The man didn't move, his hollow gaze lingering on Elena as if he was searching for something only he could recognize. Then, slowly, he shook his head, his broken expression twisting into something almost regretful.
"You may not be aware of yourself," he said, his voice low and strained, "but you won't die…."
Elena's brows tightened in confusion. But before she could respond—
His tone shifted. "However…" his head tilted toward the children. "These kids will."
The words landed like a warning. And then he moved fast toward the kids. His body lunged forward with a sudden burst of strength, his decayed limbs moving with a speed that didn't match his appearance as he rushed straight toward the children in the corner.
"No!!" she yelled, and her eyes flickered—golden for a split second before snapping back to their usual color.
Her reaction was instant. She raised her gun and fired repeatedly without hesitation. Gunshots echoed violently through the room as bullets tore into the man's body, forcing him back mid-charge. His momentum broke as he stumbled and fell to the ground with a heavy crash.
But he didn't stop moving, and he didn't die. There was no time to confirm anything.
Elena turned immediately, rushing toward the children, her voice sharp but controlled as she reached them.
"Hurry up!"
The kids scrambled to their feet, clutching onto each other as they followed her lead, fear still etched on their faces but trust now replacing hesitation. Elena guided them quickly toward the exit, her eyes scanning ahead, her mind calculating their path, when suddenly something yanked her backward. Her body jerked to a stop as a strong grip locked around her leg.
Her eyes widened, and she turned her head sharply, only to see the man still alive and grinning.
More zombies were beginning to pour into the room behind them, their growls growing louder, closer, as the situation quickly spiraled out of control.
Elena's chest tightened. Her grip shifted instinctively toward her back...
Empty!!
Her sword wasn't there. "Shit!!" There was no time to think.
She struggled against the man's grip, twisting her leg forcefully as she tried to break free, while simultaneously pushing the children forward with urgency.
"Don't stop moving! Go!" she ordered, her voice firm despite the rising panic.
The children obeyed, running ahead as she forced herself forward, dragging the man slightly as she fought to regain her balance.
Zombies closed in from behind. From the sides. The room had become too crowded, too dangerous, and too fast.
Elena's breathing grew heavier as she kicked and pushed, her body reacting on instinct alone as she searched for an opening.
A staircase… yeah, good!! The staircase!!!
Her eyes locked onto it. "Upstairs!" she called out, redirecting the children without slowing down.
They followed immediately, climbing the stairs as Elena stayed close behind, using her body to block anything that tried to reach them from below.
The man's grip loosened for a split second, and that was all she needed. She twisted violently, breaking free, then shoved him backward just enough to create space before sprinting up the stairs after the children.
The zombies followed.
The sounds of their footsteps, their dragging limbs, their growls filled the narrow space as the group pushed upward, step after step, each movement heavier than the last.
Elena's muscles burned, but she didn't stop.
She couldn't. By the time they reached the upper floor, more zombies had begun to emerge from other rooms, cutting off paths and forcing them into tighter spaces.
Elena's eyes darted around quickly, her breathing steady despite the chaos.
"Through there!" she pointed toward another stairway leading upward.
The group moved again, urgency pushing them forward until finally… they reached the rooftop access door.
Without hesitation, Elena pushed it open and ushered the children out first before stepping out herself.
The cold, sharp wind hit her immediately. She turned quickly and slammed the rooftop gate shut behind them, locking it tightly as her hands worked with urgency.
Almost immediately, the door began to shake violently—multiple hands clawing toward them.
Beating against the metal as the zombies gathered below, their numbers pressing against the barrier as they tried to force their way through.
Elena took a step back, watching as the gate rattled harder and harder.
For a moment, it seemed like it might hold. Then a loud crack.
The force from inside increased, and the structure began to give way under the pressure.
"They're coming…" one of the children whispered fearfully.
Elena scoffed and looked up.
Just in time, the distant sound of helicopters approached, and she nodded in relief as she signaled toward the sky. One helicopter descended nearby, the soldiers prepared for extraction.
She didn't waste a second as she helped the children climb aboard, lifting them carefully despite the urgency, ensuring each of them made it safely before letting go.
Betty was the last.
Elena held her for a brief moment, steadying her, before gently helping her onto the helicopter.
"Hold on," she said softly.
Betty nodded, tears in her eyes but relief written all over her face.
Elena stepped back as the helicopter began to lift, carrying the children away from the chaos below.
Immediately, another helicopter arrived, this one for her. The door slid open as it hovered above the rooftop, wind rushing violently around her as she moved forward, preparing to jump.
Gbam!
The zombies broke free and rushed in like bees meeting their queen.
A hand reached out from inside. Elena didn't hesitate. She grabbed it immediately, her fingers locking around it as she tried to pull herself up. But before she could fully climb—
Something grabbed her leg. Her body froze. Her eyes snapped downward, and she was surprised to see the annoying man, still alive, even smiling at her.
"Where are you going, my lady?" he asked, his grip tightening as he held her in place.
Elena's face paled with fear. "No…" she whispered, shaking her head as panic finally crept into her voice. "No… please—no…"
But he didn't let go. Instead, he pulled her down with sudden force.
The hand from the helicopter tried to hold onto her, but Elena made the decision and released her grip. "Go!!!" she roared, her voice breaking with urgency as she let herself fall instead of dragging anyone else down with her.
The helicopter hovered for a moment longer… then began to pull away. Elena fell back into the swarm. And that was when she saw the face of the person who owned the hand...
Sebastian??
Standing at the edge of the helicopter, his hand still stretched forward, frozen in place as he looked at her, his eyes widened.
As if he couldn't accept what he was seeing. As if time itself had stopped for him in that moment.
"Elena…"
No sound reached her ears clearly, but she could read it from his lips.
Her heart tightened painfully. Without wasting another second, Elena reached into her pocket and pulled out the bomb. Her fingers trembled slightly as she removed the pin.
Then she looked up one last time. At the helicopter. At Sebastian....
She smiled bitterly at Betty, who was held by a soldier as she screamed her name. "Nooooo!!!"
Sebastian slowly dropped to his knees. The world seemed to collapse around that single moment.
Elena closed her eyes.
And let go!
The zombies surged forward instantly, their bodies overwhelming her as their teeth sank into her skin, tearing through flesh as chaos swallowed everything around her.
Then, in that moment—A blinding explosion. A deafening roar that ripped through the rooftop, shaking the air, the building, the sky itself.
The blast consumed everything, and she felt her body harshly ripped apart as her consciousness faded…
Her thoughts slipped away until there was nothing left but darkness.