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    “What the!?”


    A few hours had passed, and the bus finally arrived at its destination. Violently too, as the driver slammed on the brakes to wake everyone up.


    “Aight! Wake up, you fools!” Jefferson slammed his crowbar on the seat, making sure those who were not woken up by the sudden stop opened their eyes, “Line up and open your pouches so I can give you your share!”


    “Ugh. Can’t we just keep everything this time, Boss!? I really need to take my wife on a date!” One of the scavengers quickly complained as soon as he woke up, and Jefferson only laughed while he once again slammed his crowbar on the seat.


    "If you tryna take ya wife on a date, then you ain''t got no business workin’ as no scavenger! Hand over them pouches, now!" He raised his voice even further. He was about to say something else, but he got distracted by Adam’s bright green eyes suddenly being in front of him.


    Jefferson did not say anything and just grabbed Adam’s pouch, pouring out the contents onto the tray he was holding. Well, there wasn’t that much to pour out.


    “Ah, damn it,” Jefferson cursed as he started parting the melted trinkets, "Knew I shoulda got us a permit over in West Lane instead. Damn! Aight, fine!"


    Jefferson raised his voice. And instead of parting Adam’s share, he returned everything into his pouch and gave it back to him in full.


    “You get to keep your pouch this time, boys!” Jefferson hollered, "But you best bring back a whole lot tomorrow, or I swear I’ma shave yo’ balls clean off! I ain''t runnin'' no damn charity!"


    “You’re the best, Boss!”


    “Ah! Yes! Yes!”


    And while the rest of the scavengers celebrated, Adam quietly slipped away.


    “Thank you, Boss,” he murmured to Jefferson before stepping off the bus.


    Jefferson looked like he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just gave Adam a nod and let him go.


    He knew the kind of people who ended up as scavengers. Most were either undocumented, illegal, or running from something. The others, Jefferson could read easily enough.


    But Adam?


    Adam had been with the team for five years, and not once had he spent time with them outside the scavenging runs.


    “Okay!” Jefferson clapped, "Aight, the rest of y’all get the fuck on outta here! See y’all tomorrow!"


    ***


    An hour later, Adam had just finished cashing out his loot from one of the many pawn shops next to the Scavenger office. He didn’t have a bank account, so he had to exchange everything in cash—good, he preferred it that way anyway.


    “Mom. Look at him.”


    “Baby, no! Don’t go near him!”


    As he waited for the crossing light to turn green, the people around him kept their distance, giving him space on the sidewalk as if he carried some kind of plague. Yet another perk of being a scavenger—everyone preferred to stay far away. Good, he also preferred it that way anyway.


    Scavengers were not liked by society at all. After all, they were practically grave robbers, stealing from the dead.


    It was better this way.


    Better for who? You could be doing more, Adam. Much more. These people don’t even know that they are in the presence of—


    “Shut up. Shut up…” Adam clasped his head, shaking his thoughts off as the light went green and everyone crossed the road. And he was like a rock in a river, splitting the current with how people were keeping their distance from him. He sighed, gritting his teeth as he crossed the road.


    Adam!


    He clicked his tongue as his own voice echoed in his mind again. But as his eyes flickered toward the people passing by, he instinctively pulled up his hood, lowering his head even though his face was already covered in ash.


    "Why am I even hiding?" he muttered to himself, his gaze landing on a group of doctors in uniform walking past. “It’s not them. They don’t care about me anymore. It’s been so long. They’ve forgotten about me.”


    You don’t know that, Adam. It’s best that you’re careful.


    Adam continued with his head down for the rest of the commute until he reached his apartment. It was a rundown building with no security at all. Well, perhaps the people living in it had enough security, as most were criminals and bad people that the authorities didn’t bother to catch.


    Create trouble, and you’ll risk catching the eye of everyone in the building.


    Once again, a perfect place for Adam. Everyone kept to themselves.


    The apartment was small, if it could even be called that. It had a bed and its own bathroom. No kitchen, but it didn’t matter since he doesn’t cook anyway.


    Adam quickly dropped off his things, slipping the rolled-up cash into a metal box hidden within a vent in the wall. Without wasting another second, he rushed to the bathroom, stripping off his clothes as a cloud of dust and ash billowed into the air, remnants of the filth he hadn’t managed to shake off on the way home.


    The first shower was always just for washing away the grime—scrubbing every inch, making sure not a single speck of dirt clung to him. Only once he was completely clean did he allow himself to bathe, sinking into the warmth of the water.


    This was what he looked forward to the most.


    Just him, the quiet, and the heat wrapping around him like something close to comfort.


    Away from the world that had become so desensitized and cold.


    Stop lying, Adam. You want to be a part of it, of everything. You’re just afraid… afraid that they will know who you are… and they’ll be scared.


    “Shut up…” Adam closed his eyes and submerged his head under the water.


    You’re a freak, Adam. Even before the world had gone to shit.


    Bubbles violently escaped the corners of Adam’s lips as he whispered under the water.


    A second.


    A minute.


