MORNING (AFTER NISHA MET ADVAIT)
Nisha found Manish in the armory.
He was cleaning rifles. The sound of metal on metal. Methodical. Practiced. He looked up when she entered.
"We have a run," she said.
Manish set down the cloth. "When?"
"Now. Today. Long range."
"How far?"
"Northeast sector. Eight kilometers out." She pulled out a map. Unfolded it on the table. "These locations. Three stops. They're safe. But still be very careful!"
Manish studied the map. His finger traced the route. "That's past our normal range."
"I know. But we're desperate. Shelves are empty."
"How many people? And for God's sake I am not going with Kara—"
"Five." Nisha cut him off. "You're leading. Take Reyan and Meera. Pick two more."
Manish thought about it. "Keshav and Deepa. Both know how to stay quiet. Good in tight spaces."
"Good. I'll get Reyan and Meera. Be ready in twenty."
"You're not coming?"
"Advait needs me here." She turned to leave. Stopped. "Be careful out there. Eight kilometers is a long way."
"We'll be fine."
She left.
Manish stared at the map for a long moment. Green markers. Safe zones. Times. Observations.
Nisha found Reyan in his room. With his daughter. Reading to her from an old book. Something about animals in a forest.
His daughter was laughing. Pointing at pictures. Not understanding most of it but loving it anyway.
Nisha knocked on the doorframe.
Reyan looked up. Saw her face. The expression she wore when she needed something.
"Run?" he asked.
"Emergency supply. We're empty, Reyan. We need you."
Reyan looked at his daughter. She'd stopped laughing. Was watching him with those big eyes.
He thought about saying no. About staying. About keeping her safe by staying close.
But they needed supplies. People were hungry. His daughter was hungry.
"Okay," he said, his voice a bit rough. "Okay."
"Good. Tell Meera. The gate, twenty minutes. Don't be late."
"I'll tell her," he muttered, mostly to himself.
Nisha left.
Reyan looked at his daughter. "I have to go for a bit."
"How long?"
"Just today. Maybe tonight. But I'll try to be back as soon as i can."
"You always say that."
"And I always come back." He pulled her close. "Be good. Listen to the adults. Stay inside. Okay?"
"Okay." She hugged her rabbit. "Mr. Floppy will protect me."
"Good. Mr. Floppy's very brave."
He kissed her forehead. Stood. Grabbed his pack. Started loading supplies.
Found Meera in the training yard. She was running drills. Saw him approach. Stopped.
"Let me guess," she said. "Run."
"How'd you know?"
"Your face. You get this look." She grabbed a towel. Wiped sweat. "When?"
"Twenty minutes."
"Where?"
"Ugh— I don't know."
"Alright. Let me gear up."
Twenty minutes later, five people stood at the gate.
Manish. Reyan. Meera. Keshav—mid-thirties, quiet, moved like he'd done this before. Deepa—late twenties, sharp eyes, quick reflexes.
They checked their gear. Rifles slung over shoulders. Knives on belts. Ammunition counted. Water bottles full. Rations packed.
Goggles in their pockets. Everyone had them. Dark-tinted. Protection against Gazers.
Reyan patted his jacket pocket. Felt them there. Safe.
"Everyone clear on the route?" Manish asked.
Nods.
"We stay together. We stay quiet. Guns only if we have no choice. Knives first. Understood?"
"Understood."
"Good." Manish looked at each of them. "Let's go get what we need and get back before dark."
The gate creaked open. The sound too loud in the morning quiet.
They drove through.
Into the ruins.
The streets were empty.
Not peaceful empty. Wrong empty. Like something had swept through and taken everything with it.
Abandoned cars everywhere. Doors hanging open. Windows smashed. Some burned out. Black husks.
Bodies in the street. Long dead. Picked clean by infected or animals. Hard to tell which.
They moved carefully. Staying close to buildings. Using cover. Watching corners.
Every shadow could be a threat. Every sound could mean death.
After an hour they reached the first location.
Pharmacy. Small. Windows broken. Door hanging off hinges.
