Humanity did not fall in a single day.

  It eroded—slowly, carelessly, willingly.

  This is not a story about saving the world.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  The world is already gone.

  What remains lives underground, surrounded by rust, hunger, and faith twisted into weapons. Survival is not heroic here. It is routine. Mercy is a liability. Hope is something people remember, not something they possess.

  This story follows those who endure—not because they are chosen, but because they have no other option.

  If there is meaning left to be found, it will not come without cost.