Night at the lab.
The alarm lights flashed red across the long silver hall. The sound was so loud, echoing against the walls like the cry of the dying world. Vivian ran through the smoke, her white lab coat torn and stained with blood. She could hear screams behind her, the sound of glass breaking, and the heavy steps of something chasing her.
She didn't look back. She couldn't.
Her heart beat so fast it hurt. She clutched the small data chip in her hand, the one that held the virus records—the proof that the "Project Rebirth" experiment had failed. The virus that was supposed to make humans stronger had turned them into monsters.
Vivian's breath came out in short gasps. The air smelled like metal and rot. Every few steps, she stumbled over a fallen body. Some were scientists like her; others were already changing, their eyes pale and lifeless. She pushed forward, trying not to cry.
"Please… just a little more," she whispered to herself.
She reached a steel door at the end of the corridor. The keypad blinked red. She entered the code with shaking fingers. For a moment, the door didn't move. Then it opened with a hiss. She slipped inside and shut it behind her.
Silence.
Only the distant alarms and her heartbeat.
She leaned against the wall, sliding down until she sat on the cold floor. Her hands were trembling. She had lost everyone—her team, her friends, maybe even her brother. She wiped her tears quickly. Crying wouldn't help. She had to escape the lab before the virus spread through the air system.
A loud bang echoed from outside. Vivian froze. Another bang. Then, a growl. Low, rough, not human.
They had found her.
She stood up, searching the small room. There was a locker, a broken screen, and a small vent. It was too narrow for her to crawl through. The door started to shake as something hit it again and again. The lock blinked red. It wouldn't last long.
Vivian grabbed a metal pipe from the floor and faced the door. Her whole body trembled, but she lifted the pipe high. If this was how she would die, she would fight.
The door cracked open, revealing two shadowed figures. Their eyes glowed faintly blue—the mark of the infected. Their faces were twisted, skin gray and broken. They groaned and stepped closer, reaching out with blood-stained hands.
Vivian screamed and swung the pipe. It hit one in the face with a loud crack. The creature fell, but the other jumped toward her. She stumbled back, hitting the wall. The pipe slipped from her hand. The zombie opened its mouth, showing sharp teeth.
Then—silence.
A blur moved between them. Fast. Too fast.
The zombie's head jerked to the side. Its body fell, lifeless, to the floor. The blur stopped moving. Vivian froze. It was a man—or at least, he looked like one.
He was tall, wearing torn black clothes, his hair messy but strangely clean. His eyes glowed faintly silver, not blue like the others. His skin was pale, but his face—his face looked almost human. Handsome. Cold. Quiet.
Vivian stepped back, fear rising again. "Stay away from me…"
He didn't move. He just stood there, looking at her. The alarm lights flashed over his face, and she saw it—sadness. Deep sadness in those silver eyes.
He tilted his head slightly, as if listening to something far away. She remembered the reports: some infected could hear everything—every sound, every whisper—from far away. Maybe he was one of them.
The silence stretched. Vivian's breath shook.
He took one slow step toward her.
She raised her hands. "Please… don't."
He stopped again. His gaze dropped to the small cut on her arm. Then, slowly, he reached out, but not to attack. His hand brushed against her sleeve, gentle. The touch was warm. Too warm for a corpse.
Vivian's eyes widened. "You… you're not like the others."
No answer. He lowered his hand and turned his head, as if checking for danger. Outside, more groans echoed through the corridor. The other infected were coming.
Vivian's fear returned. She looked at the man—at the strange, quiet zombie who had just saved her life. She didn't know if she could trust him, but she also knew she wouldn't last a minute alone.
He moved suddenly, grabbing her arm—not rough, but firm. He pushed her toward the vent she had seen earlier. His silver eyes met hers, and without a word, she understood. Hide.
She crawled into the vent as the door broke open again. She looked back. The man stood there, facing the group of zombies alone. The red lights flashed around him, turning his pale skin almost glowing.
The first zombie charged at him.
He moved like lightning—one kick, one twist, and it fell. Another came; he crushed its neck with one hand. Vivian's eyes widened. He wasn't normal. He was stronger than any human she'd seen. He fought like someone who knew pain but refused to stop.
Then one zombie bit his shoulder. Vivian gasped. But instead of bleeding, dark smoke came from the wound, and it healed instantly. The others hesitated. Even the monsters seemed afraid of him.
He turned his head slightly, enough for Vivian to see his face again. For a second, his cold eyes softened—looking right where she hid. It was as if he was telling her Run.
Tears filled her eyes. She didn't even know his name.
She crawled through the vent as fast as she could. Behind her, she heard growls, crashes, and heavy thuds. Then silence again. Complete silence.
Vivian pushed open the vent cover and dropped into another hall. Her knees hit the floor hard. She stood, breathing fast, looking around for the exit. The sirens had stopped, but the red lights still flashed slowly, painting the walls like blood.
She wanted to believe he had survived.
She wanted to believe he wasn't just another monster.
Vivian moved down the hall, gripping the pipe again. She needed to find the surface, call for help, do anything to stop the virus from spreading.
Then she heard footsteps behind her. Slow, heavy, calm.
She turned.
There he was—standing at the end of the corridor, a shadow against the light. His eyes still glowed faintly silver.
Her heart skipped a beat.
He was alive. Or whatever "alive" meant for him.
He took one step forward, silent as ever, but his gaze held something—something human. Something that made her chest feel tight.
Vivian whispered, almost afraid to believe it. "Who are you?"
He didn't answer.
He just looked at her for a long moment… then turned his head as if hearing something else approaching.
Growls echoed from the far end of the hall. More infected were coming.
Vivian froze. She didn't know if he would protect her again or leave her to die. But before she could decide, he reached out, grabbed her hand, and pulled her close.
His grip was strong but gentle. His eyes met hers again—silver against brown.
Then he turned toward the darkness, ready to face what was coming.
Vivian felt her heart race, not from fear, but from something she couldn't name.
And in that moment, she realized something terrifying and beautiful—
The monster was saving her again.
To be continued…