"Hold," Manish whispered.
They stopped. Listened.
Silence.
"Keshav, Deepa. Check it."
The two moved forward. Weapons ready. Disappeared inside.
Thirty seconds. A minute. Two minutes.
Then Keshav appeared in the doorway. Gave a thumbs up. Clear.
They entered.
The pharmacy was trashed. Shelves knocked over. Products scattered everywhere. Glass crunching under boots.
"Spread out," Manish said quietly. "Look for the medical supplies. Anything useful."
They moved through the aisles. Checking. Searching.
Most shelves were empty. Already looted. But some things remained. Overlooked. Hidden.
Reyan found bandages behind a fallen display. Grabbed them.
Meera found alcohol. Antiseptic. Into her pack.
Deepa was checking behind the counter when she stopped. "Movement."
Everyone froze.
A sound from the back. The pharmacy office. Shuffling. Slow.
Manish moved toward it. Silent. Knife drawn.
The door was ajar. He pushed it open slowly.
A Shambler. Old. Rotting. Barely mobile. It turned toward the sound. Groaned.
Manish moved fast. Grabbed it from behind. One hand over its mouth. Knife in with the other. Through the base of the skull. Up into the brain.
The Shambler went limp. Manish lowered it quietly to the floor.
"Clear," he whispered.
They kept searching. Found antibiotics in a locked cabinet. Manish broke the lock. Grabbed everything.
Pain medication. Bandages. Disinfectant. Not a huge haul but something.
"Good enough," Manish said. "Let's move."
They left. Back into the street. Heading to location two.
The second location was a small grocery store.
Looked more intact than the pharmacy. Windows still whole. Door closed.
"Careful," Manish said. "If it's closed, might be people inside. Or might be a trap."
They approached slowly. Manish tried the door.
Locked.
"Around back," Keshav suggested.
They circled the building. Found a delivery entrance. Door broken. Hanging open.
Perfect entry point. Also perfect exit for anything inside.
"Formation," Manish whispered. "Reyan, Meera, with me. Keshav, Deepa, watch our backs."
They entered.
Dark inside. Emergency lighting had died long ago. Just shadows.
They moved forward. Eyes adjusting. Weapons ready.
The main store area was chaos. Shelves toppled. Products everywhere. Smelled like rot. Like death.
A sound. Ahead. Shuffling.
Two Shamblers. Wandering between aisles. Hadn't noticed them yet.
Manish signaled. Pointed at Reyan. Then at the left Shambler.
Reyan nodded. Understood.
They moved together. Quiet. Controlled.
Reyan came up behind the left Shambler. It was facing away. Completely unaware.
He grabbed it like Manish had shown them in training. One arm around its neck. Holding it. Other hand with the knife.
He drove the blade in. Base of skull. Up.
The Shambler convulsed. Then went still.
Reyan lowered it. His hands were shaking. Still not used to this.
Manish had already dropped the second one. Clean. Efficient. No hesitation.
They kept moving.
Found the storage area. Collapsed shelving. Boxes everywhere.
"Help me," Manish said. Started digging.
They moved boxes. Shifted debris. Underneath, they found canned goods. Lots of them. Hidden. Protected.
"Jackpot," Keshav whispered.
They filled their packs. Beans. Soup. Vegetables. Fruit. Everything they could carry.
"We're heavy now," Meera said. "If we have to run—"
"Then we drop the packs and run," Manish said. "But we don't leave supplies unless we have to. People are counting on this."
They finished loading. Packs full. Heavy. Awkward.
Started heading for the exit.
That's when they heard it.
A sound from deeper in the store. Not shuffling. Not slow.
Fast. Getting closer.
"Runner," Deepa whispered.
They turned. Saw it.
Bursting from a back hallway. Fast. Aggressive. Zeroing in on them.
"SHOOT IT!" Manish ordered.
Three rifles came up. Fired. The sound deafening in the enclosed space.
The Runner took two hits. Stumbled. Kept coming.
Another shot. Headshot. It dropped. Slid across the floor. Stopped at their feet.
