Lin Rhe's POV
Darkness.
That was all she could see.
Her bare feet shuffled against the cold floor as she wandered aimlessly around the dark, suffocating room. The shadows felt alive, pressing in on her. In her head, an unbearable ringing screamed louder and louder, as if the walls themselves were shrieking. All she wanted was to get out — anywhere but here.
Two Hours Before the Apocalypse
I woke up to blinding light.
My eyes squinted instinctively, struggling to adjust. Everything around me was washed in a harsh, almost heavenly glow. For a fleeting second, I thought of the light at the end of the tunnel.
Then — a low, guttural growl.
A cracking noise echoed behind me, sending chills down my spine. I turned around.
And froze.
A creature stood there — its skin black and cracked like charred wood, its eyes pale and ghostlike. It wore tattered, bloodstained clothes, like something dragged out of a nightmare. It was human… or something that used to be.
It moved toward me, stealthy but deliberate. My heart exploded into frantic beats as my legs took off before my mind could process. I sprinted toward the light, not daring to look back. The glow grew stronger, pulling me in, promising escape. I pushed myself forward, straight through it—
My eyes snapped open.
I was in a room — a real, physical room — and for a heartbeat, relief washed over me. Strange equipment surrounded my bed, machines humming softly. An oxygen mask clung to my face, the scent of plastic and antiseptic sharp in my nose.
A woman in a white uniform, her back to me, adjusted something on a tray. A nurse. I was in a hospital.
I slowly pulled the mask away and sat up. The nurse turned, and her face drained of color. Without a word, she bolted out of the room, probably to fetch a doctor.
I tried to piece things together.
A car accident — yes, I remembered that.
And before that… my fiancé. The man I trusted. Cheating on me with my own step-sister. The two of them plotting to kill me so she could take over my company — my company. Rage burned hot in my chest, the betrayal still raw. That night, I'd stormed out of his house in a haze of fury. Then the accident.
The nurse returned — with him.
He was… beautiful.
A man who could've walked straight out of a drama series. Sharp jawline, raven hair falling in perfect strands over piercing eyes, and full lips that looked like they were carved by a sculptor. He was tall — over six feet — and even his white coat couldn't hide the muscles beneath.
"How are you feeling, Miss Lin Rhe?" His voice was deep, calm, professional.
I blinked at him, struggling for words.
"You've been in a coma for two months," he continued. "Multiple burns, fractured ribs, broken bones, and severe head trauma. Honestly, it's a miracle you survived."
Two months? I'd been unconscious for two whole months?
"I… I don't know what to say," I murmured. "Thank you for saving me, Doctor."
He gave me a small, devastating smile. "Just doing my duty. I'll get started on your discharge papers. Rest up." He stood and left with the nurse, leaving me alone with my racing thoughts.
When I was discharged, relief and gratitude filled me. A second chance at life — that's what it felt like. I lingered in the hallway, hoping to catch the handsome doctor again, but luck wasn't on my side.
An emergency case rolled past me then — a woman on a stretcher, her clothes soaked in blood. She trembled violently, and as they rushed her toward the ER, I caught a glimpse of her hand. A bite mark. Deep.
Confused, I stood frozen. The nurses whispered urgently, and one ran off to fetch the doctor.
A voice blared from the TV mounted in the lobby. The president's face appeared on screen:
> "Citizens of the Philippines, be informed that a deadly virus is spreading across our country and the rest of the world. It has now been declared a global pandemic.
Symptoms include:
1. Extreme violence
2. Red, bulging eyes
3. Black, scaly skin
4. Purple veins visible beneath the skin
Infection spreads instantly through bites.
Please stay indoors. Rescue teams will arrive in three to five days. Good luck."
The broadcast cut off.
Then the chaos began.
Growls and screams erupted around me. Nurses and patients ran in every direction. My heart pounded as I bolted for the exit. Outside, the scene was worse — people screaming, bleeding, running. A man staggered toward me, his body drenched in blood, one eye missing. He growled like an animal.
I ran but there were more.
Suddenly, a hand clamped over my mouth and yanked me aside. I thrashed until I saw his face.
"D-Doctor?"
"Good thing you're okay," he said, his voice tight. "The hospital's overrun. We have to leave now."
He shoved me into his car. The infected no, the zombies — swarmed the parking lot as he slammed the accelerator.
"Hold on!" he barked, plowing through one of the creatures. I clutched my seatbelt, my stomach lurching. Outside, the world burned. People screamed, attacked by the infected. Blood everywhere.
"Why is this happening?!" I shouted over the chaos.
"This didn't start today," he said grimly. "It started a year ago. People showed up with fever and seizures. The government ran tests but found nothing. They kept it quiet to avoid panic. Now…" He glanced at me. "Now it's too late."
I stared at him, numb. Waking from a coma into this hell felt like a cruel joke. Wouldn't it have been easier if I'd just died?
"Settle down, Miss Rhe. We're heading for a government safe camp."
The zombies closed in behind us as he swerved into a narrow alley. Shops and buildings lay in ruins, people screaming in the distance.
"I'm Harry Lee," he said at last, eyes on the road. "Twenty-seven."
"I'm Lin Rhe," I whispered. "Twenty-four. Are these… things evolving?"
"We don't know yet," he admitted. His hands tightened on the wheel.
The car slowed as we reached a forest. We pulled off the road into a green stretch of trees. It felt quieter here, heavier somehow. Harry grabbed his emergency bag and started unloading supplies.
I wrapped my arms around myself, staring at the dark treeline. "What now?"
"Now," he said without looking up, "we survive."