New Dawn Chapter: 0102

He didn't know if it was his newfound powers acting up, or if this was just a normal reaction, but the unsettling feeling was hard to ignore. His mind raced with all sorts of dark possibilities, each more ominous than the last. He tried to push these thoughts away, telling himself that everything would be fine, but the unease lingered.

The survivors, however, didn't share the same unease. They stared at the sky, their faces etched with awe and a sense of relief. "Look! It's a sign that everything is going to be okay!" one of them exclaimed, her voice filled with hope.

"See, we're going to be alright." Another chimed in, his voice shaky but hopeful.

Saya couldn't bring herself to share their optimism. "Idiots, when has Japan ever had an aurora?"

"..." They were all silent for a moment. Their optimism faded as they remembered where they were. The aurora might've been a beautiful sight, but to see it in Japan, of all places, was nothing short of a bad omen. They knew something was up, even if they weren't willing to admit it to themselves at the moment.

Still, Tysone took the lead. With the kind of strength that flowed through his engorged veins, he felt a flicker of hope that, at least, he'd be able to get most of them out of harm's way. He'd still need to figure out the limits of his newfound powers, and the full extent of them. "For now, we need to hurry." He told everyone. "I don't want to be out here in the dark."

The group silently agreed with that, and soon enough, they were moving again. This time, with Tysone at the front, followed by Takashi and Saeko, the rest of the survivors trailing behind them.

Kohta was at the rear with Rei, watching the group's rear and flanks.

As for Asami Nakaoka, she was a bundle of nerves. She walked next to Kohta, who continued to assure her that everything would be fine.

"Would you look at that..." The chuckle from Tysone was low, barely audible above the relentless drumming of the rain against their clothes and the slick streets. 

He glanced back, his gaze lingering for a moment on Kohta, who was attempting to offer some clumsy reassurance to a still-shaken Officer Nakaoka. The big kid had a good heart, even if his social graces sometimes resembled a runaway tank.

Saeko, walking beside Tysone, followed his gaze. Her smile was a small, knowing curve of her lips. "He has a certain… earnestness, doesn't he?"

"Earnestness is one word for it." Tysone replied, his own lips twitching. "Let's hope it doesn't get him into too much trouble. Or her." He looked up at the sky, the smile fading. The aurora was still there, a vast, silent river of unnatural green and violet light bleeding through the dark underbelly of the storm clouds. It painted the falling rain in eerie, shifting hues. "This… this isn't right."

"It's beautiful." Takashi said, from just behind them, but his voice lacked conviction. He too was staring upwards, his brow furrowed. "But Saya's right. Auroras over Japan? During a storm? I'm no meteorologist, but that's… weird."

"Weird is the theme of the decade, it seems," Saya quipped from further back, her voice tight. She was leaning more heavily on Rei than she let on, her ribs protesting with every jolt. "First 'Them,' then super zombies, then us getting… upgrades. Now this light show. What's next?"

"Let's not give the universe any ideas." Tysone said dryly. 

He felt a thrum beneath his skin, a resonant energy that hadn't been there before. It was like his senses were dialled up to eleven, then twelve. 

The rain wasn't just wet; he could almost feel the individual impact of each drop on his exposed skin, distinguish their temperature. The scent of ozone from the aurora, the damp concrete, the fear-sweat of the new survivors—it was all a symphony of input, almost overwhelming but sharpening into clarity.

"This… this isn't right. That silence I mentioned in the mall? It's out here too. Stronger."

"What do you mean, stronger?" Takashi asked, moving closer.

Tysone tilted his head, listening, feeling. "The usual ambient sounds of a ruined city… they're muted. Even the rain feels… I don't know… like it's holding its breath."

Rei, supporting Saya, chimed in, her voice hushed. "He's right. It's too quiet."

Tysone breathed out. "We need to move. Fast." He picked up the pace, not quite a run, but a determined, ground-eating stride. The new survivors, a motley group of five who'd chosen to follow them out of the mall, struggled to keep up.

One of them, a portly man in a once-expensive suit now soaked and torn, wheezed. "P-Please… slow down… we can't…"

Tysone didn't even turn. "Keep up or get left behind. The world doesn't wait for you to catch your breath anymore." His voice was flat, devoid of sympathy. He couldn't afford it. Every second wasted was a second closer to whatever was making the dead go quiet.

The portly man stumbled, his face paling further, but fear of being abandoned seemed to give him a new burst of energy. Officer Nakaoka, surprisingly, gritted her teeth and pushed on, her police training, however rusty, was clearly there.

