A loud metallic crash echoed through the annex lobby, and this time it carried enough force to make the floor vibrate slightly beneath their feet. The sound did not resemble random banging. It sounded controlled and heavy, as if something large was moving with purpose.
The survivors stood frozen between overturned desks and shattered glass. No one spoke for several seconds.
Silar looked directly at Josh.
"You are suggesting we avoid the administrative wing and take the lab service corridor instead," Silar said.
"Yes," Josh replied.
"That path is longer, and it takes us away from the parking structure."
"It also gives us more options," Josh answered. "If something blocks the main corridor to the garage, we will have no room to maneuver. The service corridor has branches. If one section becomes compromised, we can redirect."
One of the older students stepped forward and shook his head.
"I disagree," he said. "If we reach the parking garage, we can find a vehicle with a strong engine and enough speed to force our way through the infected and drive out of the school tunnels. Staying inside narrow service halls limits us."
Another added, "A vehicle gives us mobility. We cannot keep moving on foot forever."
Silar listened carefully. Another heavy impact sounded somewhere deeper in the building, followed by a scream that stopped abruptly.
Silar's expression hardened.
He turned back to Josh.
"If we follow you, explain why your route improves our survival," he said calmly.
"The garage is a confined underground space," Josh replied. "If the exit ramp is blocked or collapsed, we will be trapped below ground with no alternative exit. In the service corridors, we have multiple branching paths and possible exterior maintenance access points."
Silar considered the information for several seconds.
Then he spoke clearly so everyone could hear.
"We will follow him through the service corridor."
The two students who had argued earlier exchanged looks.
"I am not risking everything on that," one of them said. "The garage offers an actual escape vehicle."
Silar did not comment.
"You are free to choose your path," Josh said.
Five people separated from the group and ran toward the administrative wing.
Josh did not attempt to stop them. He had already evaluated the risk. If the garage remained clear, they might survive. If it was compromised, their chances were low.
He moved toward the supply cage that concealed the service access.
"Stay close and remain quiet," he said.
The service door was stiff and produced a loud scrape when forced open. The air inside was cooler and carried a chemical odor mixed with concrete dust. Exposed pipes lined the ceiling, and the lighting flickered but remained functional.
The corridor was narrow enough that only one person could engage an infected directly at a time.
Josh took the lead.
He advanced carefully, pausing at each junction long enough to listen for movement patterns rather than random noise.
At the first bend, three infected appeared ahead.
The first stumbled forward slowly. Josh stepped into range and struck at the neck joint with controlled force. The body collapsed immediately.
The second tripped over the first and lunged clumsily. Josh stepped back, allowed it to lose balance, and drove his blade upward through the skull.
The third moved faster than the others and charged directly.
Josh adjusted his footing, but his rear foot slid slightly on blood from the previous bodies. His balance shifted just enough to create danger.
The infected's fingers brushed against his shoulder.
Before it could bite, Mira grabbed the back of his jacket and pulled him backward with both hands. The motion restored his balance. Josh twisted and drove the blade through the infected's eye.
It dropped instantly.
Josh steadied himself and turned slightly toward Mira.
"Thank you," he said.
"You nearly lost your footing," she replied, breathing hard.
"I misjudged the surface," he said.
They continued forward.
Several minutes later, a different sound emerged from behind them. The footsteps were heavy and consistent. They were not erratic like the infected they had encountered earlier.
Josh felt a tightening sensation in his chest before Aegis confirmed it.
The anomalous entity was approaching and closing distance steadily.
Silar also noticed the difference.
"it seems someone or something is following our movement," he said quietly.
"Yes," Josh replied.
They reached a three-way junction. Before they could decide which direction to take, two distant gunshots echoed faintly from the administrative wing. After the shots, there was silence.
No one needed to interpret what that meant.
Josh chose the downward sloping corridor that led toward exterior utility access.
"If there is an exterior maintenance exit, we will have more flexibility," he explained.
They moved quickly down the slope.
The heavy footsteps behind them increased in speed.
When Josh glanced back, he saw it clearly for the first time in full light.
The infected stood upright. Its posture was balanced. Its eyes were focused rather than vacant.
It was not behaving like the others.
Josh understood immediately that it was tracking him specifically.
"Run, but change direction when possible," he instructed.
They sprinted forward with what was left of most of their stamina.
At the first maintenance door on the right, Josh forced it open and directed several people inside. The rest followed quickly. The corridor ahead remained visible from the slope.
The creature continued straight down the main path, following the most obvious movement.
Josh waited briefly and then activated Shadow Thread. Instead of attacking, he projected residual heat distortion and sound displacement straight ahead down the corridor, reinforcing the illusion that they had continued running forward.
The strain was immediate and intense. His vision blurred slightly from the mental effort.
The creature passed their concealed doorway without stopping.
After several seconds, Josh released the ability to prevent further cognitive backlash.
He leaned against the wall briefly to stabilize himself.
Mira placed a hand on his arm.
"It is tracking you directly," she said quietly.
"Yes," he answered.
Above them, the creature slowed. After a moment, they heard metal bending as it began forcing open nearby maintenance doors.
It had realized the deception.
Silar studied Josh carefully.
"You anticipated that its movement," Silar said.
"I considered it a possibility," Josh replied.
"And you still chose a route that required complexity rather than speed."
"Yes. Straight routes are easier to predict and intercept."
Silar gave a small nod.
"Then we continue to follow your judgment."
In the corridor above, another door was ripped open.