Looking around Irvin spotted a group of familiar faces—neighbors he'd seen around but never bothered to interact with—huddled under the walkway next to their building. They cowered together, trying to hide from the madness unfolding around them.

  He ignored them, his focus locked on the small convenience store nearby. It was usually open 24/7, and right now, it might be his best chance for supplies. The pandemonium in the streets worked to his advantage, allowing him to slip through the cracks unnoticed. He dodged between overturned cars and fleeing crowds, avoiding attention from both panicked people and aggressive animals.

  As he reached the store's entrance, Irvin paused, listening for any signs of movement inside. Hearing nothing, he pushed the door open and stepped into the dark interior. The familiar aisles stretched before him, but something felt off. The air was thick with an oppressive silence that set his nerves on edge.

  Irvin moved deeper into the store, his footsteps echoing in the eerie quiet. He froze as he reached the back, near the freezers. The store owners lay dead on the floor, their bodies torn apart in a grotesque display of violence.

  "Fuck," Irvin whispered, his mind racing. "They had a couple of cats, didn't they?" The realization froze him in place.

  He stood still, ears straining for any sound of movement. When nothing happened, Irvin forced himself into action. He grabbed his backpack and began stuffing it with supplies. Bottled water, canned goods, energy bars—anything he deemed useful went into the bag. His hands trembled as he worked, fear of what might be lurking in the dark corners of the store gnawing at him.

  Keep it together, Irvin thought, trying to steady his nerves. You need these supplies. Just grab what you can and get out.

  As he prepared to leave, a faint scratching sound reached his ears. It came from one of the shelves, barely audible but unmistakable in the silence of the store. Irvin's entire body tensed, sweat beading on his forehead getting into his eyes.

  Shit, shit, shit, his mind raced. Is it one of their cats? Or something worse?

  He gripped his cleaver tightly, eyes scanning the dimly lit aisles. The scratching grew louder, more insistent. Something was definitely in here with him.

  I should run, Irvin thought, eyeing the exit. But what if it follows me? What if there are more outside?

  The scratching sound moved, closer now. Irvin slowly turned,

  Irvin's heart nearly stopped as he caught sight of two enormous felines, each the size of a bicycle. Their massive forms crouched in the shadows, red eyes gleaming with predatory intent. He froze, his mind racing.

  Holy shit. Those can't be their house cats. What the hell happened to them?

  He stared into the two pairs of crimson eyes watching him, his breath caught in his throat. One of the monstrous cats shifted, muscles rippling beneath its fur. Instinct took over, and Irvin spun on his heel, bolting for the doors.

  Move, move, move!

  His legs pumped furiously as he navigated around the shelves. The sound of claws scrabbling on linoleum filled his ears, followed by a thunderous crash as one of the beasts slammed into the shelving unit he'd just rounded.

  Too close. Way too fucking close.

  Suddenly, the entire building shook violently. Irvin stumbled, nearly losing his footing. Behind him, he heard yowls of surprise as the shelves collapsed on the giant cats.

  What the hell was that? Earthquake? Fuck this. Run!

  Taking advantage of the momentary chaos, Irvin's legs burned. He burst through the store's entrance, gasping as he hit the open air. But he didn't slow down. The sound of pursuit told him the danger was far from over.

  Keep going. Don't look back.

  He'd barely made it a dozen steps when a deafening crack split the air. Something massive crashed down behind him, followed by a sickening crunch and a pained screech. Irvin risked a glance over his shoulder.

  A huge chunk of the overhead balcony had come loose, crushing one of the mutant cats beneath its weight. The second feline paced nearby, whining as dust billowed around the scene.

  Holy shit. That was lucky.

  Irvin's mind blanked staring at the remaining cat, it seemed disoriented, distressed by its companion's fate. For a brief moment, he considered trying to finish it off.

  I could end this threat right now. One more augment.

  His hand tightened on the cleaver, muscles tensing, but as the dust began to settle, reality set in.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  No. Too risky. It's still a giant fucking cat, better to get out while I can.

  Decision made, Irvin turned and ran, his backpack heavy with the food and water he'd managed to grab. His lungs burned as he pushed himself, putting as much distance between himself and the convenience store as possible.

  Just keep moving. Find somewhere safe to hole up and figure out what the hell is going on.

  As he ran, the road in front of him suddenly cracked with a sickening sound. He stumbled, losing his balance and crashing hard onto the concrete. Before he could even process the fall, the ground beneath him began to shift and undulate.

  Irvin's eyes widened in disbelief as roots burst through the fractured pavement. Within seconds, trees sprouted before him, growing several meters high in the blink of an eye. All around, plants erupted from every crevice, swelling to massive proportions at an impossible rate.

  The cacophony of creaking metal and shattering glass filled the air as nearby buildings began to buckle under the onslaught of vegetation. Concrete crumbled, and steel beams twisted as nature reclaimed the urban landscape with terrifying speed.

