Chapter Text
Cover Art by @mochi_bunny_ on Twitter
Author's Note : PLEASE READ
Before the story begins, I want to clarify a few worldbuilding choices. Because this fic combines post-apocalyptic survival with omegaverse dynamics, some biological and thematic elements may differ from other interpretations of the genre. I can confirm that these decisions are intentional and remain consistent throughout the story. I don’t want to surprise or confuse anyone, so hopefully that can be avoided by outlining them here.
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A/B/O Anatomy & Dynamics:
For this fic, I chose to structure the omegaverse biology in a way that is internally consistent within this world.
Alphas: Regardless of gender or assigned sex, all alphas have penises. Alpha women still have breasts and are socially considered women, often retaining feminine traits; their reproductive anatomy simply aligns with alpha designation. In cases where their omega partner cannot or struggles to breastfeed, alpha women are capable of doing so.
Omegas: Regardless of gender or assigned sex, all omegas have vaginas. Omega women have breasts as expected. Omega men can develop breast tissue during pregnancy. Omega men are still socially men and may retain typically masculine traits.
Betas: Betas retain the genitals they were born with (male: penis, female: vagina, etc.) and are considered the baseline human designation in this universe. They do not experience heat or rut cycles, though they can still participate in relationships and intimacy.
Blood, Gore & Violence:
This is a post-apocalyptic zombie (in a sense—more like infected) fic. Blood, violence, and body horror are present. Most of the violence involves the infected, though there are instances of violence between characters as well. While the story is not written for shock value, some scenes are graphic. Warnings will be placed at the beginning of relevant chapters, and I encourage readers to pay attention to those notes. Body horror is tagged due to infection-related transformation.
The infected in this story are categorized in stages: Sours, Ragers, and Howlers. These are not separate species, but progressive stages of the same infection. Sours represent the early stage, where the infected individual remains conscious but increasingly irritable, unstable, and aggressive. Ragers are the second stage and are the primary transmitters of infection through saliva and bites. They may move in and out of awareness and are capable of limited speech, often mimicking communication. Howlers represent the final stage. They are heavily mutated and significantly more violent.
All stages involve body horror elements to varying degrees.
This fic does not shy away from darker themes. They are handled with care, but reader discretion is encouraged.
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Acknowledgements
I want to give a heartfelt thank you to my friend and beta reader, Bai. Being that this is my first long form fic, I truly would not have made it through this without her. She read every draft with care, challenged me when I needed it, and helped shape this story into something stronger than I could have managed alone. I’m so endlessly grateful for her time, her patience through my terribly long yapping sessions, and her belief in it. She’s also an incredibly talented writer in her own right, and I cannot recommend her work enough. You can find her on Twitter/X at @Jiminssiquacks—please go support her and give her stories the love they deserve.
I also want to extend my deepest thanks to Dolcca, Mochibun, Meli,and Ryvv for hearing me out and working with me on such beautiful pieces for this fic. Watching something that lived in my head for so long take shape through their art has been such a special experience. It’s been a genuine privilege to collaborate with artists of their talent, and I’m so grateful for the care, time, skill, and intention they brought to every piece. This likely will not be the last time I come annoyingly knocking at their doors with another idea.
If you enjoy the visuals for this project, please consider supporting their work and following their Twitter pages—they deserve every bit of recognition for the talent they bring to our beloved Jikook community.
And thank you all for reading and simply giving this story a chance. I truly appreciate the time and care readers bring to stories that live in a difficult spaces with heavy themes—survival, instinct, violence, and closeness. Everything in this fic exists for a reason, and I hope you’ll trust the process as it unfolds.