The emergency alarm still echoed in Adrian’s ears as he grabbed his jacket and rushed toward the elevator. But when the doors opened, he was met with a chaotic scene—his coworkers pushing and shoving, all desperate to leave.

  “Forget the elevator! Take the stairs!” Logan shouted, grabbing Adrian by the shoulder and pulling him away from the stampede.

  Together, they sprinted down the emergency stairwell. The once-ordinary office building now felt suffocating, the distant sounds of sirens and screaming growing louder with every step.

  By the time they reached the lobby, panic had fully taken hold. The security guards were nowhere in sight, and a crowd had gathered by the glass doors. Outside, the streets were gridlocked, with drivers abandoning their cars and running on foot.

  Adrian’s heart pounded. “Logan, we need to—”

  A bloodcurdling scream cut through the noise.

  Near the entrance, a woman collapsed, convulsing violently. Her skin paled within seconds, veins darkening like black ink spreading beneath her flesh. A man knelt beside her, shaking her shoulders.

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  “Sarah? Hey, stay with me!”

  Then she stopped moving.

  For a brief moment, there was silence.

  And then she twitched.

  With unnatural speed, she lunged at the man, sinking her teeth into his shoulder. His screams were deafening as she tore into him.

  The office lobby erupted into pandemonium. People tripped over themselves to escape, pushing toward any exit they could find.

  Adrian’s breath caught in his throat. This was really happening.

  Logan grabbed his arm. “We have to move. Now.”

  Adrian snapped out of his shock and followed, dodging panicked coworkers as they rushed into the streets.

  Outside, the city was in full collapse. People ran in every direction, some already bloodied, others screaming for loved ones. The infected were spreading—lunging at pedestrians, dragging them to the ground.

  Adrian’s apartment was fifteen blocks away. On a normal day, it would take twenty minutes to walk. But with the chaos unfolding, walking wasn’t an option.

  “Where’s your car?” Logan asked, scanning the street.

  “In the underground lot. But if the roads are like this—”

  “Forget the car,” Logan said. “We need a weapon.”

  Adrian swallowed hard. He had never even held a weapon before. But as he watched the infected hurl themselves at the living, gnashing their bloodied teeth—

  He knew he wouldn’t survive the night without one.