The dawn bathed the bastion in a warm, soft light.The southern wind, fresh and revitalizing, stirred the improvised flags waving atop the watchtowers.One year.
Exactly one year had passed since the entity's voice echoed across the sky—and since then, the world had changed forever.
Yet inside the bastion, life found ways to persist.
Training began at first light.The sound of firm footsteps, training swords striking wooden dummies, and sharp commands filled the air.The younger ones practiced basic maneuvers while the adults perfected formation tactics.
In one of the main courtyards, a particularly heartwarming scene unfolded.
Matthew, now taller and more agile than ever, ran laughing among several other children.At his side, inseparable, ran Apolo and Maya—their massive bodies, 1.7 and 1.5 meters tall respectively, full of energy and vitality.
Amélie, now a year and a half old, toddled after them, her tiny arms stretched out, trying to catch up to her older brothers and their guardians.
—"Apolo, come here!"—Matthew shouted, pretending to be a commander leading a drill.
Apolo barked once, a powerful but friendly sound, and circled protectively around Amélie to ensure she didn't trip.
Maya, ever watchful, made small playful hops in front of the children, drawing bursts of laughter.
A group of adults—including Victoria and Alan—watched from a distance, smiling with a mixture of tenderness and pride.
—"Look at them,"—Victoria whispered—"No matter how broken the world is... they still find reasons to laugh."
Rob, leaning against one of the columns, observed in silence.His gaze was soft, but deep inside, he knew that this peace was fragile.The outside world was still a hungry monster.
While training continued, elsewhere in the bastion, the new residents—those who had been taken in after surviving nearby catastrophes—were conversing animatedly.
—"I can't believe it's been a year,"—said Javiera, a young woman who had shown great skill in basic healing.
—"What's important is that we're here,"—replied Tomás, a former mechanic now leading one of the construction groups—"And that we have something worth fighting for."
—"Yes,"—added Lucía, another newcomer—"After what happened with Frank... no one doubts the rules now."
A brief, heavy silence fell between them.No more words were needed.Frank's betrayal—and his immediate punishment—had become a solemn warning and lesson for all.
Rob walked past them at that moment, greeting them with a slight nod.The looks he received in return were filled with genuine respect.
This was his bastion.His home.
Life in the bastion, though hard, had forged a strong and committed community.
The Fall of Frank
Frank, a 21-year-old who had arrived months earlier, had always shown signs of arrogance, egocentrism, and a dangerous attitude.Many avoided him, but no one imagined he would dare break the Sacred Code.
One quiet afternoon, while maintenance work was underway, a heart-wrenching scream shattered the calm.
—"Help! Someone, please!"—It was Javiera.
Several members rushed to the source, finding Javiera crying inconsolably while Frank was restrained by two warriors.
Rob arrived almost immediately.
—"What happened?"—he asked, his voice as sharp as a blade.
Through tears, Javiera explained the attempted assault.There was no doubt.And the Survival System, silent witness to all sealed contracts, acted instantly.
A red mark appeared on Frank's chest, glowing like a burning sun.A second later, his body collapsed—lifeless.
Automatic death.Swift and just.
The entire bastion fell into stunned silence.-Fear.-Sadness.-Anger.
But amid the shock, something deeper emerged:An invisible, unbreakable bond of unity.
The people embraced Javiera, crying with her.It was not just her pain—it was everyone's.
That night, under the broken sky, Rob gathered the entire community in the central square.
Standing atop an improvised platform, illuminated by the main torch, Rob spoke in a voice that cut through the darkness:
—"Today we witnessed the worst face of humanity... but also its just end.Here, in this bastion, there is no place for betrayal.No place for abuse.Here, we protect—not harm.Here, we build—not destroy.Here, we love—not betray."
—"Each one of you is the living hope of humanity.Each one of you carries the future of thousands still fighting in the darkness."
—"Today, we do not mourn a traitor.Today, we reaffirm our oath: to fight together, live together, and if necessary, die together—but never betray each other."
—"We are family.We are the Last Human Bastion.And nothing and no one will break us!"
A roar of cheers and applause erupted from the crowd.Tears of pain, yes—but also of strength and conviction.
That night, beneath the shattered stars, the bastion did not just survive:It was reborn stronger than ever.
The Rise of Apolo and Maya
The growth of Apolo and Maya did not go unnoticed.
Once loyal guardians, they had now become majestic and formidable creatures.
Apolo, 1.7 meters tall at the shoulder, had a dark coat like the night—dense and gleaming.
Maya, lighter but equally impressive at 1.5 meters, had a pearly white coat that seemed to glow under the moonlight.
Their special diet—mutated beast meat, fortified marrow, and low-level energy crystals—had triggered positive mutations in their bodies.
But it wasn't just physical evolution.
One morning, Rob decided to check Apolo and Maya's status panels using his Survival System interface.