"Move!" Manish was already running. "That noise will bring more!"
They ran for the exit. Through the delivery door. Into daylight.
Behind them, sounds of more infected. Drawn by the gunshots. Coming.
They kept running. Didn't stop until they reached the car.
They stopped. Gasping. Listening.
No pursuit sounds. They'd lost them.
"Everyone okay?" Manish asked.
Nods. Breathing hard but okay.
"Good. One more stop. Then we head back."
They checked the map. Started driving.
By afternoon they reached location three.
A residential neighborhood. Rows of identical houses. Cookie-cutter. Suburban. Dead.
"This is it," Manish said. Checking the map. "This is marked green it means safe. No infected reported."
"When was it marked?" Reyan asked.
"Says here... six days ago."
"A lot can change in six days."
"Yeah. Stay alert."
They moved into the neighborhood. Checking houses. Most were empty. Already looted. Doors hanging open. Windows broken.
First house: nothing.
Second house: some canned food in a pantry. A few bottles of water. They took it.
Third house: ransacked. Someone had been through already. Took everything.
"This is taking forever," Deepa said. They'd been searching for over an hour. "We've covered eight houses. Found almost nothing."
"We keep looking," Manish said. "We need more than this."
"We're running out of daylight."
"I know." Manish looked at the map. At the dozens of houses left. "Alright. New plan. We split up. Cover more ground. Two groups. Meet back here in thirty minutes."
"Split up?" Meera looked uncertain. "Is that smart?"
"No. But it's faster. And we're running out of time." Manish pointed. "You, Keshav, and Deepa take the east side of the street. Reyan and I take west. Radios on. Anything happens, you call immediately. Got it?"
Meera didn't look happy but nodded. "Got it."
"Thirty minutes. Back here. Don't be late."
The groups split up.
Meera, Keshav, and Deepa headed east.
Reyan and Manish headed west.
WEST SIDE
Reyan and Manish moved through houses quickly. Checking. Searching. Finding little.
"This is a waste," Reyan muttered. "There's nothing here."
"Keep looking. We need—"
A sound. Ahead. From one of the houses.
They stopped. Listened.
Shuffling. Movement. Something inside.
"Careful," Manish whispered.
They approached the house. Two stories. Windows intact. Door closed but unlocked.
Manish tried the handle. It opened. They entered.
Dark inside. Quiet except for that sound. Upstairs.
They moved through the ground floor first. Kitchen. Living room. Dining room. All clear. Some food in cabinets. They took it.
"Upstairs," Manish whispered.
They climbed. Each step creaking. Announcing them.
The sound was louder now. Coming from a bedroom. End of the hall.
They approached. Door half open.
Manish pushed it open slowly.
A Shambler. Standing by the window. Staring out. Hadn't noticed them.
Manish moved in. Knife ready. Approached from behind.
Grabbed it. Blade in. The Shambler dropped.
"Clear," Manish said.
They searched the room. Found nothing. Started to leave.
Then—
Screaming.
From outside. Distant but clear.
"HELP! SOMEONE HELP US!"
Deepa's voice.
Manish ran to the window. Looked out.
"No. No no no."
Reyan joined him.
Across the street. In the middle of the road. Meera, Keshav, and Deepa.
Surrounded.
Not by a few infected. By dozens. Thirty. Forty. Maybe more.
And they looked wrong.
They moved differently. Faster. More coordinated. Their skin had patches of something. Dark growths. Pulsing. Organic.
These weren't normal infected.
One of them grabbed Deepa. She tried to break free. Fired her weapon.
The infected didn't let go. Pulled her closer.
Bit down. Not on her shoulder. Not on her arm.
On her face.
The teeth sank in. Tore. Ripped.
Deepa screamed. A sound that wasn't human. Pure agony.
The infected pulled back. Took part of her cheek with it. Flesh hanging from its mouth.
Deepa's hands went to her face. Trying to hold it together. Blood pouring between her fingers.
