A distant scraping sound yanked me awake, sharp and grating, piercing through the thin veil of sleep. My heart jolted violently as I sat up in a rush, gasping sharply into the musty air of the decrepit safe house. Panic surged through my veins, adrenaline burning away whatever fragments of exhaustion still clung to me.

  I reached blindly for my weapon—the rough, rust-encrusted length of rebar—feeling a strange comfort as my fingers tightened around its gritty surface. As quietly as I could, I pushed myself upright, rubbing at my eyes in a desperate attempt to clear the lingering haze of sleep.

  The barricaded windows rattled softly, pushed by unseen forces beyond, whispering their sinister threats into the suffocating darkness. My breath quickened, uneven and ragged, as I moved slowly toward the nearest boarded window, peering cautiously through the narrow gaps between warped wood and rusted nails.

  What greeted my eyes made my stomach lurch violently.

  Outside, bathed in the eerie silver glow of moonlight and intermittent flashes of lightning from the still distant storm, a vast horde of roamers shambled down the street like an ocean tide of decaying flesh and bone. They moved in a slow, relentless surge, limbs twitching and jerking, their collective groans blending into a dreadful chorus of hunger.

  My pulse roared in my ears as I stared, transfixed and frozen, my entire body going numb with dread. The street, once lined by orderly sidewalks and carefully parked cars, was now swallowed whole by a grotesque sea of shambling corpses, their swollen, bloated flesh glistening sickly beneath the shifting shadows of storm clouds.

  Among them, moving like twisted predators through a sluggish herd, were creatures unlike the others—massive, hulking forms whose mutated flesh bulged unnaturally beneath shredded remnants of clothing. Their eyes shone in the dimness, reflecting unnatural awareness, their movements fluid and unnervingly precise as they picked their way through the shambling mass. Their limbs were elongated, skin mottled and sagging, yet somehow pulsing with monstrous strength.

  Terror gripped my chest in a vice-like hold, squeezing the breath from my lungs. My grip on the rebar tightened until the metal bit painfully into my skin, but the sensation was almost welcome—a grounding point in the nightmarish chaos unfolding before my eyes.

  A soft rustle behind me caused me to whip around, heart hammering wildly. Anna stood a step behind me, face unreadable, eyes glittering in the shadows cast by flickering lightning. She moved without sound, her presence an unsettling blend of reassurance and chilling efficiency. Slowly, she stepped closer, until her shoulder nearly brushed against mine, her gaze locked firmly on the shambling nightmare outside.

  Her voice was low, almost inaudible beneath the ghastly moans drifting through the boarded window. “The Empire’s drawing the horde away from this area,” she whispered grimly. “Listen carefully—you can hear rifle fire in the distance. They’re pushing the horde toward the western district, clearing space so they can raid houses and buildings around here.” She paused, tension etched deeply into her features. “If we don’t leave right now, we’ll be caught between them.”

  I strained my hearing through the groans, the distant storm, the creaking of ancient wood. Sure enough, faint but unmistakable, the rhythmic cracks of rifle fire punctuated the distant darkness, each shot signaling a new surge of dread through my spine.

  My voice shook slightly as I spoke, barely audible. “How long was I asleep?”

  Anna glanced briefly at me, irritation flickering through her expression. “Three hours, maybe. Not enough. But there’s no choice—we have to move.”

  I swallowed thickly, my throat raw with anxiety, pulse still pounding so loudly inmy ears it nearly drowned out all else. The thought of stepping out into that street, exposed, vulnerable, with nothing but a length of rusted metal in my trembling hands, made every muscle in my body scream in protest.

  “How the hell are we supposed to leave?” I hissed, panic evident in my voice. “They’ll see us the moment we step outside.”

  Anna shook her head sharply, her expression hardening. “Not if we’re quiet. Most of them won’t notice unless you’re stupid enough to make noise.” She motioned toward a partially collapsed door at the rear of the room. “There’s an alley behind the building that leads away from the main road. If we move fast, keep low, and stay absolutely silent, we might avoid being spotted.”

  A fresh surge of dread twisted inside me, mingling painfully with bitter resignation. “Might?”

