I quietly focused on my senses, checking whether anyone was still in the library. Luckily, no one was coming inside. With Lee on my shoulder, I moved silently, Clementine following close behind, gripping my shirt. As we moved away from the main office, both Lee and Clementine glanced at the guards' smashed heads on the floor. Clementine tightened her grip, deliberately avoiding the sight. Lee remained silent as we stepped over a puddle of blood and pressed forward.
Along the way, I retrieved my sword and crossbow from one of the bodies and headed toward the second floor.
"Max, the exit is this way," Lee said, pointing ahead. "There are two guards at the front, and two more by the back door."
"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing," I replied as we climbed the stairs.
When we reached the computer lab, Clementine buried her face in my shirt, her hands trembling.
"Jesus Christ… what the fuck is this?" Lee whispered, horrified.
Piles of bodies were stacked across the room, their heads smashed or chopped off. Blood coated the floor, and the stench of iron and urine hung heavily in the air. Ignoring Lee's stare—which silently demanded an explanation—I moved toward the window. The roof would have been the safest escape route, but with both Lee and Clementine, it wasn't an option. Our only remaining path was through the ground level: dangerous, crowded, and unpredictable.
I glanced up at the roof, hoping to see Molly. I had been searching for her for a while, but she was nowhere in sight. If she were here, escaping would have been much easier. Worry crept in. Something must have stopped her. I could only hope she was still alive.
I gently set Lee down beside the window.
"Just leave me," he said weakly. "If anything happens to you or Clementine, I'd never live with the guilt. I'm already dead, man. Save yourself."
"Shut up and sit still. Nobody's dying," I snapped, irritated by his hopeless talk. Even if there was only a one-percent chance to save him, I wasn't letting it go.
Still, I was worried. His hands and feet were swollen. I tore his jeans to relieve the pressure—the skin underneath was red, a bad sign. We needed to move fast.
I pulled out my walkie-talkie and tried contacting Amir. His group had doctors, medical equipment, and medicine. If we could reach their camp, Lee's chances would improve significantly. No signal. I tried again—still nothing. Frustrated, I shoved the radio back onto my belt.
"Clementine, hand me the crossbow."
Clementine jolted, avoiding Lee's eyes. With trembling hands, she passed me the crossbow. Her face was etched with horror and panic. Ignoring her and Lee's groans, I loaded an arrow and looked down below.
Slaves were being forced to butcher their fellow survivors while hunters stood watch. More people were tied up, waiting for their fate. I focused on the hunters—the youngest ones. They were the most dangerous, since they would turn the fastest after death. I counted at least five, all under twenty.
They became my targets.
I released the first arrow. It pierced a young man's heart as he lifted a corpse, killing him instantly. People nearby stared as his body collapsed without warning. Before they could react, a second arrow struck a young woman in the chest as she cleaned her weapon. Confusion rippled through the crowd as they struggled to understand what was happening. Then the hunters began dropping one by one, sending the entire area into panic.
Six bodies fell in less than thirty seconds.
Chaos erupted. Before anyone could grasp what was happening, the dead began to rise. They attacked survivors and hunters alike, turning fear into sheer terror. People trampled one another in desperate attempts to escape. Tied-up survivors died helplessly, unable to run. Hunters fired wildly at both the undead and the living, but it wasn't enough. Most were overwhelmed, devoured by runners as more bodies rose to join the hunt.
Watching it unfold made my chest tighten. I hadn't wanted so many innocent people to die—but there was no other way.
Clementine covered her ears, trying to block out the horrifying screams of people being eaten alive. She looked at me with wide, fearful eyes, and that look shook me. Lee stared as well; his expression was unreadable.
Ignoring the screams and desperate cries, I hoisted Lee onto my shoulder again. "Okay. Let's go."
We moved back toward the entrance. The scene was worse than before—blood everywhere; half-eaten runners; bodies scattered among abandoned guns. What had been bustling with people moments ago had turned into a graveyard. Clementine closed her eyes and clung to my shirt, following me blindly, her body trembling.
I relied on my senses to avoid both runners and survivors, moving carefully around every obstacle and killing the few I couldn't avoid. Eventually, we reached the manhole near the coffee shop.
I heard Clementine crying softly, overwhelmed by the horror consuming the city. I wanted to shield her from it, but I knew I couldn't. This world wouldn't spare her forever.
"Sweet pea," Lee said gently, trying to comfort her. "Be brave. Don't be scared. They won't hurt you."
Even he sounded shaken.
The city had become a slaughterhouse—blood, burning bodies, and corpses everywhere. Heavy clouds hung low in the sky, as if mourning the dead, while cold northern air blew silently through the streets.
I opened the manhole and climbed down into the sewer, finally allowing myself a small sigh of relief. At least down here, we were a little safer.