Three more infected hit her. One bit her neck. Another her shoulder. The third grabbed her arm and bit down. Through the jacket. Through the flesh. Down to bone.
She went down. They piled on.
Still screaming. Still alive.
They started tearing. Literally tearing her apart. Arms pulling in different directions. Teeth ripping. Nails digging.
Her arm came off. Just tore away from her body. An infected stumbled backward holding it. Started eating.
Deepa was still screaming. Still conscious. Watching herself being dismembered.
Another infected grabbed her leg. Bit down on her thigh. Tore out a chunk of muscle. Blood sprayed. Arterial.
Her screams got weaker. But didn't stop.
They were eating her alive. Piece by piece. While she watched. While she felt everything.
"We have to help them!" Reyan started for the door.
"STOP!" Manish grabbed him. "Look at how many! We go down there, we die too!"
"We can't just watch!"
"We don't have a choice!"
Below, Meera and Keshav were running. Firing. Dropping infected but more kept coming.
They were fast. These new ones. So fast.
Keshav made it maybe fifteen meters before something hit him from the side.
An infected tackled him. They hit the dirt together, a mess of teeth and snapping jaws.
Then the swarm hit. Keshav was flat on his back, fighting, screaming, trying to shove the thing off. He saw its mouth open wide—saw his own hand right there in front of it. He watched, frozen, as his fingers almost disappeared into that throat. It was about to snap, about to swallow—
Then the weight vanished.
Meera's boot slammed into its skull, tearing the thing away. She grabbed Keshav by the collar and hauled him up before the others could reach him.
"Move!" she yelled, shoved him toward the exit. "Go, go, go!"
They were still running. Still firing. They'd made it further than the others.
Maybe thirty meters. Forty.
Then her foot caught. A hole in the pavement. She went down hard—face-first into the grit.
The rifle skittered away, ringing against the concrete. She scrambled for it, her lungs burning, fingers inches from the strap. Almost. Almost.
A hand clamped around her ankle. Cold. Strong.
She felt herself being jerked backward. She slid across the road, her stomach raw against the ground.
"NO!" She kicked wildly, her boots hitting air. "GET OFF! GET OFF ME!"
A shadow loomed over her. The infected opened its maw, ready to finish it—until the crack of a barrel hitting bone echoed through the street.
Keshav was there. He didn't hesitate. He slammed into the thing, dragging her back from the gray hands reaching for her.
"I got you!" he roared, pulling her up.
"We have to go," Manish said. His voice was shaking. "Now. Before they die."
He pulled Reyan away from the window. Toward the stairs.
They ran. Down. Into the alley between houses.
At the bottom, they slammed into Meera and Keshav. Both were blood-covered, lungs heaving.
"GO! GO!" Meera hissed, herding them toward the backyard.
They ran. Away from the sounds. Away from infected. Away from the feeding.
Made it three houses down when Reyan stopped. Bent over. Vomited.
Everything came up. Breakfast. Water. Bile. He kept heaving even when there was nothing left.
"I know," Manish said. "I know. But we have to keep moving."
Reyan nodded. Wiped his mouth. Stood on shaking legs.
They kept running. Through backyards. Between houses. Trying to get distance.
That's when they heard it.
Behind them. Coming fast.
Groaning. Lots of it. Different horde. Different direction.
Drawn by the screams. By the noise. By the smell of blood.
"FUCK!" Manish looked back. Saw them. Dozens more. Coming from the west. "RUN!"
They ran.
Through an opening between houses. Burst into the street.
More infected. Ahead of them. Behind them. Sides.
They were surrounded.
"THIS WAY!" Manish pointed. Gap in the fence. Leading toward woods.
They ran for it.
"GO GO GO!" Meera was right behind them.
They hit the fence. Reyan went through first. Then Meera. Then Keshav.
Manish was last.
He squeezed through. Almost made it.
Then he stopped.
Turned around. Back toward Reyan.
"Move!" Manish shoved him. Hard. Aggressive.
Reyan stumbled backward. "What are you—"
Manish shoved again. "GET OUT OF MY WAY!"
