Let Go Of Me!

"What the heck was that?" Scarlett muttered, her face scrunched up in confusion. "What's wrong with the sky?"

Instead of the usual prompt from the system, silence greeted her, deepening her frown. Scarlett's eyes flicked toward the sky again, the crimson hue unsettling her more by the second.

"What's wrong with this system?" she whispered to herself, her voice tinged with frustration. She spun toward the echo cemetery gate, intending to enter, but the gate slammed shut right before her eyes.

"Damn it!" Scarlett cursed, her frustration etched into her features. Is the system broken? And why can't I re-enter the cemetery? Her thoughts raced as she paced in place. Why did everything collapse right after I left?

Her gaze drifted back to the blood-red sky, and her stomach churned at the eerie silence that had settled over everything. Where did all those flies disappear to? Fear settled at her insides, and she couldn't shake the unsettling feeling crawling through her veins.

I guess I'll just have to find people who know what's going on, Scarlett thought with a weary sigh, before heading down the desolate street. The silence was deafening. As she walked, her footsteps echoed, yet there wasn't a soul in sight.

This is getting creepy. Scarlett swallowed hard, her heart pounding in her chest. She tugged at her long floral gown, still dressed in the attire she had worn before she was buried. I have to find someone soon.

After walking for what felt like hours, Scarlett finally stumbled upon a supermarket. The system said food from Earth would be available in this world until the apocalypse begins… but once it starts, it's gone, she recalled.

Her stomach growled at the thought. I should grab something to eat. Scarlett's mouth watered as the savory scent of cooked food filled the air. There must be someone inside.

She hurried toward the entrance, her heart lifting slightly. When she stepped inside, her eyes fell upon a group of twenty people huddled around a table, with steaming food spread out before them. Scarlett's eyes widened at the sight, her mouth nearly watering from the delicious aroma of the hotpot.

As she approached, the group sensed her presence and turned to face her. They stared in silence, their eyes narrowing with suspicion.

The first to speak was a burly man with a thick beard. "Who the hell are you?" His voice was gruff, wary. "Didn't we tell everyone? We're not accepting more than twenty people here. Go find another team."

Scarlett's throat tightened. Her gaze was glued to the hotpot. The hunger gnawing at her made her stomach churn, but she forced herself to stay quiet.

"You new here?" a woman with fiery red hair asked, smirking as she sized Scarlett up. "You look new. You don't get it, do you? You've been transported to this world we know nothing about."

"Yes… I just arrived," Scarlett finally replied, her voice trembling as she met the eyes of the burly man and the redhead. "I heard that there's going to be a m..."

Just as she was about to mention the monster apocalypse, her words failed her. She opened her mouth again but felt an invisible force clamp down on her vocal cords.

"I mean, there's a mo..." Scarlett tried again, but nothing came out.

The burly man and the red-haired woman exchanged confused glances before turning back to Scarlett, annoyance flickering across their faces.

What's going on? Scarlett thought in alarm as she cleared her throat, trying to shake off the strange sensation. Why can't I say anything about the apocalypse?

"We get it," the red-haired woman said with a sigh. "You're overwhelmed. It's a lot to take in when you first get here. We were too. This world is… different. No electricity, no cars, no network. It's quieter than death itself." Her voice grew softer, a heavy weight in her tone. "But don't ask me why. We're just as clueless."

They don't know about the apocalypse. Scarlett's mind raced. They have no idea what's coming. They don't know anything here… or on Earth.

"There's a m..." Scarlett tried again, but the words refused to form, no matter how hard she pushed. Her frustration boiled over.

"There's no point in explaining shit to her," the burly man grumbled, his arms crossed over his chest. "She'll figure it out eventually, just like the rest of us."

The red-haired woman shot him an irritated look. "What harm is there in explaining to the newbie?" She turned back to Scarlett, her gaze softening. "Look, there's nothing special about this world. It's not like some paradise. It's just work buildings: a supermarket, police station, court, places like that. None of us own anything here. We just found these buildings when we arrived."

The burly man chimed in again, this time more serious. "Maybe our world got wiped out. Maybe this is all that's left. I don't care. Frankly, I like it better here than the shitty life I had back on Earth."

"Enough with the explanations," a voice interrupted, cold and sharp.

A tall, slim man with a bald head which was tattooed on as well as other parts of his body stood up, and the room seemed to tense around him. The others, including the burly man and the red-haired woman, fell silent, their expressions fearful. Scarlett quickly understood that this man was the leader.

He stepped closer to her, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling look as he ran his gaze over her form. "So...," he began with a smirk, licking his lips, "You want to join our little team?"

Scarlett could feel his gaze crawl across her skin, and she shuddered in disgust. "Yes… I want to be in a team but don't know which one yet," she replied, though frustration still simmered in her tone. Her eyes flicked toward the blood-red sky once more. "But… do any of you see the sky? What color is it?"

The bald man chuckled darkly. "Are you joking, lady?" He reached out, grabbing a fistful of her hair and yanking her toward him. Pain shot through her scalp.

"Let me go!" Scarlett cried, struggling to free herself from his grip. His hold was unrelenting, and instead of releasing her, he slammed her against the table, her chest hitting the surface hard as her back arched unnaturally, her legs sprawled out.

"Be a good girl, and I'll think about letting you join my team." His breath was hot against her ear as he spanked her, his grip tightening on her gown. "It's been a while since I got to do anything nasty, and in this world, I can get away with anything."

'What is he trying to do?' Scarlett thought, her body tensed up in terror.

"Let me go!" she screamed, terror flooding her as she thrashed against him.