Alexander awoke feeling like a new man.

  He opened his eyes, feeling no fatigue. His body felt light; he felt like he could jump out of bed and lift a truck.

  He turned his head.

  Fenrir lay curled at the far end of the room, occupying the space where a dresser used to be. His massive body was folded tight, ribs rising and falling slowly. One eye slit open when Alexander stirred, tracked him for a second, then closed again. The demon did not move otherwise.

  Then, he remembered that his home was now a refugee camp. Maybe they needed something.

  He reached for the tiny water bottle by his bedside, drank a sip of water, and leapt to his feet.

  The main system users were staying in his living room. He pushed the door, finding it empty. Sean wasn't on his deck working on his own laptop. The rest of the place was neatly organized. Blankets had been folded on the long sofa, and two sleeping bags rolled into a corner where Sean and Thomas had been sleeping.

  Voices, however, echoed downstairs. Too many to follow distinctly.

  He walked down the staircase, reaching the gym. Sleeping bags and blankets covered every open space, laid out in rows between exercise equipment. The survivors huddled in family groups, where the parents kept children close. Singles clustered near the walls, faces hollow with exhaustion. The air smelled like sweat and too many people in a crowded place.

  Sofia had a crayon clenched in her fist and was bent over a torn sheet of printer paper.

  Alexander stopped just inside the gym, and the little girl looked up.

  Her face split into a grin, she slid off the bench and ran to him. She hit his legs and wrapped her arms around his waist.

  "Mr. Alexander! You're back," she said.

  He froze for half a second, then crouched and put his hands on her shoulders.

  "I'm back," he said. "Hey. Easy."

  He scanned her face. She smiled as if nothing in the world had changed.

  "You okay?" he asked.

  She nodded immediately.

  "I'm drawing," she said, pulling away and holding up the paper. It was a mess of lines and circles, bright colors layered on top of each other. There were no monsters, no demons, no blood.

  "That's good," Alex said. "What is it?"

  "A house," she said. "With everyone in it."

  He was relieved that she wasn't frozen in fear. But... how could that be? He'd heard this kind of denial could be a possible reaction. After all, the trusted adults were there, and she was apparently safe.

  She wasn't even asking about her parents anymore.

  Alex could only hope that she could really keep smiling. A child should have nothing to do with the horrible things that were going on.

  And he had to make sure nothing else ever happened to her.

  Sandra watched from the bench, arms folded tight. She gave Alex a small nod.

  "It's a normal reaction for her age. The loop of danger is closed. But something could trigger her."

  Alex nodded.

  Sofia had already turned back to her drawing.

  As if yesterday had been filed away somewhere unreachable.

  "Hey, Alexander?" It was the voice of a young man. Evan stood a few feet away, hands shoved into the pockets of his hoodie. He looked at Alex the way kids looked at action figures, eyes bright, posture half-awkward.

  "What you did... was badass. Really. Thanks for that."

  Alex straightened.

  "I... I just did what I could," he said.

  Evan shook his head. "Really, you helped us all. I want to help too. I want to fight those things! I don't wanna run and hide like a coward."

  Alex met his gaze. "Sometimes running is not cowardly, you know."

  "Not if the people you care about are in danger."

  "Just take care of yourself. Mark, your dad did a lot too. He came all the way to find us, ran out of ammo, and kept going."

  "He's not... he's not my dad, you know. He's just dating my mom."

  "I see. In any case, he did a lot."

  Evan waited a second longer, then nodded to himself.

  "Right," he finally said.

  "There's more you can do, you know. Manage resources, help Samantha out. I think they're handing out provisions, huh?"

  "I wanna shoot. But there aren't enough guns."

  "Are you good at it?" Alexander asked.

  "You know, Mark used to take me to the range. I didn't care much for it. I liked shooting, but was never that good, so I kinda gave up. But now, I know I will have to."

  "You can get good. We'll have to find sources of ammo, but there's always other stuff you can do."

  "That axe is pretty wicked," Evan added.

  "Kind of riskier too," Alexander replied.

  "And the magic stuff, can one learn it?"

  "You better ask Marion that. I'm new to it. Got lucky, somehow."

  A woman approached from the row of mats near the lockers. Late thirties. Exhausted posture. One arm cradling a toddler who slept through the noise. She stopped in front of Alex.

  "I just wanted to say thank you," she said. "If you hadn't saved my older son back there—"

  She stopped herself and swallowed, tears forming in her eyes.