What he saw left him speechless:
Apolo:
-Level: F+
-Ability: Darkness (able to move through shadows and even become intangible for a few seconds)
-Status: Evolving
Maya:
-Level: F+
-Ability: Light (able to emit blinding flashes and strengthen nearby allies)
-Status: Evolving
Rob smiled in amazement.
—"They're more than just guardians,"—he murmured—"They're warriors in their own right."
That same afternoon, Rob launched the Special Training Program for Apolo and Maya.
Agility sessions, endurance drills, coordinated attack tactics, even enemy recognition exercises.
Apolo quickly showed himself to be a natural strategist, anticipating combat movements and protecting the weaker without needing commands.
Maya, in turn, became a beacon of support—inspiring courage in children, illuminating dark areas during night patrols, and soothing the wounded with her mere presence.
Together, they quickly became living legends within the bastion.
Children ran to hug them every morning.Adults, in respectful whispers, began to call them "The Twins of Dawn and Dusk."
And Rob...Rob felt an indescribable paternal pride.
In a world seemingly made only for destruction, Apolo and Maya were living proof that miracles could still be created.
It began with a subtle tremor in the ground—barely noticeable but enough to make Rob frown.
Minutes later, Alan came running from the watchtower.
—"Massive movement to the northwest!"—he shouted, waving a red emergency flag.
Rob needed no further information.
The Maximum Defense Protocol was immediately activated.
—"To your positions! Everyone!"—Rob's voice thundered across the bastion.
The community responded as one:
Attack squads deployed in flexible formations.
Defenders manned the inner and outer walls.
Healers, led by Victoria, prepared their aid stations.
Scouts formed rescue squads to respond to potential breaches.
The main gates were locked, reinforced with tempered steel structures.
From the walls, the view was terrifying:A rising cloud of dust, punctuated by roars, screeches, and the thunderous rumble of hundreds of pounding feet.
Matthew knelt beside Amélie, who watched the commotion with wide, innocent eyes.Apolo and Maya stood tense but alert.
Matthew took his little sister's hands and said firmly but sweetly:
—"I promise you, Amélie... whatever happens, I'll protect you. Always."
Amélie smiled, as if she understood, and gently touched Matthew's forehead.
For a moment, all fear vanished.
Apolo and Maya took position beside him—a living shield.A silent vow of absolute protection.
The Battle Begins
The first impact struck like thunder.
Beasts crashed against the walls of the bastion with savage violence.The ground trembled.The walls groaned.The air filled with screams, roars, and the echo of alarm horns.
—"HOLD YOUR POSITIONS!"—Rob roared from the command tower.
Arrows flew.
Spears pierced mutated flesh.
Minor explosions scattered dense enemy formations.
Through the chaos, Matthew moved like lightning.Using his Swift Steps ability, he raced through breaches, saving the wounded and distracting beasts approaching the healers.
Apolo and Maya fought at his side, relentless forces of shadow and light.
Parts of the walls began to buckle, but the bastion held.
Victoria led the healers, rushing among the injured, her Holy Healing ability saving lives.
Rob, high above, couldn't tear his eyes away from Matthew.
Pride—and pain—tore through him.
—"It's too soon..."—he muttered—"Too soon for him to carry the weight of the world."
But there was no other choice.Childhood had been sacrificed on the altar of survival.
Rob clenched his fists.
"If the price for a new dawn is the blood of our children, then I'll fight with every breath to build a world where they can laugh again."
When the first lines began to break, a monstrous roar shook the battlefield.
From the dust and corpses, a C-rank mutated beast emerged.
A hulking mass of bone plates and hypertrophied muscles.Red eyes like burning coals.Claws sharp enough to pierce steel.
—"C-Rank Beast!"—Alan shouted from the towers.
Panic spread.
Rob didn't hesitate.
He leapt from the wall, landing like a meteor in front of the creature.
The clash was brutal.
The beast struck with devastating force.
Rob dodged and counterattacked, seeking weak points.
He activated "Assimilation" at full power, absorbing energy from the surroundings to sustain himself.
Minutes dragged on like hours.
Rob was slammed into a wall, armor torn, blood on his forehead.
But he stood up.
—"I won't fall... not today,"—he growled.
Everyone watched—hearts pounding.
Apolo and Maya howled, lending him their strength.
Rob waited for the perfect moment.
When the beast lunged, exposing its defense, Rob gathered all his absorbed energy into a single, decisive strike—to the base of the skull.
A sharp crack echoed across the field.
The beast convulsed—and fell.
Silence.
For one eternal second, the world stood still.
Then, a collective roar erupted:
—"ROB! ROB! ROB!"
Tears, cheers, shouts of pure, raw emotion.
Rob knelt beside the beast's corpse, exhausted but victorious.
He hadn't reached C-rank yet—but he was close.Very close.
He slowly raised his fist to the broken sky.
"This is just the first step.There's still a whole world to save."
The bastion, his people, his family...survived another day.
And the Silent Storm... had only just begun.