𝚩𝐄𝚴𝐄𝚨𝐓𝚮 𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐔𝚸𝐓 𝐒𝚱𝐈𝐄𝐒

Chapter 01

Sirens blared over the green field, dotted with wildflowers and herbs swaying in the gentle breeze. The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm golden light across the landscape, but I could hardly enjoy its beauty as I hastily grabbed the last of the chamomile. I needed to get back home quickly; danger was always lurking, ready to pounce at the slightest misstep.

Ten years had passed since the world began to unravel, and things only seemed to get worse. The Corrupters had grown more brutal in their methods, becoming a dark cloud that loomed over our existence.

First, they tracked us through our phones, a simple and insidious invasion of privacy. When we ditched those, they escalated their violence, attacking indiscriminately. Even the animals weren't spared.

I remembered the cries of a dog as they dragged it away, a haunting reminder of our shared vulnerability.

The sun dipped lower, and a chill crept into the air, but the warmth of the late summer sun still lingered, providing a false sense of security.

If you weren't home by sundown, all you could do was pray. The Corrupters delighted in hunting at night, prowling the land with their weapons, relishing the fear they instilled in the few of us left. We called them the Corrupters because everywhere they roamed, they brought destruction. They believed this land was promised to them by God and were willing to annihilate every native soul standing in their way.

We were the natives, the ones who had cultivated this land for thousands of years, only to see our civilization razed to the ground.

Their cruelty started small—kidnappings, poisonings—but soon it escalated into full-scale carnage. I lost my parents during the first year of this ordeal. They had headed out for their morning stroll, laughing together as they left the house, the sun just beginning to rise. But they never came back.

A group of corrupters, twisted and ruthless, confronted them along the way. They separated my parents and killed them, leaving behind nothing but shattered lives. I heard the news from the neighbours, their voices trembling as they told me what had happened.

My heart sank, and the world around me seemed to tilt, as if the ground had slipped out from under my feet.

I can still see them, dancing in the living room like nothing else mattered. The furniture was pushed aside, and the soft glow from the lamp made their shadows sway on the walls. There wasn't even any music, just their laughter echoing through the house. Dad would grab Mom by the waist, pulling her close as if they were the only two people in the world. Mom would rest her head on his shoulder, her eyes closed, a soft smile playing on her lips while humming like she'd found her safe place in his arms.

I used to sit on the stairs, peeking through the railing, pretending not to care. But I did. Their love was something you could feel in the air, warm and steady, like it would never fade. Now, when I think of them, I don't just remember the love in their movements, I feel the emptiness of the silence that replaced it.

But what haunts me most is that I can't remember their faces anymore. I try, I really do, but it's all blurry, like their images were smeared away by time and grief. The warmth of their smiles, the softness of their eyes...everything is fading, leaving only shadows.

It hit me out of nowhere, a flash, a burst of something...something I couldn't place. A memory? A dream? It was like a moment from the past, but I couldn't make it out. It felt so familiar, so close, and yet... I couldn't see their faces. I thought maybe it was my parents, but their faces remained elusive, always just out of reach. I tried to grasp it, tried to pull it back, but the harder I reached, the more it slipped through my mind like water through my fingers.