"Chaos Unleashed"

"Shit! I'm gonna be late!"

I bolted down the street, weaving through the early morning crowd. My backpack bounced against my back, the straps digging into my shoulders. Today was the chemistry test on reaction kinetics, and I hadn't even finished half the syllabus.

"Why the hell did I waste time watching videos instead of studying? Stupid! Stupid!"

Last time, I barely passed. This time, I wasn't just failing—I was dead meat. The teacher would make sure of it. I could already hear her voice ringing in my ears.

"Artic, if you keep slacking off, you might as well start looking for a new school!"

Ugh. Just thinking about it made my stomach churn. Maybe my friends could help—slip me a few answers. Or maybe I'd just guess my way through.

The school was just around the corner. I could already see the gates—

Then the ground lurched.

A low, deep rumbling noise filled the air, like the world itself was groaning in pain. The streetlights flickered. The glass windows of nearby buildings shattered all at once.

"What the hell—"

BOOM!

Before I could react, the pavement split open. Cars skidded. People screamed. My feet gave way, and I barely managed to catch myself against a wall.

Then, a shadow loomed over me.

I looked up. A building was falling—straight toward me.

I didn't even have time to scream.

Everything went black 

I woke up to the sound of dripping water. The air was damp. My body ached like I had been hit by a truck.

I wasn't in the school.

I wasn't even outside.

The room was dark, small, and smelled of dust and sweat. A shelter?

I sat up slowly, my head pounding. In the dim light, I saw a few people sitting around, their faces pale and hollow.

One of them noticed me. A man, probably in his late thirties, looked at me with tired eyes.

"You're awake?" His voice was rough, like he hadn't slept in days. "Welcome to hell you have been unconsciousfor more than a month ."

I swallowed hard 1 month .and Hell?

"What… happened?" My voice came out dry, almost cracking.

The man sighed, rubbing his temples. "Zombies. The world's gone to shit. Buildings collapsed, people died, and the lucky ones ended up here."

I blinked. Zombies? Like… in games? Movies? That kind of zombies?

Before I could even process that, the man tossed something toward me. I barely caught it.

A phone. The screen flickered on, showing my name. [Student Category].

"Government's handing these out," the man muttered. "They track survivors. You'll need it."

My breath was shaky as I stared at the glowing screen.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw him.

A familiar face. Standing near the shelter entrance. Watching.

My school principal.