Stolen Hunger For My Enemies

The Great Famine was exactly seven days away, but the heat had already turned the world into a pre-apocalyptic kiln.

Ive come back. Ive been reborn into the exact moment I first received the Feast System.

The memories of my past life are still etched into my retinas like a burnthe way I starved myself, scrounging every calorie the System provided just to keep my sister and my boyfriend alive. And how did they reward me? Once the world stabilized, they locked me in a windowless basement. They used me. They bled me.

My boyfriend told me the Feast System should have been his from the start. He said if he had it, he could have saved Haileyhis "best friend," his "soulmate." He called me selfish for not giving half my rations to a woman who had never offered me so much as a smile. Even my own sister turned on me, claiming I was just jealous of Haileys popularity, that I was hoarding food out of spite.

I died in that basement, watching my own blood pool on the concrete.

Now, history is repeating itself. My sister is reaching for the System, her eyes gleaming with the same greed. She wants to be the savior. She wants to ensure Hailey lives so that Jude will finally look at her with gratitude.

I watched her back as she turned to leave, and I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing.

She has no idea. She took the Feast System, but she doesn't know I have a second one. I have the Siphon.

Feast System online. Selecting host for binding

Ill take that!

Before the System could lock onto my DNA, my sister, Macy, lunged forward and snatched the interface out of the air.

Binding initiated Binding complete!

Macy let out a breathy, triumphant laugh. Her face was flushed with an ugly kind of joy. Honestly, Claire, you wouldn't even know what to do with power like this. Better to leave the heavy lifting to me.

The way her eyes sparkled gave her away. Shes back, too. She remembers.

In my last life, when the temperatures spiked and the supply chains collapsed, I was the one who kept us fed. I practically hand-fed her and my boyfriend, Jude. In exchange, they conspired to toss me into the dark, letting me bleed out because I wouldn't let Hailey raid our pantry.

I felt a cold, sharp stone settle in my chest. If you love Hailey so much that youd kill your own flesh and blood for her, Macy, then lets see how far that loyalty goes this time.

Fine, I said, my voice intentionally flat, feigning indifference. Take it. I dont even know what that thing is supposed to be.

Macy sneered, her lip curling in disdain at my "ignorance." She turned her attention back to the glowing blue interface in her palms, stroking it like a lover. To test her new toy, she whispered a command:

Feast System, give me a roasted chicken.

A second later, a golden-brown, glistening bird appeared on our kitchen table. The scent of rosemary and fat filled the room, making my stomach ache with a phantom hunger.

Oh my god, Macy breathed, her eyes wide. Infinite food. Im never going to be hungry again.

Shes so naive. The Feast System isnt a magic wand; its reserves are finite. In my previous life, I skipped meals for days, storing every scrap for her and Jude. I loved them more than I loved myself.

I was a fool.

Now that Im the one with the food, Jude is going to realize who the real asset is, Macy said, her voice dropping into that sugary, manipulative tone she always used when she was winning. Dont be too jealous when he starts coming to me for everything, Claire.

I didn't realize back then that she had a thing for my boyfriend. I was too busy trying to keep us from dying.

Macy squinted at me, a flicker of suspicion crossing her face. You you don't know the rules for using this, do you?

She was testing me. Trying to see if I was a "Returner" like her. After all, I was the original master of the Feast.

I shook my head slowly. Rules? Its your thing, Macy. Why would I know anything about it?

She let out a long, visible sigh of relief. The suspicion in her eyes was instantly replaced by pure, unadulterated arrogance.

Perfect. Im going to go find Jude and Hailey. We have a lot to talk about.

The moment the front door slammed shut, I whispered into the empty room. Siphon. Status report.

Siphon System online. Awaiting host instructions.

In my first life, I had actually been granted two systems. But back then, I was "good." I was "moral." I knew resources were scarce, and the Siphon felt like a villains tool. It felt wrong to take from others when everyone was struggling to survive.

But Im not that girl anymore. That girl died in a basement.

I checked the date on my phone. June 20th. We had seven days before the heat became lethal and the world went dark.

It was more than enough time.

I grabbed my keys and drove to the outskirts of the city, to a decommissioned industrial lab my father had left me. On the surface, it looked like a rusted-out husk of a buildingan old chemical research firm. But beneath the floorboards lay a massive, high-tech bunker.

My father had spent his life there, working on classified contracts. Before he died, he gave me the only key. It had everything: a bedroom, a full kitchen, a reinforced ventilation system, and even a luxury bathroom. It was a fortress.

I spent the next three days in a fever dream of preparation. I hit every wholesale club in the county. Cases of bottled water, mountain-sized stacks of protein bars, canned goods, medical suppliesI hauled them all into the bunker. The space was the size of three football fields; I could live here for years without ever seeing the sun.

While I was dripping sweat and hauling crates, Macy was playing house. She thought the Feast System was a permanent get-out-of-jail-free card.

When I finally dragged myself back to our shared apartment, looking like Id been through a war, she just laughed. Rough day at the office? You look like hell, Claire.

I didn't look at her. I cracked a bottle of water and downed half of it in one go. Just looking for work. The markets drying up.

Dont bother, she said, her voice smug. Pretty soon, work isn't going to She cut herself off, realizing she was about to spoil the surprise. She had no intention of warning me about the apocalypse. She wanted me to be caught off guard. She wanted me to be desperate.

Anyway, she continued, changing the subject. I think Judes finally realizing that he and I have a deeper connection. You should probably just let him go. Do the graceful thing.

I glanced at her and forced a smile. You? I thought he was obsessed with Hailey.

Its not like that! Macy snapped, standing up. Theyre just close. Theyre like family. Stop being so insecure.

I didn't argue. I just went to my room and started ordering more supplies on my phone.

