of the Solvane house — before the fall.
Thirty-five years ago, this planet, Novaris, was struck by catastrophe. Asteroids struck, triggering a chain of disasters: volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, tornadoes, earthquakes. Every natural disaster known to mankind. Then came the plague — one that turned humans into flesh-eating monsters.
Society crumbled. Homes were destroyed. Billions died. It was the end of the world.
Or it would have been.
Until he arrived.
The Overseer.
With him came salvation: new crops, purified water, artificial wombs to reproduce again to salvage the dying population. From the wreckage, a new society was born.
But everything came at a price.
★★★
"Miss… Miss… Kiah!"
Anastasia blinked, and the pain subsided a bit, leaving her panting and dazed. The dark-haired woman was still tugging on her, now leading her to a narrow alley.
"We have to go."
"No." Anastasia snapped, shoving her away. She refused to believe what was happening. She had to get back. She had to get back to her mom.
The woman's eyes darted behind them and went wide in fear. Pure dread.
She trembled and cursed under her breath.
"Suit yourself. You can die if you want. I'm not risking my life for you," she hissed before bolting, leaving Anastasia behind in the alley, frozen and disoriented.
Suddenly, Anastasia felt shadows sprawl from behind her, and she slowly turned to head to see two burly men with iron bats slung over their shoulders. Dirty clothes. Eyes like vultures, looking menacingly at her.
"We will make a great buck from you, fine lady." One grinned.
Her instincts kicked in, and she tried to run.
She was too slow.
A hand grabbed her.
And the last thing she saw before a bat collided with the back of her head was a sign flashing a few distance away.
[Welcome to the Dreg.]