Alexia stood there, staring at the undead human wobbling on her doorstep, her fists clenched. The taste of freedom she had so briefly savored was now gone, snatched away before she could even feel the wind on her face. Her eyes burned with frustration as the weight of confinement crashed down on her again. The thought of driving her car, of having a small slice of normalcy back, shattered like glass.

Her face twisted in anger. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” she shouted at the undead, her voice rising with every word. Without thinking, she kicked the creature. The thing flew down the street like a ragdoll, crashing into a lamppost with a dull thud.

“Close the fucking door!” she barked, and the house obeyed, the fortified door locking with a metallic click. Her anger was still boiling beneath the surface, but all she could do was turn back to the TV.

The footage on the screen was bleak. Crowds of people running in terror, some desperately rushing back to their homes, others toward the underground city. Most made it, but not everyone. Alexia watched as some fell, overwhelmed by the undead humans that had begun to spread through the streets like a plague. The chaos was tangible, the fear in the people’s faces cutting deep.

"What the hell is going on?" she muttered, her hands shaking slightly.

The news anchors’ voices were tense, as if trying to mask their own fear. "While the Necromancers responsible for raising the undead humans remain at large, our government is reportedly working on an urgent update to home defense systems to specifically target these new threats."

The news reporter’s voice still echoed in Alexia’s home. "These undead humans are essentially zombies, but don’t panic! They’re created through magic, so even if you’re bitten, it won’t spread. Stay inside and let the heroes handle it!" He had tried to sound reassuring, but it had done nothing to calm her nerves.

She clicked the remote angrily, turning off the TV with a sharp snap. The silence that followed only made the scraping sounds outside even more unbearable. It was like nails on a chalkboard—constant, unnerving, relentless.

Alexia stormed to her bedroom and flopped face-first onto her bed, burying her face in the pillow. "This is fucked up!” she screamed, muffled by the pillow. "This is not fair, I just want one peaceful day!"

For a solid minute, she let herself scream and curse, letting the frustration pour out of her in waves. When her throat felt raw and her anger dulled to an exhausted ache, she rolled over, staring at the ceiling. She took a deep breath and forced a smile, whispering to herself, "Everything’s gonna be okay, it’s gonna be fine."

But even as the words left her lips, the sound of scraping outside her house grew louder. More zombies were closing in, their nails raking against the walls of her home in an incessant, maddening rhythm.

"I can’t take this anymore!" she muttered through gritted teeth. She leapt off the bed, storming out of the room and into the living room. She tried to drown out the noise by turning her attention elsewhere, but the relentless scratching was like a hammer pounding on her last nerve.

Finally, she'd had enough. "Fine! You want me out? I’ll come out!" she shouted to no one in particular, fuming with rage. She grabbed a baseball bat from the garage. "I am gonna kill that Necromancer myself!."

She pressed the tip of her ring finger, activating her super senses, though the surge of power still felt unsteady. Her vision flickered between normal and enhanced, and her hearing was initially overwhelmed by the cacophony of noise. But she focused, honing in on what she wanted—there had to be a Necromancer nearby, the one controlling these zombies.

Her hearing steadied after a few seconds, and she swept her senses over the neighborhood. The sounds of moaning zombies, creaking branches, and distant cries blurred together until something different caught her attention—a low, rhythmic chanting. A spell. She zeroed in on it. The chanting came from the abandoned farmhouse just outside the neighborhood.

"I’ve got you now,"she muttered under her breath, clenching her fists.

Without hesitation, she commanded the house to unlock and open the door. As she stepped outside, the stench of the undead hit her immediately—rotting flesh, damp earth, and something worse she couldn’t even name. She wrinkled her nose but pushed forward, determined.

The zombies turned toward her, slow and shambling, their lifeless eyes locking onto her as though drawn by her presence. She sighed heavily. "Out of my way."

With a quick burst of speed, she sprinted forward, swinging the bat with brutal efficiency. The first zombie didn’t stand a chance, its body flying through the air like a ragdoll. Before it could even hit the ground, she’d already knocked another one aside. It was almost comical—the way they flew apart like they were cartoon characters.

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"You’d think these things would at least smell better," she muttered, wincing at the foul odor that clung to them. "Please don’t let me have super smell. That would be a nightmare."

Zombies lunged at her from all sides, but she barely slowed down, batting them away with ease. "Keep coming, I’ll knock you all down."

As she reached the edge of the suburb, she spotted it—a massive horde of zombies, packed tightly in front of a shed. They were blocking her path, a writhing wall of rotting bodies. Alexia frowned, gripping the bat tighter. "Seriously?"

She stopped for a moment, assessing the situation. "There’s no way my bat’s going to be enough for this." Her eyes darted around, looking for something—anything—that could help her cut through the mass of undead.

Then she remembered: "SUVs."

Two cars were parked just down the road. She smirked. "That’ll do."

With a speed that belied her strength, she sprinted back, reaching the parked SUVs in seconds. Grabbing the first one by the bumper, she dragged it back toward the outskirts, the weight hardly registering in her super-powered arms. She grinned as she approached the horde again, raising the SUV high above her head.

"Let’s see if you can block this."

With a powerful heave, she hurled the SUV straight into the crowd of zombies. The vehicle plowed through them, sending bodies flying in every direction. A few of the undead were completely crushed under the weight, limbs scattering across the ground.

But they were still moving—slow, crawling, but still moving.

