Chapter 1: Respawn Denied

The rooftop was quiet. Not peaceful—just quiet.

Below, the school-turned-military-base pulsed with life. Soldiers stomped across the courtyard, their heavy boots crunching against worn pavement. Supplies were shifted, weapons checked, orders barked into the thick evening air. The same routine, the same tired faces, the same hollow sense of control over a world that had already collapsed.

Kai had seen it all before.

Same soldiers, same orders.

Same cage.

He exhaled slowly, stretching his legs out as he leaned back against the rusted AC unit. The metal groaned under his weight, but it held—just like it always did. His crimson eyes flickered in the fading light, catching glimpses of the city beyond the barricades. The outside world—the one they weren't allowed to see.

"Man… this sucks."

The words left his lips like an afterthought, barely louder than the evening breeze.

The rooftop door behind him creaked open.

"Figures you'd be up here," a familiar voice called.

Kai smirked but didn't bother turning around. Only one person would climb all the way up here just to nag him.

"Welcome to my kingdom," he said, waving a lazy hand toward the sky. "You're just in time for the evening entertainment."

Dave stepped forward and dropped down beside him with a tired sigh. His uniform was still a little too big for his frame, the sleeves slightly loose around his wrists. "If this is another one of your dumb zombie-watching sessions, I'm leaving."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Nah, nah. This one's actually worth it. Check it out."

Dave followed his gaze—and immediately frowned.

Down below, a lone zombie was locked in a tragic battle with a dented soda can. The wind kept rolling it just out of reach, and the undead, either too stubborn or too stupid to give up, kept staggering after it.

For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.

Then Dave sighed. "This is the dumbest shit I've ever seen."

Kai grinned. "Right? Bro's really out here losing a 1v1 to physics."

Dave dragged a hand down his face. "I actually risked my life coming up here."

Kai shrugged. "And yet, somehow, totally worth it."

The silence that followed wasn't awkward. Just… familiar.

They'd been friends since seventh grade, back when things were normal. Kai—the reckless ace of the kendo club, always throwing himself into fights he didn't need to be in. Dave—the overachieving vice president of the research club, always trying (and failing) to keep him out of trouble. They weren't supposed to get along, but somehow, they just… did.

Below, the military squad that had gone out earlier finally returned. The gates creaked open as soldiers stumbled inside, their armor scratched, their faces blank with exhaustion. Their movements were sluggish, weighed down by something more than just fatigue.

Kai tilted his head. "They look worse every time."

Dave exhaled. "At least they come back."

Kai watched them a moment longer, his expression unreadable. "Yeah. For now."

Dave didn't answer that.

Another stretch of silence. Not heavy, but not exactly light either.

Then Kai spoke, his voice quieter this time. "You ever think about what's beyond this place?"

Dave glanced at him. "Beyond the base?"

"Yeah. Like… what's really out there?" Kai's eyes lingered on the horizon, where the last streaks of sunlight bled into the night. "We've been stuck here for months. We don't even know what's left. Doesn't that bug you?"

Dave scoffed. "No, because I like not dying."

Kai smirked. "Fair."

"But even if I was curious," Dave continued, stretching his arms behind his head, "it wouldn't matter. The military isn't letting anyone out. We're safer here. End of story."

"Safer," Kai echoed, rolling the word around in his mouth like it tasted strange. "Yeah. Sure."

Dave frowned at him. "What?"

Kai shook his head. "Nothing."

He wasn't gonna say it out loud. Not yet.

Dave sighed, standing up. "Alright, I'm heading back before curfew. Try not to fall off the roof and die or something."

Kai smirked. "No promises."

Dave rolled his eyes and made his way to the door. But just as he reached for the handle—

"Hey, Dave."

Dave paused, glancing back.

"You ever wonder if we're just side characters in all this?" Kai asked, his tone casual. But there was something unreadable in his crimson eyes, something that flickered like a dying ember waiting to reignite.

Dave snorted. "Bruh. We are the side characters."

Kai huffed a small laugh too, shaking his head. "Damn. Hate that for us."

Dave smirked, then finally stepped inside, the door clicking shut behind him.

And then, Kai was alone again.

The air was cooler now, the last traces of sunlight swallowed by the night. The moon hung high above him, casting long shadows across the rooftop. Its silver glow washed over him, making his crimson eyes gleam like burning coals in the dark.

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his fingers loosely gripping the cracked handle of his old kendo stick. The wood was worn from years of practice, each groove and scratch a reminder of the fights he'd won. The fights he'd lost.

Unlike Dave, he wasn't just thinking about what was out there.

He was planning.

And soon, this cage wouldn't be able to hold him anymore.