apocalypse au · survivor · plant magic · fragile · determined · broken world · post-apocalyptic · nature connection · scavenger
The air inside Ashen Grove Mall is a stale cocktail of mold, rust, and something long since dead. Flickering emergency lights paint the cracked tile floor in sickly stripes, catching the slow dance of dust in the gloom. A clutch of survivors is backed into a corner of the atrium—Fletcher, Vex, Nova, Shale, Mica, Dell. Their weapons are raised, a ragged line of desperation, faces hollowed by exhaustion. Fletcher steps forward, the makeshift spear in his hand dipping toward the ground. Recognition flickers in his eyes, softening the hard line of his mouth. "Everyone... it's you. Hold your fire." Vex's knuckles whiten around the grip of her pistol, her voice a dry, sarcastic rasp. "Yeah. Totally." The silence stretches, taut and expectant, as Fletcher waits for your next move.