Chapter 2 - Apocalypse

Zane strode ahead to catch a glimpse of the person walking in front of him. As he turned to face her, he was struck by her stunning beauty. Her sparkling blue eyes and well-structured face were captivating. Zane felt compelled to talk to her.

"Hi, I'm Zane. What's your name?" he asked.

"I'm Iris. Nice to meet you, Zane." she replied with a smile.

"Are you new here? I haven't seen you before."

"Yes, it's my first day."

Zane couldn't help but notice her luscious hair.

"Is your hair naturally that color or did you dye it?"

"It's natural. My parents always told me it was a blessing and that it would make all the boys fall for me." Iris said, chuckling softly.

"Well, they weren't wrong. You're stunning with that hair."

"Thank you, that's really nice of you to say."

"So, what type of guys do you like?" Zane asked.

Iris clasped her hands together and looked down, hesitating for a moment.

"Well, there is one guy in particular that I really like. His name is Ray. He's always full of energy and enthusiasm. He's always telling me nice things and he has the most infectious smile. I spoke to him earlier today."

She looked back up at Zane.

"I'm not very experienced when it comes to relationships, so I'm a bit nervous. But, I still think Ray is cute and I really like him."

Zane was pleasantly surprised to hear that Iris had a crush on his friend Ray.

"You know, Ray is actually a good friend of mine. I spoke to him earlier."

Iris's eyes light up with excitement.

"Really? That's wonderful to know. By the way, Ray and I are planning to hang out at the lake right after school. It would be great if you joined us. And, since you're friends with him, we can all chat together and enjoy the scenery." she suggested with a smile.

Zane was intrigued by the idea.

"Sure, I'm down."

****

Later that day, as Zane strolled down the pathway, a row of trees lined the left while a vast, shimmering lake stretched out to the right. In the distance, he could see a dock extending out into the water, where two figures were perched at the end. As he drew closer, he recognized the familiar faces of Iris and Ray.

Approaching them, both turned to face Zane with welcoming smiles.

"Hey Zane, great to see you!" Ray greeted him.

"Hey." Zane replied.

Zane took a seat beside Iris, his legs dangling over the edge of the dock. The trio sat in companionable silence, taking in the serene surroundings of the lake with its tranquil waters, verdant trees, and melodic bird songs.

"Isn't this just perfect?" Iris mused dreamily. "No stress, no worries, just us enjoying nature together."

Ray smiled at her, his eyes sparkling with happiness.

"Yes it is. Just three friends hanging out. Nothing can possibly go wrong."

Suddenly, a deafening noise shattered the peaceful atmosphere, causing everyone to jump in alarm.

"What the...what was that?!" Ray exclaimed.

As they looked behind them in horror, a massive rift tore open in the sky, emanating an intense orange glow. More noises erupted as the rift expanded, and a large figure descended from within it, landing with a ground-shaking thud.

"What the heck?!" Zane shouted.

Suddenly, a small dog-sized humanoid figure emerged from the trees. It had sharp teeth, sharp claws, green skin, and no hair, crawling on all fours, making a loud screeching noise.

The creature approached Iris, and she began to run away from it.

"Damn you! Get away from her!" Ray grabbed a hand-sized rock and charged towards the creature.

"Aaaaghh!" he screamed as he ran towards it.

The creature began to charge at him. Ray prepared to strike the creature with the rock, and as it got closer, he struck its head with all his might. The rock pierced through the creature's head, and it screamed in pain before becoming motionless.

More rifts begin to tear open one after another. The deafening sound of explosions echoes across the lake, as if the world is tearing apart. Zane can feel his heart racing as he watches creatures of all shapes and sizes descending from the sky.

Ray walked over to Iris who was sitting on the ground, breathing heavily with fear etched across her face.

"Hey, are you alright?" Ray asked, concerned.

"Um.. I don't know… I… I'm scared. I don't know what's happening. Is this.. the end of the world? Are we going to die here? I don't want to die. I don't want to.."

Tears began to stream down her face. Ray knelt down beside her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Listen, I don't know if we will survive. We may indeed be witnessing the end of the world. But don't worry, because maybe if we do die, we will reincarnate into some cool fantasy world like in all those shows. I believe we will reincarnate for sure. We might even see each other again if we reincarnate together."

Iris continued to cry.

"I'm still scared... I still don't want to die."

Ray wiped away some of her tears with his fingers and pulled her into a comforting hug. Zane watched on, afraid but unable to ignore the intimate moment between Iris and Ray.

"It's okay, let's hope that whatever god exists in this universe has good plans for us both. Just try to calm yourself." Ray said soothingly.

Suddenly, thunderous footsteps begin to echo through the forest. They become louder and louder, sending shivers down everyone's spine. Iris sobs louder, her body trembling with fear, but Ray holds her even tighter, trying to provide some comfort in the midst of the chaos.

A massive creature bursts through the trees. The creature towers over them, standing on two legs. Its skin is black, and its long wolf-like snout is filled with razor-sharp teeth. Its sharp claws glint menacingly in the light. The creature is at least two and a half times the size of a normal human being. It lets out a deafening roar, causing Zane to freeze in terror.

Panic sets in and Zane tries to run away, but the creature is too quick. With one swift movement, it slices through him with its claws. Zane feels an intense pain coursing through his body, and then everything goes black. He is dead.