The iron plates vibrated beneath his thick soles as he stepped, desert lizards crawling beneath the plates. The sun bakes the Earth's surface, hot enough to make any human body smell burnt.

The nearest convenience store is still a kilometer away. Even that is no guarantee that the place will survive the solar storm a year ago. All the buildings were eroding from their foundations, dirty crusts crawling like ringworm on the concrete walls. An electric pole is arched across the roadside. Right at the top hangs a rusty van..

Ervan was aware of the piercing gazes on his broad back from all the buildings. The hungry eyes from behind the rubble did not intimidate him. They are nothing, Ervan thought to himself. Tightening his grip on his worn backpack, trying to walk steadily as if there was nothing on the rubble sticking out like a web of hard traps.

Ervan swallowed his own saliva and looked at the water bag tied to his waist. He had finished his last ration of water a few hours ago. There was nothing left for now. He really regretted not bringing more water back then.

His lips were horribly dry, she licked her bottom lip hoping to make it less bad. But all he got was the stinging pain from the cuts on his bleeding lips.

At least I can survive even though I'm really tired, Ervan sighed. If last year's solar storm had not occurred and scorched almost the entire surface of the Earth and caused humans to mutate, they would still have food supplies. Ervan doesn't need to explore and spend all day scavenging for food in his city. He didn't have to go through the trouble of fighting for water and risking his life with the remains of other humans.

Last year, he never thought how the world would end. At that time, he was practicing shooting at a military camp. Ervan did not remember what he did after the training.

The sickening sound of gunfire and the screams of their superiors echoed through the military camp. At lunch time Ervan joined the other troops. He placed his lunch tray on the table with a small thud.

Just as he was about to put the piece of bread into his mouth, the light above his head suddenly went out, followed by several troops gasping in surprise, several tables being pushed suddenly, and the cafeteria door slamming shut. Then, murmurs of surprise filled the previously silent military canteen for a moment.

other colors. However, it was always the eerie green that lasted longer. Every now and then, the green curtain would sparkle beautifully. It rippled as if there was invisible water floating in the sky.

Ervan slapped himself. The aurora was still there. Ervan tried to digest the phenomenon in front of him.

Suddenly, the electric pole at the end of the camp road exploded with a deafening sound. The troops who were watching retreated in shock. At a glance, Ervan could see static electricity flowing on the cable. Not long after, the next electric pole also exploded.

The soldiers were in disarray. Ervan was confused. The beautiful phenomenon had now turned into everyone's nightmare. Extreme heat hit the military camp canteen, coming in through open windows, and knocking down several soldiers for no reason.

The floor shook sending strong vibrations throughout the canteen. The surviving soldiers ran in random directions. The lights suddenly came on, but went out again in less than 5 seconds.

Ervan no longer cared about his lunch. He had to survive. This disaster would only last for a short time, surely. He had to find shelter, but where?

The floor beneath his feet exploded. Ervan was thrown against the wall. His body was soaked by the water gushing from the blast hole. Then, a sharp smell hit him. So sharp that it stung his sense of smell, making his sinuses flare up.

More explosions were heard from all directions, exploding at an irregular tempo. Each explosion weakened the foundation of the camp canteen. Everywhere there was the sound of floors or walls breaking. Soldiers screaming. Also, other noises that Ervan couldn't guess the cause of.

The city was destroyed in a day. Almost no one was able to survive the days after the peak of the solar storm. Everyone lost their water source, radiation emanates from all directions, the Earth's temperature increases drastically, and the human body's defense system weakens.

This disaster also brought about an epidemic of disease, a virus completely untouched by humans, attacking millions of the Earth's population. Some people are able to survive, but not for long. The virus eats away at their bodies. Only a few are truly spared from the virus, Rarang and Galuh miraculously included. People call this group the Invulnerable Humans.

At that time, being immune to the virus was an incredible gift that humans could get after the solar storm. However, for now, Ervan doesn't care about his title as the Immune human. _______________________________________

The department store lost part of its display case. The glass was shattered and scattered along with the concrete outside. On the almost empty display shelves, Ervan could see several empty packages. People had probably looted the store first. Hopes of finding food were dwindling.

""Let's just look for it," whispered Ervan.

They entered through a broken glass frame. The cash register sat on a flat counter, with the cash drawer open. Bunches of once-attractive rupiah bills were left to rot there. The disaster made money equivalent to toilet paper. Who needs money here? When famine and epidemic hit them, the only thing they need is survival.

"Is this edible?” Ervan held up a fat package that was impossible to mistake. The color of the wrapper was probably worn out. A Chiki.