August’s heart raced as the door to the shelter creaked open with an eerie groan. His body tensed, ready to sprint, but as his eyes flickered to the small patch of moonlight that pierced through the crack, the sound of distant growls hit his ears. Zombies.

But it wasn’t just the growling that sent a chill through his spine. It was the rapid, heavy footfalls approaching from the hallway—a stampede of things, bodies moving unnaturally fast, some dragging limbs, others with grotesque hunched backs. It wasn’t just one zombie. It was an entire pack.

The system inside his mind was already shifting into emergency mode. A small display popped up, showing red dots closing in on the shelter’s location. It was too many to count, too many to fight. They’d be overwhelmed in seconds if they didn’t act now.

His first instinct was to grab Jude and bolt, but then he remembered the knife that had appeared for him when he first encountered the zombie. He didn’t know why it had materialized, but he wasn’t about to let it go to waste. He turned to Jude, his voice sharp.

“We need to get out of here. Now.”

Jude had already begun backing up, pulling his makeshift weapon—a crowbar—tight in his grip. The desperation in his eyes mirrored August’s, the same recognition that their options were running out fast. There was no time for hesitation.

Together, they turned and sprinted down the hallway, ducking beneath debris and trying to stay quiet, but the sound of zombies scraping along the walls, dragging their rotting bodies closer, was unmistakable. August’s heart hammered in his chest as he cursed under his breath. The shelter was collapsing, the undead closing in from all sides. They had nowhere to hide.

The system’s map flickered into his vision again, providing the layout of the building. The nearest exit was to the left, but August knew they didn’t have the luxury of time. The zombies were already at the door. The map was glitching in real-time, showing the red dots converging, almost like a predator closing in on its prey.

A screech from behind them made August’s blood run cold. He turned to see a lone figure—a grotesque, half-rotted zombie—stumbling into the hallway. It was moving faster than any of the others. August could see the bloodshot eyes, the gaping mouth, and the way its arm dangled as though it was reaching for them.

“Go!” August yelled to Jude, pushing him forward.

Without thinking, August whipped around, the system guiding him like an instinct. The knife materialized in his hand as he squared up against the approaching zombie. It was almost as though the blade was designed for this very moment, a perfect fit in his palm, a comforting weight that made his movements sharper.

Jude sprinted ahead, the echo of his hurried steps a reminder of the danger still closing in behind. The moment August felt the wind of the zombie’s breath against his neck, he spun, raising the knife high. The system in his mind buzzed, an automatic function guiding his strike.

The blade plunged into the creature’s skull with a sickening crack, and the body fell to the ground with an unceremonious thud. August wasted no time, pushing past the corpse and running after Jude, his breath ragged in his chest.

They reached the door.

August threw it open, and a rush of cold night air flooded in, sharp with the scent of decay and destruction. The city stretched before them, dark, broken, and silent—save for the occasional shriek of a distant zombie or the groaning of collapsing buildings.

But they weren’t safe yet. The map flickered again, showing a new horde converging just a few blocks away.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“We need to go,” August said, his voice sharp, barely above a whisper.

Jude, breathing heavily, nodded. “Where do we go?”

Before August could respond, the map flashed again—a large cluster of red dots was headed directly toward them. The zombies were in the streets, but more importantly, they were starting to surround them.

“Up. We’re going to the rooftops. It’s our only chance.” August grabbed Jude’s arm and pointed toward an old fire escape on the building’s side.

The fire escape was rusted, but still intact. With no time to waste, they climbed swiftly, the clang of their footsteps echoing in the night. As they reached the roof, August could see the vastness of the city laid out before him—ruins as far as the eye could see.

August pulled out the map again, scanning the layout for their next move. His mind was racing, his pulse thundering in his ears. The map showed the surrounding areas, including the old shelter that seemed to be overrun now. They were deep in the city’s heart, and the streets had become a labyrinth.

“We need to get to the outskirts, find a place to regroup,” August said, glancing at Jude. “It’s not safe here anymore.”

Jude only nodded. He was focused on the horizon, his eyes distant, searching for something in the night.

“We’re going to get through this, right?” Jude asked quietly.

August didn’t answer immediately. He didn’t know if he could offer that kind of assurance. The world was no longer the place it once was. His wife—Sabrina—felt like a distant memory. The only thing he cared about now was survival.

“I don’t know,” August said finally. “But we’re going to try.”

The rooftop was a temporary safe haven, but August knew it wouldn’t last. The undead were relentless, and the city was slowly but surely falling into ruin. There was no telling what horrors lurked around every corner, or how long they could avoid being overwhelmed.

Jude was already looking at the map, his mind racing. “We can’t just sit here, August. I need to find my family. I have to.”

August glanced at him, studying the desperation in his eyes. He understood. He understood more than Jude could know. In another life, in a life before the outbreak, August had been driven by love, by hope, by the need to protect those he cared about. But now? Now, he wasn’t sure what he was doing. He wasn’t even sure what he was fighting for anymore.

“You don’t have to do this alone,” August said, his voice softer now, less the hardened survivor and more the man who still had a small piece of compassion left.

Jude nodded, but the look on his face made it clear—he wasn’t asking for help. “I’ve been searching for days, August. They’re out there somewhere. I can’t give up.”

August’s stomach tightened. He didn’t want to admit it, but a small part of him respected that determination. He didn’t want to think about what would happen if they didn’t find them. But a bigger part of him was terrified that they wouldn’t.

August sighed. He could feel the weight of the decision pressing on him. This wasn’t just about finding Jude’s family. This was about surviving. This was about finding a way through the madness.

“I’ll help you,” August said, his voice steady. “But we need to plan this carefully. The system will guide us, but we can’t take unnecessary risks. We’re not just dealing with zombies anymore—we’re dealing with a world that’s trying to kill us.”

Jude didn’t respond right away. Instead, he just stared out over the desolate cityscape, his mind clearly a thousand miles away.

August turned back to the map, plotting their course. He marked off potential danger zones—areas known for heavy zombie activity—and searched for a safer path to lead them toward the outskirts of the city.

“Okay,” August said after a long pause. “We’ll head north first. There’s a shelter marked there. Maybe we’ll find some survivors.”

“Maybe,” Jude murmured, not looking at him.

They both stood in silence for a moment, knowing that the real journey was only beginning. The world around them had crumbled, but the flicker of hope that came from surviving another day was enough to keep them going.

As August opened the map again to finalize their route, his eyes caught something unexpected—movement in the distance. The outline of shapes, some shambling, others running.

Zombies.

A lot of them.

The map began flashing red. “Horde detected. Path blocked. Immediate evacuation required.”