this is where we will play at

Ryan stares at what used to be the city he lives in. Looking around in shock he stands exactly where he was when it all happened. Car, gone. Buildings, gone. The people . . . What happened to all the people, pets, friends family.

He swallows as the shock continues to wash over him and he tries to rationalize what is clearly something beyond anything he can imagine as being real. Unable to think clearly he continues to look around and slowly starts moving, avoiding the outline of what used to be civilization.

Though not decidedly heading towards the fire Ryan does keep it in sight as he moves through the footprint of the former city.

Might be a good ides to get some flame. he thinks I really should keep a lighter or matches in my pack

Cody Briggs stood frozen a good distance just outside where the diner used to be, grease still under his fingernails, apron stained and half untied. One second he was grumbling about the cold and the walk home, the next—everything wasn't there. The towering apartment complex across the street had folded in on itself like a paper bag kicked by a god. Gone. Just… gone. No noise, no rumble. Just absence.

His ears rang, and he realized it wasn’t from an explosion—it was the silence. No engines. No hum of streetlights. No sirens. No people. The streetlamp that always flickered like a broken halo above his smoke breaks had vanished, pole and all. A fire smoldered far off, the sky behind it pulsing orange like some dying star.

Cody took one step forward and nearly tripped over nothing—just the curb, still somehow intact. He laughed once, short and harsh. A stupid, tired sound. He had worked eight hours straight over a deep fryer, said goodbye to nobody on his way out, and now the world was gone. Cody rubbed his arms and looked up at the sky. "What the fuck," he whispered. And then louder: "What the fuuuck."

Ryan flinches at the voice and visual prompt but some quick experimentation revealed there is nothing he can do to block or control it. He continues to wander as he heads towards the fire and looks around for the souse of these announcements may be coming from any any other sign that might explain what is going on.

Cody flinched at the static, squinting up at nothing as the voice rasped out its twisted welcome. He stared at the empty air where the croaking thing had spoken, then down at his hands, clenching and unclenching them like he could wake himself up.

When the bing hit and the screen popped up, he just stood there, jaw slack.

"…The hell you mean ‘tutorial guild’?" he muttered.

He looked around again—still no people, no sound, just smoke and ruined sky. He took a shaky breath, wiped his hands on his apron, and said flatly,

"Yeah. Okay. Sure. Why not. Let’s go die in a dungeon, I guess."

And with that, Cody started walking.

Hearing a voice Ryan scans the area, locating a fellow survivor. Uncertain at first he steels himself and calls out before heading towards the man.

Iin a soft call he greets the other man Hey, are you alone? as he continues to scan the area.

Cody jolted at the sound, spinning toward where the voice had come from—even though there was no source, just empty air and ruined silence. His heart pounded as he took a step back, eyes wide, trying to make sense of the nothing around him.

He let out a shaky breath, then threw his arms up and gestured to the wreckage—the flattened buildings, the vanished streetlights, the eerie fire flickering in the distance. "Yeah, what the hell just happened? Where did everything go?" His voice cracked partway through, half anger, half disbelief.

Cody took a few steps forward, scanning the empty street like maybe someone—anyone—would answer. "I just got off work," he said, quieter now, more to himself than anything. "Finished scraping burnt cheese off a grill, ready to crash… and now theres some sort of nightmare dungeon crap?"

He shook his head slowly, staring at the flickering screen that hovered in front of him. "This is bullshit. Whatever this is—it’s bullshit."

Listen, I have no idea what is happening but I am not dressed for this. I am heading to the only warm place I see and suggest you come with me. The flames will likely attract any others nearby. Maybe someone else knows whats going on . . . Ryan looks around But I doubt it. and moves to the fire.

"Yeah… you’re right," Cody muttered, hugging his arms tighter against his chest as the cold finally started to bite through the lingering fryer heat still clinging to his clothes.
"Don’t wanna freeze our balls off out here," he added with a dry laugh that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Let’s go."