The next morning, just as the sun peeked over the horizon, they stood on the rooftop of a tall building, watching the mall in the distance. The wind was cold and sharp, carrying the faint stench of decay.
Shubash adjusted the binoculars, his face tense. "Are you sure it's only ten thousand zombies?" he asked, scanning the writhing mass below.
Arjun stood beside him, his sharp eyes taking in every detail. "No," he said quietly. "There are more. A lot more."
Janvi shifted uncomfortably, her arms wrapped around herself. "We should call it off," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's too dangerous."
Without answering, Arjun knelt down and set his communication headset on the ground. His silence made her heart pound harder.
"Arjun," Janvi called, stepping closer. Her voice trembled. "Please… think about this. If you go in there—you might not come back."
He turned his head slightly and smiled—a calm, reassuring smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I'll be fine."
Her throat tightened. "You always say that," she muttered, frustration mixing with worry.
"Shubash," Arjun said, changing the subject, "is everything ready?"
"Yeah." Shubash pulled out a tablet, his fingers moving swiftly over the screen. "Your main goal is to lure the mutants here." He pointed to a large, open ground in front of the mall. "That's the only place we can trap them."
Arjun's eyes narrowed as he studied the layout. Two wide driveways led to the basement—a vehicle entry and exit point. Both were in plain sight at the front of the mall, making a stealthy escape nearly impossible. At the back, there was a narrow staff entry tucked away on a side street. Less exposed, but more unpredictable.
"Once you're inside," Shubash continued, "there's a stairwell near the staff entrance. It leads directly to the basement. But…" He hesitated, glancing up. "Be careful. There could be zombies in the stairwell, and your wolf form might be too big to squeeze through. If that happens, you'll have to fight your way down by hand."
Arjun stayed quiet, already forming a plan in his mind. What they didn't know—what he hadn't told anyone—was that he could transform into more than just a wolf. If things got tight, he had other options.
Janvi bit her lip, her unease growing. "Is there no other way?" she asked, her voice tight. "The wolf form is his strongest weapon—what if the zombies overwhelm him?" She turned to Shubash, hoping for a better solution.
"Well..." Shubash hesitated, unsure how to answer.
"Janvi," Arjun said softly, meeting her gaze. "I can handle it."
Her hands curled into fists. He acted like it was simple—like his life wasn't on the line. "Why do you have to be so reckless?" she snapped, her worry boiling over.
His expression softened. "Because someone has to do it."
The words hung heavy in the air. For a moment, the only sound was the distant moan of the undead.
Shubash cleared his throat, trying to ease the tension. "I studied the layout carefully," he said, his voice steady. "That's why I suggested Janvi go in first. She's faster and—"
"It's fine," Arjun interrupted. "Stick to the plan."
Janvi frowned but didn't argue. She knew once Arjun made up his mind, there was no changing it.
"After that, you'll lure the mutants to the front," Shubash continued, his voice low and serious. "The basement openings are all at the front, and the smaller zombies shouldn't be able to hurt you much in your wolf form. While you're inside, we'll do our best to thin out the zombie horde until you come back."
Arjun gave a small nod, absorbing the plan. "Then?"
Shubash pointed to a nearby building across the street. "After the fight, head straight here."
The building wasn't far—a few blocks at most—but the streets between were crawling with danger.
"We've stashed three trucks in the basement," Shubash explained. "If we manage to clear the zombies, we'll drive the trucks toward the mall to pick you up. But if things go south, that building's basement has an exit on the opposite side of the road. Fewer zombies there. It's our best escape route."
Arjun took a long breath, scanning the area one last time. "Alright. Wait for me—but only for six hours. If I'm not back by then, leave without me."
Janvi bit her lip hard, her heart twisting. She'd already tried to talk him out of it, but nothing worked. She didn't understand why he was so determined to go through with this mission—why he was willing to risk everything.
"Okay," she said softly, her voice strained. She hated this.
Beside her, Shubash simply nodded, his expression grim. There was no point arguing anymore.
Without another word, they both readied their automatic rifles, aiming at the restless sea of zombies below.
Arjun turned and slipped out of the building, his movements quiet and precise. He kept to the shadows as he made his way toward the back entrance of the mall, every step measured. His senses stretched to their limit, scanning for any sign of danger.
When he reached the edge of the road, he paused and glanced back. The building where his teammates were watching had disappeared from view behind a row of crumbled structures. He was on his own now.
A second later, his body shimmered and shrank as he transformed into a small bee. With a quick buzz of his wings, he lifted into the air and sped toward the mall's rear entrance.
The scene beyond the gate was worse than he expected. Thousands of zombies shuffled aimlessly around the massive backyard, their groans filling the air like a dreadful chorus. The sheer number of them made his stomach tighten—but he pushed the fear aside.
