How Am I Gonna Survive In This Apocalypse

Keroli didn't know that Helek liked boys. Not that he had any objection to it, but witnessing them kiss made his breath catch for a few moments.

His thoughts were interrupted when he saw Helek descending the stairs.

Helek walked over to Keroli and said, "I was all sweaty after cooking, so I took a quick shower. But you didn't wait too long, did you?"

Keroli froze. If Helek was taking a shower upstairs, then who was outside? He stood paralyzed until Helek shook him and asked, "What's wrong?"

Shivering, Keroli stammered, "I... I just saw you kissing that boy outside."

Helek raised an eyebrow at Keroli's words. "Where did you see this? Let's go check."

Keroli grabbed Helek's hand and asked nervously,

"There aren't any monsters outside, right? But why did I see you among them?"

His mind raced as Helek leaned closer to his neck and began sniffing him.

Keroli's heart pounded. Why is he sniffing me like that?

"What are you doing? Get away from me!" he exclaimed, pushing Helek back.

Helek tilted his head and said, "The smell... it's coming from you."

Keroli felt a twinge of annoyance. "I bathe every day, you know!"

"But it's not a bad smell," Helek clarified. "It's sweet... like you."

Before Keroli could process this, he noticed the boy who had taken the car standing near the door, staring at him. The sight made Keroli's legs give out, and he fell into Helek's arms.

Helek steadied him and shouted at the boy, "Stop staring at Keroli like that! And what were you doing outside?"

The boy didn't respond. Instead, he walked upstairs to his room without a word.

After he left, Helek turned to Keroli and said, "Don't worry. Maybe what you saw was just an illusion."

But even as they sat down to eat, Keroli couldn't shake the images from his mind. Was it really an illusion? he wondered.

After dinner, Helek showed Keroli to his room. "Get some rest," he said.

As soon as Keroli entered, he locked the doors and windows and opened his laptop. The internet was filled with news about the skinwalkers.

Countless vloggers were streaming live footage of the creatures attacking and eating humans.

One video from the military caught his attention. The official announcement read:

As far as we know, these strange monsters are not from Earth. Our research team's experiments suggest they are aliens who have come to destroy our planet.

It has also been discovered that these aliens follow a king, whom they obey without question. They can take human form, so be cautious—anyone around you could be one of them.

Keroli's mind reeled. Were the people I saw outside skinwalkers, or were they humans? Could Helek also be one of them?

Regret washed over him. Why did he come here with Helek? What if he's an alien, and he brought keroli here to kill him?

Panicking, he considered his options. Should i run away? But i'm in the middle of a forest—this is their territory. They'll find me and kill me.

As his thoughts spiraled, he suddenly heard loud banging on his door.

It was Helek, yelling, "They're here! The skinwalkers! We have to run!"

Keroli froze, unsure whether to trust him. Is he trying to help him or trick him?

Despite his doubts, he opened the door. Helek stood there, blood streaming down his face.

Seeing the blood flowing from Helek's head, Keroli instinctively reached out and touched the wound. Before he could say anything, a loud, menacing growl echoed through the house.

Both Keroli and Helek turned toward the source of the noise. It was the boy Keroli had seen outside earlier—the one he thought Helek had been kissing.

At first, the boy appeared human. But when he opened his mouth to roar, it stretched unnaturally wide, as though it could engulf Keroli's entire face.

Fear gripped Keroli as Helek grabbed his hand tightly and shouted, "Run!" Without hesitation, they both bolted, racing down the hallway with all their might.

Keroli's thoughts raced alongside him. My laptop and bag are still in the room! Should I go back? But the answer was clear. No. If I go back, I'll lose my life. He abandoned the idea entirely.

As they descended the stairs in a frenzy, Keroli's foot twisted on one of the steps, and he tumbled down with a loud thud.

Fortunately, Helek was holding his hand and quickly pulled him back up before scooping Keroli into his arms without a second thought.

Keroli's face burned with embarrassment. I'm a grown man being carried like a child! He tried to protest. "I'm fine! You can put me down!"

But Helek shook his head and replied, "You're light, so don't worry."

Resigned, Keroli wrapped his arms around Helek's neck for balance. When he glanced back, his heart nearly stopped.

A horde of monstrous figures was charging toward them, their distorted forms illuminated by the dim light.

He shouted, his voice trembling with terror, "Helek! Look behind us!"

Helek glanced back briefly before focusing ahead, determination etched on his face.

Reaching the front door, he burst outside, still carrying Keroli, and sprinted toward the car.

Helek opened the car door and placed Keroli inside before quickly sliding into the driver's seat. As Keroli's panic escalated, his body trembled uncontrollably.

The monsters had surrounded the car, their grotesque faces pressed against the windows. Keroli, overwhelmed with fear, screamed at Helek,

"Why aren't you starting the car? Do you want us to die here?"

Despite Keroli's frantic yelling, Helek remained calm. Without a word, he started the engine, and the car roared to life.

Helek floored the gas pedal, and the car surged forward, plowing through the creatures in its path.

The impact rattled the vehicle, but Helek didn't stop, leaving the horde behind as they sped away into the darkness.