Outside

"...ak …wa …Wake up!"

Kiah's eyes snapped open the moment she felt hands asking her. Her eyes snapped open, and instinctively, she reached for her labrys.

"Whoa, slow down! Are you trying to take my head off?" Naya's voice came, sharp but amused. "I'm not a degenerate."

Kiah blinked, her vision slowly clearing. "Oh… sorry." She yawned, rubbing her eyes and sitting up.

Across the room, Anwyll was still sitting on the couch, chewing on a piece of bread absentmindedly.

"Is it time to leave?" she asked groggily.

"We have about two hours," Naya replied. "Will decided to wake us early so we could eat and prepare. God knows what awaits us when we open those doors."

Kiah nodded and turned toward him.

"Brownie, did you stay awake all night? I told you to wake me up."

"It's fine. I'm used to it. Don't worry about me."

Naya leaned in, grinning.

"Kiah, I thought you were cold. It's nice to know you actually care."

Kiah frowned, pushing Naya's face slightly.

"You've misunderstood. I said that because, between the three of us, he's the best fighter and the least injured. It makes sense for him to have enough rest. He'll be facing the stronger degenerates, probably leading the charge. He's our best chance of making it out of here alive. We don't want him dozing off during a fight. He should be in optimum condition."

A pause followed.

Naya's smile was replaced with a look of disappointment. Anwyll, on the other hand, looked unimpressed. He arched a brow.

"Were planning to throw me into the frontline all along? Who knew there was such a sinister plan brewing in that small head? I've never heard of such a devious reason to care for someone."

Kiah didn't flinch.

"Yes. I have cans of tuna. High in protein. You should eat more to build strength. We are counting on you."

She pulled out one of her cans and walked over to set it in front of him like an offering. Then, she threw an urgent look at Naya.

After a beat of hesitation, Naya sighed and also presented a pack of biscuits and a bottle of water, awkwardly sliding them across to him.

Anwyll looked bewildered.

"What's this? Fattening a pig before slaughter? That's a new one. Sending me to death with a full belly."

Naya looked remorseful.

"She's right. You need it more than we do."

Anwyll just gazed at them.

He didn't seem angry — in fact, he looked amused. He shook his head and smiled.

"Well, in that case, I'll gladly accept your offerings," he said, collecting the food. "Even without these virtuous sacrifices, I wasn't planning on letting either of you die on my watch."

Kiah sneered inwardly.

'Let me die? Don't flatter yourself. If I weren't badly injured, I wouldn't even need you. But I'll let you bask in this glory for now.'

She returned to the bed and opened her final can of tuna for herself. They ate quietly.

When they finished, Kiah changed her bandage again and swallowed a painkiller.

They were ready.

"I'll open the door."

Kiah announced, standing next to the panel. When the other two nodded, she activated the release.

The door slid open with a low hiss, and Kiah moved to stand beside the others, eyes sharp as they prepared for whatever waited beyond.

They all held their breaths.

The door opened, but nothing lunged at them. They exhaled in unison.

"Phew, I was really scared something would jump right at us," Naya said with a nervous grin as they stepped out of the panic room.

But the relief was short-lived.

As she pushed open the hallway door, a low, guttural growl froze them all in place.

Standing in the middle of the hallway was a degenerate, its black turned to them, hunched over and digging through a rusted trash can, looking for God knows what.

Shit. Spoke too soon.

They exchanged panicked glances. With roughly an hour left before the capsule arrived, a fight now would delay them.

Anwyll pointed toward the far end of the hall, which had a big door.

Kiah understood immediately; reach the door, lock it, and trap the degenerate behind them.

They began creeping backward, cautiously, while the creature remained distracted.

But of course, Lady Luck decided that was the perfect time to leave them.

Kiah stepped on a tin can.

The creak echoed through the hallway.

'Shit!'

Everybody froze. Including the degenerate. Its head began to turn slowly.

"Run!" Anwyll shouted.

They bolted, forgetting stealth.

