In the tightly locked-down town， night cloaked the streets in an eerie， suffocating silence. A secret operation was underway， the tension palpable in the cool air. Soldiers dressed in protective gear moved swiftly through the shadows， their mission clear but their expressions strained.
The unsettling sounds of barking dogs and meowing cats pierced the night， a haunting symphony of the town's fear. The soldiers methodically carried out their orders， extinguishing the lives of infected animals with grim efficiency. Government claims of necessary measures to halt the epidemic echoed in the distance， but the faces of the soldiers told a different story—a silent burden weighing heavy on their hearts.
“Hurry up! Don't let any of them escape!“ the captain's voice came through the radio.
The soldiers reluctantly carried out the orders， their eyes filled with pain and confusion. Little did they know， the real danger was quietly spreading.
In a secluded corner， Alan leaned against the wall， his eyes hollow， a strange smile playing on his lips. Deep inside him， the seeds of evil were taking root and sprouting. The spores not only infected his body but also penetrated his soul.
“Alan， are you okay?“ neighbor Jerry asked.
Alan turned his head， revealing a seemingly gentle smile.“I'm fine， Jerry， don't worry.“
But what Jerry failed to notice was a hint of unusual red glow in Alan's pupils. The mutation of the spores within him made him more cunning， more adept at disguising himself.
Just then， a government propaganda vehicle slowly drove by， broadcasting the official message:“Please remain calm， everything is under control.“
In a closed meeting room in the city center， the mayor and several senior officials were urgently discussing countermeasures.
“We must maintain our image and prevent panic among the public，“ the party secretary said.
“But how do we conceal this? It seems like a biochemical crisis，“ another official said with concern.
“What biochemical crisis? This is just an animal flu caused by a few stray cats and dogs wandering around from outside the quarantine zones，“ the mayor said.
“But how do we know who's infected? They all seem normal before they show symptoms，“ another official said worriedly.
Dr. James remained silent for a moment， then spoke slowly，“We are working to find a way to differentiate those infected. Currently， it seems these spores primarily infect animals and mutate.“
The obese mayor sneered，“We don't need differentiation. Just tell them it's an animal-borne disease that doesn't spread to humans. But for community safety， all residents must remain in place， and no one is allowed to leave their homes.“
“That would allow the infection to spread unchecked. There are innocent healthy people in the community.“
“Can you identify them quickly? Even if you can， what about hidden carriers? You scientists are clueless about politics. Now this small fraction of people should make the necessary sacrifices for the health of the majority of the country.“
In the car leaving the meeting， the mayor complained to his confidant on the phone，“These stupid scientists， they understand nothing. As long as I ensure the safety of the big shots in the capital and their families， of course， including our own safety， what funds are there to waste now? But we can apply for funding， yes， for humanitarian support and treatment of residents， donations must also be made， but to our designated account!“
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Everyone in the entire town was unable to leave， with barbed wire sealing off the entire town. But they didn't know that the real enemy might be hiding among them. The mutation of the spores not only changed the appearance of the hosts but also their nature.
Even worse， a squad of volunteers entered the quarantine zone of the small town， wearing makeshift medical masks and isolation suits. Finding volunteers willing to enter the quarantine zone was becoming increasingly difficult. Leading the group was a young medical student， waving his protective gear reassuringly to the other members，“Don't worry， experts say this is just a case of animal flu， it won't spread to humans. Once we're done with the mission， we can go home and have some beer.“
However， as soon as they entered the quarantine zone， the situation took a drastic turn. What they witnessed was completely unexpected. The air was thick with the smell of death and decay， and restless animals within the quarantine zone emitted low growls， as if foretelling the impending disaster.
The volunteers began to realize that this couldn't simply be a case of ordinary animal flu. They witnessed the frenzied behavior of infected animals， as well as the despair and panic of people under the onslaught of spores. One volunteer couldn't help but step back， muttering to themselves，“This... this couldn't possibly be a common cold.“
At that moment， a group of infected animals lunged at them， roaring with madness， their eyes gleaming with frenzy. The volunteers were forced to retreat to a makeshift camp， their protective gear seemingly useless against these rampaging creatures. However， it was already too late. Many had their protective suits torn， bearing wounds all over their bodies， helplessly watching the situation spiral out of control， hastily evacuating the town.
The leading volunteer muttered，“Those damn fools spreading baseless rumors， not caring about our safety， sending us here on a whim to express their concern for the townsfolk. We're being treated as guinea pigs; we should've left those stupid fools here for a month!“
Amidst the chaos， they struggled to escape， but the spores had already begun to spread among them. However， as they departed， everyone donned new protective suits， concealing the incident that had occurred. Because once the incident was exposed， everyone would be individually quarantined and subjected to detailed medical examinations. They knew that doing so would mean being locked up in separate cells for at least a month.
Years later， some remote small towns turned into ghost towns overnight. This phenomenon caused widespread panic among the people. Astonishingly， the buildings in these towns remained untouched， with freshly brewed coffee in the shops still warm and bread still fresh. However， all living beings， including humans， animals， and birds， suddenly died.
The condition of the deceased was puzzling. Their exteriors remained intact， with most of them appearing to have died while running. However， upon closer inspection， their internal organs and blood were completely missing， as if they had been devoured by vampires.
The dead had expressions of terror on their faces， as though they had been chased and then killed by vampires.
Researchers found the wounds on the dead were extremely precise， as if they had been made by some sharp instrument. However， these wounds were nearly invisible and could only be detected under special lighting.
Some survivors mentioned witnessing unusually shaped stars or hearing a low humming sound at night just before the events transpired. These phenomena seemed to suggest the presence of some kind of alien technology， but the evidence was inconclusive.
Investigators tried to uncover the truth behind these events， but they found it difficult to find any concrete leads. The surveillance footage in the ghost towns mysteriously lost signal on the day of the incident， and all electronic devices malfunctioned. The local residents' suspicions of vampires and aliens grew stronger， but the authorities remained silent on the matter.
Soon， these once bustling and vibrant cities have turned into ruins. The glass curtain walls of the skyscrapers have been blurred and eroded by wind and sand. The air is filled with the smell of decay， and the once lively parks have now become wastelands.
Among these ruins， former school classrooms have fallen into disrepair， with desks and chairs scattered haphazardly. The writing on the blackboards has long since faded， and tattered toys are strewn across the floor of abandoned nurseries. Trees have withered， grass has died， and only a few solitary crows fly overhead.
The part of society with power and money had already boarded SpaceX to colonize Mars.
Some wealthy people， most of the middle class， and some of the proletariat had established small communities， attempting to cultivate crops， purify water sources， and protect the remaining wildlife. Gradually， under the protection of those steel and concrete and grids， small communities gathered into several large areas. Human inertia quickly allowed them to return to their colorful lives， as if nothing had happened.
Any reporters reporting on the accident or disaster would be taken away by men in black for investigation. When they returned， they surprisingly claimed they had never been taken away and had never made any related reports; it was all just boring rumors.