  This can't be real, Irvin thought, his mind reeling. I'm dreaming. I have to be.

  But the chaos surrounding him was all too tangible. People ran in every direction, their screams of panic adding to the din of destruction. Irvin scrambled to his feet, his heart pounding as he frantically searched for an escape route.

  I've got to get out of here before these buildings come down, he realized, eyeing the swaying apartment complexes. But where? Everything's falling apart.

  Just as Irvin was about to make a run for it, a desperate cry pierced through the pandemonium.

  "Help! Please, somebody help me!"

  Irvin froze, his muscles tensed to flee. The voice came again, closer this time, filled with raw terror.

  Against his better judgment, Irvin glanced over his shoulder. A middle-aged man lay pinned beneath a pile of rubble, his face contorted in pain. A woman knelt beside him, her hands scrabbling uselessly at the heavy debris.

  Irvin's jaw clenched, his eyes darting between the trapped man and the path to safety.

  Just go, a voice in his head urged. You can't save anyone.

  But as he watched the woman's desperate attempts to free the man, something stirred within him. A flicker of empathy, perhaps, in the face of this unfolding catastrophe.

  With a muttered curse, Irvin turned back, hurrying to the man's side. The woman looked up at him, her eyes wide with fear and hope.

  "Help me get him out," she pleaded, her voice cracking.

  Irvin squatted down and braced himself for the effort. To his shock, he managed to lift the rubble with surprising ease. The woman stared at him in disbelief as he pushed the debris away, freeing the trapped man.

  For a moment, Irvin stared at his own hands, marveling at this newfound strength. What the hell? he thought. How did I do that?

  But the moment was short-lived as another crack of glass and suffering metal demanded his attention. The old brick apartment building across the street collapsed, raising a wave of dust and debris in the process.

  People around them stood frozen, staring at the unfolding destruction. Suddenly, someone started yelling for people to get into the main square, away from the collapsing structures.

  He's right, Irvin realized. We need to get clear of these buildings.

  Without hesitation, he made for the square, arriving to find a group of about forty people already gathered there. More were streaming in from all directions. The square itself was torn apart by growing vegetation, but it still seemed safer than any other place.

  Irvin surveyed the scene, noting many injured people who looked confused and disoriented. Cries of fear and desperation rose from the crowd as the reality of their situation set in.

  This is insane, Irvin thought. How is any of this possible? Plants don't just grow overnight, and I shouldn't be able to lift concrete slabs like they're made of wood.

  He glanced down at his hands again, flexing his fingers. Is it the augments? How far can it go?

  A woman's scream pierced through his thoughts, drawing his attention to a man writhing on the ground, clutching his leg. Blood seeped through his fingers, and Irvin could see a jagged piece of metal protruding from the wound.

  Shit, Irvin thought. This is bad. We need medical supplies, food, water... How long before help arrives?

  He scanned the faces in the crowd, searching for anyone who looked like they might be taking charge.

  Irvin watched as a few people in the crowd began tearing strips from their clothes, using them to bandage the injured. The scene was chaotic, with cries of pain mixing with shouted instructions and pleas for help.

  "Hey, you're bleeding too," someone said, grabbing Irvin's arm. He looked down, surprised to see blood seeping through his shirt sleeve. The adrenaline had masked the pain from the dog bite, but now that it was pointed out, he felt a dull throb.

  The stranger guided him towards a makeshift triage area where others with similar injuries waited. Irvin joined the line, his mind racing as he tried to process the events of the past hour.

  How did things fall apart so quickly? he wondered, glancing around at the devastated square.

  As he waited, Irvin observed the five people ahead of him receiving rudimentary first aid. When his turn came, a man with tired eyes and blood-stained hands motioned for him to sit.

  "Let's see that arm," the man said, carefully rolling up Irvin's sleeve. He winced at the sight of the bite.

  The man cleaned the wound as best he could with some basic disinfection, then wrapped it tightly with a strip of cloth. "That's about all I can do," he said apologetically. "I haven't had time to pick up much, before everything started."

  As the makeshift medic worked, Irvin overheard snippets of conversation around him. People speculated wildly about the cause of the disaster - everything from government experiments gone wrong to alien invasions.

  "What do you think is happening?" the medic asked Irvin as he finished tying off the bandage.

  Irvin hesitated, then asked, "Did you see the message? At the beginning?"

  The man's brow furrowed. "Yeah, something about a system update or whatever. But what does that even mean?"

  Before Irvin could respond, movement caught his eye. Between the rapidly growing trees in the square, he spotted a flicker of motion. Then another. And another.

  Shit, Irvin thought, his heart rate spiking. One of them poked its head from between the long grass. Long neck with long beak and another set of red eyes stared at him.

  Without thinking, he shouted, "Run!" Grabbing his backpack, Irvin scrambled up and bolted in the opposite direction, back towards the city streets.

  Pigeons! There used to be dozens of them on the square.

  He heard screams for help as he passed the edge of the square and run back into the streets of the collapsing city.