A loud alarm blared across the city, its sharp, piercing sound echoing through every street, including the hospital where Ray lay. It was loud enough to jolt him awake instantly.
His eyes fluttered open, and within seconds, his mind registered where he was. The HIV ward. The same place he had been confined to for the past two weeks… the place where he had lost all hope the moment he was told there was no cure.
But things had changed and he was given a system.
It had appeared out of nowhere, offering him a chance to turn everything around. It changed his race, gave him abilities… and even assigned him quests.
As if responding to his thoughts, a translucent screen flickered into existence above his face once more, proving that it was real and not a dream.
Ray's gaze sharpened slightly.
"…Does that mean I no longer have HIV?"
The question lingered in his mind, heavy and uncertain, but he didn't have the time to dwell on it. The alarm outside grew louder, more urgent, pulling his attention away.
He pushed himself up and moved toward the window.
From there, he could see it clearly: large output speakers mounted across the city, blaring the alarm in unison. Emergency systems… the kind only used during extreme situations.
"What's going on…?" A soft voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
"Mm…" Ray's brows furrowed slightly as he turned his head sharply to the side.
Thea was stirring, slowly sitting up from the bed.
"You're awake?" he asked, a hint of relief slipping into his voice.
The alarm suddenly cut off, leaving behind a brief, eerie silence. Then a man's voice echoed through the speakers, loud and urgent.
"Attention, everyone!"
"As of now, a strange infection has been confirmed to be spreading across the world. Millions are already dead. Individuals showing signs of severe illness and abnormal behavior have been reported attacking and killing others on sight."
"They are not in their right minds. Many of them appear disfigured, with parts of their flesh missing. If you encounter anyone matching this description, do not approach. For your safety, run immediately. They are highly dangerous."
A short pause followed after, as if the man was waiting for his listeners to process what he just said.
"We understand that this situation is confusing, but the government is doing everything possible to contain the outbreak and find a solution."
"For identification purposes, these infected individuals are being referred to as Ghouls. If you have not encountered any, remain where you are. It is currently the safest place for you."
"And to those already exposed or on the run… stay safe and hold on. Further updates will be provided soon."
And then the transmission cut off right there and then.
Ray let out a dry breath, his gaze drifting downward through the window.
"Stay safe?" he muttered. "How is anyone supposed to stay safe out there…?"
Below, the streets told a different story.
Ghouls wandered aimlessly, their movements sluggish, their heads twitching as they sniffed the air like predators searching for a scent.
There were no bodies left… None.
Which meant only one thing. They had either been eaten… Or had transitioned into ghouls.
Stepping away from the window, Ray turned to face Thea. She was staring at her own body, flexing her fingers slightly, as if testing herself.
"I… feel fine," she said slowly. "What happened?"
Ray studied her for a moment before asking, "Do you remember anything before this?"
Thea shook her head at first. Then suddenly— her expression froze.
A flood of memories crashed into her mind all at once. Fragmented images… distorted sensations… things she had done while she wasn't herself.
Her breathing hitched.
"I…" she hesitated, her voice trembling slightly. "I ate your flesh…"
Even saying it felt unreal to her.
She looked at her own hands as if they didn't belong to her.
"I… I would never…"
Ray sighed quietly. "You were infected. You turned into one of those things outside. And they feed on flesh… so you did too. You weren't in control."
Thea shook her head, clearly disturbed.
"No… I wouldn't have eaten meat in a billion years, let alone…" she trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.
She was a vegetarian. Had always been. But being a vegetarian doesn't stop you from eating flesh. Once you transition from a human to a Ghoul, your feeding habits change.
The thought alone made her stomach churn. Her eyes suddenly snapped to his shoulder.
She moved closer quickly, reaching out to check the spot where she clearly remembered biting him. But there was nothing there. There was no missing flesh or wound. Nothing… nothing.
Her brows furrowed in confusion. "How…?"
Then another memory surfaced.
