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Chapter 24

A sense of consciousness gradually creeps throughout Khaiser's body. His sense of hearing, touch and finally sight return one by one. Upon opening his eyes, he finds himself surrounded by total darkness and silence. However, he chooses to stay calm and not freak out immediately as he realizes that he just woke up. He stays motionless in the same position and waits for his eyes to adapt to the darkness.

As soon as his sight has turned better, Khaiser gazes around him. An eerie feeling instantly creeps into his heart, fuelling it to thump faster when he realizes that he is no longer in his room. The bed that he is lying on is also not his. It is old and rusty and the mattress is also old, dirty and cold due to dampness. It is just a matter of time before the legs of the bed give up and collapse onto the floor.

Khaiser quickly but carefully pushes himself up to a sitting posture and continues gazing around him. The feeling of sleepiness has long gone since it has been cast out by the panic feeling that is taking over his heart at the moment. The room is almost resembling his room, but it is filled with trash, boxes, wood and broken furniture. There are also some leaks on the ceiling and puddles on the floor, resulting in a damp and stinking smell all over the room. He rubs his nose a little.

"What is this place? Where am I?" Khaiser whispers to himself. Remembering that he is sitting on an old and fragile bed, he carefully moves and gets out of it. He absolutely has no idea what is happening at the moment, but he figures out that it is better for him to avoid making any noises and be as quiet as possible.

Khaiser arranges his steps to the window and throws his gaze outside. The outside world is still engulfed in the darkness of night, just like before he went to sleep. But that is not his concern. The scenery resembling post-apocalypse or post-war conditions is being presented in front of his eyes. The ruined buildings, abandoned vehicles and damaged infrastructure are all giving him the idea that the place has been attacked. However, the surrounding area is dead quiet. There is no sound of explosions, firing weapons or anything. Just deafening silence.

Khaiser backs away from the window slowly as he tries to control his breath which is starting to become faster and louder. He glances around the room, searching for anything that will give him an idea for his next action. It does not take him too much time to find the thing that he wants. The closed door behind him grabs his attention. It is the only way in and out of the room. He stares at it for a while as his inner self struggles, desperate to make a decision with so much confusion in his mind.

After an intense discussing session with his mind and gut, Khaiser finally proceeds with the next action. He steps anxiously toward the door. His whole body is shaking a bit, cold sweat running down his face and body and his heart is thumping wildly. He reaches for the doorknob and twists it quietly, Strangely enough, it is functioning properly despite the horrific destruction he just witnessed outside. He continues to open the door slowly and hides behind it, just in case there is something lingering in front of the room.

A few seconds passed. Only a cold and gentle night wind reveals its presence to Khaiser. It brings a soothing sensation to him, calming him down each time it caresses his skin. Feeling relaxed a little, he gathers his courage to peek from behind the door. There is nothing that meets his eyes other than pieces of shattered concrete. Confident that he is alone, he steps outside to get a better view.

After observing his surroundings, Khaiser gets a rough idea that he is currently in a flat complex and just like all the other buildings, it is also kissing the ground. There are still a few other rooms that are in 'good' condition just like the one that he is from, but they are all separated by ruined corridors and hallways. From his observation, he can tell that he is on the fourth floor of the building. Lucky for him, there is a pile of concrete around 5 meters from his spot that can serve as stairs for him to go down. A sense of relief slips into his heart, knowing that at least he is not trapped.