"Manish, what—"
Then Reyan understood.
Manish wasn't trying to save him. Manish was trying to sacrifice him.
Manish was going to push Reyan back. To the infected. Use him as a distraction. To save himself.
"No!" Reyan grabbed Manish's jacket. Pulled. Trying to stop him.
They struggled. Both pulling. Both shoving.
The infected were right there. Three meters. Two.
Manish got a hand free. Shoved Reyan hard in the chest.
Reyan fell backward. Hitting the ground.
Manish turned. Started to run through the gap.
An infected lunged through. Grabbed his arm.
Manish screamed. "NO! NO!"
He tried to pull free. Couldn't. The infected was strong. Pulling him back toward the fence.
Another infected reached through. Grabbed his leg.
"HELP ME!" Manish screamed. Looking at Reyan. "HELP ME PLEASE!"
Reyan scrambled backward. Away. Watching.
More infected grabbed Manish. Through the fence. Through gaps. From behind.
They pulled him against the chain-link. His face pressed against the metal.
An infected on the other side bit through the fence. Caught his cheek. Tore.
Manish screamed. Blood pouring down his face.
Another infected bit his shoulder. Through the fence. Teeth sinking in.
They were pulling him. Trying to drag him back through. Through the gap. Through the fence itself.
His jacket tore. Then his shirt. Then his skin.
"REYAN!" Manish was crying now. Sobbing. "i'M sOrRy! i'M sOrRy! pLeAsE pULl mE oUt!"
Reyan just stared. Frozen.
Meera grabbed him. "WE HAVE TO GO!"
"He tried to—he was going to—"
"I KNOW! BUT WE GO NOW!"
She pulled him up. Dragged him away.
Behind them, Manish's screams got higher. More desperate.
They didn't stop. Didn't look back.
Just ran.
Into the woods.
They crashed through undergrowth. Branches whipping faces. Roots catching feet.
Behind them, sounds of pursuit. Groaning. Shuffling. Some running.
"Don't stop!" Meera gasped.
Reyan's jacket pocket was loose. Flapping as he ran. Something fell out as he jumped over a log.
His goggles. Tumbling into the leaves. Disappearing.
He didn't notice. Just kept running.
They ran until their lungs burned. Until their legs gave out. Until they physically couldn't run anymore.
Finally collapsed behind a massive fallen tree. Gasping. Shaking.
The sounds of infected. Everywhere. Passing by. Searching.
The three of them—Reyan, Meera, and Keshav—
They pressed against the tree. Not breathing. Not moving.
The horde passed by. Dozens. Maybe a hundred. Moving through the woods. Searching. Not finding.
Finally, the sounds faded.
They waited. Long after. Making sure.
"We need shelter," Meera whispered. "It'll be dark soon."
They moved carefully. Deeper into the woods. Away from the hordes.
Found a house. Isolated. Small. Surrounded by trees. Far from anything.
"Check it," Keshav said. His voice was shaking. Still processing. Still in shock.
They approached. Door unlocked. They entered. Weapons ready.
Two infected inside. A Shambler in the kitchen. A Runner upstairs.
They killed them quietly. Quickly. Efficiently.
Then secured the house. Found wood. Nails. Started boarding windows.
As they worked, Keshav looked at Reyan.
His expression was strange. Dark. Angry.
"What?" Reyan asked.
"This is your fault," Keshav said quietly.
Reyan stopped hammering. "What?"
"Manish. He's dead because of you."
"That's not—"
"You fell. You grabbed him. You two struggled. And that's when they got him." Keshav's voice was rising. "If you hadn't grabbed him, he'd have gotten through. He'd still be alive."
"He was trying to push me back! He was trying to feed me to them!"
"BULLSHIT! He was trying to help you! And you grabbed him! You held him back!" Keshav stepped closer. "He died because of you! Deepa died! Everyone died! And you're still alive!"
"I didn't mean—"
"YOU KILLED HIM!" Keshav was screaming now. "YOU FUCKING KILLED HIM!"
