2025-06-24 18:19:40Lucas jogged down the street, pipe in hand, breath heavy in his throat. The city around him looked like a war zone—broken signs, shattered windows, overturned cars. Smoke rose in the distance. Fires burned in silence.
His system beeped again.
[Time Left Until Nightfall: 04:17:42]
He had less than five hours to find shelter. And nightfall? It felt like death itself.
Every few steps, he glanced around. One mistake could bring a swarm of those things.
He turned a corner and spotted an old gas station. The glass doors were broken, but the walls still stood. He crept closer, pipe raised. No sound.
Inside, dust covered everything. Broken shelves, empty fridges, candy wrappers blown across the floor. But no movement.
Lucas stepped inside slowly, alert.
[Location Discovered: Broken Fuel Point]
[Loot Chance: Medium]
He searched quickly. Behind the counter, he found a flashlight with low battery, a lighter, and a half-eaten granola bar. He stuffed the items in his backpack.
Then, he heard it.
A low growl. Close.
He spun around. A crawler—its legs twisted, body half-decomposed—dragged itself from behind a shelf.
Lucas stepped back, heart pounding.
The thing hissed and lunged.
He swung hard, hitting its skull with a loud crack. It dropped, twitching, then went still.
[+30 EXP Gained]
[Painkillers Found x1]
[Infection Level: 0%]
“Not today,” he muttered.
He cleaned the pipe and checked his system screen.
[Health: 68/100]
[Energy: 51%]
Still holding together, but not for long.
Outside, clouds were gathering. The air grew colder. Time was running out.
He moved fast, avoiding open roads, sticking close to walls and alleyways. Every sound made him flinch.
Finally, he saw it.
A small apartment building—mostly intact. Metal gate out front. A “Help Us” sign hung from the window.
Lucas checked his system.
[Shelter Chance: High]
[Danger Level: Unknown]
He approached slowly, pushing the gate open with a creak. Inside the courtyard, dried blood marked the ground, but no bodies.
He climbed the stairs, careful with every step.
On the third floor, he found a door slightly open.
Lucas pushed it with the end of his pipe.
Creak.
Silence.
He entered.
The room looked untouched. A couch, a broken TV, books on the floor. Curtains moved slightly with the wind.
He checked each room. Empty.
Then he found it—a locked bedroom door. Scratches all over it. Deep claw marks.
He stared at it.
His system chimed.
[Warning: Possible Threat Behind Door]
[Decision Time: Open or Leave?]
Lucas tightened his grip on the pipe. "Let’s end this."
He kicked the door.
The wood cracked and swung open.
Inside, the room was dark. The smell hit him instantly—death, rot, and blood.
A woman sat on the floor, head hanging low, hair covering her face.
She twitched.
Lucas took a step back.
"Are... are you okay?"
She raised her head.
Her eyes were blood red.
Then she screamed and charged.
Lucas had no time to think. He blocked with the pipe, fell back, rolled away.
She moved fast—too fast.
He swung again and again.
She clawed his arm.
[Damage Taken: -12 HP]
He kicked her into the wall, then slammed the pipe down on her head with all his strength.
She dropped.
Silent.
Lucas panted, chest heaving.
[+120 EXP Gained]
[Special Infected Eliminated – Level 2]
[Key Item Found: Survivor’s Journal]
He looked at his bleeding arm. The system scanned him.
[Infection Level: 0% – No Exposure Detected]
Relief.
He sat down, wiped his face, and opened the journal.
Inside were pages of drawings, maps, and writings.
“The city fell fast. They said it was a virus, but it felt like something more. We tried to escape. Some of us mutated. I locked myself here. I’m losing control. If anyone finds this... survive. Find Safe Zone Echo. Don’t trust the military. They're hiding something.”
Lucas closed the journal.
He had a direction now—Safe Zone Echo.
But no trust left in anyone.
He checked his system:
[Mission Completed: Find Shelter Before Nightfall]
[Bonus Unlocked: Survivor’s Journal – Clue to Main Storyline]
[Level Up: 1 ➤ 2]
Stats increased.
