BOOM!
Kael Voss was still kiting the horde when a deafening explosion erupted behind him. The shock ran straight through his spine. He spun around—and the sight that met his eyes sent a chill down his bones.
Just three storefronts down from the terrace, two wide glass doors crashed to the floor. Shards flew in every direction as a swarm of zombies erupted from within, their shrieks filling the air like a rising tide of death.
They surged forward in chaos, faces pale and ghoulish, their eyes lifeless, their mouths agape. The grotesque mob zeroed in on Kael like predators on a scent trail.
There were at least a hundred of them—and the terrace was narrow, boxed in at both ends. If Kael wanted to escape now, the only option might be to jump.
A wave of cold dread shot from his tailbone to the top of his head. Without hesitation, he slung the crossbow over his shoulder and pulled out his longsaber—a European-style bastard sword he'd found and honed over the past few days. With the horde not yet fully converged, he figured his only chance was to cut his way back the way he came.
But the corridor was just over three meters wide, not quite four. On the far end, another thirty or so zombies were stampeding toward him. Charging through them might be possible—but escaping unscathed? Unlikely.
Kael's face tightened with grim focus. This wasn't a training ground—it was the end of the world. These undead creatures likely carried the infection. One bite, and that was it.
He'd witnessed it on the first day of the outbreak—what people later called "Cataclysm Day." He saw a freshly infected employee tackle a female coworker and tear a chunk of flesh from her arm. Though the woman was treated quickly, she turned in under five minutes—into a hollow, mindless ghoul, driven by nothing but the urge to tear apart anything alive.
Now, facing this new wave of death, Kael's mind braced for the worst.
"Over here! This way!"
Just then, a small door on the inner side of the terrace creaked open. A child's head popped out—a boy at first glance, eyes darting frantically. He waved his arms with urgency.
"Hurry! In here!"
Kael had already accepted this might be his final stand—so the sudden opening of a way out jolted him. Without a second thought, he dove through the door behind the boy, utterly stunned that another living soul still existed inside this shopping center.
The small door led to a dim corridor flanked by narrow shops. The lighting was poor, but the boy moved with astonishing speed and confidence, navigating turns and passageways like he'd memorized every crack in the floor.
It was like a maze of market stalls—clearly once a local flea market. The stores were small, mostly fashion boutiques, luggage vendors, or snack stands offering things like skewers or spicy stews.
Kael followed close behind. The deeper they went, the darker it got. The passageways twisted and turned, giving the surreal sense of descending into an urban labyrinth.
The boy's light steps carried him swiftly through the gloom. Suddenly, he darted into what looked like a generic storefront. Kael followed, and the boy led him straight into the back—a kitchen.
There, in the kitchen's rear wall, was a 20-centimeter-square ventilation fan. Its blades spun lazily in the faint breeze, casting flickering light into the room like dancing sprites.
The patterns of shadow and light gathered atop a waist-high iron storage cabinet. The boy dashed over to it and yanked it open with a metallic clunk.
"Get in! Quick!" the boy urged, breathless.
Kael didn't hesitate. He climbed into the cabinet alongside the boy, pulling the heavy door shut behind them. Darkness slammed down around them like a coffin lid, sealing them away from the outside world.
The cabinet was large, but with two people inside, they had to crouch face-to-face, limbs folded tightly in the cramped space.
Both held their breath, straining to silence every movement. Outside, the shrieks of the horde rose, then faded, dispersing as the undead lost track of their prey. Kael knew the creatures would wander off soon—they always did when they lost the scent.
After a while, the sounds died down. Kael nudged the cabinet door open just a few inches and peered out. Seeing nothing outside, he finally exhaled in relief and turned to look at his young rescuer.
Light filtered through the vent. It wasn't bright, but they were close enough that Kael could see clearly now—and was stunned to realize the "boy" was in fact a girl.
Her head was shaved nearly bald, and Kael had barely glanced at her in the adrenaline rush of fleeing death. But now, up close, he could see the youthful softness of her features and the lively gleam in her eyes. She looked no older than twelve or thirteen.
As Kael opened the cabinet door a little more, the girl flinched.
"Close it! Hurry!"
Though the undead had likely moved on, Kael respected her fear and pulled the doors shut again. The stifling darkness returned.
Facing her in the pitch black, he whispered, "You've got guts. You've survived this long hiding in here?"
She gave a small nod, barely audible. "Since that day," she said, her voice almost mosquito-soft. "I've been hiding here since then."
"That day?" Kael echoed, frowning. "You mean since the outbreak started? That was nearly half a year ago. You've been here alone all this time?"
She was silent for a beat. Then, softly: "Has it really been that long? Then… why haven't the police come yet?"
Kael fell silent. After a pause, he let out a soft sigh. "Don't count on rescue. I don't think the government even exists anymore. The whole world… it might be like this. From now on, we're on our own."
The girl didn't reply. The two of them sat in silence for a long time. Eventually, she exhaled a deep sigh, one so full of hopelessness it sounded like it came from someone far older than she was. Not the sigh of a girl—but of someone who had seen too much to still believe in rescue.
She finally spoke again, voice barely above a whisper. "This was my mum's snack shop. That cabinet used to hold rice and supplies. I cleared it out and have been hiding in here ever since."
That explained it. A small restaurant would've had enough provisions to keep one person alive. And for someone her age, food wouldn't run out quickly. She was clever—Kael could see that now.
After a moment, curiosity got the better of him. "Are you alone? Where are your parents?"
The girl hesitated briefly, then replied, "My dad passed away long ago. Mum ran the place with an auntie. I went to school nearby. I'd come here for lunch every day."
"And your mum…?" Kael asked, then instantly regretted it.
If her mother wasn't here, the answer was obvious—she'd probably joined the hordes outside. He hadn't meant to make her relive that pain.