They navigated the flooded streets, Tysone's enhanced senses guiding them through the labyrinth of debris and abandoned cars. 

Thanks to his enhanced senses, he could pick out paths that offered the best cover, anticipate potential ambush points.

"Alleyway, up ahead on the right." Tysone announced, his voice low. "Narrow. Could be a choke point, but it's a shortcut. Main street looks too open, and I'm getting a… bad feeling from that direction." He couldn't explain it better than that; a prickling sensation at the base of his skull, a faint, almost sub-audible hum that set his teeth on edge whenever he focused on the wider thoroughfare.

"Your gut's been pretty reliable so far." Takashi said, hefting his bat. "Lead on."

Saeko nodded, her bokken held at the ready.

The alley was dark, a claustrophobic canyon between two towering, derelict office buildings. Rain gushed down the grime-streaked walls, pooling in the uneven, trash-strewn ground. The air was thick with the smell of mildew and something else, something faintly metallic and rotten.

"Stay alert." Tysone cautioned, his halberd held loosely, ready to snap into action. His eyes, now able to pierce the gloom with surprising clarity, scanned every shadow, every overflowing dumpster. "If we get cornered in here…"

"We'll make it." Saeko said, her tone confident. "You've gotten us through worse. And you're stronger now."

The survivors behind them shuffled along, their movements stiff with fear. A few of them clutched makeshift weapons—a length of pipe, a broken broom handle, a tire iron. Tysone knew they were little more than useless gestures; the zombeis wouldn't care if you hit them with a feather duster. But it was a sign they were trying to adapt, at least.

The group moved deeper into the alley, the walls pressing in on them. 

Tysone could hear the rapid breathing of the survivors, their heartbeats pounding like drums. Saya, despite her injuries, was surprisingly calm; her pulse was steady, her breathing controlled. He could respect that kind of fortitude. She was a survivor, in every sense of the word.

They were about halfway down the alley when Tysone felt a sudden spike in the ambient noise. The hum that had been bothering him grew louder, more insistent. He halted the group with a raised hand. "Hold up." He whispered, straining to listen.

The survivors froze, their eyes darting around nervously.

"What is it?" Takashi murmured, stepping up beside him. His face was a mask of tension, his fingers flexing on the grip of his bat.

Tysone shook his head. "Not sure. Something's… coming. We need to find cover, fast." He looked around, spotting a fire escape above them. "There." He pointed.

Takashi nodded, his expression grim. "Let's go. Double time." He turned to the rest of the group. "Up that ladder, quick and quiet. Move."

The survivors didn't need to be told twice. They scrambled up the fire escape as Tysone, Saeko, and Takashi kept watch. Rei helped Saya, practically hauling the smaller girl up the wet, slippery steps. Kohta and Officer Nakaoka brought up the rear, their weapons at the ready.

Once they were all on the first-floor landing, they ducked down, peering over the railing.

Tysone crouched at the front, his halberd gripped tightly. He could hear it now—the shuffling, scraping footsteps of hundreds of zombies, a chorus of death approaching like a tidal wave. The stench of their rotting flesh was overpowering, even from their elevated position. "Here they come." He muttered, his eyes narrowed.

The horde appeared at the mouth of the alley, shambling, groaning, their eyes vacant and hungry. They didn't enter, merely passed by. Still, that sudden avalanche of undead was enough to bring despair. What happened back at the school was nothing compared to the sheer magnitude of this wave.

The noise was incredible—a cacophony of moans, hisses, and the sickening squelch of rotting flesh.

One of the survivors let out a small whimper, quickly muffled by a hand over her mouth. Tysone glanced back, his gaze stern but not unkind. "Quiet." He mouthed. The last thing they needed was to be discovered.

Tysone's eyes scanned the horde. There, at the forefront, was a figure that stood out among the shambling masses. Tall, imposing, and wearing what appeared to be a military uniform. "Is that...?" Tysone whispered, his voice barely audible.

Saeko, crouching beside him, nodded. "It's a Zombie Major." Her voice was a soft murmur.

'Zombie Major?' Tysone's eyes narrowed, making out the medals on his tattered uniform. "So that's what's leading this horde." He could see it now. The way the zombies moved with a more coordinated purpose, following their Major with a chilling unity.

As they watched, the Zombie Major's eyes suddenly flickered towards their hiding spot. 

Tysone felt a chill crawl up his spine.

Author's Note:

If you're enjoying the story and want to read ahead or support my work, you can check out my P@treon at P@treon.com/LordCampione. But don't worry—all chapters will eventually be public. Just being here and reading means the world to me. Thank you for your time and support.