The apartment building stood like a silent monolith among a three-story brick building tucked behind a hardware shop, an abandoned Thai restaurant and overgrown sidewalks. Windows were boarded. The front entrance had been chained shut from the inside.

Rian led them around back.

They ducked through a narrow stairwell with rusted railings and faded graffiti.A side door gave way with a shove.

The hallway inside smelled of dust and burnt wiring.

Devika glanced up the stairwell. “How many people used to live here?”

“Too many,” Rian said. “Not many left now.”

Zara tapped the wall as they climbed. “It’s holding up better than most.”

His unit was on the third floor. No neighbors answered as they passed

As they approached the apartment door, something moved in the shadows.

A teenage boy — around fourteen — jumped out from behind the stairwell, clutching a kitchen knife. His face was streaked with grime, eyes wide with terror.

“Milo?” Rian blinked. “What the hell are you doing here?”

The boy’s hands shook, but when he recognized Rian, he lowered the blade.

“I—I didn’t know where else to go,” Milo said. “My parents didn’t come back. The lights went out. I heard… things.”

Rian exhaled and motioned him toward the stairs. “Stick with us. It’s safer together."

Zara raised an eyebrow. “We sure we want to babysit right now?”

“He can carry his own weight,” Rian replied, stepping aside.

Rian unlocked the door and stepped inside.

Everything was exactly how he’d left it — controlled chaos. Shelves stacked with broken electronics. A workbench cluttered with tools. Half-folded clothes on the couch.

Devika paused at the doorway, eyes scanning the mess. “This explains a lot.”

Rian gave a dry smile. “It’s not much, but it’s safe.”

He triple-locked the apartment door behind them as they entered, his hand lingering on the final latch.

The lights didn’t work, so they moved by the faint glow still flickering from Devika’s fingertips, casting long shadows across the worn hardwood floors and stacked books.

Devika looked down at her hand, both curious and disturbed. “It hasn’t stopped.”

Rian raised an eyebrow. “Still glowing?”

“I’m not doing it on purpose.”

“Maybe your body is.”

“Or maybe the world is,” Devika muttered.

“Whatever it is,” Zara cut in, “can we just find these mystery supplies you promised?”

Rian nodded and crossed to the hallway.

He stepped into a narrow closet and knelt. Behind a false panel, under an old army blanket, was a rusted steel box.

Inside:

A prototype gauntlet made of scavenged alloy plating, wrapped in rubber straps

A flashlight

A small shoulder bag packed with dry rations and bandages

A compact solar charger

He ran a thumb over the gauntlet’s edge. Still unfinished — wires exposed, armor crude — but it had been his first real project after arriving in this city.

He returned to the living room, set the box on the floor, and opened it for the others.

Zara crouched beside it. “This looks like junk.”

“Yeah,” Rian replied. “It is. But it’s useful junk.”

Devika peered at the gauntlet. “That thing looks like it could fry your hand.”

“It almost did once,” Rian replied.

Zara nudged the bag. “And this?”

“Stuff to keep us alive,” Rian said. “Food. Maps. Tools. Not nearly enough.”

Milo, watching from the doorframe, spoke up. “We can find more. If we go east. Toward the ridge.”

Rian gave him a surprised look, then nodded slowly. “Alright. Then that’s our next move.”

He reached down, secured the gauntlet to his belt, and slung the bag over one shoulder.

“Let’s go. Time to figure out what the hell’s going on out there.”

The apartment door closed behind them with a final, quiet click.

End Of Chapter 5