Ray's body convulsing. The pain he went through. His eyes glowing red. The change in his body.
"The wound… it disappeared," she said slowly, looking up at him. "You changed into something…"
Ray let out a small breath. "…Yeah. This might sound insane, but… I think I became a vampire."
Thea blinked.
"A vampire?" she repeated. "That's not possible. Those are just… fictional, right?"
Ray gave a faint, dry smile. "And ghouls aren't?"
She paused. "…Fair point."
He continued, "You turned into one. So something like this… isn't exactly impossible anymore."
Thea looked down at herself again, clenching her fists lightly.
"But I'm not one anymore," she said. "I feel… normal. Completely normal. So how did I change back?"
Ray hesitated.
Then she remembered. Another flash of memory. The moment they had shared. Her face flushed slightly as realization hit.
"…What happened, did you…" she trailed off, not finishing the sentence.
Ray scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
"After I changed… I realized something," he said. "I can reverse the infection. Turn ghouls back into humans."
Her eyes widened. "…Seriously?"
He nodded. "But there's a condition."
She stared at him. "…Which is?"
Ray looked away briefly before answering, "It happens through… intimate contact. I'm required to have sex with them."
There was a brief silence. Then Thea spoke up, "Wait. Does that include males…"
"No!" Ray cut in immediately. "Only females!"
Thea blinked… then let out a small breath. "Right."
She looked at him again, her expression softening. "So that's how you saved me…"
Ray nodded.
"And not just that," he added. "Your HIV is gone. Completely."
Thea's eyes widened in shock.
"…You're serious?"
"Yeah."
She slowly touched her arm again, as if confirming it herself.
Then Ray continued, his tone shifting slightly firmer now. "If I've also really been cured… then I can't just sit here and do nothing."
Thea looked at him.
"Because of my infection, I lost every hope to become a Doctor, realizing that I can no longer save anyone," he said quietly. "But with my infection gone… I can finally do something now."
He glanced toward the window briefly, where chaos still lingered outside. "I'm going to save those with infection and help them live again."
"Even if it means doing it in a way no one would ever expect."
Then he looked back at Thea.
"This is my quest now!"
****
A blue Lamborghini rolled to a stop in front of the hospital, its engine purring softly before going silent.
The doors opened one after the other, and four young men stepped out.
Designer clothes, gold chains, expensive watches adored their bodies. Even in the middle of a collapsing world, they looked untouched and untarnished.
And then there was the scent. Their perfume lingered in the air, rich and deliberate enough to draw attention. Not from humans but from the ghouls.
A few of them turned, heads twitching slightly as they caught the scent. But instead of charging forward, their movements slowed. Their gazes lingered.
It was filled with recognition and attraction.
"Doesn't it feel amazing?" one of them said, running a hand through his dyed blue hair. "Finally free from that damn disease."
"Yeah," another replied, his green hair catching the light as he scoffed lightly. "But if we can't find any uninfected girls, what's the point? That'd make all this feel like a curse."
A third stepped forward with a red hair… calm and composed.
"That's exactly why we're here," he said. "Hospitals are the best place to find survivors."
He glanced up at the building, eyes sharp.
"We 'rescue' them… earn their trust… and then we decide what to do with them."
The others smirked.
"But don't forget," he added, his tone dropping slightly, "we need more than just women. Any living human will do."
They all nodded immediately.
"Yes, Logan."
Without wasting time, they moved to the trunk and popped it open. Inside were metal pipes, baseball bats, and other crude weapons. One by one, they picked them up, testing their weight like it was second nature.
Logan leaned against the car slightly, watching them.
"If we want them to trust us," he continued, "we act like them. Scared and uninfected."
"And most importantly," His gaze sharpened. "Do not use your abilities in front of them."
The air grew tense.
"Anyone who messes this up…" he said quietly, "will regret it."
For a brief moment, his eyes glowed red before it disappeared.
"Now," Logan said, straightening up, "let's go hunting!"