Macy followed me, her tone softening into that fake-sweet register. Claire, why are you spending all that money on Amazon? Stop wasting it. Give me your credit cardI want to buy Jude something special for his birthday.

I frowned. Youre trying to steal my boyfriend, and you want me to pay for it?

Dont be so dramatic, she huffed. You guys aren't even married. I have a right to pursue happiness. And honestly? He doesn't even love you.

In my last life, shed said the opposite. Every time Jude and I fought, shed be there, telling me what a "catch" he was, how Id never find anyone better. She was just keeping me in the relationship so she could stay close to him. My happiness was never part of her equation.

Looking at her now, I felt a wave of nausea. I didn't hate her for wanting Jude. I hated her for being so willing to watch me starve while she did it.

I didn't give her a dime. I let her scream and throw a tantrum in the hallway while I locked my bedroom door and calculated my final needs.

Solar generators for the bunker. Specialized steel plates to reinforce the vault door. I even moved my fathers old "defensive research" samples into the bunkerjust in case. Finally, I set up a network of tiny, undetectable cameras throughout the apartment. I needed to see the look on their faces when the walls started closing in.

By the time I was finished, the apartment felt like a tomb. Macy hadn't done a thing to prepare. Shed bought a few cases of San Pellegrino and locked them in her closet, convinced that her "magic" would handle the rest.

Jude came over that evening. Macy flew to the door like a moth to a flame.

Jude! Youre here! Claires just being lazy in her room again, she chirped. Wheres Hailey? Didn't she come with you?

Jude looked frayed. He was sweating through his shirt, his eyes darting around the room. He grabbed Macy by the shoulders. That thing you said about the world ending. The heat. Are you sure?

Macy nodded, her expression solemn. Trust me. But don't worry. I have the Feast. Ill take care of you.

Judes eyes widened. We have to tell Claire. We need to get her to

Macy cut him off, her hand on his chest. Why? So she can eat our food? So she can complain and drag us down? Jude, if youre still hung up on her, then maybe my gifts aren't for you.

She pouted, her eyes welling with fake tears.

Jude didn't hesitate for more than a second. The survival instinctor maybe just the greederased every ounce of loyalty he had for the woman who had supported him for eight years. He pulled Macy into his arms.

No, he whispered. Youre right. Its always been you, Macy. She she doesn't need to know. But we have to make sure Hailey is safe. Shes my best friend. I cant lose her.

Of course, Macy purred. Hailey is like a sister to me. Well look after her.

I watched it all on my phone from the other side of the door.

Jude and I had met in college. He was the guy eating plain ramen in the library because he couldn't afford a meal plan. I was the girl who gave him half my tray every single day, even when my own fathers lab was bleeding money. I lived in a damp basement for three years so he could start his business. I drank myself into a stomach ulcer at corporate dinners to land him his first big clients.

He had knelt by my hospital bed and sworn I was his entire world.

And now, with the world about to burn, he was choosing to let me "die off" so there would be more for him and his mistress.

I gripped the phone until my knuckles turned white. Okay, Jude. Lets see how that loyalty tastes when the plates are empty.

The day before the collapse.

Macy had invited Jude and Hailey to move into the apartment. Apparently, Jude didn't fully trust Macys "magic," because he had spent his savings on a massive haul of supplies. The living room was stacked floor-to-ceiling with crates of water and canned meat.

Why did you buy all this? Macy asked, sounding offended. Dont you trust my System?

Hailey, a blonde woman with a perpetually bored expression, shifted uncomfortably. Jude stepped in, kissing Macys cheek. Its just a backup, babe. High temperatures are coming. We have to be smart.

Macy leaned into him, beaming. Fine. Give me a kiss.

Jude obliged, though I could see the slight flinch in his eyes.

Wheres your sister? Jude asked, glancing toward my closed door.

Macy sat on the sofa, lazily painting her nails. Working. Or whatever it is she does. But don't worryI changed the locks while she was out this morning. I even reinforced the window frames. When she tries to come home tonight, shes going to find out shes been evicted.

Jude looked startled. Youre locking her out? Macy, if the riots start

So what? Macy snapped. Shes always been the perfect one. The smart one. The one with the boyfriend. Im over it. If she gets caught in a riot, its one less thing for me to worry about.

Judes face paled, but then he looked at his mountain of supplies. Right. I mean we don't know how long the heat will last. We have to prioritize.

He turned to Hailey. You okay with this?

Hailey shrugged. She never liked me anyway. Always acted like she was better than me just because she was paying your rent. Good riddance.

A united front. Three people I would have died for, deciding I wasn't worth a single calorie.

I sat in my bunker, three stories underground, eating a bag of salt-and-vinegar chips and watching them on my tablet.

The next day, the sun rose, and the world broke.

The temperature hit 115 by noon. The news was full of reports of melting asphalt and power grids failing. My trio was huddled in the apartment, blinds drawn, eating ramen and feeling very smug.

But their supplies were only meant to last a few weeks.

Fast forward fourteen days. The fridge was a graveyard of empty containers. The crates in the living room were gone.

Okay, Macy, Jude said, his voice cracked from thirst. Time to show us what you can do.

Hailey leaned forward, her eyes hungry. Yeah, Macy. Lets see this Feast in action.

Macy stood up, tossing her hair back with a flourish. Easy. Watch this.

She closed her eyes, summoning the interface. Feast System: Three large pepperoni pizzas. Now.

Ping.

Three steaming, grease-glistening pizzas appeared on the coffee table. The smell was heavenly. Jude and Hailey lunged forward like starving animals.

But before their fingers could touch the crust, the pizzas vanished.

They didn't just fall. They didn't slide. They simply ceased to exist in that space.

What the? Jude yelled, his hands hitting the empty table. Where did it go?