Health: 80/100
Strength: +2
Speed: +1
Energy: +10%
Infection Resistance: +5%
He laid back on the couch, exhausted.
Outside, the sky turned red.
Night had come.
But for now, he had shelter.
Lucas didn’t sleep much.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw red eyes and screaming faces. The infected woman from the bedroom haunted his thoughts. Her scream, her speed… it wasn’t natural.
He sat by the window, flashlight off, staring at the dark streets below. Fires flickered in the distance. Sirens no longer screamed. The city was truly dead.
His system blinked softly.
[Nighttime Status: Safe Shelter Located]
[Current Buff: +10% Rested Energy Recovery]
He’d made it through the first day. Barely.
But tomorrow?
He knew it would be worse.
His stomach growled.
He pulled out the half-eaten granola bar and chewed slowly. It wasn’t enough. He needed supplies—food, water, batteries, and something stronger than a rusty pipe.
And then there was the journal.
“Find Safe Zone Echo…”
He turned its pages again. A map was sketched in rough pencil—highlighting a subway tunnel that could lead out of the dead zone. But it was days away.
His system chimed.
[New Objective Unlocked: Reach Subway Tunnel – Sector 12]
[Distance: 3.4 km – Estimated Danger: High]
He closed the book and stood up, stretching his arms.
Suddenly, something howled in the distance.
Not human. Not like the moans of regular infected.
This was... guttural. Deep. Loud.
Then another howl answered. Closer.
Lucas froze.
His system beeped again.
[New Threat Detected: “Howlers” – Pack-Based Mutants]
[Warning: Avoid Engagement at Night]
His heart raced. He backed away from the window and turned off the system screen.
Silence.
Then…
Clink.
Metal hit the ground outside the apartment.
Clank. Clank.
Heavy footsteps. Fast. Coordinated.
He moved quickly, grabbing his backpack and flashlight, staying low.
Something was out there. And it wasn’t alone.
Suddenly, the building shook. Something slammed into the front gate.
BOOM!
Lucas fell to the floor as dust rained from the ceiling.
Another howl—this one deafening.
He peeked through the crack of the apartment door.
Shadowy figures sprinted into the building courtyard. They moved on all fours, muscles rippling under stretched gray skin. Eyes glowing faint blue.
Howlers.
He locked the apartment door and shoved the couch against it.
[Lockdown Mode Activated – Noise Suppression: Enabled]
He could barely breathe. The system kept pinging with red alerts.
[Hostiles Nearby: 4]
[Stealth Recommended]
But one of them was already climbing the stairs.
He heard nails scratching the hallway floor. The sound of something sniffing.
Closer. Closer.
Then—THUMP—a loud impact hit the apartment door.
Lucas held his breath.
Another THUMP. Then claws scraping the wood.
The thing knew he was in there.
Lucas turned to the bedroom. Maybe he could escape out the window?
But as he stepped toward it, he heard another sound—this time inside the walls.
A quiet voice.
Whispering.
“Don’t move… They can’t see if you don’t move…”
Lucas froze.
He looked around.
No one. No voice. Just him.
The whisper came again—faint and inhuman.
“Don’t... move...”
Then silence.
The creature at the door sniffed again… then stopped scratching.
Lucas dared to peek through the peephole.
Nothing.
But just as he backed away, the ceiling cracked above him—and the beast dropped straight through.
He dove aside as the floor exploded in splinters.
The howler stood up, over six feet tall, head twitching side to side. Its arms were long, ending in knife-like claws. Its mouth hung open, teeth dripping with black ooze.
Lucas didn’t wait.
He threw a chair at it and ran toward the kitchen.
The creature lunged, crashing into walls, shrieking.
He ducked under the sink and kicked open a small service door leading into the maintenance ducts.
Too tight for the howler.
He crawled through the space, metal groaning under his weight. Behind him, the howler howled again, furious.
He crawled fast.
After what felt like hours, he emerged into another apartment.
Empty.
He collapsed on the floor, covered in dust and blood.
His system beeped.
