Chapter 14: Cries of Survival
As narrated by the event keeper
Fort Vanguard crouched on the edge of Nassau, Bahamas. Just 290 kilometers northwest sprawled Miami, Florida—a city of shimmering heat, neon-lit dreams, and growing unease. The air buzzed with rumors of an alien invasion, a threat that had slipped from hushed conspiracy theories into blaring news headlines. In a sun-bleached high school courtyard in Miami, three students—Victor, Eugene, and Jasper—stood on the precipice of a world unraveling.
Jasper paced at their center, his wiry frame taut with nervous energy. His voice cracked as he spoke, barely above a whisper. “Guys, did you hear about the aliens? They’re saying it’s real this time. Everyone’s going to be killed.”
Eugene’s eyes widened, his hands twisting the hem of his faded T-shirt. “It was on the news last night. They use some sought of mind control attack. The video of that infected guy ripping through soldiers. What are we going to do? Are we all... going to die?”
Victor stood apart, leaning against a splintered bench, his arms crossed. At sixteen, he carried himself like someone older. listening to his friends, he said nothing, but his mind raced. The world had fractured overnight—neighbors hoarding supplies, politicians dodging questions, online forums erupting with theories of betrayal and doom. His father, General Marcus Kane, had taught him to see through chaos: Fear makes people predictable. Use it. But in that moment, Victor failed to predict predict what would happen next.
Jasper stopped pacing, his sneakers scuffing the ground. He glanced over his shoulder, then leaned in closer. “Can you guys keep a secret?”
“Of course,” Eugene blurted, practically bouncing with anxiety.
Victor nodded once, his expression unreadable. “Go on.”
Jasper’s voice dropped to a conspiratorial hiss. “My uncle owns a bunker. Big one—can hold fifty people, stocked with food, water, everything. For years, if it comes to that. I counted our family; we’re only fifteen. If you swear not to tell anyone else, I’ll get him to let you come with us.”
“You’re serious?" Eugene’s face split into a grin, relief washing over him like a tide. "Jasper, you’re a legend! We won’t breathe a word—promise!”
Victor’s gaze didn’t waver. “You have fifteen family members?”