02:17 AM
The upper floor of Marmara Forum is dark.
Half of the lights on the food court level are off.
Behind the glass, the city looks like a black void.
Boran was leaning on the railing, looking outside.
"Not one vehicle," he whispered.
"Two… no, three."
Riven narrowed his eyes.
"They're turning the headlights on and off deliberately. They're testing."
Karel didn't speak.
He just watched.
⸻
Below, three silhouettes were moving toward the parking entrance.
They weren't staggering like zombies.
Disciplined, controlled, armed.
One made a hand signal.
Another moved to the right.
The third knelt down.
Boran clenched his teeth.
"They have military discipline."
Riven:
"Either former soldiers or an organized group."
Karel said calmly:
"They're not looters."
"They know this place is clean."
Boran turned.
"How?"
Karel's gaze didn't change.
"From the silence."
⸻
The mechanic standing guard inside got excited.
"Should we shoot? We can drop them from the window."
Karel shook his head.
"No."
"The one who fires first loses."
⸻
The sound of a metal door echoed from downstairs.
Clank.
Everyone froze.
Riven gripped his spear.
Boran raised his gun.
Karel started walking.
Slow.
Controlled.
⸻
A radio voice was heard.
A distorted frequency.
"Those inside… we see you."
The voice was male.
Cold.
"Open the doors. Let's settle this by talking."
Boran clenched his teeth.
"By talking?"
Riven:
"It smells like a lie."
Karel stepped closer to the railing and didn't shout down.
He spoke in a normal tone.
"There are civilians here."
"If you pose a threat, you will be met with resistance."
A short laugh came from below.
"Resistance?"
Then a gunshot.
A bullet struck the edge of the glass.
A scream rose inside.
One of the female cooks collapsed to the floor.
⸻
Karel spoke without turning back:
"No panic."
"Upper floor defensive line."
"Boran, right flank."
"Riven, stairwell."
To the mechanics:
"Lower the metal shutters."
Everyone moved.
The game had begun.
⸻
A second voice came from below.
This one was calmer.
"We want the supplies inside."
"Give us half. We'll leave."
Boran angrily:
"Half? What is this, a supermarket?"
Riven through his teeth:
"They've done reconnaissance."
Karel was thinking.
There were no zombies.
But there were humans.
And humans were the most dangerous when hungry.
⸻
One of the lower floor windows shattered.
Smoke was thrown inside.
Some kind of gas canister.
The mechanic shouted:
"They're serious!"
The female doctor quickly started handing out masks.
"The smoke is irritant!"
Boran cursed.
"The zombie apocalypse ended. The human apocalypse started."
Karel's eyes darkened.
But his face was still calm.
Only Boran and Riven noticed.
The air tightened for a moment.
Very slightly.
Like a vibration.
Then it passed.
No one understood.
⸻
Karel in a low voice:
"Plan changed."
Boran looked.
"What are we doing?"
Karel:
"We're letting them in."
Riven turned.
"On purpose?"
"Yes."
Boran shocked.
"Have you lost your mind?"
Karel's voice was clear:
"Outside, the advantage is theirs."
"Inside… it's ours."
⸻
The metal door slowly opened.
The three men below carefully entered.
Weapons ready.
Steps cautious.
One shouted:
"Smart choice."
He looked up.
"Who's your leader?"
Karel stepped forward from the railing.
"Me."
The man slightly raised his gun.
"We want half."
Karel tilted his head slightly.
"You're late."
The man raised an eyebrow.
"What does that mean?"
Karel's voice was cold.
"This is no longer a sharing zone."
"It's a controlled territory."
The man smiled.
"Control? How many of you are there?"
At that moment, the upper floor lights suddenly went out.
Darkness.
Silence.
One second.
Two seconds.
Then the emergency exit lights turned on.
Red.
Boran whispered:
"Now."
And the first gunshot exploded.
The chapter ends here.
As the gunshot echoes, it's unclear who was hit in the darkness.