The Ark of Hope
The car moved slowly.
What used to be a twenty-minute drive… took over two hours.
The new gravity turned every turn into a struggle. The steering wheel felt heavy. The engine seemed to fight against the world itself. The children sat silent in the back seat — tired, scared, still trying to understand the new planet they now called home.
🛣️ The Road of the End
The journey became a gallery of horror.
Charred bodies hung from utility poles. People crushed beneath rubble from homes that collapsed like paper. Madmen muttered to themselves. Children wandered aimlessly. Elders sat beside corpses, not knowing what to do… except wait.
Danilo had to swerve past two overturned cars and a body still slowly bleeding.
Kaela gripped her father's hand. Miro cried quietly. Leandro stared into nothingness.
Danilo glanced into the rearview mirror at his three children… and whispered:
— "Thank God… you're with me."
But then, his mind was invaded by memories.
🧠 The Lost Siblings
He remembered his three siblings.
His youngest sister, Viviane, who raised her daughter alone. Strong. Proud. Loving.
His middle brother, José, who revealed his true self after Danilo's divorce — judgmental, distant, cruel.
And the eldest, Gilson, who simply… vanished over time. Calls became rare. Words colder. Excuses frequent.
Danilo felt a lump in his throat.
"Where are they now? And their children?"
But there was no time for reflection. Because finally… they had arrived.
🏚️ The House That Was No Longer a Home
He stopped the car.
Got out on trembling legs. The children followed silently.
The place he once could navigate blindfolded… was now a twisted graveyard.
Shattered homes. Streets consumed by black roots. The air heavier — as if the earth itself was mourning.
They walked through the debris, calling. Shouting names. Desperate.
For a moment… Danilo thought he had lost them.
But then, turning a corner twisted by the madness of planetary expansion, he saw:
A wall.
He recognized the pattern of the stones. The cracks. The old gate.
— "It's here…"
But joy was short-lived.
⚠️ The Fear
Inside, he saw corpses in the living room.
Three bodies huddled together, entangled, as if they had died in each other's arms. Danilo's heart froze. His knees nearly buckled.
Kaela sobbed. Leandro turned away. Miro clutched his father's shirt tightly.
Danilo approached… but they weren't his parents.
— "Thank God…" — he whispered, voice cracking.
They continued the search through the broken home.
Then they heard a low sound.
Something was moving.
An old chest tucked in a corner trembled slightly.
Danilo drew the Sealing Sword. The blade reacted to his will, vibrating with a shadowy glow.
— "Stay behind me."
He approached slowly. His hands trembled. Sweat dripped down his face. He had never killed a creature before.
The Shadow Monarch had done it for him.
But now… it was different.
He gripped the hilt tightly. Raised the blade. Took a deep breath… and yanked the lid open violently.
💔 The Encounter
Screams.
Human screams.
Two bodies, huddled, filthy, trembling, crying out like helpless children.
Danilo's eyes widened. He lowered the sword.
— "Mom… Dad… it's me!"
They froze.
Their eyes lifted, disbelieving. And then… they recognized their son.
— "Dani… Danilinho…" — his mother sobbed, throwing herself into his arms.
His father hugged him too, both trembling like leaves in the wind.
The chest became a refuge of tears.
Kaela joined the embrace. Miro too. Leandro stood still, moved, silently watching the scene.
📖 The Account
Amid sobs, his mother explained:
— "The monsters… they came from everywhere… destroying everything… killing…"
— "We ran… locked ourselves in here… saw children die, adults begging… we thought… it would all end here."
— "And then… that voice spoke in our heads… and the monsters… they left."
— "But… the world changed. The street vanished. The houses… turned strange… we were trapped here… thinking…"
She couldn't stop crying.
Danilo's father gripped his son's shoulder tightly.
— "I thought I'd never see you again, son. Never again…"
Danilo hugged them with everything he had.
And for the first time since the world ended… he cried too.