The cold wind carried the sound of shouting long before General Victor Drăghici's coffin reached the memorial platform. It wasn't the grief of mourners. It was the anger of people who had already begun fighting over the future.Inside Fortress Aegis, death had become an ordinary visitor. Soldiers fell defending the walls. Civilians succumbed to starvation or disease. Children disappeared during supply expeditions beyond the gates. The apocalypse had stripped humanity of the luxury of peaceful farewells.Even so, no one had expected the strongest commander in Eastern Europe to die in his own bed. General Victor had survived twenty-three years of the zombie apocalypse.He had endured mutant sieges, famine, betrayals, and endless winters. In the end, however, it was a wasting illness that defeated him. His body had weakened little by little until even the finest doctors inside Fortress Aegis could no longer slow its relentless advance.Now thousands gathered beneath grey skies to say goo

The first zombie lurched toward Ștefan with frightening speed. Behind the safety of Fortress Aegis, dozens of soldiers rushed to the battlements, rifles already raised. Through binoculars, Captain Elena tracked every movement unfolding below.Around her, civilians crowded the walls despite repeated orders to stay back. They knew what came next. Everyone had seen enough exiles thrown into the wasteland to recognise the beginning of an execution.No one had ever survived.The infected staggered closer, its torn military jacket fluttering in the wind. Rotting flesh hung from one side of its face, and its fingers ended in blackened claws stained with old blood. It was less than ten meters away. Five.Three. Several civilians turned away, unable to watch the commander's son be torn apart. Instead of lunging, the zombie slowed. Its head tilted as though listening to a voice that no living person could hear.The creature's milky eyes widened. Then, with a heavy thud that echoed through the de

The marching dead arrived before Ștefan had decided whether to stand his ground or retreat. From every shattered avenue, collapsed subway entrance, and abandoned highway, the infected emerged in staggering waves.Their numbers stretched far beyond what the eye could measure, until the ruined city itself appeared to move with a slow, dreadful rhythm. Dust rose beneath countless dragging feet, turning the morning light into a grey haze.On the walls of Fortress Aegis, hardened veterans who had survived decades of the apocalypse felt their confidence crumble. One soldier lowered his binoculars with trembling hands."I've never seen this many."Captain Elena continued watching. They're not hunting."Her voice remained calm, though disbelief lingered beneath every word. They're assembling."Below, Ștefan found himself standing at the centre of an army that should have devoured him a hundred times over. Instead, the undead waited.Magnus remained at his side like an unmoving fortress, his cri

The messenger collapsed to one knee before Colonel Adrian Varga, his uniform torn and stained with dust."He survived."The words echoed through the command chamber.Every officer at the long steel table looked toward the exhausted scout, waiting for him to correct himself. He never did. Adrian slowly set down the report he had been reading."Explain."The scout swallowed hard. We saw him outside the western district."His voice trembled despite years of military service. The infected..."He hesitated. They obeyed him."A captain scoffed. That's impossible.""I thought so too."The scout looked around the room. Until they surrounded a group of raiders."He drew a shaky breath. The zombies ignored the civilians.""They attacked only the bandits."Uneasy whispers spread through the assembled officers. Captain Elena stood near the rear of the chamber, saying nothing. She had witnessed enough from the battlements to know the scout wasn't exaggerating. If anything, he had understated the truth.Ad

The crimson giant struck before anyone could retreat. Its claw smashed through the side of the abandoned office tower, sending a storm of concrete and twisted steel crashing into the street.The impact rippled through the surrounding district, forcing Elena to throw herself behind an overturned vehicle while the rescued children screamed. Magnus didn't hesitate.The towering Zombie General stepped directly into the creature's path. Bone collided with bone in a deafening explosion.The force hurled both monsters across the intersection, shattering abandoned cars like fragile toys. Through the mental bond, Ștefan felt Magnus's pain as though it echoed through his own body. Strong..."The single thought carried no fear. Only warning. The Zombie King System flashed crimson across his vision. Threat Analysis Complete. Designation: Crimson Tyrant. Classification: Disaster-Class. Royal Authority: Rejected. The final line made his heart sink."Rejected?"The ancient voice answered without emo