[Escape Successful – +150 EXP]
[Level Up: 2 ➤ 3]
Strength +1
Stamina +2
Stealth +1
He wiped his face and sat against the wall, breathing heavily.
Then he saw it.
A body.
Not moving. But… not fully dead.
He approached slowly.
It was a teenage girl—maybe sixteen. Dirty, thin, but alive. Her leg was bandaged, and she held a makeshift spear.
She opened one eye.
“Back off, or I stab you.”
Lucas raised his hands. “I’m not infected. I swear.”
She didn’t lower the weapon.
“Who sent you?”
“No one. I’m surviving. Same as you.”
The girl studied him for a moment, then lowered the spear.
“I’m Riley. You?”
“Lucas.”
Riley looked him up and down. “You’ve got system access?”
Lucas nodded.
“Then you’re one of us,” she muttered. “That means you can help me get to the safe zone.”
Lucas blinked. “You know about Echo?”
She pulled a torn piece of map from her pocket. “My brother was a scout. He didn’t make it back. But he left this.”
Lucas showed her the journal. “Looks like we’re heading the same way.”
For a second, hope flickered in her eyes.
Then another howl echoed in the distance.
Riley stood up. “We move at first light.”
Lucas nodded.
They had a goal now.
But reaching Safe Zone Echo would take more than luck.
They’d have to survive the night—and everything that hunted in the dark.
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Latest Chapter
Episode 31: The Ashes That Breathe
The Sky Above The Arctic Circle Hung Low With Ash Clouds That Glowed Faintly Red As If The Horizon Itself Had Been Lit On Fire From Beneath The Earth Zeyad Stood In Silence On The Ridge That Overlooked The Smoking Wreckage Of Borealis Station The Ground Beneath His Feet Still Vibrating From The Echoes Of The Last Detonation That Had Torn Through The Core BelowLaila Was Beside Him Her Rifle Slung Low Against Her Back Her Hair Tied Back With A Strip Of Gauze She Had Torn From A Makeshift Medical Kit That Had Barely Saved Her Arm During The Last Encounter With The Hybrid Beasts That Crawled Out Of The Core Her Face Was Pale But Her Eyes Burned With Relentless PurposeBehind Them The Cracked Glacier Had Begun To Resettle Chunks Of Ice Sliding Into The Chasm That Borealis Had Become There Was No Longer Any Safe Path Backward Whatever Lay Ahead Now Would Be Carved With Fire Blood And The Remnants Of A War That Was Not Yet FinishedThe Final Message From The Core System Still Played In Zeya
Episode 30: The Burn Beneath the Ice
The Ground Trembled Beneath Zeyad’s Boots As He Stared At The Massive Crater Where Borealis Station Had Once Stood. Now, It Was Just A Scar On The Earth’s Frozen Skin, A Gaping Hole That Smoked And Hissed Like A Wound Refusing To Heal. The Sky Above Was Still Stained With Ash And Faint Traces Of Blue Fire — A Reminder That The Core's Destruction Had Not Been The End, But Only A Turning Point.Laila Stood Beside Him, Her Rifle Slung Over One Shoulder, Her Face Pale From Blood Loss But Her Eyes Still Alive With Fury And Determination. They Had Lost Too Many To Let This Be The Final Chapter. They Had Watched Teammates Burn, Cities Collapse, And Systems Fail. And Yet They Still Stood.We Have To Go Down There, She Said, Her Voice Hollow But Steady. It’s Not Dead Yet.Zeyad Nodded Slowly. No. It’s Just Changing.The Wind Blew Hard Across The Snowfield, Carrying With It The Smell Of Burnt Plastic And Biofuel. What Was Left Of Their Supplies Fit Into Two Packs — A Satellite Beacon, Three Cha
Episode 29: The Silence Between Heartbeats
