Dead To Begin

Level 6 – The Button

Smith winced as the pain in his arm flared again. He stepped back slightly, trying to keep his injury hidden from the others.

Jackson glanced around, realizing Joanne was nearly pulled down by the zombies. He looked for Smith to help, but the darkness made it impossible to see where the man had gone.

“Guys, help me!” Joanne screamed, her panic rising.

“Tch. Unbelievable,” Jackson muttered, frustrated that Smith had vanished from sight. He stood and turned toward the cliff where Joanne was still hanging.

“Please! Help me!” Joanne cried again, tears streaming down her face. She could feel the zombies crawling up, one by one, trying to drag her down.

She looked toward Jackson, who seemed ready to walk away and leave her behind. But then, his conscience stopped him.

Jackson bent down and reached out his hand.

“Grab my hand!” he shouted.

Joanne stretched out, trying to reach him. Just a little more—and she made it. Jackson pulled her up, her light body easily lifted to safety.

Joanne exhaled in relief as they escaped the grasp of the undead.

“Thank you for saving me,” she said, wiping her tears.

“It’s nothing. Consider it a thank-you for helping us find the button,” Jackson replied, standing and brushing dirt off his clothes.

Joanne smiled at him, realizing Jackson wasn’t as cold as she thought—he could be kind and cooperative.

“Now let’s find that button and chase down that bastard who ran off! I swear, I’ll deal with him when I catch him,” Jackson growled, scanning the area.

“Who do you mean?” Joanne asked.

“Who else? The guy who was with us earlier.”

“He didn’t leave. He’s still here.”

Joanne’s attention shifted to Smith, who was sitting and clutching his arm in pain.

“What? He’s still here?”

“Yes. Over there.”

Joanne walked slowly toward Smith, with Jackson following behind. They crouched beside him.

“If you’ve been here this whole time, why didn’t you help me pull her up?!” Jackson snapped.

Smith didn’t respond. His eyes were shut tight, clearly in pain.

“You’re hurt?” Joanne asked, reaching out to touch his shoulder. But Smith quickly brushed her hand away and looked her in the eyes.

“I’m fine. Just show us where the button is so we can get out of here,” he said, standing with a slight limp.

“Alright.”

Joanne stood and searched for the button. Once she found it, she pressed it—and a beam of light pierced through the surrounding darkness.

Their attention turned to a door that suddenly opened. Light from the outside flooded into the space around them.

“Let’s go!” Joanne stepped forward.

“Wait!” Smith called out. Jackson and Joanne turned to him, confused.

“Wait for what?”

“We haven’t found the Kane Collection yet.”

“Oh, right! We need to find it,” Joanne said.

“To escape this place, we have to collect all the Kane Collection items. There are around 350 in total.”

“What? 350? You mean we have to find and collect all of them?” Jackson’s jaw dropped.

“It’s the only way to be free,” Smith added.

Jackson clenched his fists, regret washing over him. If only he had trusted Charis—if only he hadn’t accused her of having something with her senior—none of this would’ve happened.

“Then let me be the one to find it. You helped me find the way out, now it’s my turn to retrieve the Kane Collection. I promise I’ll keep it safe—for all of us,” Jackson said.

“That’s what we need to do. We stick together until the end,” Joanne replied.

“Alright, let’s find it,” Smith said, scanning the area.

“There!” Jackson pointed toward another cliff, far from where they stood. The three of them ran toward it and stopped at the edge, where a fragile wooden plank served as a bridge.

Across the cliff, they saw a glowing golden object—the first Kane Collection—shining in the darkness.

“I’ll cross and grab it. You two wait here. Once I have it, I’ll come back and we’ll leave together,” Jackson explained. The others nodded.

Jackson stepped forward, pausing at the edge of the fragile plank. Below, dozens of zombies waited, ready to catch him if he fell.

He swallowed hard, hesitating.

“I just wanted you to trust me and stop being jealous about me and my senior. There’s nothing between us.”

“I never meant to hide anything from you. I just didn’t want you to misunderstand and get angry.”

Fragments of Charis’s words echoed in his mind, strengthening his resolve. He opened his eyes, fists clenched.

“I’ll do this… if it means you’ll be free and come back to me.”

Jackson stepped onto the plank, arms stretched out for balance. He moved slowly, carefully, until he reached the other side.

Smith and Joanne smiled, relieved to see him make it safely.

Jackson turned and smiled back, then walked toward the glowing object.

The first Kane Collection was shaped like a golden chalice—antique and ornate.

When Jackson reached for it, he realized it was heavier than he expected.

“This is heavier than I thought,” he muttered, lifting the Kane Collection from its pedestal.