The air was thick with tension as August led the group through the crumbling streets, his eyes darting between the jagged outlines of ruined buildings and the glowing lines of the system’s map. Each step felt heavier than the last, not just from exhaustion but from the weight of unanswered questions. His mind replayed the events of the last encounter—the mercenaries, the cryptic warning about Sabrina, and the bloodied corpse of the one man who might have given him answers.
Behind him, Jude limped, his bat slung over his shoulder, while Cara scanned their surroundings with her rifle. Every sound—a distant shuffle, the faint clink of loose debris—set her on edge. Her sharp eyes never stopped moving.
“We’re not far,” August said, his voice low. The map showed a nearby hospital, its sprawling ruins marked as a potential escape route. But the system had also flagged it with a cautionary yellow: High Zombie Activity.
“Not far,” Cara muttered under her breath. “Not far to what? Another ambush? Another death trap?”
August didn’t reply. He understood her frustration—hell, he felt it too. But they didn’t have the luxury of stopping to argue. The system’s constant pings of danger detection kept them moving.
Jude coughed, breaking the silence. “How much longer do we have to keep running? My leg’s killing me, and I’m pretty sure this ‘safe zone’ is just another figment of your magic map.”
August stopped and turned, fixing Jude with a glare. “You want to stay here and wait for Marcos’s goons to catch up? Be my guest.”
Jude opened his mouth to respond, but Cara cut in. “Both of you, shut it. We’re sitting ducks out here. If we’re going to keep moving, we need a plan that doesn’t involve running blindly into another firefight.”
August gritted his teeth, the pressure building inside him. “I’m not running blindly. The system says the hospital’s the best shot we’ve got to lose them.”
Cara scoffed, stepping closer. “Oh, the system says? And since when has your precious system been infallible? You’re putting all of us in danger because of something that only you can see and hear.”
“I’m not asking you to trust the system,” August snapped. “I’m asking you to trust me.”
Cara stared at him, her expression unreadable. Then she shook her head and started walking. “Fine. Lead the way, fearless leader. Let’s see where your magic map takes us.”
Jude followed, muttering something under his breath, and August clenched his fists before turning back to the map. The glowing path ahead pulsed softly, a beacon guiding them through the chaos. He swallowed his doubts and pushed forward.
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The hospital loomed in the distance like a decayed monument to humanity’s failure. Its skeletal frame jutted against the gray sky, windows shattered, walls crumbling. Vines and moss crept along its surface, claiming it as nature’s own. As they approached, the air grew colder, and the faint, sickly smell of decay wafted toward them.
“This place looks worse than I imagined,” Jude said, wrinkling his nose.
August didn’t disagree. The map highlighted the building’s interior, marking a route through the lower levels that would supposedly lead them out the other side. But the glowing yellow warnings were impossible to ignore: Infected Detected. Extreme Caution Advised.
“We’ll have to move quickly,” August said, motioning for them to follow. “Stay close and stay quiet.”
They slipped inside through a broken side entrance, the shadows swallowing them whole. The air was damp, and the faint echoes of dripping water mixed with distant, guttural moans. August tightened his grip on his crossbow, his eyes scanning every corner.
The system’s HUD illuminated the path forward, overlaying arrows and markers onto the dimly lit hallways. But even with its guidance, the hospital felt like a maze—a labyrinth of collapsed ceilings, overturned gurneys, and forgotten medical supplies. Every step felt like it could awaken the building’s slumbering horrors.
Jude stumbled over a loose piece of debris, cursing under his breath. Cara shot him a warning look. “Quiet,” she hissed.
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“I’m trying,” he whispered back. “Maybe if someone carried me—”
“Enough,” August cut in, his voice sharp but hushed. “Just keep moving.”
They reached a stairwell, the system directing them to descend to the basement level. August hesitated, peering down into the darkness. The faint groans of zombies echoed from below, growing louder with each passing second.
“Are you sure about this?” Cara asked, her voice tight.
“No,” August admitted. “But we don’t have another option.”
