The two-kilometer journey felt like traversing a frozen hell. The silence of Banyuwangi City was far more terrifying than the screams of the undead in Bali. Their every step echoed between the silent buildings; every gust of wind sounded like a whispered threat.Satria walked in front, a crowbar gripped tightly in his right hand. His posture was alert, his head constantly moving, scanning every window, alley, and rooftop. Behind him, Cindy and Abigail walked close together, while Andy maintained a distance of several steps at the very rear, his face steeped in the shadows of anger and shame.Every confident stride Satria took was a slap to Andy. Every time Abigail glanced at Satria’s back with a look of admiration, an invisible knife pierced Andy's pride. He hated this. He hated looking weak, being the one who needed protection, and what he hated most was that the gratitude he should have felt had instead turned to poison in his heart."Just wait," Andy thought, his eyes fixed on Satr

The moniker hung in the windy afternoon air, feeling both absurd and heavy. "God of War." Cindy and Abigail stared at Rizal in confusion, then turned to Satria, as if trying to match the grand title with the figure of the quiet, dust-covered man in front of them. Andy felt the words like a slap across the face. Not just a hero, now Satria was being called a god. The sour taste in his throat intensified. Satria himself showed no reaction. His face remained expressionless, his sharp eyes locked on Rizal's gaze. His grip on the crowbar did not loosen. In this world, praise could be a deadly distraction. "Lower your weapons," Satria said, his voice cold and calm, breaking the tension. Rizal, the leader of the two survivors, hesitated for a moment. He glanced at his partner, Bima, who was still trembling with fear. However, the memory of the sight in his binoculars—the explosion, the efficient movem

The world outside the lobby glass doors had turned into a churning sea of nightmares. Dozens, then hundreds of empty eyes and gaunt hands pressed, pushed, and beat against every inch of the building's surface. Their low growls merged into a constant drone that crept in through every crack, vibrating the very bones."It won't be enough!" Rizal shouted, his voice nearly drowned out by the sound of cracking glass and bodies slamming against the door. The vending machine they pushed felt like a sheet of cardboard against the pressure of thousands of pounds of undead flesh.Satria didn't answer. His sharp eyes scanned the dim lobby, his brain working faster than the panic. He saw it. The massive reception desk made of marble and steel, firmly bolted to the floor."That desk! We need a lever!" Satria exclaimed. He spotted a fallen metal directional signpost in the corner. "Rizal, hold this barricade with all your might! Give me ten seconds!"Without waiting for

Satria’s scream was like a grenade blast in the silent night. Everyone who had been asleep instantly jolted awake, their hearts feeling like they were leaping into their throats. Rizal and Cindy immediately grabbed their makeshift weapons, while Abigail let out a stifled shriek, her eyes wide, frantically searching for the source of the danger.Andy and Bima froze at their guard post. They turned toward the direction Satria was pointing, and the sight turned their blood to ice. Seven pairs of red eyes stared back at them from across the concrete chasm, radiating pure hatred and savage hunger.“A-are they going to jump? No way! That’s too far!” Bima shrieked, his voice cracking with panic.“Not for them, it isn’t!” Satria shot back. His mind was already working a hundred steps ahead. “Cindy, Rizal, guard Abigail! Take her behind the water tower, don’t come out no matter what happens! Bima, grab all the spears,

The shadows behind the water tower felt like a different world. Here, the night wind wasn't as strong, and the flickering light of the campfire only reached the edges, creating an intimate, hidden space. The moaning of the undead from below felt distant, muffled by the cold concrete and the sound of their own heartbeats echoing in their ears.Cindy released Satria’s hand. They stood facing each other in a silence heavy with anticipation. This felt strange. Wrong. Doing the most intimate thing while their world was on the brink of collapse, on a rooftop surrounded by a sea of death. But when Cindy looked at Satria’s pale, exhausted face, she knew this was the most right thing she could do. This was no longer just the fulfillment of a couple's desire. This was a life transfusion. A sacred ritual to reignite the protector's flame.“Take off your shirt,” Cindy whispered, her voice slightly trembling, but her eyes showed no hesitation.Satria