Johnathan pulled a water bottle from his bag and hurled it as far and as hard as he could. Just as they had planned, it struck the ground with a sharp crack that echoed through the station. A second later, they heard it—the shuffle of multiple footsteps rushing toward the noise.
The four boys exchanged relieved smiles and began climbing the stairs.
But the moment they stepped up, they nearly collided with a zombie.
It had been heading toward the sound of the bottle, but their impatience brought them straight into its path. Johnathan reacted instantly, drawing his knife and driving it into the creature's skull. Ivan caught the body before it hit the ground and gently lowered it to avoid making more noise.
Danny immediately scanned their surroundings, making sure no other threats had been drawn in.
"The coast is clear."
At his words, the boys let out a quiet breath of relief. Thankfully, the kill hadn't attracted anything else. Climbing the final steps, they reached the station's ground floor.
From their vantage point, Johnathan could see dozens of zombies clustered near where the water bottle had landed, still distracted by the earlier noise.
"Let's get the hell out of here."
The others eagerly agreed and followed him toward the exit. They moved carefully, each step deliberate. When they finally reached the door, Johnathan tried to open it slowly—
But the hinges let out a loud metallic creak.
Every zombie in sight snapped its head toward them.
For a split second, everything went still.
Then the creatures began marching forward, low growls rumbling from their throats.
"Shit—run!" Johnathan shouted.
They burst out of the station and sprinted down the street. Danny scooped Ash up when the younger boy began to lag behind. They didn't stop until they reached a narrow alleyway. Cutting through it, they emerged onto another street.
At the end stood a bike shop, and a little farther down, a convenience store.
The boys exchanged hopeful looks. Transportation—and possibly more supplies.
They hurried toward the bike store and pushed the door open. A bell above it jingled sharply, making them flinch. Still, they stepped inside.
Rows of sturdy, sleek bikes lined the shop floor.
"We should split up," Danny suggested. "We'll cover the store faster."
Ivan immediately shook his head. "Have you ever seen a horror movie? People split up—they die. I'm not dying in a bike shop."
Johnathan chuckled softly. "He's got a point."
There was no way he was risking that.
"Fine," Danny conceded.
They moved together, carefully selecting bikes that looked durable and fast. A few minutes later, they were ready to leave.
As they took a different route back toward the entrance, Ash suddenly stopped.
"There's blood."
Dried, dark stains marked the floor.
Instantly, their guards went up. They had relaxed too quickly. Following the trail and turning the corner, they found not a human corpse—but a dead zombie.
The boys exhaled.
But before they could fully relax, something whistled through the air.
A dart slammed into the wall inches from Johnathan's head.
They spun around.
A middle-aged man stood a few meters away. He had short, dirty-blond hair and a trimmed beard. He wore a black jacket and cargo pants. In one hand, he held several more darts. In the other—a nail-studded bat stained with dried blood.
"Who are you kids," he asked in a low, steady voice, "and what are you doing in my store?"
The tension lasted only a moment. After everything they'd survived that day, a human—especially one who had clearly killed a zombie—wasn't nearly as frightening.
"We're looking for bikes," Johnathan replied calmly.
The man blinked, surprised by his composure. Four kids stood before him. He was larger, armed, and older—yet none of them seemed intimidated.
"Do you have any idea how dangerous it is out there?" he asked.
Of course he would think they were crazy. Kids shopping for bikes in the middle of an apocalypse?
"We just came from outside," Ivan said. "Trust us, we know. We need bikes to move faster."
The man sighed. "Bikes make noise. Noise attracts them. It's not safe."
"What does our safety have to do with you?" Ivan shot back.
"Listen," the man said firmly. "I'm not one of those monsters. I'm human. And if I can stop some kid from getting killed, I will."
"I—"
"Ivan," Johnathan interrupted gently. "He's right. We didn't think about the noise. And if we find our families, how are they supposed to ride? We can't just leave them behind. And a car would be even louder."
Ivan clenched his jaw but eventually nodded.
Johnathan stepped forward and extended his hand. The man hesitated, then shook it.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Johnathan."
"Mark," the man replied. "Nice to meet you."
One by one, the others introduced themselves. In an apocalypse, unknown enemies were dangerous. Especially ones who might have eaten the crystals. For all they knew, Mark could have consumed several.
But for now, he seemed genuine.
"I've got an apartment upstairs," Mark said. "Safer than the street."
Before anyone could respond, all of their phones buzzed simultaneously.
They pulled them out.
A notification filled the screen:
{Alert}
[Everybody reading this. The world is undergoing an apocalypse. We advise everyone to stay on guard and make their way to the nearest army base. This is not a joke, nor a nightmare. I repeat—this is not a nightmare. This is reality. We wish everyone reading this the best of luck in surviving this challenge. From now on, SIM cards and internet services will be disabled. Again, stay safe.]
Silence filled the store.
It was official.
The world they knew was gone.