  She fixed me with an icy stare, eyes flashing dangerously in the dim glow filtering through the cracks. “Yes. Might. That’s as good as it gets.”

  I forced a shallow breath through clenched teeth, nausea roiling in my gut as I glanced back at the nightmarish parade outside. The endless swarm stretched down the street like a slow-moving flood, their bodies pressed tightly together, a river of broken and diseased flesh, punctuated by the towering monstrosities that moved with grotesque, unnatural grace through their ranks.

  Lightning flared again, starkly illuminating the horror for one brief, soul-shattering instant: open wounds gaped across ravaged faces; hollow, vacant eyes glared mindlessly forward; jaws hung loosely open, lips peeled back to reveal blackened teeth smeared with gore. The larger creatures, even more hideous in the harsh glare, moved with sinister intent, their elongated limbs rippling with mutated strength, their milky, luminescent eyes scanning the night for fresh prey.

  My stomach twisted violently, acidic bile rising sharply. I swallowed hard, forcing the nausea down, turning back toward Anna with a reluctant nod. “All right,” I whispered hoarsely. “Lead the way.”

  She nodded curtly, crouching slightly as she moved swiftly toward the back of the house, careful steps making no noise. I followed her closely, my heart still pounding painfully, every nerve raw and exposed as we approached the broken door leading out into the uncertain darkness beyond.

  The sound of the horde grew louder, more oppressive with each step, their moans echoing like mournful wails across a city reduced to ruin and despair. My breath came in shallow, uneven gasps as we stepped into the narrow alleyway, the smell of damp decay and human waste thick in the air, assaulting my senses, further weakening my already-frayed nerves.

  Anna paused at the mouth of the alley, peering carefully around the corner before signaling sharply for me to follow. I forced myself forward, each step feeling as though I were dragging myself deeper into a living nightmare. The buildings loomed menacingly on either side of us, shadows stretched grotesquely in the faint moonlight, their dark windows like empty, gaping eyes watching our desperate attempt to slip away unseen.

  Every instinct screamed at me to run—to bolt blindly, to flee from the oppressive terror saturating every fiber of my being. But I followed Anna, forcing my legs to move, my lungs to breathe, my heart to keep beating despite the crushing weight of fear pressing down upon me. The alleyway stretched out before us, a narrow, crumbling corridor of shadows that pressed in from both sides, suffocating me with dread. Each cautious step seemed to echo painfully, even though I knew it was only my imagination—the overwhelming fear amplifying every slight scrape of my shoes against gravel and broken glass.

  Anna moved silently ahead of me, her silhouette tense and alert, every muscle coiled like a predator ready to spring at the slightest threat. The sound of our breaths, shallow and quick, seemed deafening, and I fought to suppress the panic threatening to burst from my chest.

  Behind us, the horde moaned endlessly, their collective drone filling the night air with a sickening soundtrack of decay. I could still hear the distant, rhythmic cracks of rifle fire from the Empire’s troops, driving the undead forward like cattle, closer and closer to our hiding place.

  We crept onward, inching past rusted dumpsters overflowing with foul-smelling refuse, past skeletal vehicles stripped bare by scavengers, their interiors festering with mold and rot. The alley stank of old garbage, human waste, and a thick, choking undercurrent of decomposing flesh—an oppressive blend that settled in my lungs, making me gag silently.

  Anna froze abruptly, her posture rigid. I stopped just behind her, terror squeezing my chest tight as I followed her gaze.

  In front of us, emerging sluggishly from the shadows, a small cluster of roamers stumbled into the pale moonlight. Their bodies twisted grotesquely, limbs bent at unnatural angles, skin peeling away from bloated frames to expose the glistening, decayed muscle beneath. One of them dragged itself along the cracked pavement, its shattered legs leaving thick, oily trails of viscous fluid that glistened darkly in the dimness. Another shuffled slowly, jaw hanging loosely open, blackened tongue lolling obscenely from its rotted mouth, revealing teeth crusted with dried blood and mold.