The First Thing Zeyad Noticed As He Regained Consciousness Was The Unnatural Stillness In The Air. It Was Not The Peaceful Kind Of Silence That Followed A Battle. It Was The Tense, Coiled Pause Between Heartbeats Before The Body Realized It Was Wounded. Before The Mind Processed The Pain. Before The Scream Escaped.Zeyad Sat Up Slowly, His Joints Screaming In Protest. His Armor Was Cracked Along The Chest Plate, Blackened From Heat. Around Him, The World Had Been Reduced To Rubble. The Tunnel Had Collapsed Behind Them. The Path To Borealis Station Was Gone, Swallowed By A Seismic Shift That Had Torn The Earth Like Paper.Laila Sat Nearby, Her Head Bowed, Hands Wrapped Around Her Knees. Her Rifle Lay Across Her Lap, Scorched But Functional. When She Heard Him Move, She Looked Up Slowly, Her Eyes Red From Smoke Or Grief Or Both.We Are Still Alive. The Words Were Simple, But Zeyad Knew Their Weight. They Meant More Than Survival. They Meant They Had Endured The Unendurable.Not For Long
Episode 28: The Last Signal
The Wind Howled Over The Glacier Fields As Zeyad And Laila Stood On The Edge Of The Final Ridge Their Suits Torn From Fire And Battle Their Skin Marked By Scars Too Deep To Heal The Mountains In The Distance Looked Like Silent Watchers Bearing Witness To The End Of The WorldBeneath Their Feet The Ice Trembled A Low Vibration That Came Not From Nature But From Machines Buried Far Below The Network Core Had Been Destroyed At Borealis Station Yet The Pulse Remained A Heartbeat Without A Body Still Beating Still Sending Signals Into The Dead AirZeyad Checked His Interface Which Flickered With Static Before Stabilizing One Last Message Had Come Through Before The Relay Died A Set Of Coordinates Buried Deep In The Arctic Shelf Marked As Zero PointLaila Read Over His Shoulder Her Voice Rough From Smoke And Silence This Is Where It All StartedZeyad Nodded Then This Is Where We End ItThey Moved Across The Frozen Expanse With Caution Avoiding The Cracks In The Ice That Glowed With An Unnat
Episode 27:The Fire Beneath The Ice
The Walls Trembled With The Force Of The Alarms As Zeyad And Laila Ascended The Elevator Shaft One Floor At A Time Each Meter Up Felt Like A Race Against Something Ancient And UnstoppableBehind Them The Core Chamber Glowed With That Unholy Blue Light Its Pulsing Slowing But Growing Brighter As If Preparing For Something Larger A Final Transmission A Last Pulse Before DetonationZeyad Checked His Interface His Vision Was Blurred From The Neural Feedback But The System Still Flashed One MessageExternal Reinforcements Detected Infection Path Confirmed Initiating Station LockdownThey Reached The Upper Platform Just As The Floor Beneath Them Shuddered Sending A Wave Of Heat Up The Shaft Laila Leapt First Her Boots Hitting The Metal Deck Just As A Blast Wave Rushed Behind Them The Lift Crumpled BelowThey Had Moments LeftZeyad Looked Around The Command Level Had Changed The Panels Were No Longer Static Screens But Glowing Patches Of Living Tissue Punctuated With Steel Connectors The Sta
Episode 26: The Depths Between Silence
The Night Was Unnaturally Still As If The World Was Holding Its Breath Waiting For Something That Had Already Started Moving Zeyad Felt It In His Bones In The Air Around Him In The Echo Of Each Step He Took Through The Metal Hallways Of Borealis StationLaila Walked Beside Him Her Expression Tense Her Fingers Lightly Brushing The Hilt Of Her Knife Every Time The Lights Flickered She Paused Listening As If Expecting A Whisper From The Walls The Cold Had Settled Into Their Skin Not Just From The Arctic Wind Outside But From The Things Left Unspoken Inside This PlaceBorealis Station Was Not What It SeemedIt Had Been Built As A Research Facility According To The Old Archives But The More They Moved Through Its Corridors The More Obvious It Became That It Was A Vault A Cage Holding Secrets Too Big For The Surface WorldZeyad Stopped At A Sealed Door Its Frame Covered In Symbols That Looked Burned Into The Steel Not Scientific Not Technical They Looked Old Like Something Carved In Despera
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