"Ding!"
[News from WBS!]
"WBS news again? Ugh ... I'm already exhausted, and it looks like I'll just rest after this."
"Why are you like that, Noah?"
"I'm tired of searching for that mysterious fossil, but unfortunately, you and I didn't find it at all. Now it's time for us to rest and sleep. Besides, the plane won't leave for a while."
"You ... Noah ..."
I decided to sleep on the plane because my adventure yielded no results.
Yes, an adventure to find a mysterious fossil in the Sahara Desert called "Megashaurus" with my loyal partner, Vanessa Olivia.
Vanessa Olivia is my female partner and also my first partner in exploring and researching strange things reported by a news website called WBS. She's a kind girl, always smiling, smart, and a bit shy, but she's always confident in the decisions I make, and that's what makes her special.
Both of us share the same profession: researching and exploring new things we find from a news website. We always go together to uncover the truth behind the latest news.
WBS, or World Breaking Stories, is a website that always displays the latest news on the internet and is known for its bizarre stories.
Yes, this website always features strange and unusual news compared to typical news websites. The latest was when it reported about the Megashaurus fossil in the Sahara Desert, Africa.
I wasn't entirely convinced by the news, which led Vanessa and me to decide to go to the Sahara Desert to find out the truth.
But as we suspected, the news turned out to be false, just a rumor.
We're now on our way back to London, England, on a plane we just boarded.
The plane, coded B-377, is equipped with advanced features like cockpit protection, surveillance cameras, monitors, and toilet protection, making it one of the most advanced planes ever.
Besides being advanced, this plane is known for its cleanliness, tidiness, comfort, and friendly, kind crew.
The plane took off a few minutes ago, and I hope we arrive at our destination safely.
Since we're currently in the air, we can't use the internet for a while.
"Noah ..."
"What?"
"You didn't forget to turn off your internet, did you? We're at a high altitude, and I hope you've turned it off."
"Oh, right, I forgot. I'll turn it off now. Thanks, Vanessa."
Vanessa smiled at me, and I started turning off my internet connection.
"This journey might take a while, so I'd better just sleep."
I closed my eyes and tried to sleep.
Outside the plane, the weather wasn't looking good. It was cloudy, windy, and there were signs of lightning, indicating a big storm was coming.
In the cockpit, the pilot and co-pilot were doing their best to navigate the plane through the impending storm.
"Captain, this is bad! If we can't get out of this area, this big storm could have a severe impact on us."
"You're right! Alright, increase the plane's speed and stabilize our altitude!"
"Yes, Captain!"
"I hope nothing happens here."
The captain and co-pilot decided to push through the storm clouds approaching them. They entered the storm area, and using the navigation system, the captain tried to fly the plane as best as possible in the bad weather.
In my dream, I woke up in the middle of an abandoned city with no residents in sight.
"Where am I? Why am I here?"
Curiosity got the better of me, so I decided to explore the city. I walked through the streets filled with destruction.
The buildings looked neglected, windows were shattered, cars were abandoned, and public infrastructure was in ruins. I stood still, feeling uneasy about what had happened to this city.
"What actually happened to this city? It's ruined, abandoned, and full of chaos!"
As I continued walking, I felt a strange presence suddenly emerge. That eerie feeling came from behind me.
"RRRhhhhh—Ghhhaaahhh—Uhhrrrrrr!"
"Huh? What kind of sound is that?!"
I looked behind me and saw a horde of terrifying zombies. They were running as if they were targeting me, and I tried to run faster than ever.
"This is bad! I have to get out of here!"
I quickened my pace, but it was no use because the zombies were faster than me.
"Why are they so fast?!"
When I started to feel exhausted, one of them leaped toward me, and I tried to dodge the attack.
"Huh ...! No, these zombies are highly aggressive."
The zombies began attacking me from all directions. Many of them tried to bite, grab, or pounce on me.
I managed to dodge several attacks, but there was one I couldn't anticipate.
"Hrrhhkkhh …"
"No! One of their attacks is starting to affect me."
The zombie's bite caused intense pain, and its venom was so strong that it paralyzed my body. The poison restricted my movements, making it impossible to dodge or fight back as more zombies attacked me.
