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4. Shattered illusions

Not forgetting the fact that he could now feel the pain in his broken ankle, Christopher winced as each step sent sharp jolts of pain up his leg.

Cold sweat clung to his forehead as he scanned the dimly lit corridor ahead, his movements slowed, but determination burned in his eyes.

The remnants of the chaos in the bar still echoed in his mind, and the unsettling reality of the new world weighed on his shoulders. He took a deep breath, steadying his nerves and pushing through the pain.

Beside him, Elder Stones, his loyal yet hesitant companion, clutched a makeshift weapon tightly. The old man's frail frame was a stark contrast to Christopher's newfound strength, but there was a spark of determination in the elder's eyes.

"Stay close," Christopher whispered, the urgency in his voice cutting through the eerie silence. His voice was now laced with a hint of frustration and concern for their survival.He could hear faint groans and shuffling from further down the corridor, the unmistakable signs of approaching zombies.

They were relentless and unyielding, a constant threat that had become an unfortunate reality.They had managed to escape the bar, but this was just the beginning of their journey.

Christopher knew they had to find safety, food, and answers about the strange transformation he had undergone. The weight of responsibility pressed down on him, not only for his survival but also for the old man beside him.

As they ventured deeper into the unknown, a single thought nagged at the back of Christopher's mind. What other surprises awaited them in this bewildering world? It was a question that had no immediate answers, and that uncertainty only fueled his determination to keep moving forward.

"Elder," Christopher said in a low voice as he looked down and pointed at his broken ankle, "I believe I don't owe you anything, but I have to be frank with you." He continued, "My ankle was broken by the zombie I fought before I noticed your critical state.

"S-so Chris, what are we going to do?" Elder Stones inquired, his voice filled with a mixture of fear and determination. "Are we going to stay still and wait for death? We have to fight back," he said with unsteady conviction, realizing the gravity of their situation.

Of course, Chris didn't give him the chance to take back his words before he snapped at him, "We? You really just said 'we.' You've literally been standing still, doing nothing all this while, and now you act like we've been doing this together. Have you no shame?"

The frustration in his voice was noticeable as he struggled with both the pain in his ankle and the old man's newfound courage.

Christopher's outburst had silenced Elder Stones, who looked down, his face etched with a mixture of embarrassment and regret.

His words had been spoken out of fear, and he couldn't deny that he had done little to contribute to their escape so far.

Sighing, Christopher tried to regain his composure, understanding that his frustration wouldn't help their situation.

He lowered his voice and said, "Listen, we're both in this together now, whether we like it or not. We need to find safety, and there's no room for arguments or blame. Can you keep up with me?"Elder Stones nodded, his eyes filled with gratitude for the young man's understanding. "I'll do my best, Chris. I won't hold you back."

With that settled, they continued down the corridor, moving cautiously to avoid drawing attention from any nearby zombies. They knew that their best chance for survival was to find a secure place where they could regroup and plan their next steps.

The journey ahead was filled with uncertainty, but for now, they shared a common goal: to stay alive in this new and perilous world.

"Elder, we need to formulate a plan, we can't continue with brute force since I'm injured, and I must admit you can't face them unless you have a death wish," Chris spoke his mind without looking back."I understand your honesty, but I won't know my limit unless I try."

"You don't need to foolishly flex your muscles in this precarious situation. You can think of doing that when we get out of here. Don't take unnecessary risks.""I'm sorry this old man is slow-witted," Elder Stones said, shaking his head in disappointment.

"Whatever, forget it," Chris waved his hands, signaling that he wasn't bothered by such frivolous things.

He continued with his plan as he pointed forward, "Look at that fire alarm switch. My initial plan was to slaughter my way through until I get to that switch."

He paused and then went on to explain his plan, "As you should have guessed, my beast soul doesn't last forever, so I could only hope to slaughter as many as possible. So getting to the switch would be less stressful. Now, I don't know if you have watched or read any movies or novels about zombies, but all I do know is that zombies are attracted to noise and..."

Before Chris could finish explaining his plan, Elder Stones chimed in, "So you want to use the fire alarm to distract them, thereby buying us time to escape from this hellscape."

"Exactly, thank you for saving me the stress of explaining. So now, once we get to that button, we wait until they are all drawn towards the sounds around, and we dash for the exit."

"I might be a coward, Chris, but I'm not dumb. You seem to look down on this old man a lot. Anyway, it's my fault that I can't face my fears, even with the gray hair hanging on my head."

"Age doesn't imply maturity. Let's leave that and stick to the plan. Hand me that stick you use as a weapon in your hand," Chris said as he extended his hand, not bothered by Elder Stones's intentions.

Elder Stones quickly handed the broken stick to Chris, who brandished it and held it in a stabbing posture, ready to strike at any moment.

"Keep following me closely, Elder," he said as he started walking toward the switch with steady steps.

Puchi!

Puchi!

Puchi!

Chris silently stabbed every zombie impeding his path directly in the head. Messages kept popping in his head repeatedly.After ten minutes, which felt like two hours, they reached the switch safely, and Chris didn't hesitate to push the button.

The fire alarm blared with an ear-piercing shriek, its wailing tone echoing through the dim corridor. It was a clamor of urgency, a relentless howl that cut through the eerie silence like a knife, demanding attention and action.

Grrr!

The eerie groans of the zombies followed suit, as the voices of the zombies resounded in unison, like soldiers following an order.The zombies started walking to the areas where they heard the alarm, and fortunately for Chris, they were clearing his path since the sound was in the opposite direction.

"Now we stand still and stay quiet while we wait," Christopher whispered to Elder Stones.After waiting for what felt like forever, they noticed that the corridor was now clear, and the exit was within their reach.

They, the only two survivors in the bar, dashed for the doors. Surprisingly, even with his limp, Christopher was still moving at a faster speed than the old man, who was filled to the brim with adrenaline.

Stretching his hands forward, when he came in contact with the doors, he pushed them open, allowing him and the old man behind him to exit quickly.

Now they were about to see what their world had turned into in the blink of an eye.

They rushed out of the bar, panting heavily and adjusting their systems before they looked up to scan their environment, only for the scene that unfurled before them to leave their mouths agape.

The shock was written all over both men's faces as they also almost lost all hope of seeing their loved ones again.

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