  My breath hitched sharply, fear crawling up my spine like icy fingers. Anna glanced back at me, motioning urgently for silence, her eyes burning fiercely in the darkness. We had no choice—we had to keep moving.

  Slowly, cautiously, we edged toward a narrow gap between the wall and a toppled garbage bin, hoping to squeeze by unnoticed. My heart hammered violently in my chest, every nerve screaming in protest as we moved within mere feet of the grotesque creatures. I could hear the wet, rasping breaths of the roamers, could smell the rank odor of their rotting flesh—a putrid mixture of spoiled meat and festering wounds that made bile rise sharply in my throat.

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  We were almost past when suddenly, one of the roamers turned sharply toward us, its milky, vacant eyes fixating on our shadows. Its mouth snapped shut with a sickening crunch, lips peeling back into a snarl of mindless hunger.

  It lunged.

  Panic surged like fire through my veins, adrenaline blotting out all thought. Anna reacted instantly, her bat swinging upward with practiced precision. The wooden weapon slammed brutally into the roamer’s head, splitting skin and bone with a sickening, wet crunch that echoed horribly through the alley. Dark, gelatinous matter sprayed outward, splattering across the nearby dumpster with a repulsive, thick sound.

  The roamer crumpled, limbs twitching spasmodically as it collapsed to the ground in a heap of ruined flesh and bone. My pulse thundered painfully in my ears, nausea swirling violently in my gut. Instinctively, I reached for my knife to claim the pearl—but Anna seized my arm roughly, her fingers digging painfully into my skin.

  “No time,” she hissed urgently. “Listen!”

  The roar of the horde had grown louder, more frantic, their groans intensifying into shrieks of ravenous hunger. Behind us, down the alleyway we’d just traversed, shadows surged forward in a tide of nightmare forms, drawn to the sound of the scuffle. The horde was closing in—dozens of roamers, limbs outstretched, clawing at the air as they surged forward, their moans rising to a fevered pitch.

  Panic consumed me, obliterating any thought of retrieving the pearl. Survival screamed louder, more insistent—run, hide, escape. Anna didn’t hesitate, sprinting toward the end of the alleyway, pulling me along behind her. My legs burned with exertion, lungs heaving painfully as we darted through darkness, racing away from the nightmare at our heels.

  The alley twisted sharply, leading into a maze of narrow passages lined with collapsed buildings and rusting vehicles. We weaved between obstacles, breath ragged, hearts hammering with desperate fear. Behind us, the horde crashed through debris, driven by hunger, by our scent, by the madness of their existence.

  My vision blurred with tears born of terror and exhaustion, each gasping breath scraping painfully against my raw throat. My grip on the rusted rebar tightened until my knuckles ached, the coarse metal biting into my palm, a crude reminder of the fragility of our survival.

  Anna led us onward, relentless, tireless, navigating the labyrinth with instinctive ease. We ducked beneath fallen scaffolding, slipped through narrow gaps between buildings, desperate to lose our monstrous pursuers. The moans and shrieks echoed horribly, bouncing off crumbling brick and metal walls, blending into a cacophony of mindless hunger that threatened to crush my sanity.

  Finally, Anna halted abruptly, pressing herself tightly against the shadowed wall of a partially collapsed building. I stumbled to a stop beside her, my breath rasping painfully in my chest, limbs shaking uncontrollably. My head spun from the chaos and exertion, but I forced myself to silence, listening intently.

  The sounds of pursuit grew distant, fading slowly into eerie echoes carried by the wind. The horde, unable to navigate our winding escape, had passed us by, drawn onward by some unseen impulse. My legs buckled beneath me, and I sank to the ground, trembling violently from adrenaline, fear, and exhaustion.

  Anna crouched beside me, breathing heavily but controlled, her sharp gaze scanning our surroundings carefully. After a long moment, she exhaled softly, tension easing slightly from her shoulders.

  “We lost them—for now,” she murmured grimly. “But more will come. The Empire’s raid won’t leave this area safe for long.”

  I nodded weakly, barely comprehending her words, the vivid horrors of our narrow escape still fresh in my mind. My stomach twisted painfully, nausea rising sharply as memories replayed—bloated bodies, sagging flesh dripping from bone, empty eyes filled with endless hunger, and the overwhelming stench of decay permeating every breath.