    He stayed like that for a long time before emerging from the water, renewed and reinvigorated. And as he looked at the mirror, his face which was once covered in ash and soot was no more—what was left was a face as smooth as porcelain, sharp, and perfect in all its definitions of it. His black hair that reached to his cheeks, emphasizing his alluring features even further.


    But below his neck, the illusion of flawlessness shattered.


    His shoulders alone were filled with scars, ranging from the size of a penny to completely covering his entire back. Burns marred his skin, patches of discolored flesh stretching across his torso. There wasn’t a single inch of him untouched by old wounds.


    Adam lightly sniffled as he stared at himself for a few seconds before sighing and stepping out of the bathroom.


    And just like that, morning had arrived again. Time to go back to work.


    This was his life. His routine. And it hadn’t changed in years.


    Wake up.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Scavenge the ashes of the dead.


    Come home.


    Rinse repeat, rinse repeat.


    “H…hi?”


    The new guy, Hans, hesitantly tried to start a conversation. But Adam barely acknowledged him, offering only the briefest of greetings before falling silent again.


    This continued for days. Then a week. Until eventually, Hans stopped trying.


    Why don’t you just talk to him? He obviously wants to be your friend.


    “No. No friends.”


    Adam shook his head, dispelling the unwelcome thoughts. He couldn’t afford to stray from his routine. Not now.


    Adam went home again without speaking to anyone. He bathed. Slept. Welcomed another day of silence. Nothing changed. It was monotonous. Boring.


    But then, one morning, as he walked to work with his hood up, weaving through the bustling crowd, something snapped in him. He glanced up at the towering billboards, filled with the shining faces of Heroes, their perfect smiles beaming down at the world. He looked around at the people passing him by, lost in their own lives, unaware of his existence.


    And for the first time, a thought crept into his mind.


    None of these people care about me. I’m just another face in the crowd. Just another speck of dust.


    He was like everyone else now. Unimportant. Unnoticed.


    Then maybe… maybe it was time to let someone in.


    Maybe I should start making friends?


    Perhaps it was time to step outside his bubble.


    Are you sure?


    The voice in his head slithered back in, sharp and cold.


    They will hurt you, Adam. People are bad. Their only goal is to break you. Remember what happened in the hospital? None of them are good people.


    The thought stopped him in his tracks. But a deafening silence filled his mind, drowning everything else out.


    Adam closed his eyes.


    For the first time in years, he tilted his head toward the sky, letting the warmth of the sun soak into his skin. He took a deep breath.


    And then, with quiet defiance, he lowered his hood.


    And fate immediately punished him for it.


    The moment he decided to be free, he heard it—A voice calling out a name he hadn’t heard in over twenty years, a voice he never wanted to hear again.


    “Zero?” The voice said.


    And it was so stupid—so stupid—for him to turn around.


    “Zero? Is that you?”


    An old woman stood before him, a familiar face in unfamiliar clothing. He had only ever seen her wrapped in a white lab coat, sterile and distant. But here she was, standing among ordinary people, blending in as if she belonged with them.


    “You’re Zero, aren’t you? It’s me, Dr. Aniston.”


    “Y…”


    Adam tried to speak, but his throat locked up. His legs froze in place. His vision tunneled, the bustling street melting away—replaced by a small, white room.


    And once again, he was there.


    Alone.


    His breaths turned shallow, strangled. His pulse pounded in his ears, drowning out everything else—until suddenly, a blaring car horn snapped him back.


    He gasped, staggering a step back. His voice trembled as he spoke.


    “Are you… are you real?”


    Dr. Aniston didn’t answer right away. She just stared, wide-eyed, as if she had seen a ghost. Then, without breaking eye contact, she reached into her bag—a radio.


    “Patient Zero. Location confirmed!”


    “No!” Adam’s eyes went wide.


    He didn’t think. Didn’t hesitate. He just ran.


    Shoving through the crowd, ignoring the shouts and protests around him, he sprinted. He didn’t dare look back.


    Run. Run. Run. That was the only thought in his mind.


    He didn’t stop until he saw the scavenger office. Until he saw his bus.


    “Adam? It’s rare to see you so early—”


    Adam didn’t even bother greeting Jefferson and immediately got on the bus, shrinking down onto his seat and making sure that his head was below the window. Hans, who was seated at the seat next to him, didn’t know whether to talk or ask him what was going on.


    After all, he had tried talking to him the past few days, but Adam only responded with either a hello or a hmm. But after thinking about it for a good three seconds, Hans approached Adam.


    “Hey…” He whispered as he placed a hand on Adam’s shoulder, “...Are you—Ow!”


    Before he could finish his words, however, Adam smacked his hand away and looked at him with wide eyes.


    “I’m…” Adam’s breaths turned heavier by the second as he looked at Hans’s eyes, which were the only things you could see with how covered he was.


    “I’m sorry,” Adam whispered, “I didn’t… I didn’t mean to do that.”


    Hans stared at him for a second. He was about to ask him how he was again, but Jefferson’s voice roared inside the bus before he could say anything.


