I Built a Safe Zone in the Dead World

Flooded streets reflected the orange flames of destroyed military vehicles while smoke drifted between shattered buildings. The battlefield had become silent now.

Not peaceful, Terrified, Because something beneath the world had awakened.

The giant underground platform stood open in the center of the ruined city while emergency red lights flashed endlessly from below. Mechanical sirens echoed upward through the darkness while automated warnings repeated across hidden underground sectors.

"Containment breach detected."

"Containment breach detected."

And standing before the entrance— Arata remained completely frozen.

"...He’s calling me."

Silence spread heavily afterward, Akari stared at him immediately. "...What do you mean?"

Arata’s breathing remained unstable while black energy flickered around his body violently. The dark markings had spread farther across his neck now while the system warnings continued flashing endlessly before his eyes.

[Synchronization Rate: 79%]

[Primary Host Resonance Increasing]

[Warning: Emotional Stability Critical]

But none of that mattered right now, Because he heard it clearly, That voice, His father’s voice, Calling him from somewhere deep underground, Lucien slowly narrowed his golden eyes afterward. "...Interesting."

Ren’s expression remained colder than ever now. "...This is worse than I expected."

Yuna immediately looked between everyone aggressively. "Can somebody please start explaining these things before my brain dies. "

Reina smirked slightly beside her. "Honestly I’m just enjoying the chaos now."

"You scare me emotionally."

Meanwhile the underground city continued shaking violently beneath them.

Booooooooom!! Something enormous slammed against lower containment walls again.

Even Tyrant-01 stepped backward slightly afterward, That alone terrified the military soldiers nearby, Because if something could frighten a monster like Tyrant-01— Then what exactly existed below the city?

The white-haired Eden operative immediately activated communication devices again. "Lower sectors completely lost! Evacuation teams failing!"

Ren looked toward the underground entrance silently afterward, Then finally— He spoke the truth.

"...Alpha is the first synchronized human."

Silence, Rain continued falling softly around the battlefield, Then Yuna slowly blinked once. "...I’m sorry what?"

Ren’s gray eyes shifted toward Arata afterward.

"Before the system spread across humanity..." A brief pause followed. "...there was only one subject."

Arata’s heartbeat became unstable instantly.

The system flickered violently again, Fragments surfaced through his mind, A giant laboratory chamber.

A man suspended inside dark liquid. Black markings covering his entire body.Machines connected directly into his spine, Scientists screaming while alarms echoed, Then his father shouting desperately:

"Stop the synchronization transfer!"

Another voice answered calmly:

"We already crossed the point of return."

Pain exploded through Arata’s head again afterward, He staggered violently.

Akari instantly held him before he collapsed. "Arata!"

His breathing became uneven.

"...I remember him..."

Everyone immediately looked toward him, Even Ren, Arata slowly stared toward the underground darkness afterward while rainwater dripped from his hair.

"There was someone inside the chamber." His voice shook slightly. "Someone they called Alpha."

Silence followed, Then Lucien quietly smiled afterward.

"So the memory locks are finally breaking."

Akari immediately glared toward him. "...How much do you know?" Lucien’s expression remained unreadable.

"Enough."

"That’s not an answer."

"No." His golden eyes shifted toward the underground city afterward. "But it’s the only one you’ll get for now."

Yuna instantly pointed aggressively. "I officially hate mysterious people."

Kaede calmly nodded beside her. "...Understandable."

Meanwhile Tyrant-01 suddenly turned toward the underground entrance again. Its glowing eyes flickered strangely afterward.

"...Alpha awakening accelerating."

Then the giant armored monster slowly looked toward Arata again.

"...Original host required."

Arata frowned slightly. "...Why me?"

Silence followed briefly, Then Tyrant-01 answered:

"...Because Alpha recognizes your genetic signal."

The world stopped again, Akari’s eyes widened instantly, Ren’s expression darkened slightly, Even Lucien became silent, Meanwhile Arata’s heartbeat pounded violently inside his chest. Genetic signal, His father, The experiments.

Then suddenly—The horrifying possibility appeared inside his mind.

"...Alpha..." His voice became quieter afterward. "...Who is he?"

Nobody answered immediately, Then Ren finally spoke.

"...Your older brother."

Silence consumed the battlefield, Absolute silence.

Akari slowly looked toward Arata afterward.

Yuna’s mouth opened slightly. "...He had a brother "

Reina’s smile disappeared completely for the first time..Meanwhile Arata himself froze entirely, Brother? He never had a brother.

At least— That’s what he believed his entire life.

The system exploded violently before his vision afterward.

[Memory Seal Breaking]

Pain tore through his mind instantly.Then memories flooded back.A small boy smiling beside him, Black hair, Warm eyes.

Playing together inside a laboratory garden.

"Arata, catch me!"

Laughter, Then another memory, The same boy screaming violently inside a containment chamber while black markings spread across his body unnaturally.Scientists holding his father back. Machines overloading, Then blood, So much blood.

Arata collapsed onto one knee afterward while holding his head.

"...No..."

Akari immediately knelt beside him. "Arata!"

Tears mixed with rainwater across his face while fragmented memories continued destroying the seals inside his mind.

A child’s voice screaming:

"It hurts!"

His father crying desperately:

"Please stop the experiment!"

Then Lucien’s cold voice answering:

"Synchronization compatibility confirmed."

Arata’s breathing became unstable afterward.

Because suddenly—Everything connected.

The system, The experiments, The synchronization,vHis brother was the first test subject, The first synchronized human, Alpha.

And somehow , Still alive underground. The realization shattered something inside him.

Akari held him tightly afterward despite the dark energy flickering violently around his body.

