Chapter 5

Hebei Province, Shenzhou High School, March 20, 2030 — 11:50 AM

Chaos reigned in the school corridors. A panicked human tide surged forward, blindly rushing, desperately searching for an escape. Tiang and Meilin, trapped in the middle of this frenzy, collided with the bodies pushing through without mercy.

Behind them, a group of young men with rugby-player builds cleared the way brutally, shoving aside the weaker students who fell to the ground under the weight of the panicking crowd. Some were trampled without even a glance, while others, seized by panic, pounded on classroom doors, pleading to be let in.

— Move out of the way, damn it! — Let me through, goddammit!

The cries of distress mingled with sobs, creating a cacophony of despair. In the midst of this madness, something even more terrifying emerged from the bottom of the stairs.

A student. Or at least, what was left of one. His uniform was stained with dried blood, and his eyes, a milky white, seemed devoid of any humanity. A frozen grimace twisted his face into a parody of a smile. Between his clenched fingers, he held a human head, its hair slick with blood, slowly dripping onto the floor.

The moment froze.

A deathly silence enveloped the corridor, freezing the students in place. Then, in a sudden and unexpected movement, the infected student threw the corpse he was holding directly at Meilin.

— MEILIN!

Without thinking, Tiang threw himself onto her, sending them both crashing through a door that opened on impact

They tumbled to the floor. A warm breath, a closeness. Meilin, beneath him, flashed a small amused smile despite the tension.

— Tiang… Why are you doing this? she whispered. You know I'm stronger than you.

She wasn't wrong. But in that moment, it was a reflex, a necessity.

Other panicked students rushed into the room, quickly barring the door behind them with chairs and tables stacked in haste.

— Get away, you damn monsters! one of them shouted from outside.

A heavy silence fell again, broken only by the ragged breaths of the survivors.

— Thanks for opening the door. What are your names? asked a female voice, calm despite the panic.

Tiang looked up. A woman in her thirties, a tired yet kind smile on her lips. Mrs. Sun. English teacher.

— Uh… Tiang, Mrs. Sun, he replied, still out of breath. — Meilin.

The teacher frowned slightly before her expression brightened.

— You're in class B, right? I remember you!

She tried to ease the atmosphere, but the fear in her eyes betrayed her.

— Ma'am… We don't have time to talk. If we stay here, we'll die! a student exclaimed, his voice trembling with terror.

Across the room, two classmates came to help Meilin stand. She had a small scratch on her cheek, a light cut from a piece of wood. Tiang, meanwhile, approached the makeshift barricade, peering through a gap in the door

The hallway was nothing but a slaughterhouse. Piles of bodies formed mounds, frozen in expressions of agony. Blood stained the floor, forming a thick pool, the air soaked with the unbearable stench of iron and decay. The walls and windows were covered in bloody handprints, scratches, and hastily written desperate words.

— God… murmured a student behind him, his voice choked.

Then, a noise. A violent impact.

The infected charged at the barricade with all its might. The makeshift barricade of chairs and tables collapsed under the force. A scream pierced the air. A student, caught off guard, found himself on the floor. The infected lunged at him, sinking its teeth into his throat with bestial hunger.

— AAAAAAAAARGH!! N… O…

His scream turned into gurgles, tears rolling down his cheeks as his trembling hand reached out toward Meilin. A silent prayer, a call for help that would never be heard.

His trachea was torn out in a single, swift motion.

— MEILIN!! Tiang screamed, helpless.

The infected didn't stop there. With an animalistic leap, it lunged at Meilin.

In a final act of courage, Mrs. Sun stepped in.

The monster's jaws closed around her.

She let out a strangled gasp, then smiled weakly.

— It was my only regret… I'm sorry… she murmured, her voice trembling. Her gaze met Tiang's. A mixture of pain and resignation.

Tiang knew. She had seen him being bullied. She hadn't said anything. He had always harbored resentment towards her. But now, in this moment… How could he still hate her?