As they walked slowly, holding onto each other tightly, Seraphine spoke without looking at Rina. Her voice was weak.
"Do… do you know any place?"
"Which place?" Rina asked, leaning her weight on Seraphine's shoulder.
"More like a medical room or a clinic... a building with supplies," Seraphine said.
"There are a few nearby, but I don't think it's a good idea to go there right now," Rina replied.
"Why?" Seraphine squinted her eyes, finally looking at Rina.
"Do you really think those buildings will be standing after a catastrophe like this?" Rina shot back, her face was pale.
"But we don't have any other choice. We need to treat your broken ankle, or it will get even worse," Sera argued.
Rina sighed, feeling the sharp pain in her leg with every step. "I guess so. I know a few spots. Let's try going there."
As they walked, they saw the same horrors Rix had witnessed. Dozens of bodies were crushed under the fallen buildings.
Some students had been turned into a literal pulp under the weight of the debris.
Rina nearly vomited at the sight, but somehow held it back, clutching Seraphine tighter.
They kept moving toward the back of the college, behind the cafeteria. Far away from the dorms and the main buildings, there were no survivors to be seen, and the number of dead bodies started to thin out.
"Where is it?" Seraphine asked, her patience wearing thin as her shoulder throbbed with pain.
"We're almost there... just a little bit more," Rina whispered, her voice was weak.
Then, they came to a sudden stop.
They saw a building.
NO!
It was not a building
There was nothing but dust and broken pieces of concrete at that spot. The structure had been completely leveled.
"O_O"
"O_O"
Seraphine looked at Rina with tired eyes.
"Is this your place?" she asked quietly.
Rina smiled bitterly. "It was..."
Seraphine let out a long, heavy sigh. Seeing the hopeless look on Sera's face, Rina tried to encourage her.
"Don't be like that, Sera... I know one more place. Let's go there, too."
"…Okay," Seraphine nodded, though she kept her hope low this time.
After a few minutes of walking, they reached a small building.
It wasn't big at all, more like the size of a bedroom.
standing in front of it, Rina explained, "This isn't a medical building. We usually use it to store sports items and some first aid kits."
"Let's go inside then," Seraphine said.
The building looked almost untouched by the destruction around it. There was no lock, so they entered easily.
Inside, the room was dark, with only small vents letting air in and out. Dust filled the space, making them sneeze as they covered their noses.
The room was packed with basketballs, footballs, shuttlecocks, bats, and all kinds of sports equipment. In one corner, scattered among the gear, were a few first aid kits.
As they stared into the dark, gloomy interior, Seraphine noticed a small stack of chairs tucked away in the corner.
Before grabbing them, she turned back to the door. She closed it firmly and locked it, making sure they were sealed off.
Then, she pulled two chairs from the stack and set them down opposite each other.
"Sit here," Seraphine said. Her tone was sharp, more like a command than a suggestion.
"Huh?" Rina blinked, confused by the sudden authority in her friend's voice.
Seeing Rina just staring at her, Sera repeated herself. "Go and sit there. We need to tie up your ankle."
"Oh… okay. But what about your wound?" Rina asked softly. She had clearly seen the large gaping cut in Seraphine's shoulder, blood still oozing out even now. Compared to her broken ankle, Seraphine's injury looked worse.
"Just go and sit there," Seraphine said, her patience finally wearing out.
Seeing Sera's mood, Rina didn't argue. She quietly sat down and lifted her injured leg, resting it carefully on the other chair.
"I will tie up my wound later," Seraphine muttered. She knelt on the dusty floor and opened one of the first aid kits, her hands shaking slightly as she started wrapping Rina's ankle.
A few pained groans echoed through the small, cramped room.
"Ahhh..."
"it hurts..." Rina hissed, her face contorting.
"Be quiet," Sera whispered back..
"I am almost done."
For Rina, it felt like hours, though it was only a few minutes. Finally, Seraphine managed to tie up the broken ankle.
It wasn't a perfect medical job, but the ankle was supported now. At the very least, it was okay for now.
Seraphine had just finished tying her shoulder wound, wrapping it firmly with strips and ointment. Rina had offered to help, but Seraphine refused....maybe out of confidence..
After a few seconds, Seraphine finished. She sat back on the floor, leaning her head against the wall. She was completely exhausted.
"What do we do now?" Rina asked.
"I don't know," Seraphine said, closing her eyes for a moment.
Rina didn't stay still. She slowly stood up and started hopping on one leg toward the door. "Let me see if we can get someone for help..."
