The police station buzzed with quiet efficiency.
Papers shuffled. Phones rang. Officers moved with purpose.
At the center of it all sat Audrey Sterling, focused and sharp, her eyes scanning reports with precision.
Across the room, Sam Spade leaned back in his chair, completely relaxed, like nothing in the world could bother him.
A phone rang.
Audrey picked it up instantly."Go ahead."
A pause.
Her expression shifted.
"Copy that - we're on it."
She hung up and looked at Sam."Robbery in progress."
Sam smirked, already grabbing his jacket."Finally."
Sirens screamed through the streets of Lucella.
A robber sprinted through alleys, knocking over anything in his path. Fast. Desperate.
But Audrey and Sam were faster.
Closing in.
Relentless.
The robber turned a corner - and stopped.
Dead end.
Sam stepped forward slowly."End of the line."
The robber raised his hands, breathing heavily.
For a moment, everything felt normal.
Camera flashes lit up the scene.
"The heroes of Lucella strike again -"
Audrey stood calm and composed. Sam gave a slight grin, enjoying the attention.
Behind them, people cheered.
Safe.
Unaware.
Elsewhere, a hospital room sat in silence.
Machines beeped softly.
Mrs. P lay weak in bed, barely moving.
Mr. P sat beside her, his face filled with exhaustion and fear.
A doctor stood nearby.
"We've tried everything - I'm sorry."
The words lingered.
Mr. P looked down.
Then clenched his fists.
"No... there has to be something."
He stood and walked out.
The lab was cold and sterile.
Mr. P wasn't.
Vials clattered as he worked frantically, mixing chemicals with shaking hands.
Faster.
More desperate.
Failure wasn't an option.
Not for her.
Then suddenly -
He stopped.
Eyes wide.
"I've got it..."
A smile crept onto his face.
"The perfect cure."
That night, the hospital was quiet.
Too quiet.
Mr. P moved through the halls unnoticed.
He reached her room.
Carefully, he lifted her head.
"Just drink... please..."
He poured the vial into her mouth.
She swallowed.
He smiled.
Hopeful.
Morning came.
Doctors entered the room as usual.
Routine.
One stepped forward to check her vitals -
And then -
She moved.
Too fast.
Mrs. P's eyes snapped open.
Wrong.
She grabbed him.
Screams erupted.
Alarms blared.
Chaos began.
Outside, Beary stood frozen.
"What the hell is going on?!"
Through the window, he saw everything.
The attack.
The blood.
The impossible.
Then -
Mrs. P turned.
And looked directly at him.
Beary panicked and ran.
Fast.
He turned a corner -
And stopped.
Something was behind him.
A presence.
A sound -
THUD.
Audrey woke up to sirens.
Loud. Constant.
Wrong.
"...What?"
She reached for the lights.
Nothing.
Darkness.
She opened her laptop.
Police signals - OFFLINE.
Her expression tightened.
She grabbed her phone and called Sam.
Sam answered, half-asleep."Yeah?"
"Power's out - signals too."
Pause.
"Same here."
"That's not normal."
Silence.
"Meet at the station."
The city was unrecognizable.
No lights.
No people.
Just empty streets and distant sirens echoing in the dark.
The police station doors creaked open.
Audrey and Sam stepped inside carefully.
Dark. Silent.
Their phones buzzed.
A message appeared:
"DUE TO THE CURRENT SITUATION, AN UNKNOWN ANOMALY HAS BEEN DETECTED IN LUCELLA. REMAIN IN YOUR HOMES AND AVOID ALL CONTACT. WAIT FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS."
-Ministry of Interior of Lucella
They looked at each other.
"This isn't good," Sam muttered.
They moved deeper into the station, flashlights cutting through the darkness.
Then they saw it.
A body.
Mangled.
Audrey froze.
Her breathing stopped -
BANG.
Glass shattered.
Another impact.
Then more.
Something was forcing its way inside.
"We need to go - now!" Audrey said, panic rising.
"Wait - not the front," Sam said quickly. "The Sewers. We can get to the hospital from there. After that, we'll find out what to do."
She nodded.
They ran.
Fast.
Controlled -
CRUNCH.
Audrey stepped on broken glass.
Too loud.
The infected turned.
And charged.
The chase exploded instantly.
Footsteps echoed.
Screeches filled the air.
They reached the entrance -
Sam slammed the door shut just in time.
Silence.
The sewer was cold and dark.
Water dripped steadily.
Audrey sat down, shaking.
"What the hell is going on...? This isn't normal... Sam, I -"
"I know."
A pause.
"I have no idea what's happening either."
Panic spread across the world.
News Reporter:
"Breaking news - hospitals are overcrowded as a mysterious virus spreads."
"Scientists have no confirmed cause."
"WHO confirms - all early cure attempts have failed."
"Panic is spreading worldwide."
THE MINISTRY OF INTERIOR DECLARES A NATIONAL PANDEMICTHE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA HAS SENT ITS MILITARY TO AID LUCELLA IN THIS CRISIS AS EVALIA CUTS OFF ITS SUPPORT AND CLOSES ITS BORDERS.