Capítulo 58: Passing Month
"Oh my God, it's so hot. Lucas, seriously, are you sure you're, okay?" Lucy's voice wavered as Lucas responded weakly. His body felt like it was engulfed in a blazing fire.
"I think so, Lucy. It's probably just the heat getting to me."
"Are you really sure? Well, I guess it makes sense, considering you used to live by the lake."
Lucy sat down and gently patted the damp towel against Lucas's body. He removed his shirt and lay down, closing his eyes. With a faint opening of his eyes, he allowed the cool, wet fabric to touch his skin.
'Why is it getting so unbearably hot?' Lucas wondered internally as he fought the intense sensation within him. His body trembled, and the heat seemed to radiate from his core outwards. It felt as if some unknown energy was surging through his veins, igniting everything in its path.
Growing more concerned by the second, Lucy hurriedly fetched the container of water from beside Lucas. His temperature was rising at an alarming rate. She watched as sweat formed beneath his eyelids, trickling down his neck.
'This can't just be from heat,' Lucy thought, her worry intensifying. 'Heat doesn't cause something like this.'
Before she could even soak the towel to help him, Lucas's body abruptly left her grasp. He seemed to be losing awareness of his surroundings. The heat within him was no longer mere warmth but something alien and uncomfortable, as if an intruder was trying to take over his body.
Restlessly, Lucas shifted on the bed, uttering incomprehensible sounds that were unrecognizable to Lucy, who had spent weeks with him. Desperate to help, she reached out to grab him, but he pushed her away, his movements erratic.
"Lucas! Are you alright?" Her voice trembled as she watched him in confusion.
His eye opened, and he locked gazes with her. "What's happening?" he asked in a voice that didn't sound like his own.
"I'm scared. Please, say something," she implored, her fear growing as she struggled to understand what was unfolding before her.
Lucas lay there, his body radiating intense heat that made the room feel like an oven. The temperature seemed to skyrocket, exceeding 40 degrees. The situation was dire—most people wouldn't survive in such conditions. She could feel the searing heat just from being near him.
To her shock, Lucas's body suddenly began to float, rising up to the ceiling and hovering there. The room was bathed in moonlight from the window, and the sight of Lucas suspended in mid-air was both surreal and terrifying.
With her heart racing, Lucy attempted to jump and reach out to him. She wasn't even sure if the person before her was truly Lucas. Could he even maintain consciousness in this state, or had the overwhelming heat stolen from his mind?
---
[Congratulations on completing Phase One. The initial months have concluded!]
[The global population now stands at five billion individuals. Congratulations!]
"INITIATING PHASE 2 OF EARTH MUTATION PROGRAM!"
[Tips: Maintain close respect and adherence to each regional leader. Courage, loyalty, and cooperation are paramount for everlasting safety!]
---
A notification screen resembling that of Lucy's appears, materializing in the midst of the night while Lucas remains suspended in the air, his body appearing weightless and cloud-like.
In the moonlit room, Lucas's form emits a brilliant golden glow. It's unlike anything Lucy has ever witnessed—utterly distinct.
'Phase two... What's happening? It has to be connected to this, to him floating and... glowing.'
Though her understanding remains murky, the notification provides a hint. Just as she ponders this, Lucas abruptly descends from his hovering state, landing back on the sofa. The suddenness startles her momentarily.
Kneeling beside him, Lucy places her hand on his wrist. His temperature has significantly lowered, his pulse steady, his breath calm, and his eyes closed. She exhales in relief, continuing to dab his body with the damp cloth. Even as his temperature normalizes, the experience remains unsettling.
Amidst the chaos of this new world, whatever just unfolded is merely a fraction of it.
As Lucas lies shirtless on the bed, his body reveals a toned physique, subtle but noticeable. Beads of sweat linger on his chest and shoulders. Wiping them away, Lucy feels her eyes welling up.
The notification serves as a reminder that thirty-one days have elapsed since the onset of this apocalypse, and her parents, forever unreachable, are gone. Even with people around her now, it will never be the same as the presence of her friends and family. The loss is weighty, especially considering that many she knew may have perished.
"I'm scared," she murmurs.
