The baritone voice flowed clearly, breaking the silence of Classroom 2-B. Its tone was flat, cold, and heavy with an absolute authority that brooked no argument.Every member of the group crept toward the lecturer's desk, surrounding the analog radio. Xavier held his breath. Chania gripped the hem of her shirt with white-knuckled intensity. They pinned their remaining hope of survival on that emergency frequency."Attention. This is an emergency broadcast from the National Military Central Command."The man's voice on the radio paused briefly. The rustle of a turning page could be heard."Effective as of eighteen hundred hours local time, the entire university campus and a five-kilometer radius surrounding it are officially declared a Terminal Quarantine Zone. Level-one absolute isolation has been established."Alex frowned, the veins in his temples bulging. "Terminal Quarantine Zone? What the hell does that mean?"The radio answered his question immediately with a sequence of words th

The iron-plated wooden door clicked shut. The soft metallic snap faded behind Daniel's back, sealing him out.He stood alone in the corridor outside Classroom 2-B. The morning air was bitterly cold. Last night's storm had severely damaged the academic building's tin roof, causing rainwater to drip through the ruptured ceiling. Murky puddles covered the ceramic floor all along the hallway.Daniel stretched his neck from side to side, his nerves entirely relaxed."Ideal environmental conditions," he whispered to himself, his flat voice calculating the situation. "The dripping water provides a natural audio distortion. My footsteps will be perfectly muffled."Daniel slipped his left hand into his pocket. His fingers brushed the plastic handle of the small screwdriver. Its flat iron tip felt cold and lethal.He had deliberately left the aluminum baseball bat behind. To him, the heavy weapon was a tactical liability. A long object could easily clang against walls or door frames, and metalli

A wave of absolute pain slammed into Daniel’s frontal lobe.Those filthy teeth ripped through the muscle fibers of his right forearm, their sharp tips scraping directly against his ulna. An incredibly sharp, agonizing ache exploded and radiated through his entire nervous system, burning like a branding iron thrust deep into his pores.Daniel’s body violently rejected the extreme stimulus. His lungs automatically pumped air upward, his vocal cords preparing to release a deafening scream of agony.Daniel bit down on his own bottom lip with maximum force.His teeth tore through his lip, and fresh blood flooded his mouth. The metallic taste of his own blood provided a split-second distraction. He locked his jaw tight, swallowing the agonizing shriek back down his throat.Remaining silent meant enduring torture, but screaming meant inviting mass death."Hold it," Daniel hissed soundlessly, his eyes wide as he stared at the ruptured ceiling. "Don't let them hear."The pitch-black-eyed creatu

Daniel pulled the end of the white bandage tight with his teeth. Using his left hand, he wrapped the gauze around the torn wound on his right arm. He tied a tight knot, pulling it with everything he had. The pressure of the cloth forced the bleeding to stop, though his arm muscles still twitched in response to the sharp pain."Enough," Daniel muttered quietly, his breath still ragged.He looked back at the document resting under the glow of the microscope's light. His left hand touched the edge of the heavy paper. Their university's logo was clearly printed in the upper-left corner."Seventh Strain Pathogen Trial Report," Daniel read, his voice hoarse. His eyes swept down the rows of technical jargon.Daniel slid the paper further under the light to get a better visual focus."Development location: Administration Building Underground Laboratory Facility," Daniel read slowly.The temperature in the laboratory seemed to plummet. Daniel reread the line to make sure his eyes were not playi

 Chania weighed the red-painted fire axe in her hands. The cold metal felt very heavy. She turned around slowly. Her gaze swept over all the team members in the room.Her gaze stopped right on Daniel."You can't use this weapon anymore," said Chania, breaking the silence of Classroom 2-B."Give that axe to me, Chania." Daniel tried to stand from his chair. "I still hold full control over this group.""With what hands?" Chania did not back down. She actually stepped forward to challenge the man