"Why?! All I wanted was to sleep peacefully! Damn zombies!"
Suddenly, I woke up from my nightmare and realized I was still on the plane. Seeing my panicked expression, Vanessa immediately asked about what happened.
"Hhhkkhh—! That was just a dream, right?"
"Are you okay, Noah? Don't tell me you just had a nightmare?"
I rubbed my eyes, looked at Vanessa, and answered her questions.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It was just a bad dream."
"Alright, Noah, if you say so."
"But … is our journey still long? I've noticed the plane is still in an area with bad weather."
"I don't know, Noah. Let's just hope nothing happens to this plane."
"Let's hope so."
I looked outside through the plane's window. The weather was indeed bad, and it seemed like a storm was brewing.
"If it's like this, I'd better check my phone."
I took my phone out of my pocket and opened it to see what was interesting out there.
As soon as I unlocked my phone, I saw a new notification from WBS.
"Ding!"
"Huh? What news is this?!"
I opened the notification and was shocked to see the headline: a plane crash.
[(Breaking News: Plane coded B-377 has crashed in an abandoned city outskirts.)]
"That code … it's the code of the plane we're on! This news!"
I immediately read the details of the news.
[(One of the passengers on the B-377 plane has been infected with a strange zombie virus. All passengers are desperately trying to survive the zombie attack occurring on the plane.)]
"Huh? Zombie virus? Don't be ridiculous, there's no such thing as a zombie virus in the real world!"
[(One of the passengers, a man experienced in rescue operations and his assistant, brought a young child and a teenage girl to enter the plane's cockpit.)]
[(According to them, the cockpit is the only safe place to take shelter from the zombie attack. The plane then suffered damage to its wing due to a lightning strike, and the chaos inside the plane prompted the pilot to allow them in and begin separating the cockpit from the cabin.)]
[(The plane's systems malfunctioned, navigation stopped working, and the chaos in the cabin led the pilot to decide on an emergency landing in the nearest area. During the emergency landing attempt, the plane's landing gear was damaged, causing the landing to deviate from standard procedures.)]
"So, the plane is dealing with two issues at the same time? But why isn't there any continuation of the story?"
I checked the date when the news was updated, which was ...
[(Sunday, September 17, 2025, 4:00 PM)]
[(The Dreamy Writer)]
"No, it's currently ... 5:00 PM. And the zombie attack was reported to happen at ..."
[(One of the passengers will be infected with the virus at 5:15 PM. That passenger is a 23-year-old teenage girl.)]
"If this is really going to happen, we only have 15 minutes before it does. No, wait a minute ... This news site, updated with 105 strange headlines ... Don't tell me it's actually going to happen!"
I looked through the various news stories constantly uploaded on the WBS website and noticed something odd: I wasn't using mobile data while accessing the site.
"I'm not using any internet connection, and this website can still be accessed without a network? What a strange news site!"
Seeing my odd reaction to the website, Vanessa asked me about it.
"What's wrong? Is it from that website again?"
"Y-yeah, the website just posted news about a plane crash involving the B-377—the plane we're on—along with a zombie attack and being stranded in a strange area."
"Wow, that's both interesting and terrifying if it actually happens."
"Forget about that weird news ... Besides, that kind of stuff only happens in fiction, not in reality."
"Maybe ..."
"Alright, I'm going to the restroom for a bit. Don't go anywhere, okay?!"
"Okay, Noah."
I left Vanessa and headed to the restroom at the back of the plane's cabin.
As I walked toward the restroom, I noticed something strange. A teenage girl was sitting quietly, but her body seemed highly sensitive, and her eyelids were starting to redden.
"Don't tell me she's ... No, just pretend it's not happening."
I continued to the restroom, ignoring what was going on.
In the cockpit, the pilot and co-pilot seemed confused as the plane's navigation system started acting strangely.
"What's actually happening with this navigation, Captain?"
"I don't know, but we need to be prepared for whatever lies ahead."
"Captain! Don't tell me it's about the cumulonimbus cloud?!"
"Yes, that cloud is right in front of us. Brace yourself to go through it."
The appearance of a cumulonimbus cloud in the flight area forced the plane to be extra cautious. Cumulonimbus clouds are one of the clouds pilots must avoid, especially in bad weather like this.