    “Aight, boys!” Jefferson clapped his hands, "You already know what day it is. It’s Selection Day! That mean we headin’ out to that new Dome as soon as it pops and we wait ‘til the fighting’s over. Hopefully, it’s close. If not, guess we back to them old dusty-ass deserts!"


    The scavengers inside the bus buzzed with excitement at the news, some even clasping their hands together in whispered prayers, hoping they’d be chosen by the Administrators to fight.


    The Domes spawned randomly across the world each month, though they’ve been documented to typically appear within a thousand kilometers of the previous locations.


    It was like the Domes were slowly eating up the Earth, razing it to the ground bit by bit… by bit.


    But nobody cares anymore. Nobody cares. So why… why are they still looking for me?


    Adam covered his head with his hood as the bus began to move. Everyone was noisy due to the excitement filling the air, an excitement that was only fueling Adam’s anxiety even further.


    Hans seemed to notice this. He only stared at him, however, as Adam looked more unwelcoming than most days. But right when he got the courage to approach him again, he almost tumbled forward as the bus suddenly stopped.


    “What’s going on here!?” Jefferson quickly shouted.


    “There… there are people blocking the way!”


    “What!?” Jefferson and the other scavengers stood up from their seat to look in front of them, only to see several black SUVs in front of them, “Today’s Selection Day! I ain’t got no time for this bullshit!”


    Jefferson was about to step out of the bus to confront them, but several people got out of the SUVs while carrying guns.


    “Oh, okay…” Jefferson stepped back and started tapping the driver’s shoulder several times, “...Drive through them! Drive! Drive through them n—”


    Before the driver could step on the gas, everyone watched as a huge man practically ripped off the door, throwing it like cardboard.


    “A… A Hero!?” Everyone on the bus screamed, “But… what? Why are they—”


    Jefferson stepped aside as one of the people from the SUV entered the bus. Unlike the others, who were dressed in sleek black suits, this one stood out—an old woman in casual clothing. The very same woman Adam had run from.


    Dr. Aniston.


    “Everyone, calm down.” The doctor smiled at Jefferson, “No one’s going to be harmed. We’re only here for this person.”


    Dr. Aniston then raised a poster. A CCTV image of Adam running away, his face as clear as day.


    Jefferson looked back at his crew, his eyes settling on where Adam was sitting. He groaned for a moment before turning to face Dr. Aniston and saying,


    "Nah, ain’t seen that face before. Y’all recognize him?"


    “Nope.”


    “It’s kinda blurry. Do you have a better picture?”


    “That’s a pretty face. Why are you looking for him?”


    Not a single one of the scavengers gave Adam up. Hans, who was in the seat next to Adam, even sneakily stood up, pretending to get a better look at the photo before changing seats and sitting beside him to block him from the doctor’s view.


    “Are all of you sure?” Dr. Aniston narrowed her eyes, “Our sources and surveillance say that he rode this bus.”


    “Lemme see that again,” Jefferson leaned closer to the image but shook his head again, “Nope, no.”


    Dr. Aniston strode deeper into the bus, her gaze sharp and searching. Jefferson moved to block her path at first, but the moment the Hero in a suit stepped inside, he hesitated—his shoulders stiffening before he silently stepped aside and took a seat.


    Unbothered, the doctor pressed forward, her eyes sweeping over the scavengers one by one.


    And soon, she reached Adam’s aisle.


    “You…” Dr. Aniston’s eyes narrowed further as she saw a scavenger with his hood up, “...Show your face.”


    “Oh, he’s sleeping!” Hans chuckled as he nudged Adam, “I could wake him up, but we sort of drank last night and he’s hammered.”


    “Wake him up, then.” Dr. Aniston placed her hand on the head of the seat.


    “James. Wake up.” Hans shook Adam while making up a fake name to call him, “He’s not—Huh?”


    Hans looked back to the doctor, only for his eyes to widen and his breath to pause for some reason.


    “I am not going to ask again.” The doctor looked at the Hero, gesturing for him to come forward. But something also caught her eye that caused her to pause, “You—Hmm?”


    The Hero was glowing—no.


    Everyone on the bus was glowing.


    “Wait… wait a minute!” Jefferson stood next to the driver’s seat, staring at his hands as they began to glow. Slowly, they dissolved into shimmering particles of light, dancing away from his body like fireflies disappearing into the night.


    “Me!?” He screamed, “Wait, no… since all of us are glowing. Then… the next battlefield’s… it’s right here!? In the city!?”


    “Tell everyone to gather together!” Dr. Aniston and the Hero quickly rushed out of the bus. As for the scavengers, they all had mixed reactions as they watched themselves fade away into light.


    As for Adam, well…


    “No… No. I don’t want to…” He stuttered under his breath. Pathetic. His entire body, trembling in fear and the only thing he could hear was the violent beating of his heart,


    “I don’t want this… I don’t want to suffer. No more… no more pain… please.”


    And with those words, he and everyone within a fifty-mile radius disappeared. Slowly, a Dome appeared in the sky, slowly building until it closed them off from the rest of the world.


    [Get ready for the 242nd Battle! Troops deploying in 1 hour!]


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