He hovered above the locked door, frustration flickering through him. He couldn't return to human form without drawing attention, and breaking the lock would be impossible like this.
His gaze swept upward. There—at the top of the wall—was a narrow ventilation duct.
"That'll do," he murmured to himself.
Flying swiftly, he slipped through the grate and into the darkness beyond. The air inside was thick and stale, and the metal walls of the duct groaned softly beneath his tiny weight. He shifted his vision, borrowing the eyes of another species—suddenly, the pitch-black tunnel lit up in shades of eerie green, like night vision goggles.
Spider webs clung to the walls, some thick enough to trap even him. And worse—he wasn't alone.
Several spiders crouched in the shadows, their glossy black eyes gleaming as they watched him. Predators. One wrong move, and they'd strike.
Keeping his wings as silent as possible, he navigated carefully through the twisting ductwork. Each turn felt like a gamble, and the cold stare of the spiders burned into his back. If they decided to attack, he wouldn't stand a chance in this form.
After what felt like an eternity, he spotted a thin beam of light up ahead—a way out.
"Finally," he breathed in relief.
But soon, Arjun froze mid-air, his tiny bee form trembling slightly as he took in the sight below. There were thousands—no, tens of thousands—of zombies crammed inside the mall. The sheer number was staggering, stretching far beyond what they had estimated. From where he hovered, it looked like there could be three or four times more than they had prepared for.
The zombies shuffled aimlessly, bumping into each other in a never-ending, chaotic sea of decayed flesh. The air was thick with the stench of rot and mildew. Arjun scanned the area carefully and spotted a signboard marking the ground floor.
Before heading to the basement to lure the mutants, he decided to make the most of his time. If he left the goods here, the zombies would destroy everything. It was better to collect as much as possible now.
His eyes landed on a massive grocery store—the largest in sight. The bright green letters above the entrance read, 'Green Grocery Store.'
Without hesitation, he flew toward it, weaving through the air to avoid detection. The zombies nearby were too distracted to notice the small insect buzzing overhead.
He landed softly on a shelf stocked with canned goods. There was no time to sort through the items. With a thought, he activated his spatial ability, and the entire shelf vanished into his storage space.
The sudden disappearance didn't go unnoticed.
A guttural roar echoed through the air as the nearby zombies reacted, their hollow eyes flaring with aggression. Within seconds, the restless murmurs became a violent uproar as they crashed into each other, desperate to find the source of the disturbance.
Arjun winced. "Great. Just what I needed—more chaos."
He didn't have time to waste. Darting across the aisles, he absorbed entire sections into his space—snacks, fresh produce, dry goods. With each shelf that vanished, the zombies grew more agitated, their furious cries filling the mall.
This wouldn't work for long. He needed a distraction.
Shifting back to his human form inside his spatial space, Arjun grabbed a portable soundbox. He scrolled through the playlist quickly, selecting the loudest, most aggressive heavy metal track he could find.
"This should keep them busy."
Returning to his bee form, he zipped through the air and headed toward the central lawn area—a large, open courtyard in the middle of the mall. It was spacious enough to gather the zombies without trapping himself.
He landed on the ground and summoned the soundbox. The moment it appeared, a blast of thundering guitar riffs shattered the air.
The reaction was immediate.
Every zombie turned toward the sound, their moans rising to a frenzied pitch. Some flung themselves over railings, crashing to the floor below in their blind rage to reach the noise. The once-disorganized horde became a stampede, surging toward the source of the music.
"That should keep them busy for a while," Arjun muttered, glancing back once to make sure they were fully distracted.
He returned to his work with renewed focus. Section by section, he emptied the grocery store. Once it was done, he moved to the electronics department, then the pharmacy, the clothing stores, and even the bookstore—leaving no shelf untouched.
The process was slow and tedious, but after nearly four hours, the mall was stripped bare. He didn't just take the items—he absorbed entire shelves, tables, and display cases into his space. Nothing of value remained.
As he hovered in the air, surveying the now-empty stores, a thought struck him.
"There should be a warehouse, right?"
He didn't have a map of the mall's interior, which meant he would have to search for it manually.
Navigating through the mall's maze-like corridors, he eventually found a section marked 'Staff Only.' Careful not to attract attention, he slipped through a crack in the door and followed the path deeper into the employees' area.
After several twists and turns, he found it—the warehouse. A large metal door stood between him and the goods, secured with a sturdy lock.
Relief washed over him. "Good. At least the lock kept the zombies out."
With a wave of his will, the entire stockpile disappeared into his space. Crates of supplies, boxes of electronics, even spare fixtures—all safely tucked away.
Finally, the entire mall was empty. Except for the raging zombies still tearing through the courtyard, he had taken everything of value.
"Time to move on," he murmured, wings buzzing softly as he turned his attention toward the basement—and the mutants waiting below.