Collapse phase

The world didn’t collapse with a deafening roar — it simply became… unreal.

The wind lazily stirred my hair, while the silence I had always loved turned into the most terrifying sound imaginable. Absolute. Sterile. Hanging over streets that had still been alive yesterday.

My heartbeat stayed strangely steady, though I doubted it would last much longer.

I brushed my pale bangs behind my ear out of habit.

One beat.

Another.

Another.

Again.

My fingers tightened around the strands until my knuckles went white.

“No… please… no… this is a dream… I dreamed this…”

The whisper cracked apart into a broken whine. My vision blurred with tears. My knees nearly gave out beneath me.

A ragged breath escaped my throat, loud as a gunshot in the empty street.

The world lurched sideways, melting into something grotesque, like a filthy kaleidoscope. Heat crawled up my throat — thick and nauseating — forcing me to swallow bitter saliva against violent waves of sickness.

I sank to the still-warm asphalt.

Something cold twisted deep inside my chest, winding tighter and tighter. My emotions no longer fit inside me. They pressed against my ribs, crawled up my throat, leaving behind a sharp acidic taste.

My fingers scraped uselessly against the rough pavement, searching for something to hold onto.

My body convulsed painfully, but only a hoarse, broken sound escaped me.

My stomach twisted violently, trying to empty itself of pure nothingness.

Nothing came out.

Only warm saliva dripped from my lips, triggering another spasm from sheer disgust at myself.

Then my gaze caught on a familiar head lying nearby.

Everything else disappeared.

One thought remained. Stupid. Obsessive.

He’s here.

My pupils widened for a split second before I stumbled to my feet, nearly tripping over myself as I staggered toward the body and collapsed beside it.

My hands grabbed his face—

The skin shifted unnaturally beneath my touch, almost sliding apart.

Ice flooded through me.

I recoiled instantly, squeezing my eyes shut.

“No… no… this is… fuck… say something? Hey—”

My words dissolved into choking sobs.

### One Year Earlier

“Lan! I’m leaving for work!”

Dad’s voice echoed through the apartment just before the front door slammed shut.

“Yeah…” I shouted back lazily, sitting up on the couch and rubbing my eyes. “Kira, c’mon, let’s watch cartoons.”

Favoring my right leg slightly, I limped toward the bathroom, glancing at my three-year-old sister.

“No! I want snacks!” she whined.

A tired sigh slipped out of me.

“Snacks, huh… Give me a minute, bunny. I’ll make something soon.”

Barely suppressing a groan of irritation, I wandered into the kitchen and flicked on the kettle.

A little while later, after washing up and dragging myself fully awake, I dropped into a chair and curled my legs beneath me while lazily scrolling through my phone. My brain was still refusing to process information properly.

Hm?

I tilted my head slightly, frowning.

“New bill proposal…”

“Weekend weather forecast…”

Then my eyes caught on a strange headline.

**“Mass hysteria or anomaly? A series of unexplained flashes of light reported in the suburbs. Police urge citizens to remain calm.”**

“What the hell is this…?” I muttered skeptically while skimming through the article.

But my attention didn’t stay there for long.

Kira came running in with excited squeals, proudly showing off the supplies she’d “found.”

More specifically, my chips.

The ones I had hidden from her so I could eat them alone later.

She’s fucking doing this on purpose.

“Kira, why are you digging through my stuff?” I snapped, irritation slipping naturally into my voice.

“Open it!” she demanded, already trying to tear the bag apart herself.

My fingers pressed against the bridge of my nose.

God, she was annoying.

Realizing arguing would cost more nerves than it was worth, I snatched the bag from her hands and ripped it open.

Crunching filled the kitchen as she sprinted back and forth between me and the living room, where Dad had turned cartoons on for her before leaving.

I opened the fridge, grabbed yesterday’s potatoes, dumped them onto a plate, and shoved it into the microwave.

The second my fingers touched the cord to adjust it, electricity shot violently through my hand.

A dry click echoed through the apartment.

The TV in the other room died instantly.

“I’m scared!” Kira yelped, immediately running toward me in panic.

“It’s okay, bunny. The breakers probably tripped… I think.”

Another sigh.

I’d already lost count of how many times I’d sighed that morning alone.

I headed toward the electrical panel while tiny hurried footsteps followed behind me.

“Breakers?” Kira repeated blankly, clearly having no idea what I was talking about.

“Yeah. Breakers…”

Frowning, I opened the panel.

What the fuck…?

Everything looked fine.

This made no sense.

I flipped the switch.

Silence.

Again.

Nothing.

A quiet sniffle came from the other room, but I couldn’t move.

I was staring at my fingers.

The skin where I’d touched the wire wasn’t burned.

If anything, it was the opposite.

A faint bluish glow shimmered across my fingertips — almost invisible, but unmistakable.

Just like the flashes from the news article.

I rubbed at them instinctively.

The light vanished.

…Okay. Weird. Must’ve imagined it.

The world hadn’t fallen apart yet.

But it had definitely started to crack.

General Setting:

This story is set in a contemporary Russian urban environment (specifically within the "sleeping districts" of a large city). The characters' daily lives, legal age requirements, and social norms reflect this reality. To preserve the authentic "soul" and atmosphere of the setting, some local terms and concepts are kept in their original form.

What to Expect:

Atmosphere: A blend of Urban Fantasy and Slow Burn Horror. Expect a bleak, gritty, and sometimes visceral atmosphere where horror is woven into the mundane details of everyday life.

Cultural Context: You will encounter references to Russian ID systems (Internal Passports), specific retail culture, and local urban legends.

Language & Footnotes: I have included detailed footnotes at the end of each chapter to explain cultural nuances, slang, and specific Russian references (like the names of stores or popular songs).

Content Warning: The story features themes of smoking, casual substance use, and intense physical/physiological descriptions.