At first, Corey thought it was just another zombie—another twisted, decaying corpse brought back to life by the VX-9 virus. But as the figure stepped into the light, he realised with horror that this creature was different. Its movements were smoother, more controlled, and its eyes—those cold, calculating eyes—were filled with something more than hunger. Intelligence.

The creature stood taller than the others, its gaunt body draped in the remnants of what might have once been military gear. Its skin was pale and taut, stretched over sharp bones, and its mouth was filled with jagged, bloodstained teeth. But it was the eyes that held Corey’s attention—those cold, dead eyes that seemed to bore into his soul.

The creature stared at the survivors through the gate, as if assessing them, studying their defences. And then it did something that sent a wave of dread crashing over Corey.

It smiled.

“Do you see that?” Ornelas whispered, his voice trembling as he took a step back. “Corey, it’s… it’s smiling.”

Corey couldn’t speak, couldn’t tear his eyes away from the creature. This thing—whatever it was—was unlike anything they had faced before. It wasn’t just a zombie. It was something far worse.

The creature raised one bony hand, its fingers curling into a fist. And as it did, the dead surged forward again, crashing against the gate with renewed fury. The force of the attack was even stronger this time, the creatures throwing themselves at the metal with reckless abandon.

The gate buckled under the onslaught, the hinges groaning as they began to give way. The survivors fought desperately, but it was clear that they were outmatched. The dead were stronger, faster, and more coordinated than ever before.

And then, with a deafening crack, the gate gave way.

The metal tore free from the hinges, crashing to the ground with a thunderous roar. The dead poured through the breach, their twisted forms flooding into the inner compound like a tide of death.

“Fall back!” D’Souza shouted, his voice barely audible over the chaos. “Fall back to the central building!”

Corey grabbed Ornelas’s arm, pulling him away from the front line as the dead swarmed around them. The survivors were being pushed back, their defences crumbling under the relentless assault. Corey’s mind raced as he fought to stay ahead of the creatures, but everywhere he turned, there were more of them.

The central building—a squat, reinforced structure that served as the heart of Sanctuary—was their last hope. If they could reach it, they might be able to hold out long enough to figure out their next move. But the dead were closing in fast, cutting off their escape routes one by one.

As they ran, Corey caught sight of Palesa, who was desperately trying to rally the remaining defenders. But the dead were everywhere, their numbers overwhelming the survivors. Corey’s heart sank as he realised how few of them were left. The horde had decimated their ranks, and now they were being driven into a corner.

They reached the entrance of the central building just as the dead descended upon them. Corey and Ornelas fought their way inside, slamming the heavy door shut behind them. The sound of the dead pounding on the door echoed through the narrow hallway as they bolted the door, their breaths coming in ragged gasps.

“We can’t hold them off for long,” Ornelas said, his voice shaking. “There are too many of them.”

“I know,” Corey replied, his mind racing as he tried to come up with a plan. But the truth was, he had no idea what to do. The dead were inside Sanctuary, and it was only a matter of time before they broke through the last of their defences.

They were trapped.

The survivors who had made it into the building huddled together, their faces pale with fear. D’Souza and Palesa were still trying to rally the remaining survivors. But Corey could see the hopelessness in their eyes. They all knew what was coming.

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As the pounding on the door grew louder, Corey felt a cold hand of dread close around his heart. The dead would break through any minute, and when they did, there would be no escape. They were out of options, out of time.

And then, just when it seemed all hope was lost, Corey remembered the look in the eyes of the creature that had led the attack—the intelligence, the cunning. This wasn’t just a random assault. There was something more behind it, something that went beyond the mindless hunger of the dead.

There was a plan.

Before he could fully process the thought, the door to the central building splintered with a deafening crack. The dead were inside, pouring through the breach with a fury that was almost unstoppable. The survivors fought back with everything they had, but it was a losing battle.

