ESCAPE FROM THE GREEN ZONE

The air inside the military camp was tense.

Raka, Bayu, and Nadia walked past rows of large tents, guarded by heavily armed soldiers. Each step they took felt heavy, not because of exhaustion, but because of the strange atmosphere of the place.

From the outside, the Green Zone seemed like the perfect sanctuary.

However, the deeper they went in, the more obvious it was that something was wrong.

Raka's eyes swept around.

The people who lived here looked healthy, but their faces were full of fear.

Some of them sat quietly near the tents, bowing their heads deeply as if afraid to look at the soldiers on guard.

An old man whispered to his wife as he glanced at Raka, before quickly looking away.

Nadia grabbed Raka's arm. "This place… why does it feel strange?"

Raka didn't answer, but a bad feeling began to emerge in his head.

They were led to a large building in the center of the camp.

Inside, a middle-aged man in full military uniform sat behind a desk. His name was written on the chest of his uniform: Commander Rayhan.

His gaze was sharp, authoritative, but there was something behind his eyes—something hard to put his finger on.

He stared at the three of them for a few seconds, then said, "Who are you, and why are you here?"

Raka didn't answer right away. He knew that in a situation like this, giving the wrong answer could mean death.

"I'm Raka. This is Nadia and Bayu," he finally said. "We survived the city and are looking for a safe place."

Rayhan studied them. "Where are you from?"

Raka couldn't tell the truth—that they had just slaughtered a large gang.

"We've been moving around a lot since the apocalypse began."

The commander narrowed his eyes, but didn't ask further.

"The Green Zone is a sanctuary," he finally said. "But we have rules here. If you want to stay, you have to follow them."

Raka exchanged glances with Nadia and Bayu.

Bayu, still hurt, looked relieved to hear that they could stay. But Raka was no fool.

Anything that was too good to be true… usually wasn't.

A soldier led them to the living area.

There were several barracks filled with refugees—men, women, children. They looked healthier and more well-maintained than the people wandering around outside.

But… something was strange.

There were no old people.

No one looked older than 50.

And no one was disabled or too weak.

Nadia noticed it first. "Raka… do you notice something?"

Raka nodded slowly.

Only the 'useful' were allowed to stay here.

Before they could ask further, a soldier came and gave them work orders.

• Raka was assigned to join the patrol team outside the Green Zone.

Bayu, still injured, would be placed in the logistics section to help organize supplies.

Nadia would be placed in the kitchen with other women.

Bayu frowned. "I don't like this."

Raka didn't either.

They had just arrived, but they were already being forced to work.

But for now, they had to obey—until they learned more about this place.

The next morning, Raka was sent on patrol.

Together with two other soldiers, he walked out of the Green Zone, into the forest that surrounded the place.

One of the soldiers, a tall man with a thick mustache named Lieutenant Surya, looked at Raka with a disdainful expression.

"So a kid like you wants to survive in this world?" he asked sarcastically.

Raka didn't answer. He just looked around.

Something felt odd.

During the two hours they had been patrolling, they hadn't found a single zombie.

Raka finally asked, "Why is this place safer than other areas?"

Lieutenant Surya chuckled. "Because we clean up every day."

He patted his rifle. "Before zombies or outsiders can get close, we kill them first."

Raka gave him a sharp look. "Including humans?"

Surya grinned. "If they're not part of us, they're just an additional problem."

Damn.

Now he understood.

The Green Zone wasn't a sanctuary.

This was a military fortress that only protected people they deemed useful.

And anyone who is considered a burden…

Is eliminated.

When Raka returned to the camp that afternoon, he immediately looked for Nadia and Bayu.

Bayu looked exhausted but still able to hold on.

But Nadia was not in the kitchen.

"She was taken to the medical barracks earlier," said one of the women there.

Raka immediately felt that something was wrong.

Without wasting any time, he ran to the medical barracks.

Inside, there were several other women lying on beds—but no signs of illness or injury.

And in the corner of the room, Nadia sat with a tense face.

When she saw Raka, she immediately stood up and pulled him to her side.

"Raka… they said I have to take a medical test."

Raka frowned. "So?"

Nadia swallowed. "I heard the nurse talking to one of the soldiers."

She looked at Raka with fear in her eyes.

"They're looking for… a woman who is 'suitable' for something."

Raka's blood boiled immediately.

He already knew how this world worked.

And if he doesn't act quickly...

Nadia will be the victim.

Raka returned to Bayu and explained everything.

Bayu immediately gritted his teeth. "Shit. I already suspected this place was too good to be true."

Nadia grabbed Raka's arm. "We have to get out of here."

Raka thought quickly.

They had just arrived.

They had no supplies or vehicles.

If they were caught trying to escape, these soldiers would not hesitate to kill them.

But waiting was not an option either.

He took a deep breath, then said—

"We escape tonight."

Bayu stared at him sharply. "Are you sure?"

"We have no choice," Raka said coldly.

He stared outside the barracks, at the soldiers guarding the camp.

They had to escape.

And they had to do it without being caught.

Because if they failed…

They would die.

Night fell.