The room envelops her in darkness, the atmosphere heavy with melancholy. Amidst the silence, the only sound is the towel gliding across Lucas's body, soaked with water. Her only friend now is lying there, vulnerable.
Surviving alongside someone through such dire circumstances has forged more memories in a month than years of schooling ever did. The thought of him in pain is unbearable; she won't allow it. Disregarding those who claim peace in death, she cannot forgive herself if she permits someone to die in agony when she possesses the means to prevent it.
As if sensing her emotions, the green caterpillar emerges, brushing against her leg, a small comfort amidst the gloom.
Trying to stem her tears, Lucy attempts to rein in her emotions. An animal companion—a caterpillar, of all creatures. What was she thinking when she chose that specialization, especially since she could only have three extra classes at most?
Smiling subtly, she gently lifts the caterpillar off the ground and onto her lap as she settles onto the floor. It nestles against her, a comforting presence. She places her hand on its form, wondering if her imagination is playing tricks on her—the caterpillar seems to have grown taller. Perhaps she's overthinking things; everything feels overwhelming.
***
February 12, 2029
Raising her head, she blinks in the sunlight flooding through the window, momentarily disoriented about her whereabouts. The brightness threatens to blind her.
"Oh! You're awake?" Lucas's voice comes from her side. He's seated on the sofa, holding a container of soymilk. The young boy they rescued rests on his lap, sipping from a similar container.
"Hmm…" Lucy responds weakly. Last night took a toll on her, and she's uncertain how long she's been asleep or when she even fell asleep. The night felt endless.
"What time is it?"
"It's 10:00 a.m. in the morning. Thanks for last night."
Lucas's gratitude brings a faint smile to her lips. The previous night drained her completely. Her body aches from sleeping awkwardly—her legs bent on the floor while she lay on the sofa. Sensations are distant, as if time itself has been suspended.
Deep introspection occupied her during those hours. Though she can't recall the specifics, none of her thoughts seemed important enough to share with Lucas.
Seeing her brush off invisible dust from her clothes, Lucas extends his hand to help her up, to hold her hand and steady her before her legs buckle.
"Thank you for being there last night. I'm not sure what happened, but I woke up to a barrage of notifications this morning."
"Oh, that..." Lucy sinks into the sofa, extending her hand to the young boy as she echoes Lucas's words.
"It was talking about phase two and one month. Hard to believe it's been that long," Lucy remarks as the young boy plays with her hand. She's always wished for a sibling herself; being an only child, the idea of having a little brother or sister seems adorable.
"You frightened me last night."
"Did I?"
"Do you recall anything from that night?"
"No."
Goosebumps prickle Lucy's skin. She locks eyes with Lucas and lets out a long, deep breath.
"You became so hot suddenly and stared at me with your eyes wide open. Not to mention you started muttering incoherent things. After that, you floated up beneath the ceiling, surrounded by a golden aura. It was rather eerie; I spent the whole night half scared and half worried."
"I floated? Really?"
"Yes. I'm not sure what's happening to you. It could be related to something."
Lounging against the sofa, Lucy feels the soreness in her back from sleeping awkwardly begin to ease. Her head had rested on the table while her back bent at an awkward angle, and she was relieved to finally find a comfortable position.
"Try checking your system profile window. There might be something new. It's like this world is getting updated, with these phases and all. The tips it gives seem like cliché motivational quotes, though."
"Lucy, watch your language."
"Ah, sorry about that. Just take a look. I did the same, and it's mostly the same for me. But for you, it might be different. If nothing changes, I'll be quite disappointed. You were shining gold and all, and it would be quite dramatic if it turned out to be for nothing."
"Oh, this tip? 'Tips: Maintain close respect and adherence to each regional leader. Courage, loyalty, and cooperation are paramount for everlasting safety!'"
Lucy stretches her neck and arches her back while looking at the ceiling. From Lucas's perspective, her position last night appears to have taken a toll on her. Even when he woke up, her face was pressed directly against the table.
"Yeah, it probably holds some meaning, right? You should check it out. It might reveal something interesting... again. You always seem to get the cool stuff, not that I'm envious or anything."
"Alright... System, Open!"
REFLEXIONES DE LOS CREADORES 
Tarhuala
Tarhuala It's been a year since I uploaded the first chapter. Thank you.
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