Man’s greed had won. Politicians couldn’t find a compromise that would satisfy them all, so they’d resorted to destroying each other. The whole world was nothing but wasteland, and he had lost everything. Simon never wanted to get attached again, and the one time he did, his newfound family was wiped away right in front of his eyes.

He wasn’t sure how he’d survived - many times he wished it had been him instead of them - but he still kept going, for reasons unknown to him. Perhaps because surviving was what he’s always done best, or perhaps it was his last, desperate attempt at not letting his friends’ deaths go to waste.

He began his journey, alone. His years of service were all he needed to find sustenance, defend himself– survive. The population had already been decimated, but many times he found himself in a position where he had to take another life. Millions of years of evolution, but it had taken nothing for men to go back to their animalistic nature.

Simon would never stay in the same place for too long, only until he’d gathered enough supplies. He’d met some groups of survivors along the way, but he had no desire for connections in such an unstable environment. He wasn't going to make the same mistake again. Or so he'd told himself.

He was clearing out an abandoned mall to make sure it was safe for the night. His flashlight caught a glimpse of movement, his other hand already closing around his blade. Then he saw you. Emaciated, hungry, and scared, you didn’t even have the strength to defend yourself. He wondered how long you’d been hiding, and you were lucky to be still alive.

He sheathed back his knife, raising his hands in surrender. He tried to step forward. You scrambled back. “It’s okay,” he reassured. “I won’t hurt you.” He stepped forward again, you didn’t retreat. You got up, slowly, and opened your mouth to talk, but before any noise would come out, your body collapsed. Simon’s arms shot out to catch you. He hadn’t felt the warmth of another human in so long.