  "You saved his life."

  Alex inclined his head. He didn't really know what to say to that.

  She hesitated, then stepped away.

  Marion stood at the front desk with Thomas, both of them leaning over a clipboard and a map taped down with medical tape. Alexander joined them, keeping his voice low.

  "Did something happen last night?" he asked.

  Marion shook her head. "Nothing. Which is worrying."

  Alexander leaned forward. "Aren't demons hungry for blood? Could it be that they are looking for the last remnants of people? Like, God forbid, the place where Chris's family was located?"

  Marion faced him. "It's very likely, but it's more likely that they are gathering forces to focus on us. As of now, we're their biggest threat. And from what happened to you last night, I would only guess that they'll be more focused on you personally if they weren't already."

  Alex nodded slowly. "I understand that. It sounds crazy, but I do. And by the way, Samantha told me about her powers last night. I had no idea. Why didn't any of you tell me about it earlier?"

  Marion sighed. "It's not that we hid it from you. But she's very reserved. It is stressful for her to think about, and... the expectations it can bring from people."

  "It overwhelms her, it seems."

  "She is dealing with it in her own way."

  Alex nodded. There were other possibilities he needed to be sure of. This was a supernatural reality he was facing, and he didn't know many important details.

  "Do the demons and cultists have seers of their own?"

  "In a way, but Alex, no one can see the future clearly. We get glimpses, mixed messages. When Samantha sees something, she can tell with certainty that the scenes in her mind will play out, but... even then, you know, she can't know the whole context."

  "And the cultists must have some info on us, huh? I guess we're sitting targets."

  "We're a beacon," Thomas said. "Not only have we upset them. This many people, this much fear and blood...entities can sense it from blocks away. The more we shelter, the bigger the target we become."

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  Samantha emerged from the basement, notepad in hand and wearing a black t-shirt and jeans. Her hair had been tied into a short bun.

  "Ah. Good morning, Alex," she said to him.

  "At 2 PM?" he replied with a chuckle.

  "My point exactly," she said with a smirk. Dark shadows surrounded her eyes, but she looked focused. Alex felt a little guilty for sleeping in, even though he needed the rest. "Feeling any better?" she asked again.

  "In fact, yes, much better," Alex replied.

  "That's good to hear." Samantha handed Marion the notepad. "I just finished the inventory."

  Marion's eyes scanned through the list, her jaw tightening. "How long do we have?"

  "Food for three days if we ration small. Water bottles for five, maybe six if we're careful." Samantha's voice was flat and clinical. "After that, we need resupply runs, or people will start getting sick, and we might lose them. Ah, by the way, Alex, your demon needs a lot of meat. You need to feed him."

  "Just meat, huh?"

  "Meat is fine, but blood is better. Especially obtained in a violent way."

  "I... guess I have to keep them busy, don't I?"

  "Tyger Tyger has less specific requirements," Samantha said. "But he's been complaining. He needs meat and eats a lot of it. I gave him some more food from what you got at Pike Place. The steak. He ate three ribeyes."

  Alex sighed. Three ribeyes would have cost a fortune before the apocalypse. His desire to grill delicious steak was probably going to remain a daydream for a while.

  Marion brought their attention back to the list. "Weapons?"

  "Worse. We've got your staff, Thomas's sword, my knives, and Alexander's axe. For firearms—one shotgun with six shells, two rifles, but with no ammo, two pistols with maybe fifteen rounds total, and that guy's .820. He's got a full box of ammo still, so about 20 cartridges, but it won't save us. That's it. Most of the survivors have improvised weapons. Better than nothing, but not by much."

  "And did you talk to Sandra about medical supplies?" Marion asked.

  "There are no antibiotics left. If someone gets a serious infection, we can't treat it."

  "Can't Sandra heal that?" Alexander asked.

  "She can close open wounds, but not if her mana's depleted. And infections can persist even if she heals the outside, so it can get nasty," Samantha explained.

  Marion set the notepad down. "I guess supply runs it is. And Alex, this is your house, but we expect you to free up some space upstairs. The more, the better."

  There was not much to free up. She was definitely implying he had to give up his room. He'd do it, no doubt. However, he thought he had a better idea.

  "We're crowded," Alexander said, glancing over the rows of sleeping bags. "What about Swedish? The military's set up there. Strong perimeter. Organized. Do they want to move?"

