Chapter 3: Midnight Explosion

After testing his ability, Zion fell into a deep sleep due to the exhaustion of his strength. He didn't know how long he had been sleeping when he was awakened by a loud explosion outside his window. The sound was so intense that it shook the entire room. Zion sat up abruptly, his heart pounding, and his nerves on edge.

"What was that?" he muttered to himself, trying to stay calm. He crawled to the window and peeked outside. The night sky was lit up with flames in the distance, and he could hear the distant roars and chaos, as if the entire city had descended into madness.

"I need to get out of here," Zion thought. He quickly gathered some essential items, shouldered his backpack, and quietly made his way to the door. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and stepped into the dark hallway.

The corridor was eerily silent, with only his own breathing and heartbeat audible. Zion moved cautiously, trying not to make any noise, and carefully descended the stairs. As he reached the lobby, he pushed open the door and stepped into the dark street.

The air outside was filled with the stench of decay, and the distant fires cast eerie shadows on the twisted figures of zombies. Zion proceeded with extreme caution, doing his best to avoid those horrific creatures.

Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice calling out, "Zion!" He turned and saw his friend Chris emerging from an alley, clutching his right arm with his left, his face contorted with fear and pain.

"Chris!" Zion called softly, hurrying over. "What happened to you?"

"I... I got bitten..." Chris panted, his face pale and sweat pouring down his forehead. There was a deep bite mark on his right arm, and blood was oozing from the wound.

Zion felt a pang of fear and helplessness. He knew they had to find a safe place quickly to tend to Chris's wound. Grabbing Chris, they began to run desperately.

"We need to get out of here. It's too dangerous," Zion urged.

Chris nodded, and the two continued running. As they passed through another alley, a zombie suddenly lunged at them from the shadows. Chris screamed and stumbled, falling to the ground. The zombie immediately pounced on him. Zion's heart raced as he desperately tried to think of a way to save his friend. Then he remembered the butter he had accidentally summoned while trying to summon buttered lobster earlier.

"Maybe this will work!" Zion thought quickly. Summoning all his strength, he concentrated and summoned several pieces of butter. The zombie stepped on one of the pieces and instantly slipped, falling to the ground with a furious roar and struggling to crawl towards them.

Seeing the zombie fall, Zion felt a surge of relief. He quickly pulled Chris to his feet, and they resumed their desperate flight.

"That butter really saved us," Zion thought, even as his heart pounded with fear. They couldn't stop running yet.

Finally, they reached the commercial street and managed to evade the zombies. Both of them were gasping for air, looking around for a safe place to hide. The street was eerily quiet, with no zombies in sight, which gave them a brief moment of respite.

"Thank you, Zion. If it weren't for you, I'd be dead," Chris said gratefully.

Zion managed a weak smile. "We need to find a safe place to rest."

They spotted a clothing store and decided to hide inside. Zion pushed the door, but it was locked, so they circled around to the back and found an unlocked door. Entering cautiously, they locked the door behind them and checked to make sure the store was empty.

"We're finally safe," Zion said, leaning against the wall and exhaling a long breath.

"Yeah, at least for now," Chris agreed, sitting on the floor, looking exhausted. However, Chris's face grew paler, and his breathing became labored. Zion realized something was wrong and quickly went over to check on him. That's when he noticed the deep bite mark on Chris's arm, still oozing blood.

"Chris, you've been bitten?" Zion asked, horrified.

Chris nodded, his eyes filled with fear and desperation. "Zion, please, you have to help me. I don't want to become a zombie."

Zion felt utterly helpless. He didn't know how to help Chris. He could only use some clothes from the store to create makeshift bandages and wrap Chris's wound, hoping to stop the bleeding.

"I... I'll figure something out. Don't worry," Zion said, trying to sound confident, but inside he was filled with fear and uncertainty.

After bandaging Chris, Zion noticed his condition was still deteriorating. Chris's face turned ashen, and he eventually lost consciousness. Zion sat beside him, heart pounding with worry, not knowing what to do next.

"Will he turn into a zombie like in the movies?" Zion wondered, his mind racing with fear and questions. He looked at the unconscious Chris, feeling a mix of dread and helplessness.

Time seemed to drag on as Zion kept watch over Chris, afraid to close his eyes. But eventually, exhaustion overcame him, and he dozed off.

In his dreams, Zion found himself constantly running, chased by endless hordes of zombies. He ran and ran, but could never escape. Suddenly, a zombie grabbed him, and he woke up with a start, realizing he was still in the clothing store.

Looking around, he saw Chris lying still on the floor. Zion's heart sank as he rushed over to check on him. Chris was no longer breathing, his body cold and lifeless.

"Chris..." Zion whispered, knowing there would be no response. Tears blurred his vision as he fought to stay composed.

"I have to keep going, for myself and for Chris," Zion vowed silently. He knew that in this post-apocalyptic world, he could rely on no one but himself.

Zion walked to the store's entrance and peered through a crack in the door. The street outside was still eerily silent, with no sign of zombies. Taking a deep breath, he resolved to continue his journey and find a safer place, determined to survive in this harsh new world.