"i-isoma." Czar winced. In his vision, the surroundings whirled and contorted, twisted images flashed in his head like a broken mirage. He clutched to Aliya whilst a sour, metallic taste flooded his mouth — his brain dizzying with every fleeting moment. "Czar." Elira's voice broke the tangy silence, making Czar quiver as he dragged himself up, staggering. He looked around him, chaos spiralled like dark waters. Houses tore apart like papers and mangled corpses littered the neighbourhood. "W-what's happening. ""Is this… is this an earthquake.""That's impossible, that only happened in the past when humans lived on the wastelands.""So what -"The clamour rose to its peak. Everyone broke into confusion, caught on the web of cluttering disaster. And yet — a dangerous silence permeated the entire city. Czar took slow, uncalculated steps backwards, his back dripping with warm blood, he also turned. And what he saw…"U-un-""Un…dead."Cracked lips trembled, sighting a towering figure at

The undead rose, taking haphazard steps towards its next target. Czar. The sizzling life force oozing from Czar stung its senses, leaving its crooked jaw hanging. "No, no, go away." Czar cursed inwardly, frozen with fear. "Czar.""R-run," Elira stuttered, her face ashen. Czar couldn't move. Couldn't think. His body had become stone, his mind white noise.He watched as the gap between them dwindled until the undead was finally a metre away from him. Just one more push and its thin arms would graze his body. His figure shuddered as the scene of the boy being eaten alive flashed once more in his head. "No, I can't die like that. " His lips trembled as he mustered enough force to drag himself backwards. But that wasn't enough. The undead still took another step forwards. Arms stretched to meet Czar. However, before its arms could make contact, the palms fell to the ground, making the horrid creature scream. "Fucking bastard, even a Shambled dare cross my path." The voice of the Ace

7th Division Headquarters The tension in the meeting hall was palpable. Dozens of men sat across the lusterless rectangular table, all facing a woman who looked to be in her late thirties. Her auburn hair was packed into a ponytail. Clad in a black military uniforms that hugged her curves. A star engraved on her left shoulder pad sparkled, and the three dragon wings on her right shoulder add an air of mystery around her. To her left, a bald, rugged man in his forties sat. His chin rested on his knuckles. Similar military uniform, but rather than a star insignia, one dragon wing was engraved on his left shoulder and another one on his right. Several other figures were aguised in similar uniforms and insignia as the man. Although a few others had just one dragon wing on their right shoulder. "I believe you all know why I summoned you here," Valeria, the woman with the highest rank in their midst, uttered. No one replied. Rather, they frowned, all gazing at her with a plethora of e

Czar's breath ceased, covering Aliyah's mouth. They hid behind a large rock. Hearts raced. Muscles tensed.Amidst the fog, they watched a lonesome Undead march forward, its eyes scanning the surrounding. It reached a meter and a half. Thin like desert thorns, and a barbed tail that dragged on the ground. The Undead occasionally turned and looked in their direction making Czar's legs trembled, holding Aliyah tighter. After moving a few yards, the Undead changed direction. Its tail screeched as it coiled on the ground. He looked exactly at the rock hiding Czar and Aliyah, and he approached it with a blank face.'No, please just go, you didn't see us.' Czar's chest rose and fell. His face ashen. The grip on Aliyah tightened. She wanted to wince, but his mouth force any sound back to her throat. When the Undead got to the rock he scanned it and dug his claws at the base of the boulder. Something struggled and rattled for a few seconds then it stopped — dead. The Undead brought it out

"Who are you exactly? And why do you want me in your group? Aren't I an extra burden?""Yeah, a question at a time. ""As for who I am — Ezekiel. Well, the son of Ebonspire's governor.""Oh?" Czar's forehead wrinkled. If it were an ideal scenario he wouldn't even dare meet this person's gaze. But no ideal scenario would even place him and the son of Ebonspire's governor in the same picture. "Why do I want you in my group? It's simple, I need more survivors around me, that'll buffer the danger and increase my chance of surviving.""What?" Czar blurted out, his eyes agape. "And you think I'll join you with such logic? I'm no one's danger buffering scheme.""It's not as if you have a choice, do you?""And why should I lie? Everyone wants to survive at all costs, no?" Ezekiel rolled his eyes. "If you're capable, you'll survive, some will die in your stead. If you're not, you'll die and pave ways for others. You pick your struggles." He shrugged. "And will you be an extra burden? Yes,