  Anna’s eyes flicked toward me, a glint of reluctant respect mingling with lingering irritation. “You kept up,” she admitted grudgingly. “Good. But you hesitate again, and we both die. Understand?”

  I swallowed thickly, meeting her gaze with exhausted determination, the rebar still clutched tightly in my shaking hand. “Yeah. I get it.”

  She studied me silently for a moment, then rose smoothly, extending a hand toward me. “We need to find another shelter. Somewhere deeper, safer. Come on.”

  I accepted her grip, allowing her strength to pull me upright, every muscle screaming in protest. Around us, the ruined city lay cloaked in shadows, a landscape of decay and horror that stretched endlessly in every direction. But I had no choice but to press forward, driven by desperate instinct, clinging stubbornly to the hope of survival even as the world itself seemed determined to swallow us whole.

  Less than one day left. Just thirteen more hours before I could leave this hellscape behind. My lungs burned with every ragged breath, muscles trembling uncontrollably as Anna pulled me to my feet, guiding me further into the labyrinthine shadows of the ruined city. We moved silently now, urgency driving every cautious step, ears straining to hear any sound that might betray approaching danger. Even so, my heart thundered deafeningly in my ears, drowning out everything but my overwhelming terror.

  The alley twisted sharply, leading us down a narrower path—barely more than a gap between buildings—littered with rusted car parts, shattered glass, and bones picked clean by scavengers. The ground crunched softly beneath our feet, a sinister chorus to our hurried escape. The stench of decay hung thickly in the damp air, mixing nauseatingly with the metallic tang of rusted metal.

  Anna moved confidently, as though navigating by instinct alone, her body low, cautious, muscles tight with alertness. Every step she took was deliberate, precise, completely silent against the debris-strewn concrete. Meanwhile, I stumbled behind her, struggling to keep my clumsy footsteps from echoing too loudly, every nerve frayed to the breaking point.

  The dark shapes of buildings loomed menacingly on either side, windows shattered, doors ripped from hinges, empty husks that whispered endless warnings of doom. Shadows stretched grotesquely under the moon’s bleak light, transforming mundane shapes into monstrous apparitions that reached out hungrily to grasp at us from every corner.

  Another distant volley of rifle fire echoed faintly, signaling the Empire’s ongoing purge. The thought of them—armed, ruthless soldiers—closing in behind us sent another sickening spike of dread into my gut. Anna quickened her pace, urgency radiating from every tense muscle as we darted toward what she clearly hoped was safety.

  At last, she paused in front of a half-collapsed apartment building, its crumbling facade wrapped in mold-streaked scaffolding. Her eyes narrowed slightly, assessing the entrance. She glanced back at me, a silent command passing clearly between us, before she stepped inside, slipping through the open doorway like a ghost.

  I followed quickly, my pulse roaring as darkness swallowed us whole. Inside, the air was cooler, mustier, tinged with mildew and rot. My eyes strained to adjust, barely picking out the ruined interior of what had once been a lobby: splintered furniture lay scattered about, soggy and bloated from years of exposure. Wallpaper peeled away in curling strips, exposing crumbling plaster beneath. The scent of damp wood and mold was overwhelming, mingling sickeningly with the perpetual smell of rot that clung to everything.

  Anna paused, motioning for silence. We stood frozen, breaths shallow, listening for any sound of pursuit, any groan or shuffle that might signal imminent danger.

  Silence—heavy, oppressive, unbroken save for the distant echo of rifle fire and our own rapid breathing. After a long moment, Anna exhaled softly, her shoulders easing just slightly.

  “We’ll hole up here until they pass,” she whispered, voice barely audible. “If we’re lucky.”

  I nodded, too breathless to speak, limbs shaking as adrenaline slowly drained from my system, leaving me exhausted and hollow. We crept deeper into the building, moving up the cracked, sagging staircase to a higher floor, stepping carefully over moldy carpeting that squished wetly beneath our shoes.