They descended carefully, each step creaking under their weight. The basement was worse than the upper levels—pitch black except for the faint glow of August’s HUD. The groans were louder now, accompanied by the shuffling of feet.
The system pinged softly: Three Hostiles Nearby.
August held up a hand, signaling the others to stop. He raised his crossbow, his eyes scanning the corridor ahead. Three figures emerged from the shadows—zombies, their decayed faces contorted in permanent agony. They moved slowly but deliberately, drawn by the scent of living flesh.
“Take them out quietly,” August whispered. “Cara, left. Jude, right. I’ll take the middle.”
Cara nodded, moving swiftly and silently to position herself. Jude hesitated, his grip on the bat trembling slightly, but he followed August’s lead.
The first zombie fell with a soft thud as Cara’s knife found its mark. August fired a bolt into the second’s head, the projectile embedding itself with a sickening crunch. The third lunged toward Jude, who swung his bat in a wide arc, connecting with the zombie’s skull. The sound of bone cracking echoed through the corridor, followed by silence.
Jude panted, leaning heavily on his bat. “That was... too close.”
“It’s not over yet,” August said, reloading his crossbow. “Let’s keep moving.”
They pressed on, the system guiding them through the winding corridors. More zombies appeared, each encounter testing their coordination and resolve. But August couldn’t shake the growing unease in his chest. The system’s warnings felt... different this time. As though it was withholding something.
Finally, they reached a service tunnel that led out of the basement. The system marked it as the exit, but a new notification flashed across August’s HUD:
Danger: Enemy Reinforcements En Route.
August froze, his mind racing. Reinforcements? His stomach sank as he realized the mercenaries must have tracked them here.
“What is it?” Cara asked, noticing his hesitation.
“They’re coming,” August said. “We have to move. Now.”
They hurried into the tunnel, the faint sound of approaching footsteps and muffled voices growing louder behind them. The system’s map showed an exit less than fifty meters away, but the tension in the air was suffocating.
As they neared the end of the tunnel, a familiar voice echoed from behind: the scarred mercenary leader, now alive only through his subordinates.
“Find them,” the voice crackled through a radio. “And don’t let them escape. Sabrina is too valuable to lose.”
Cara stopped dead in her tracks, turning to face August. “Sabrina? What the hell is going on?”
“There’s no time,” August said, avoiding her gaze. “We have to keep moving.”
“No,” Cara snapped, stepping in front of him. “You’ve been dragging us through hell, and now you’re telling me this has something to do with your sister? What aren’t you telling us, August?”
“Not now!” he barked, his frustration boiling over. “We’ll talk when we’re safe.”
“Safe?” Cara’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “You think there’s going to be a ‘safe’ after this?”
“Stop it!” Jude’s voice, strained and desperate, cut through the argument. “They’re right behind us!”
The sound of boots pounding against the floor was unmistakable now. August made a split-second decision. “Go. I’ll cover the rear.”
Before Cara could argue, he shoved her forward, raising his crossbow and taking aim at the tunnel entrance. The first mercenary to appear caught a bolt to the chest, crumpling to the ground. The others hesitated, taking cover and returning fire.
“Move!” August shouted, firing another bolt. He backed toward the exit, his heart pounding as bullets ricocheted off the walls.
Cara and Jude reached the end of the tunnel, scrambling up a rusted ladder that led to the surface. August followed, his lungs burning as he climbed. He emerged into the open air, the mercenaries’ shouts still echoing below.
“Block the hatch!” Cara yelled, grabbing a nearby piece of debris and slamming it over the opening. August and Jude joined her, piling whatever they could find on top of the hatch until it was securely covered.
For a moment, there was silence. The three of them stood there, panting, bruised, and bloodied, but alive.
Cara turned to August, her eyes blazing. “You owe us an explanation. Now.”
Before he could respond, the system chimed in his mind:
Mission Update: Sabrina’s Location Verified. Next Steps Pending.
The words sent a chill down his spine. He didn’t know how much longer he could keep them in the dark—and he wasn’t sure if they’d forgive him once the truth came out.
A second notification appeared, and his heart sank: Mercenary Reinforcements Confirmed. ETA: 10 Minutes.