“First entry," it calmly said, “lost somewhere in space and time. Funny how all you had to do was take a peek at your phone and you’d know when and where you are, yet it’s completely unreliable now. I don’t know what’s the current hour, or even the day… What applied then doesn’t apply now” It sighed, then continued. “I’m gonna leave those messages here. Maybe it’s going to help me stay sane for a little longer… Help me remember who I am. Or maybe I’m doing this because I’m completely crazy now, and I’m just talking to myself.”

It then paused for a second, looked around, as if it had suddenly become aware of something. “I don’t have a lot of time. Noah, I’ve been told you’d come here, that you’d find this message. I will explain more later, leave more cassettes for you. Look for them, I’ll tell you what’s going on in detail, as much as I can. For now, just know that the world – this world – is dying. Just survive for now. Don’t trust anybody, beware the Corrupted and the Taint. Keep a low profile, if you join a group of people. There are some that will want you dead if they recognize you. As much as possible, stay in the light, you’ll be safer there.”

Again, its attention seemed to be caught by something else, but there was nothing that could indicate what would bother it so much. “Listen, just find the next cassette. Do what you think is right and you’ll find it. I- Shit, I gotta go.”

The image hit the stop button, rewinded it, and dropped the recorder in the jar with the fake blades. It then looked towards the door, past Noah, grabbed what seemed to be a quarterstaff and hurried out.

The vision faded, and Noah was back with Jacob and Isaac. It was a lot to take in. How could anyone know he would walk into this house? Why did Matt address him directly? And how, exactly? What did he mean when he told him to do what he thought was right? And most importantly, why would anyone want him dead? He was nobody important. Just a regular college student, mostly invisible in the social strata of his school save for a few close friends.

Jacob’s voice broke his torpor. “This is all weird. We should find people to help us," he said.

“You won’t find anybody. There is nobody," Noah abruptly replied.

“How do you know?” asked Isaac.

Something snapped in Noah. He stormed out the apartment, ticked off. His companions tailed him closely, confused. “Look. Look around, anywhere you want," he said in a low voice, but audibly angry. “There’s nobody. They’re gone. Everybody’s gone.”

He then pointed out to the details he had noticed earlier, signs of a subtle and quiet cataclysm, yet obvious if they paid attention.

“So, I guess you weren’t wrong, Jake," Isaac said. “It really is the apocalypse.”

Their new reality was still hitting Noah hard, but Jacob’s reaction was unexpected.

“This is kind of cool," he said softly but cheerfully. Noah glared at him intensely for a moment, until Isaac hit him with the back of his hand.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Isaac asked.

“Well, we get to do survival stuff, maybe help people too," he answered, a little more confident of himself. “It’s like an adventure!”

“Don’t you have anyone you’re worried about? Like your dad or your brother, maybe?”

Jacob shrugged. “Um… not really," he said nonchalantly.

“Your total lack of care is creeping me out, dude. Anyway… I want to know if my mother is alright.”

“Don’t get your hopes up," Noah chimed in. “There must be a reason we don’t see anyone around. We can’t know how many people are still around on the Islands. Maybe Matt’s message is old, too. We don’t know how things have changed since. There are a lot of unknowns.”

Isaac’s face bore a defeated expression – a first for him, ever since the three of them had met in that dreaded mansion. Was reality finally catching up to him?

“I’m not stupid," Isaac whimpered. “Besides, she was already…” he paused, sighed, then continued. “she didn’t have long anyway. She… she had cancer.”

Noah never knew about that. Isaac had never shared that information in their social circles, and his mood never reflected the dire news. It brought a new light on his character. Obnoxious and annoying, sure. But definitely stronger and more resilient than most people gave him credit for.

“But still, I have to make sure. Whether she’s alive or dead. If she’s alive, maybe I can make her more comfortable. She’s going to need my help. If she’s dead well… I still gotta know," Isaac continued.

Noah nodded. “Get closure. I understand.”

“Yeah. What about you? You got anyone you wanna find?”

Noah glared in the distance, thinking for a moment. “No. I’ll take it one step at a time,” he announced, though it was only a way to cope with his fears. Saying that to his friends made it a social reality, and it helped himself believe in what he had said. But the truth, he knew, was that he had plenty of people he cared about. Family, friends… And mostly, he was worried about his lover, that girl that he had started a relationship with nearly a year ago. That one person whom he believed to be his one true love, the ideal partner for him….

But thinking about her made him distracted and would only serve to wound him further if he found out that the worst had happened to her.

“So, what do we do now?” asked Isaac.

“You’re not the only one who’s hungry. Our basic needs should come first. Food, water, medical supplies - especially for Jacob. Then we can think about what we should do next.”