Inside the refugee barracks, Raka sat in a corner with Bayu and Nadia. The three of them spoke in barely a whisper.

"We have to get out now," Raka said softly. "The longer we stay here, the greater the risk that they'll figure out our plan."

Nadia bit her lip. "But… how? This camp is heavily guarded."

Bayu looked around. "We don't even know where they keep their vehicles."

Raka sighed. "That's why we have to move quickly before they realize we're missing."

He looked at Bayu. "Can you walk without being too obvious?"

Bayu, still looking in pain, nodded. "I don't have a choice, do I?"

"Good." Raka looked outside.

In the distance, guards were still patrolling the wire fence. But there was a small gap on the east side of the camp, where they dumped their trash.

That was their exit point.

They only had one chance.

And if they were caught…

They would die.

They moved during the changing of the guard—when the guards were off guard.

Quietly, they slipped out of the barracks, walking lightly through the other tents.

The few refugees who were still awake stared at them curiously, but no one dared to speak.

They knew.

Everyone here wanted to escape.

But they didn't have the courage to do so.

And now, Raka and his friends were going to take that risk.

They reached the garbage dump on the east side.

Piles of food waste and leftovers were scattered around. Among the piles, there was a small hole in the wire fence.

Raka crawled first, followed by Nadia.

Bayu, despite his injuries, managed to catch up.

As they were almost out—

"WHOY! WHO'S THERE?!"

A flashlight shone in their direction.

Damn. They were caught.

Without thinking, Raka immediately pulled Bayu and Nadia.

"RUN!!!"

The three of them immediately ran into the dark forest, leaving the camp behind.

From a distance, the sound of an alarm sounded.

"CATCH THEM! DON'T LET THEM ESCAPE!!!"

Bullets began to be fired into the air.

BANG! BANG!

They continued to run, breaking through the thick trees and roots that spread across the ground.

Nadia gasped for breath. "They're still chasing us!"

Raka looked back. Several guards had entered the forest, carrying flashlights and weapons.

They had to lose track.

Raka looked to the left—there was a small river between the trees.

"OVER THERE!"

Without hesitation, they jumped into the water.

The cold bit their skin, but this was the only way to lose track.

They dived for a moment, letting the current carry them away.

From above, they could hear the sound of soldiers searching along the riverbank.

"THEY CAN'T BE FAR AWAY!"

After a few minutes, the sound began to fade away.

They had escaped.

For now.

They got out of the river and walked deeper into the forest.

Bayu fell to the ground, breathing heavily. "Damn… my shoulder hurts even more."

Nadia knelt beside him. "We have to find a place to rest."

Raka nodded and started looking for a hiding place.

A few meters away, he found an old building that was almost collapsed.

They went inside, closed the door, and sat on the dusty floor.

Silence.

They were still alive.

But Raka knew, this wasn't over yet.

When morning came, Raka went out to look for food or additional weapons.

However, as he went deeper into the forest, he found something that made him freeze.

A mass grave.

Hundreds of human bodies were buried inside a large hole, some already rotting, others still fresh.

This… this was no ordinary grave.

The bodies were wearing clothes from the Green Zone.

Raka's blood boiled.

So this is what happens to those who are considered 'useless'?

He clenched his fists.

They had already escaped from that place. But how many people had died before them?

That was when he realized something even more terrifying.

At the end of the grave, there was a pile of different bodies.

They had blackish skin and glowing red veins.

The same creatures as the ones that attacked them on the road.

Mutated zombies.

Raka's eyes narrowed.

The Green Zone didn't just kill the weak.

They also kept something more dangerous.

And before he could think any further—

"GRRRRRRR!!!"

A growl sounded behind him.

Shit.

Raka turned his head.

From behind the trees, three mutated zombies shuffled, their eyes glowing red in the darkness.

Raka pulled out his knife.

Bayu and Nadia were still too tired to fight.

This was a one-on-one fight.

And he couldn't lose.

The first zombie charged at incredible speed.

Raka jumped to the side, avoiding its sharp claws.

SWISH!

Raka's knife shot towards its neck—

BUT IT DIDN'T PENETRATE!

Their skin was too tough!

BANG!

Raka fired his gun at the zombie's head.

Black blood spurted, but the creature remained standing.

Damn.

He had to find their weak point.

The second zombie attacked from the side.

Raka crouched down, then stabbed the back of its knee!

SRAT!

The zombie fell to its knees.

That was when Raka realized—

Their bones were strong, but their joints were weak!

At full speed, he stabbed the knife under the first zombie's jaw!

SRAT!!!

The knife went all the way up to its brain.

The zombie fell and never got up again.

Two left.

The third zombie lunged at him with its claws, but Raka dodged and kicked its knee as hard as he could!

CRASH!

Its knee broke, and Raka immediately stabbed his knife into its neck!

SLAM!

The zombie collapsed.

There was only one left.

The last zombie tried to run, but before it could—

BANG!

A bullet hit its head.

Raka turned his head.

Nadia was standing behind him, still holding the smoking gun.

She smiled faintly. "I learned from you."

Raka chuckled. "Good."

But in his mind, he knew—

This was just the beginning of something bigger.

And now, they had to find out who created this monster.