Corey felt a surge of desperation as he looked around the room, his eyes falling on Ornelas. His brother was still fighting, his face set in grim determination, but he could see the exhaustion in his eyes. They couldn’t keep this up. They couldn’t win.

But maybe—just maybe—they could find a way to survive.

“Ornelas!” Corey shouted, grabbing his brother’s arm. “We need to find a way out of here! We can’t stay in this building!”

“There’s nowhere left to go!” Ornelas replied, his voice hoarse with fear. “We’re surrounded!”

Corey’s mind raced, searching for any solution, any escape route. And then he remembered something Palesa had mentioned earlier—a tunnel system beneath the central building, used for smuggling supplies in and out of the camp.

“Downstairs!” Corey shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. “There’s a tunnel system! It might be our only chance!”

Ornelas’s eyes widened as he pieced together what Corey was saying. Without wasting another second, they began fighting their way toward the stairs that led to the basement.

“Palesa! D’Souza!” Corey shouted, trying to make himself heard over the din. “We’re heading for the tunnels! It’s our only chance!”

D’Souza and Palesa exchanged a quick glance, and then D’Souza nodded. “Everyone, move! Get to the tunnels! Now!”

The survivors began retreating toward the basement, the dead hot on their heels. It was chaos, the narrow hallway filled with the sounds of screams, gunfire, and the sickening crunch of bones. But Corey and Ornelas didn’t stop. They couldn’t stop.

They reached the basement stairs and began to descend, the darkness closing in around them as they left the chaos above. The tunnel system was their last hope; the only way they might be able to escape the horror that had overtaken Sanctuary.

But as they reached the bottom of the stairs, Corey’s heart sank. The basement was already filled with the dead—twisted, grotesque forms lurking in the shadows, their eyes glowing with a malevolent hunger.

“We’re trapped,” Ornelas whispered, his voice filled with despair.

Corey looked around, his mind racing as he tried to find a way out. But the tunnel entrance was blocked by the dead, and there was no way they could fight their way through.

“We need to find another way,” Corey said, his voice tight with fear. “There has to be another way.”

But as they turned to search for an escape, the dead closed in, their grotesque forms surrounding them, cutting off every route. The survivors who had made it to the basement were now backed into a corner, with no way out.

Corey’s heart pounded in his chest as the reality of their situation set in. They were surrounded, outnumbered, and out of time. The dead were closing in from all sides, their twisted faces leering hungrily as they prepared to strike.

And then, just as it seemed all was lost, a loud explosion rocked the building above them. The walls shook, dust and debris raining down from the ceiling as the force of the blast reverberated through the basement.

The dead paused, their heads snapping toward the source of the explosion. For a brief moment, the creatures hesitated, their attention diverted.

Corey’s heart leaped as he realised what had happened. Someone had set off an explosive—one powerful enough to distract the dead, if only for a moment.

“This is our chance!” Corey shouted, grabbing Ornelas’s arm. “Move! Now!”

The survivors surged forward, seizing the moment of distraction to push past the dead and make their way toward the tunnel entrance. It was a desperate, chaotic scramble, but somehow, they managed to break through the horde.

They reached the tunnel entrance just as the dead began to recover from the shock of the explosion. Corey glanced back, his heart pounding as he saw the creatures closing in once more.

“Go!” D’Souza shouted, waving them forward. “Get into the tunnel! Don’t stop!”

Corey and Ornelas scrambled through the tunnel entrance, the darkness swallowing them as they fled into the underground passage. The other survivors followed, their footsteps echoing in the narrow space as they ran for their lives.

As they plunged deeper into the tunnel, the sounds of the dead faded behind them, replaced by the echoes of their own frantic breaths. The passage twisted and turned, the walls closing in around them as they raced through the darkness.

But even as they ran, Corey knew they weren’t safe yet. The dead were still out there, and they would stop at nothing to finish what they had started.

And somewhere, in the darkness behind them, the creature that had led the attack was still watching, still hunting.