"It’s okay."

"No it’s not."

His voice sounded broken now, Because honestly— Nothing about this was okay.

Meanwhile Lucien quietly observed him afterward, Then softly spoke:

"Your father tried saving him."

Arata immediately looked up aggressively.

Lucien continued calmly despite the hostility.

"The synchronization corrupted Alpha beyond control." His expression darkened slightly afterward. "Your father sealed him underground after the first outbreak."

Ren quietly added afterward:

"And Eden was created afterward to guard the containment facility permanently."

Yuna stared blankly. "...So the apocalypse literally started because scientists experimented on Arata’s brother?"

Silence.

Nobody denied it.

Yuna slowly held her head afterward. "...Humanity is unbelievably stupid."

Kaede calmly answered beside her. "...Historically accurate."

Suddenly- boooooooom!! A massive shockwave erupted from below the city.

The underground platform shook violently while several lower support pillars cracked apart.Then screams echoed upward from beneath the underground city, Real screams.

Human screams, One Eden operative shouted into communications desperately afterward:

"Alpha breached Sector Eight!"

Another voice screamed through static:

"He’s killing everyone!"

The communication abruptly died afterward, Silence followed instantly, Even Ren’s expression hardened further now.

"...Too late."

Then suddenly— The voice echoed again, Inside Arata’s mind, Soft, Distorted, Lonely.

"...Arata..."

His blood ran cold instantly, Because now—

The voice sounded emotional, Not monstrous, Not evil, Sad.

Like someone trapped alone for years.

Akari immediately noticed his expression changing. "You hear him again?"

Arata slowly nodded afterward.

"...He sounds..." Silence followed briefly. "...alone."

Nobody spoke for several seconds.

Then Tyrant-01 suddenly knelt again before Arata.

"...Creator requests immediate descent."

Lucien stepped forward instantly afterward. "No."

Black energy erupted around him violently while the battlefield pressure intensified immediately.

"He’s not going underground with Eden."

Ren calmly answered:

"You don’t have authority anymore."

Lucien smiled faintly afterward. "...I never needed authority."

Then suddenly— Black Flag forces attacked.

Hidden enhanced soldiers emerged from surrounding ruins instantly while explosions erupted across military positions.

Boooooooooom!booooooooom!

Chaos returned immediately afterward.

Gunfire exploded across the battlefield while Black Flag soldiers charged toward the underground platform, Lucien moved simultaneously, Too fast.

Black energy constructs ripped through Eden formations while military soldiers scattered desperately, Ren’s expression became cold instantly.

"...Protect the original host."

Eden operatives activated silver weapons immediately while defensive barriers formed around Arata’s group.

The battlefield descended into war again.

But this time— Humans fought humans entirely, The infected no longer mattered.

Yuna ducked behind destroyed concrete while firing continuously afterward. "Why can’t just people talk normally?."

Reina dashed directly into Black Flag soldiers with terrifying excitement while spinning both blades violently. "Because violence is faster!"

"That is psychologically concerning!"

Meanwhile Akari stayed beside Arata protectively while explosions illuminated the battlefield around them.

Arata barely noticed any of it.

Because the voice inside his mind kept growing clearer.

"...Arata..."

Then another memory surfaced instantly.

Young Arata crying while holding his brother’s hand through containment glass.

"Will you come home soon?"

His older brother smiled weakly despite the black markings covering his body.

"...I’ll always protect you."

Pain hit harder afterward, Because now—Arata remembered everything.

His brother volunteered for the experiments first, To protect him, To save humanity.And the world destroyed him for it.

The black energy around Arata exploded violently afterward.

BOOOOOOOOM!!

The flooded streets cracked apart while everyone nearby froze briefly.

The synchronization surged.

80%.

The system warnings became red instantly.

[CRITICAL THRESHOLD REACHED]

[Synchronization Exceeding Safe Limits]

Akari’s face lost color immediately. "Arata!"

His eyes had changed again.

Darker.

More unstable.

The black markings spread across half his face now while distorted energy twisted around his body violently.

Even Ren looked alarmed.

"...Impossible."

Lucien immediately noticed too.

Then softly smiled.

"The original is awakening."

Arata’s breathing became rough afterward while voices screamed inside his mind endlessly, Memories, Pain, Fear, Rage.

Everything mixing together, Then suddenly—

Akari slapped him.

Silence froze briefly afterward.

Even Yuna stopped shooting momentarily. "...Damn."

Akari’s eyes trembled slightly while staring directly at him.

"Stay here."

Arata froze.Rain fell softly around them while explosions echoed distantly.

Akari grabbed his face afterward despite the terrifying energy surrounding him.

"You promised me."

Her voice shook slightly now.

"You promised you wouldn’t disappear." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Silence.

The darkness around him trembled.

Because somehow—Her words reached deeper than the system itself.

Arata slowly looked toward her afterward.

Then finally— The synchronization stabilized slightly.

The black energy weakened enough for his eyes to return normal again.Everyone nearby stared silently. Even Ren looked shocked.

Because Akari had just done something advanced Eden technology couldn’t accomplish.

She brought him back emotionally.Lucien quietly whispered afterward:

"...Fascinating."

Meanwhile beneath the city— Something roared.

The sound shook the entire underground platform violently.

Then suddenly— A figure slowly emerged from the darkness below, Human-shaped.

Covered entirely in black markings.

Long black hair, Barefoot, Wearing torn hospital clothing.

His glowing eyes locked directly onto Arata.

Silence consumed the battlefield instantly.

The figure slowly smiled afterward, Warmly,

Sadly.

"...You grew up, little brother."