  On the third floor, Anna guided us into an abandoned apartment, its door hanging askew from one hinge. Inside, the room smelled strongly of decay—furniture overturned and rotting, walls splattered with dark stains that spoke of violent ends. I swallowed hard, forcing back the fresh surge of nausea that rose at the sight.

  Anna quietly closed the door behind us, jamming a piece of broken wood against the frame as a makeshift lock. The silence that followed felt thick and suffocating. Neither of us dared speak, our ears strained to detect the faintest hint of danger.

  Finally, Anna slumped down against the wall, exhaustion briefly overtaking her guarded expression. I sank heavily to the floor across from her, clutching the rusted rebar so tightly that my fingers ached painfully. My heart still hammered erratically, panic lingering stubbornly in my veins.

  “We barely made it,” I whispered hoarsely, voice shaking despite my best efforts.

  Anna met my gaze, eyes shadowed by exhaustion and caution. “Luck doesn’t last long in this world,” she murmured grimly. “Next time, we won’t be able to run. You’ll have to fight, or you’ll die.”

  I nodded weakly, my throat tightening painfully. “I know,” I whispered, voice thick with bitterness. “I’ll be ready.”

  She didn’t respond, just continued watching me carefully, as though judging whether I truly understood the weight of my own promise. In that moment, I wasn’t certain myself. But there was no choice—I had to fight, had to become stronger, or this world would devour me.

  Minutes stretched endlessly, silence pressing heavily upon us. My muscles slowly relaxed, exhaustion creeping over my bones, weighing my eyelids shut. Anna remained alert, her breathing steady, but even she couldn’t hide the fatigue etched into every tense line of her body.

  Just as my eyes started to drift closed, an eerie sound pierced through the oppressive quiet—a low, wet gurgle, followed by a scratching noise from within the room itself.

  Instantly alert again, panic flooded through me like fire, adrenaline reigniting every nerve. Anna was already on her feet, bat held ready, eyes wide and fierce.

  Slowly, terrifyingly, a shadow stirred from the darkest corner of the apartment—a roamer, its form grotesquely twisted by decay. Its skin was nearly liquefied, dripping from its frame in thick, gelatinous clumps, revealing blackened bones beneath. It dragged itself forward with agonizing slowness, shattered legs trailing behind it uselessly, leaving thick smears of rancid fluid across the floor.

  The stench hit me like a physical blow, my stomach convulsing violently, bile burning the back of my throat. I staggered backward, gagging helplessly as Anna stepped forward, weapon raised high, eyes blazing with determination.

  The roamer lunged suddenly, jaws snapping viciously. Anna sidestepped easily, her bat connecting solidly with its skull, splitting open rotted flesh and bone with a sickening crack. The creature collapsed instantly, a heap of quivering, putrid flesh.

  Anna stepped back, wiping a smear of dark gore from her face. She looked at me sharply, eyes cold. “If you’d been alone, you’d already be dead,” she snapped harshly. “You can’t survive if you’re always relying on someone else to kill for you.”

  I stared at the grotesque pile on the floor, my heart still pounding, nausea churning violently within me. Shame and self-loathing burned hotly through my chest, mingling bitterly with lingering fear.

  She was right.

  I couldn’t keep running, couldn’t keep relying on luck and Anna’s strength. This world required blood and violence to survive—there was no escaping that truth.

  Clenching my jaw tightly, I forced down the sickness, gripping the rebar until my fingers felt numb. “You’re right,” I muttered hoarsely, voice filled with bitter resignation. “Next time, I’ll fight.”

  Anna watched me silently for a long moment before nodding sharply, grudging respect finally flickering briefly in her gaze. “Good. Because next time is coming soon.”

  Outside, in the ruined city beneath us, the distant echo of rifle fire finally began to fade, leaving only the mournful howling of wind through broken buildings and the ever-present moans of the restless dead.

  I had less than a day left—less than twenty-four hours—to survive this hellscape. But as I stared at the ruined corpse on the floor, at the viscous, rotted gore staining Anna’s bat, I knew that every remaining moment would demand blood and courage I wasn’t sure I possessed