"Sit down, will you?" Seraphine muttered. Her voice was dry and full of exhaustion. "Don't go jumping around. You aren't healed yet."
But Rina ignored her advice. "I heard some sound… maybe there are survivors out there," she whispered, moving closer to the door.
She reached the door and, before touching the lock, she peeked through a small gap in the ventilator.
What she saw froze her blood...
What she saw was beyond terrifying....
In the dim, orange light outside, a student was hunched over another body.
They were eating them.
No-it wasn't a normal student at all.
As Rina focused, she saw the creature's face. It was disgusting, twisted, and grey. It didn't look human anymore.
Rina immediately recoiled, falling back onto the floor. She felt sick to her stomach and quickly covered her mouth with her hand to stop herself from vomiting or screaming.
She looked at Seraphine with wide, tear-filled eyes, her whole body shaking violently again.
"S...Sera..." she whispered, her voice trembling with pure horror. "There's... there's something out there."
"What is it now?" Seraphine looked at Rina with tired and irritated eyes. She just wanted to rest for a single second.
Rina's voice shook as she tried to explain.
"Th… that… there… is a zombie‑like thing… outside… eating another human," she stammered.
"What?" Seraphine blinked at her, almost in disbelief.
"I… I saw it. Believe me. Come here, fast, Sera," Rina urged, her voice was trembling.
"Huh?" Seraphine groaned as she slowly got up. She limped to the door and leaned in to peek through the same hole.
Her eyes widened at the sight outside.
"Wh... what the hell is that thing?" Seraphine whispered, her face was turning pale.
"That… that is a zombie for sure," Rina said firmly from behind.
"S… see? I told you," Rina added..
"B... but how is that even possible?" Seraphine asked, unable to take her eyes off the horrifying sight.
"Hmm… considering all the impossible things that have already happened… it's also possible for zombies to appear now." Rina's voice was faint as she said.
The zombie was still chewing on human flesh, its twisted body only twenty meters away from their small room. The sound of tearing and munching echoed faintly in the quite air.
"How do we get out of here?" Seraphine muttered,
Rina snapped at her, voice trembling but sharp. "Are you serious right now, Sera? That… that is a zombie. Can't you see it? If it bites us, we'll most probably turn into one too!"
"We can't stay here forever, right?" Seraphine shot back, frustration in her tone.
Rina opened her mouth to argue, but she couldn't find the words. She knew Sera was right, but the fear was too much.
"For the time being, don't make any sound. Let's just rest for a while," Seraphine said. She walked over to a heavy wooden cupboard against the far wall.
"What are you doing now?" Rina asked.
"Help me move this thing toward the door," Seraphine replied.
"…Okay."
Both of them gripped the edges of the heavy furniture. Groaning with effort, they dragged the cupboard across the dusty floor, shoving it in front of the door as a barricade. It was their only safety net.
"Let's rest for some time now," Seraphine said, wiping the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.
"Mm, okay," Rina mumbled. Her body was trembling from exhaustion.
They sat on the dusty floor, leaning on each other's shoulders, but just as they were about to close their eyes, a sharp sound echoed.
Ding~
"Wha... what was that? I just heard something in my head right now, Sera..." Rina whispered, her eyes widened with shock.
"Me too…" Seraphine whispered, equally stunned.
Before they could even process the sound, the air in front of them began to shimmer. A blue, translucent panel flickered into existence, glowing softly in the dark, gloomy room. A series of words started to form on the floating screens.
Both girls stared at the light, completely frozen.
Ding~
⛧ [INITIATING GLOBAL BROADCAST…] ⛧
[System Channel: Prithvi Mandala – Planet Designation: Earth]
Source: Core Seal of Prithvi-Lok – Unsealed After 432,000 Earth Cycles
⛧ — THE TRIAL OF KALI YUGA HAS BEGUN — ⛧
The Dharma Wheel lies in ruin.
❖ The Four Sacred Yugas have withered into ash: Satya, Treta, Dvapara, and Kali, consumed by time's hunger.
❖ And now… a new epoch emerges from their remains.
❖ Now dawns the Fifth--the Unspoken Yuga…
→ The Age of Rot.
[System Activation: Universal Evolution Protocol]
All sapient lifeforms are now subjected to the Trial.
Those unable to resonate with the Etheric Flow -Prana (Mana) will be Dehumanified.
All hail the almighty Blight.!!!
Let the Apocalypse descend....