"I DIDN'T! HE TRIED TO SACRIFICE ME!"
"LIAR!"
"BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!" Meera jumped between them. "THERE ARE INFECTED EVERYWHERE! YOU WANT TO BRING THEM HERE?"
Outside, a groan. Close. Too close.
Everyone froze.
Shadows moving past the boarded windows. Drawn by the shouting.
They stayed silent. Barely breathing.
The infected passed. Moved on. Sounds fading.
After several minutes, Meera spoke. Whisper quiet.
"No more talking. Not a word. We stay quiet. We wait for sunrise."
She looked out through a crack in the boards. The sun was setting. Orange fading to purple.
"Sunset," she said. "Get your goggles on. Just in case."
Reyan reached for his pocket.
Empty.
Checked the other pocket. Empty.
His pack. Not there.
"No," he whispered. "No no no."
"What?" Meera asked.
"My goggles. They're gone."
"What do you mean gone?"
"They fell. When we were running. I didn't realize. They're gone."
"Are you fucking serious?"
"I didn't know! I was just running! I wasn't thinking about—"
"Okay. Okay." Meera forced herself calm. "It's fine. We stay inside. Windows are boarded. You don't go near gaps. Don't make eye contact with anything. We'll be fine."
"What if one gets in?"
"Then we kill it before it looks at you." Meera checked her pistol. "But we'll be okay. The house is secure. We just make it through tonight."
Reyan nodded. Didn't feel better. Felt terrified.
They settled in. Backs to walls. Weapons ready. Watching the boarded windows.
Outside, darkness fell. Complete. Absolute.
And in that darkness, things moved.
Things that hunted. Things that waited. Things that stared with milky eyes and showed you what you wanted most.
If you were stupid enough to look back.
SANCTUARY - NIGHT
Knock on Advait's door.
"Come in."
Nisha entered. Closed the door behind her.
She looked tired. Worn. Like she'd been carrying something heavy all day.
"It's done," she said.
Advait looked up from his desk. "Good."
"Is it?" Nisha's voice was quiet. "I don't know anymore. I don't know if anything I do is good. Or right. Or—"
"Do you trust me?" Advait stood. Walked to her.
"Yes. But—"
"Then trust this. Everything I do. Every decision. Every order. It's all for the long life of this sanctuary." He took her hands. "You know that."
"I know. I just..." She trailed off.
"You just what?"
"Nothing. It's nothing." She squeezed his hands. "Thank you. For keeping us safe."
Advait pulled her close. "Always."
They stood there for a moment. Then Nisha pulled back.
"Where's the supply team? They should be back by now."
"They're not back yet."
"What? Advait, it's been all day. It's night. Where are they?"
"It was a long-range run. Eight kilometers out. Multiple locations. I told Manish they might need to find shelter. Stay overnight. Come back tomorrow morning."
"You sure they're okay?"
"Manish knows what he's doing. He's done this before. They'll be fine." Advait's voice was certain. Calm. "Don't worry. They'll be back by morning or afternoon."
Nisha nodded. Wanted to believe it.
Advait pulled her close again. Kissed her. Slow. Deep.
She responded. Hands moving to his shirt. Unbuttoning.
He lifted her. Carried her to the couch. Laid her down.
Kissed her neck. Her collarbone. Lower.
She arched into him. Fingers in his hair.
They moved together. Desperate. Urgent. Trying to feel something besides fear and guilt.
Trying to be human. Even knowing they weren't anymore.
Clothes came off. Skin on skin. Bodies finding rhythm.
Outside, fifty-eight people slept. Believing they were safe. Believing their leaders knew what they were doing.
Inside, two people clung to each other. Finding comfort in touch. In warmth. In the illusion of being alive.
When it was over, they lay together. Breathing hard. Staring at the ceiling.
"Do you think he will believe me?" Nisha asked quietly.
"Yes," Advait said. "He will and do not ever think that you betrayed him. You did it for us, for this sanctuary, so that he can take care of our problem."
Nisha wanted to believe him.
But something in her gut said otherwise.