  Thomas answered immediately, calm and certain. "No."

  "Huh?" Alexander asked.

  "We asked them," Thomas clarified. "No one wants to go out into the street anymore. And they liked the way we protected them. Even if we try to convince them, they don't want to do it now."

  "What if we spread through the block?" Alexander said. Everyone turned to look at him. "The buildings around us. Most of them are abandoned, right? The residents either evacuated or died in the first nights."

  Marion nodded slowly. "I cleared the bodies while you were out. Thomas said some blessings, and I burned them with magic. We can't wait for family members to claim them, for hygiene and survival. It's tough, but we had to do it. The buildings are empty now."

  "Yes. This might be unethical. But I say we use them unless someone else comes claiming them with paperwork or whatever. I'm suggesting turning everyone into squatters. I mean, we need to spread people out instead of cramming them all in here. And it could even help defend the area better, wouldn't it? We're basically a lone island."

  Thomas nodded. "It would help if they were soldiers and not refugees. We could have multiple defensive positions. But in this case, we'd have to do it wisely and not put people in actual danger."

  "It's also more work," Marion said. "More wards to maintain and more buildings to defend."

  "But we'd have more space. More resources from the abandoned apartments." Alexander pointed toward the crowded gym. "We've got thirty people in a space meant for maybe twenty. And not to live in, to use. Running water is weak, you say. We're going to have disease problems soon if we don't spread out. And what do we have? Four apartment buildings, a nail studio, a bagel shop, and that small pizzeria. We could house several people per building, security considerations taken. And the food supplies within."

  "We found supplies in some of them already," Samantha added. "Canned food, bottled water, first aid kits. Not much, but every bit helps."

  "But now, another thing to consider. What you said, Thomas. What about defenses?" Alexander asked. "Just wards won't be enough."

  "You know what? We could set up barricades," Samantha said, lifting her pen. "With abandoned cars, furniture, anything heavy. Block the streets at the north and south ends of the block. Funnel any attack to approaches where we can see them coming. There's just a cliff behind us anyway."

  "Ideally, we'd have shooters positioned in the upper floors," Thomas added. "Or watchmen, in a way. Anyone who knows how to use a gun gets posted at windows."

  "How many people can actually shoot?" Marion asked.

  "Like five," Samantha said. "I've been asking around. There are a few hunters, one former cop, that Daryush guy. There's Mark. But the rest have never fired a gun before."

  Marion nodded. "If we're doing that, we should set up wards on all the buildings. Thomas and I will split the work. We'll pool all supplies here at the gym and ration them out daily. Nobody hoards."

  "The people won't like that," Samantha said.

  "They don't have to like it," Marion replied. "They just have to survive."

  Thomas stood. "I agree with her idea. We should start organizing. First, ask if they want to actually do that. Get families grouped, figure out who goes where."

  "I'll handle the building assignments," Samantha said.

  "I'll start on the barricades," Alexander said. "Get some of the men helping."

  "And someone needs to talk to the survivors," Marion added. "Explain what we're doing."

  Everyone looked at Alexander.

  "Why me?"

  "I can think of a plethora of reasons. First of all, they trust you," Marion said simply. "You brought them here. You fought for them. You're their hero, and they'll listen to you."

  Alexander looked at the door leading to the crowded gym floor, with thirty exhausted, traumatized people who had put their survival in his hands.

  "Tell them the truth. We're expanding and building real defenses. We're not just hiding anymore. We're holding ground." Marion met his eyes. "And we need their help to do it."

  Alexander nodded. "Alright. I'll tell them that."

  He knew it was more than that. People had seen him fight. People talked about him.

  And Thomas and Marion would soon be gone. He didn't ask for it, but they would need someone to lead him. And he couldn't do it alone.

  Thomas clapped him on the shoulder. "Come on. We've got a block to fortify."

  Alexander organized some of the men into work crews. They pushed abandoned cars into position, creating barriers at the north and south ends of the block. It took eight people to move each vehicle, grunting and straining as they pushed and pulled until the tires finally rolled.

  Furniture came next. They brought couches, dressers, and tables, dragging them out of abandoned apartments and adding them to the barricades, wedging pieces between cars, filling gaps.

  Alexander strained alongside them, sweating. But the work helped. It kept his mind off what was to come and what had happened.

  What he had done.

  The darkness was still there. He could feel it as a dark warmth in his chest, pulsing with his heartbeat. Seven percent. Not much. But it was there.