After leaving the restroom, I found a young boy who seemed lost. I approached him and asked,
"Hey! What's your name, buddy?"
"Buddy ...?"
"Yeah, what's your name, you handsome and cute kid?"
"Sir?! There's a lady in front of you! Come on, sir!"
Hearing that, I looked ahead and saw Vanessa.
"Ugh ... Sorry, I didn't see you there, Vanessa ..."
"Just like you, I was heading to the restroom for a bit ..."
"Alright, then ... Sorry, Vanessa, for not noticing you."
"It's fine, Noah ... Excuse me ..."
"Uh ... yeah."
I was so focused on the girl that I didn't pay attention to my surroundings.
Vanessa continued to the restroom while I took the boy back to my seat.
"Alright, you sit on my lap and don't go anywhere! Okay?"
"Okay, sir."
"Good kid."
I opened the window and saw that the weather outside was far from good.
I thought to myself, if what WBS reported is really going to happen, it would be the end for me.
In the cockpit, the pilot and co-pilot were calming themselves after navigating the plane into the cumulonimbus cloud area.
The co-pilot asked the captain something.
"Captain, can I ask you something?"
The captain turned to the co-pilot.
"What's wrong? You seem anxious, Denny."
"You know, Captain, that planes are forbidden from approaching cumulonimbus clouds. Even if we see one, we're supposed to avoid it. But we're doing the opposite ..."
"Hmm ... Calm down, we'll be fine, and I'm sure this storm will pass."
Unsatisfied with the captain's response, the co-pilot asked again.
"If you had to choose between your life or the passengers' lives, who would you choose?"
The captain fell silent.
He composed himself and answered the co-pilot's question.
"I'd risk my own life first, even if my family is waiting for me at home. To me, one life isn't worth the 300 lives of the passengers on this plane."
The co-pilot was speechless at the captain's wise response.
"But at the very least, I'm happy with this job, and you should be proud of what you've fought for, Denny."
"Huh? You ... Captain ..."
"Be grateful for what you have because not everyone can do what we do. You have your own strengths and weaknesses."
"Alright, Captain, I'll follow in your footsteps."
The captain smiled at his junior.
In the cabin, Vanessa, who had just returned from the restroom, saw me and the boy fast asleep on my lap.
"You two really look like father and son."
Vanessa smiled at me and sat back down.
The plane's journey grew more tense. The sound of thunder roared, and the storm began hitting the plane I was on again.
"Fwooosshhh—brrrhhhsshh!"
The turbulence was intense inside the plane, waking up passengers who had been asleep.
"Huh? What's happening?"
All the passengers started to worry, and even Rizky looked anxious about what was going on.
"Sir ... I'm scared."
"Mr. Noah, are we going to be okay?"
"Please, we want to survive."
Seeing the chaotic situation in the cabin, the captain of the B-377 plane made an announcement.
"All passengers, please remain calm and pray as much as possible. We will attempt an emergency landing in an area unaffected by the storm. Thank you."
The pilot's announcement made me even more curious about what was happening.
"I'd better check that website."
I took out my phone, unlocked it, and went to the website.
[(You are about to enter Chapter 1, Part 1, First Scenario: The Initial Boundary of the Fall.)]
"What is this?"
[(In 10 seconds!)]
"What, 10 seconds?"
Rizky asked me about what I was looking at.
"What are you looking at, sir?"
"N-nothing, just a small issue. Ignore it."
[(10)]
[(9)]
[(8)]
[(7)]
[(6)]
"Damn it, I can't stop this countdown!"
[(5)]
[(4)]
[(3)]
"What should I do?"
[(2)]
"No! This isn't going to happen, is it?!"
[(1)]
"DAMN IT!"
[(First Scenario: The Initial Boundary of the Fall has begun!)]
Vanessa asked me about what had just happened.
"What just happened, sir? You don't look okay."
"No, Vanessa, it's starting!"
"What's starting, sir?"
"The WBS scenario! We're about to see everything reported on WBS come true!"
Vanessa was shocked by my words, as if she couldn't believe what I had just explained.
In the middle of the plane's cabin, a notification appeared, startling everyone on board.
The notification delivered a message.
[Welcome to your first scenario, everyone!]