“FUCK! FUCK THIS!” Liam screamed at the top of his lungs， staring out at the ruined world. Then he dropped to his knees， buried his head in his hands， and sobbed.

  The st month had clearly broken him. He was gaunt， his lips cracked and dry， his white shirt filthy with blood and ash， an unseen wound somewhere on his body.

  When he was done crying， he stood up， gripping the kitchen knife tight， and started walking forward， slow and unsteady.

  He wasn’t being brave. He was starving. If he didn’t find food soon， he’d be dead within the day.

  Kane tightened his grip on the bone saw， following him silently， staying in the shadows.

  Liam moved at a snail’s pace， searching the rubble for three hours. But there was nothing left but ash and charred wood. No food to be found anywhere.

  Suddenly， he lifted the kitchen knife to his own throat， his hands shaking， his eyes bloodshot and wild.

  Kane watched from a distance， mildly amused. He’d never known the great Lord of the Soul-Binder had almost killed himself in the first days of the Colpse.

  But he knew he wouldn’t go through with it.

  Liam slowly lowered the knife， his jaw set with a grim determination， and kept walking.

  “HELP! PLEASE， SOMEONE HELP!”

  A faint voice called out from the rubble ahead， desperate and pleading.“Is anyone there? Can you help me?!”

  Liam’s dazed eyes snapped into focus. He walked toward the sound.

  It was a colpsed apartment building， the voice coming from a mostly intact basement apartment， buried under the rubble above. The colpsed floors had acted as insution， keeping the woman inside alive， but she was trapped now， unable to get out.

  “Help you? You got any food?” Liam’s voice was hoarse， rough from disuse.

  “We ate the st of it yesterday， but I swear， when we get out of here， I’ll take you to Finnigan’s Steakhouse， whatever you want!” The woman’s voice lit up with hope.“Just move the concrete! I can climb out!”

  “Finnigan’s Steakhouse?” Liam let out a bitter， humorless ugh.

  The woman inside had no idea the world had ended.

  No food meant no reason to waste his energy saving her. He turned to leave.

  “Wait! Where are you going?! Don’t leave me here! PLEASE!” The woman panicked， her voice rising.“Please! Save my baby! My baby is here with me!”

  “Your baby?”

  Liam stopped.“How old?”

  “Five months! Just five months old!” The woman said quickly.

  A slow smile spread across Liam’s face.“I’m coming to get you out.”

  If she had a baby， she’d have saved food for it. Even if she was starving herself， she’d have kept something for the child.

  He hauled chunk after chunk of concrete away， until he’d made a hole big enough to crawl through.

  Inside was a small， intact kitchen. A woman with a filthy face sat on the floor， a baby swaddled in her arms.

  “Thank you! Thank you so much， sir!”

  Before she could finish speaking， Liam crawled inside， tearing the room apart in a frenzy.

  The broken fridge held nothing but rotted vegetables. He grabbed them， shoving them into his mouth like a wild animal， not caring that they were spoiled.

  On the floor were empty snack bags and water bottles. He twisted open every single one， dripping the st few drops of water into his mouth. He licked the crumbs out of the empty bags， desperate for anything.

  It wasn’t enough. He was still starving. When he was sure there was no food left， his bloodshot eyes locked onto the woman.

  “Sir?” She saw the malice in his gaze， shrinking back against the wall. The baby in her arms started to wail， like it could sense the danger.

  “Why didn’t you save any food for me?” Liam’s voice was low and dangerous.

  “I didn’t know! I didn’t know you’d be hungry! We can go get food now， I’ll pay for it， I promise!” Her voice shook.

  “Pay for it?”

  Liam ughed， cold and cruel.“The world’s ended， dy. You’re the first living person I’ve seen. Where the fuck are you gonna pay for anything?”

  “What… what are you talking about?” The woman’s face went white.

  Liam didn’t answer. His eyes drifted down to the baby in her arms.“Where’s the formu? You hid it， didn’t you?”

  That’s why he’d saved her. Because he’d thought she’d have formu for the baby.

  “The nursery colpsed. It’s all gone. I’ve been feeding her myself.” The woman’s voice trailed off， her eyes darting down to her chest without thinking.

  Liam’s eyes followed. He swallowed hard， taking a step toward her.

  “NO! STAY AWAY! HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!”

  The woman’s screams echoed through the small room as Liam ripped the baby from her arms， tossed it carelessly onto the floor， and tore her clothes off.

  Fifteen minutes ter， Liam stood up， his hunger sated， his mind clearer than it had been in weeks.

  “My baby… my baby…” The woman scrambled across the floor to where the infant y. Its head had hit a piece of rebar when it fell. It was already dead.

  Kane stood outside the hole， listening to the woman’s heartbroken sobs.

  His face was completely bnk.

  In the Colpse， humanity died. Most people became monsters. He’d seen far worse than this.

  It wasn’t his problem.

  “SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Liam roared.“The kid’s better off dead. This world is hell. You should be thanking me.”

  The woman froze. Slowly， she lifted her head to look at him.

  Gone was the fear in her eyes. They were red， filled with nothing but pure， unbridled hatred， staring daggers into Liam Thorne.

  Smack!

  Liam backhanded her across the face.“You wanna die too， bitch? Don’t you ever look at me like that again.”

  Her head snapped to the side， but she didn’t make a sound. She just stared at the floor.

  “From now on， you’re my food supply. Don’t worry. If I find real food， I won’t let you starve.”

  Liam ripped the rest of her clothes off， tearing them into strips and tying them together to make a rope.

  He tied her hands behind her back， then looped the rope around her neck， dragging her out of the hole and into the open like a dog on a leash.

  She didn’t fight. She didn’t scream. She just walked behind him， numb， empty.

  Kane checked his watch. 1 PM.

  Liam still hadn’t found the Star Shard with the SSS-Rank Ability.

  He pulled off his gas mask. The smoke in the air was thinner now. He pulled a protein bar out of his backpack and ate it， washing it down with an energy drink.

  He was just about to take the st sip when he froze.

  Liam had stopped walking. He’d spotted something half-buried in the rubble. He hauled a chunk of concrete away， and pulled out a blood-red crystal.

  A Star Shard.

  He stared at it， confused， like he could feel that it was something special.

  “Mr. Thorne? Is that you?”

  A low voice called out from behind him.

  Liam spun around. Kane Voss stood there， the military jacket on his back， the bone saw in his hand， a faint smile on his face.

  “Mr. Thorne. It is you. I thought I recognized you.”