Too late to return

What was behind that door was a storage. But there was too much noise coming out of behind the door, too many people are gathering at the company.

Cole wanted to see what was inside, opened the door of the storage and entered to the building. Many people were there, some were panicking, while some were acting like scientists are predicting what was going on outside. But that wasn't all of them, there were upper floors too.

Most of the people gathered downstairs at the reception, since they entered after the meteorites fell, but the building got scraped a little from the outside, since it got hit by a small meteorite.

GASP!

The people were surprised by the two men entering their building, how could they have entered when they have blocked the main building from the undead monsters.

"We come with no harm." Cole said in a bratty way, he wanted to seem cool, but the reaction he got was unexpected. "Don't take another step" a guy came out of nowhere an pointed his sword at them.

"Woah! Not us, you don't come at us another step." Jack said as he took his water gallon and threatened that guy.

"Pfft, like that could even harm me." The guy took another step and swung his sword at Jack, Cole quickly stepped up with the pole he got from the professional survival kit, since they had an option of choosing weapons.

"Stop!" An elder came and stopped the fight. "Bu-" The guy was gonna say another word, but the elder gestured for him to stop talking.

"I am the manager of the financial department, what is your reason for coming here, and how did you get in." The elder said in a quiet tone.

Jack dropped down his gallon and Cole stepped upfront, "We entered through the storage at the back, right there." Cole said. The elder realised they have been keeping their guard down and forgot to block that door.

"Come in, we are gathering together and protecting eachothers, don't bother yourself with that guy." The elder said as he cracked a small laugh.

"Let me make you familiar with this place." The elder invited them. Cole and Jack followed the elder, they noticed to their right plenty of food, and things that could be used as weapons.

When Cole and Jack went ahead with the elder to the elevator, that was somehow working, either the power station hasn't been destroyed, or there's a solar source of energy. "Why is uncle treating them good" The guy whispered, but he didn't grit his teeths, since he knew there was a reason behind his uncle's decision.

Cole with his friend Jack went and explored the many departments, and the people that were gathering upstairs watching outside in fear. Unlike usual zombie apocalypses there wasn't that many zombies, since most of the people went to hiding.

Cole noticed a girl sitting, covering her face and her body, his gut insincts told him that there was something wrong, since that girl wasn't interacting with anyone too, unlike the lively people that are freaking out besides her.

"Since we finished our tour around this place, I would like to ask you something." The elder said with a smile.

"Go ahead." Cole said with caution. "What is your question elder?" Jack replied with respect, as a man should respect their elders.

"Do you have any valuable info, that could be of use, like the achievement thing, or anything other than that?" The elder asked, but this time he didn't have a smile, his face was normal.

"We just know that our world has changed, and the mist essence, nothing else of value." Cole said, but Jack got surprised, since Cole didn't say everything that they experienced.

The elder nodded, "You can go rest over there with the bunch." The elder said with his previous smile.

"Why didn't you mention everything?"Jack whispered to Cole. "Information is valuable in our current situation, we can't give it out." Cole whispered to Jack, but he was looking somewhere else.

"Did you notice anything weird around here." Cole said to jack with his eyes still looking somewhere else. "Hmm, the parrot that keeps screaming?" Jack said with ignorance on his face.

"Such an idiot, I meant the girl over there." Cole said while pointing at her in an unobvious way.

"What's wrong with her, do you like her!" Jack said with a grin on his face, he kept teasing Cole, poking him.

Cole just lost all hope on his friend, how could someone not get the hint, the girl is radiating a huge quantity of suspicious energy.

Most people wouldn't have sensed what Cole just did, after Cole used the skill book, a small amount of mist essence got transmitted into his body. Cole got the ability to have gut instinct regarding mist essence, and usually his gut insinct is right.

What Cole suspected according to his speculations was either that, she used her mist essence or she is infected but is hiding it, and might jump at everyone anytime.

Cole sat in a way where he could peek at her, and listen to everyone talked. "Cmere Jack sit beside me, I heard there was a girl you took a liking on, hehe." Cole teased Jack back as a revenge for what he did, how dare he.

Jack surprisingly opened his mouth, "I will snap your neck just like that zombie earlier, how did you know!"

Cole ignored Jack and went to grab an avacado juice, it was on the table and no one is holding it, so he took it.

SLURPPP!

Cole took a huge slurp before something knocks his drink down like earlier.

KYAAAAH

A scream was heard, near Cole exactly. As Cole suspected that suspicious girl was infected, but hided it to stay inside the building, The zombies were too scary outside.

"My baby! My baby!" Another women screamed as she was looking at her baby who was near the zombie. Cole was gonna rush in as soon as he was gonna place the avacado drink on the table, a middle-aged man brushed by him and dropped the avacado drink. The man was gonna apologize, but he noticed that the avacado drink is his, "Hey! that avacado drink is mine, I brought it for 5 dollars." He felt pain inside his heart, but he ignored it and ran.

Cole quickly rushed in and grabbed the baby, Jack followed after Cole, He launched an attack with his water gallon that slammed the girl into the floor roughly. The guy heard a scream upstairs and went for the rescue, as soon as he saw Jack holding the zombie defenseless, he ran towards the monster and slashed it's neck clean.

The guy noticed that this time he got only one mist essence, which was kinda acceptable.

After Cole rescued the baby, it wouldn't stop crying, he handed the baby to the mother, "Here you go, next time take care of him." Cole said sweetly, "Thank you! I don't know how to repay you." The mother said with huge joy. "No need to, I hope your child is safe." Cole replied with a smile.

Jack went to Cole and said "I think we should go now, do you even know our reason for coming here?"

"Nah" Cole replied, "I just wanted to drink water in peace after the zombies started to swarm on us." Cole said after his thirst was gone. The avacado was delicious, what a waste that it fell.

Cole and Jack decided to head to the elder. "We would like to bid our farewell." Cole said. The elder didn't seem shocked, he just lead them to the guy. "Do you guys want to take my brother's son." The elder said. Cole and Jack got shocked, the guy too, "NO" Both Cole and Jack shouted at the same time. The guy got embarrassed at his uncle's suggestion, and raised his hand to hit them, But the elder stopped him.

"Since you guys are willing to go, let that big guy take a weapon." The elder handed him a big a war hammer battle axe, Jack got excited and thanked the elder.

Cole and Jack exited from the same place they came on and walked again on their journey, to the apartment.

As they were walking they noticed something, the fog started to become more evident, it was hard to see, they were afraid to be spotted by the zombies.

Suddenly out of nowhere, they heard.

[Synchronization complete]

[Earth taken over by the abyss]

[Data transmitted successfully 100%]

[The passing of the mist shall start in 1.. 2.. 3..]

A count down has started and from what Cole and Jack knew, it was pretty dangerous. They still didn't know what that meant.

They only heard scary whispers around them, goosebumps appeared on their skins, Jack quickly held Cole's shoulder to warn him, and pointed towards a place to hide.

They were only 1.5 kilometers away from their apartment, what could happen to them by then.