The degenerate screeched, a blood-curling sound that tore through the air as it launched into a sprint behind them.

They made it to the door and slammed it shut just as it lunged at them. Its body crashed against the metal with a loud thud.

Kiah almost smiled, but there was no time to gloat.

"We have to go. There will be more lurking on the lower floors." Anwyll informed.

He gazed at the stairwell that was cast in shadows and uncertainty with wariness in his eyes.

"We might have to fight, eventually."

"Is there any way to avoid it?"

"Not unless we climb out." He gestured to a small window overlooking the side of the building.

Kiah peered down the series of stairs. It was dim and narrow, just like she imagined the steps of hell to look like.

As the lights flickered above them, she couldn't help but compare it to a horror movie scene. Though she enjoyed watching them, she didn't want to be in one. She'd take the window.

"Let's climb down."

Naya interjected. "That's not a good idea. We are in bad shape, and we have no climbing gear. And we could be sighted on our way down. What if there is a horde waiting for us before we climb down?"

"What if there's a horde waiting at the bottom of those stairs?" Kiah countered. "We are in no condition to fight either way."

"What if we fall?"

"It's the fourth floor. You won't die."

"What if I break my spine?"

"We'll drag you back to the capsule."

"What if—"

"I'd rather be stuck outside, closer to the capsule, than be trapped in this building with no way out." Kiah snapped.

Anwyll let out a resigned sigh.

"Kiah is right. We have to climb down. I have a rope. It's still dark, so we can use that to our advantage. Once sunlight hits, degenerates will flood indoors to hide. We don't want to be in here when that happens. The streets are safer now."

Kiah nodded, checking her watch.

Forty minutes more. They needed to hurry.

Anwyll approached the window and slid it open. A gust of fresh air hit their faces and for a brief moment, they breathed easier.

But that relief didn't last long because the scent of blood and rust quickly hit them — thick and metallic.

Kiah frowned as the stench of blood thickened. It seemed more people had died.

Anwyll was the first to react. He leaned out the window, eyes scanning the street below.

"It's clear," he whispered.

He pulled out a rope from his pack, tying it tightly around a metal railing. After giving it a few strong tugs, he tossed the end out of the window. It landed with a soft thud.

They waited, holding their breath. When nothing stirred below, Anwyll gestured to Naya.

"You go first."

Naya shook her head, nervous.

"I don't want to go down first."

Kiah sighed inwardly.

"Fine. I'll go first," she volunteered, already moving toward the window. She was desperate to leave this building.

She climbed onto the ledge and grabbed the rope tightly. Just as she was about to descend, Anwyll grabbed her wrist.

"Be careful."

Kiah gave a small smile.

"Don't worry, Brownie. I'll be fine." She replied. "When I get down, I'll jiggle the rope as a signal."

"Stick to the wall," he reminded her.

"I will."

She began descent.

The distance wasn't far, but the weight of the unknown made it feel like it was from heaven to hell.

The rope creaked faintly under her weight. The morning air clung to her skin. Below her, the dim streets lay still.

As she passed the second floor, she heard it. Low guttural growls. Degenerates. She was even afraid to breathe, afraid the sound would draw their attention.

If they had taken the stairs, they would have been dead already.

Finally, her boots touched the ground. She exhaled quietly and jiggled the rope twice.

She pressed her back against the wall and scanned the street. It was too quiet. Like the calm before a storm.

She caught a glimpse of Bluey's body lying not far away, his vibrant blue hair soaked with red blood.

'Rest in peace,' she thought, eyes closed in a silent prayer.

Naya landed moments later, crouching beside her. They said nothing, just waited, eyes flicking in every direction.

Anwyll came down last.

Disregarding the rope, they thought of their next course of action.

The capsule had dropped them off some distance before the buildings. They needed to head right.

"Stick to the walls," Anwyll repeated, his voice low.

Then he stood up and jogged to the side of the next building, keeping low. He peeked around the corner, looking left and then right — and then bolted.