"Okay, one more," she said, jogging back to grab the second SUV. She hauled it over her shoulder and returned to the scene, this time hurling it with even more force. The car smashed into the remaining zombies, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

When the dust settled, the horde was in shambles. Zombies were missing limbs, dragging themselves along the dirt, some barely able to move. It wasn’t a clean victory, but it was good enough.

Alexia smirked. "Now that’s more like it."

With the path cleared, she moved forward, stepping over the broken remains of the undead as she made her way to the shed. "You can’t hide from me,"she whispered, her eyes locked on the source of the chanting. "I’m coming for you, Necromancer."

Alexia dragged the SUV behind her with one hand, her eyes locked on the dilapidated shed ahead. "This should do the trick," she muttered to herself, her mind racing. She knew better than to underestimate a Necromancer. He could have all sorts of spells in that shack, traps she couldn’t anticipate. But she had one answer to all that: brute force.

She gripped the SUV tighter, spun on her heel, and with one powerful motion, whipped it straight toward the shed. The vehicle flew through the air like a missile, slamming into the building with a deafening crash. Wood splintered, the roof collapsed in a cloud of dust, and the entire structure crumbled to the ground.

As the sunlight streamed through the wreckage, it caught the Necromancer in its deadly grasp. He let out a guttural scream as his body began to burn, vaporizing almost instantly under the intense light. All around her, the zombies that had been lumbering mindlessly suddenly collapsed, their connection to the Necromancer severed.

Alexia exhaled deeply, satisfied. "That’s one less problem."

She was about to turn and head home when something caught her ear—a crackling sound, like a bonfire. Her brow furrowed. "What’s that?"

Curiosity piqued, she followed the sound, her steps quickening as she crossed the barren field. After a few minutes, she came upon a small patch of trees, nestled in the middle of the otherwise empty landscape. And there, in the center of the clearing, was something she recognized from the news: a fiery pit, glowing ominously, like the entrance to some dark underworld. It was a gateway—a portal where the monsters were emerging from.

Her eyes narrowed. "Interesting, let me think of something,"

She scanned the area, thinking fast. "Yes, I’ve got to plug this thing. That’s right!" She began searching around for something—anything—that could seal the pit. Her eyes landed on a group of rocks jutting out from the ground not far away. “Perfect!”

Without wasting a second, she hurried over and began pulling at the rocks. With her super strength, she tore them from the ground with ease, one after another, stacking them into a manageable pile. She sized each one up, smashing them into shape with her fists when needed.

Satisfied with her makeshift boulders, she returned to the pit. "This should do it," she muttered, dropping the first stone into the fiery maw. The pit hissed in protest, but she didn’t stop. One by one, she dropped the rocks, plugging the gateway with layer after layer of solid stone.

But something nagged at her. "It’s not enough," she thought, glancing around anxiously. "It might not hold."

Determined, she scoured the entire neighborhood, finding every rock, stone, and chunk of debris she could get her hands on. With relentless speed, she dragged them back to the pit, building higher and higher, the stones piling upon each other until the makeshift blockade resembled a small pyramid.

By the time she was done, the sun had begun to set, the fiery glow of the pit now was completely covered under the weight of the rocks. Alexia stood back, breathing heavily, wiping the sweat from her brow.

"That should do it," she said with a grin, finally feeling satisfied. She glanced up at the darkening sky, realizing the night was coming. "Time to go home, it’s gonna be a quiet night,"

As Alexia finally approached her house, a sense of accomplishment and relief washed over her. Her shoulders relaxed, her pace quickened with joy—home was finally in sight. Just before she reached her front steps, however, her neighbor from the house next door was standing by his front door, enjoying a cup of tea.

"Miss Ryland, what are you doing out there? It’s not safe, you know," he called out.

Alexia paused, blinking. "Oh, hey Mr…" she trailed off, realizing she had no clue what his name was. Her eyes darted to his mailbox, where his last name was etched in metal. "Mr. Stone," she said, the relief in her voice evident. "I’ll head inside if you do too."

He chuckled warmly, scratching his chin. "You got me there. Alright, alright, you win. I’ll head in. Have a good evening, young one."

Alexia smiled, waving. "You too, Mr. Stone. Enjoy the peace—it's gonna be quiet tonight."

"Yeah, yeah," he waved her off with a smirk before closing his door.

Alexia entered her home, the faint sounds of her neighbor’s door clicking shut echoing in the background. The warmth of her house welcomed her like an old friend. She kicked off her shoes and sighed contentedly, imagining a quiet night ahead. First, a shower. The warm water washed away the dirt and tension, rejuvenating her body after the long, grueling day.

Clean and refreshed, she prepared a hearty meal and settled onto the sofa, remote in hand. She flipped through her favorite shows, fully intending to binge-watch them into the night. It felt good, almost normal. A rare moment of calm in her otherwise chaotic world.

Then, just as she was about to take her first bite of dinner, a deafening explosion shook the house. Her fork clattered onto the plate, eyes wide with shock. Small debris and rocks began pelting the roof, the sound of them tapping like heavy rain against the shingles. Instantly, the automated turrets outside whirred to life, detecting the undead.

Alexia buried her face in her hands, groaning in frustration. "Ah, shit. Of course. Why did I think it would work?" she muttered to herself, a sarcastic edge to her voice.

The turrets illuminated the yard, her hard-earned peace shattered once again. "Guess there's no such thing as a quiet night anymore,"