  And he marveled at his own strength. He even downplayed it a bit as he saw he could push a parked car all by himself.

  Thomas helped Marion with the ward consecration, moving between buildings with her staff, blessing each symbol she'd drawn. Sean had brought sets of walkie-talkies to use, as phone signals were down most of the time, and the internet was just as choppy.

  By the time the sun started to set, they'd made real progress. Four buildings were warded and ready. Two barricades were in place. Supplies were inventoried and centralized in the gym.

  The gym floor was less crowded now, and families had started moving into the other buildings, carrying their blankets and meager possessions. They were finding empty apartments to claim as temporary homes. Sofia and Adriana were assigned to one of the apartment buildings, along with four other families.

  The little girl didn't want to go. She stood in the gym doorway, holding Adriana's hand but looking back at Alexander.

  "You'll be right there," Alexander said, kneeling to her level. "The building next door. If anything happens, I'll be there in thirty seconds."

  "Really?"

  "Promise."

  She nodded and let Adriana lead her away.

  It had been a ton of work for a single day, but it looked like progress. He could only hope that it had been a good idea, and not the decision that would seal their doom.

  The sun began to set, and Alex stood at the edge of the street, behind their barricade.

  Marion approached him, walking slower than before, pressing her cane against the pavement. "The wards are set. Thomas and I finished the consecration. Now, the only thing we need is to work together if we're ever attacked again."

  "I hope it's a good idea," Alex said softly, looking at the multi-use building at the edge of the block. Samantha had been posted there, along with Mark and his shotgun. "At least they're more comfortable now."

  "Depends on how hard they push," Marion said, her voice slower and weaker. She looked and sounded exhausted. "The watches will be very important."

  "Vital," Alex said.

  Marion narrowed her eyes at him. "There's another thing I must tell you. I'm sorry it's late and all, but I want you to grow more powerful in order to help these people."

  "What is it?" he asked.

  "You need to bind more entities," she said slowly. "A single morph isn't going to cut it when they come in force. And your level is already high enough to hold a couple more bindings. Before it's too late, I suggest you back out and bind what you can while there's still light."

  Alex shook his head.

  "You want me to go back out there?"

  "I want you to be prepared. Things can go downhill very quickly. Tell Samantha. She'd be happy to go with you. Thomas and I will handle the rest." Marion's voice was sharp. "We all have jobs. Do yours."

  Alexander sighed again.

  "Alright, you know about this. I'll go and... hunt for some demons."

  Suddenly, a walkie-talkie echoed on Marion and Alex's laps, relaying Sean's voice.

  "Sean here. Hey people, sorry for missing out. I was out looking for a better signal. Communications are getting worse. I'm picking up maybe one cell tower still functioning. Internet's down except for local mesh networks. But I do have a report on what's going on. I'll be in the gym in 5. See you there. Sean Out."

  ***

  Back in the gym, Sean set the laptop on the desk, opened it, and pulled up a map. "Other System users are organizing. There's a group of thirty people at the university. Another, as you know, at the Swedish Medical Center. And someone's set up a stronghold at Gas Works Park."

  "How many total?" Marion asked.

  "In Seattle? Maybe two hundred with active interfaces. Worldwide, probably twenty thousand. But most are level one or two. You're level three now, Alexander. That puts you in the top five percent."

  "Any organized resistance?" Thomas asked.

  "The military's trying. But they're not equipped for this. Most of their command structure is gone. Dozens of officers were killed in the first wave. Lower ranks are scattered, trying to regroup." Sean pulled up another window. "But there's chatter about a guy called the Colonel. Ex-special forces. He's gathering people at Fort Lewis. Might be something worth connecting with."

  "Later," Marion said. "Right now we should focus on possible attacks."

  Alex shook his head. "Why is Seattle the place where most of the action is taking place, though?"

  Thomas and Marion exchanged glances.

  "There's something going on here, isn't there?" Alex asked. "Okay. I... have asked myself this question before, but if you're part of a worldwide elite circle of magicians... why did both of you happen to be right here when all this happened?"

  Samantha crossed her arms. She paused for an instant before letting it out as if it'd been a well-guarded secret.

  "Visions," she said. "Visions and prophecy."

  Alex paused.

  "So you brought them here. Why, though? Do you know exactly why?"

  "We're not sure," Thomas added. "All I can tell you is that we're in the right place at the right time."