The supermarket was eerily silent.
The fluorescent lights flickered, their buzzing the only sound filling the empty aisles. Loid, Joe, and Belle stood just past the entrance, their backs still damp with sweat, their breaths still heavy from running.
Around them, scattered shelves, overturned carts, and half-spilled snack bags painted a picture of sudden panic.
But it wasn't just the destruction that made the place unsettling.
It was the people inside.
Seven students, all frozen in place, their wide eyes fixed on the newcomers.
Among them was Ethan the self-proclaimed tough guy of the school, standing near the entrance with his arms crossed, his expression unreadable. Beside him was Jade, her sharp gaze scanning them suspiciously. Samir, the quiet, intelligent one, stood near a toppled shelf, his fingers twitching as if deep in thought. Lynn, trembling, had tears streaked across her face, whispering something under her breath. Ziad, a broad-shouldered guy gripping a knife he must've grabbed from the supermarket's stock.
Loid knew some of them. Others, only by name.
Ethan stepped forward first, his voice low but demanding. "What the hell happened out there?"
Loid clenched his fists, his heart still hammering from the escape. "It's not safe. We barely made it."
Jade scoffed. "Obviously. But from what?"
Loid opened his mouth, but Joe beat him to it.
"People are changing." His voice was firm, but there was a rough edge to it, like saying it aloud made it more real.
The words sent a visible shiver through the group.
Lynn whimpered. "Changing how?"
Loid exchanged glances with Belle before speaking. "They don't need to get bitten."
The air in the room shifted.
Jade stiffened. Ethan's eyes darkened.
Ziad, gripping his knife tighter, took a step forward. "The hell does that mean?"
Joe's face hardened. "It means you could turn without warning."
Lynn let out a sharp sob, pressing her hands against her ears.
Jade narrowed her eyes at them. "And you're saying your friend—Mia—just turned?"
Loid nodded. "We saw it happen. No wounds. No bites. She just… changed."
Ziad's grip on his knife tightened. "Then how do we know one of you won't turn next?"
The accusation hit like a slap.
Belle took a step forward, her eyes burning. "Are you serious?"
"I'm dead serious." Ziad's voice was a growl. "You're bringing a risk in here."
Joe scoffed. "We're all risks, dumbass. In case you haven't noticed, we're in the middle of a goddamn apocalypse."
Ethan, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke. His voice was calm, controlled. "Enough." His eyes flicked toward Loid. "You sure she wasn't bitten?"
Loid hesitated.
He could still hear Mia's last words in his head.
"Please… save me…"
He swallowed hard. "She wasn't bitten. She just… changed."
The silence was suffocating.
Then, Samir spoke up, his voice thoughtful. "I've been watching… Some people change fast. Others take longer. Maybe there's a pattern."
Lynn nodded. "Before Mia turned, did she act… strange?"
Belle inhaled sharply. "She did… She kept touching her face, like something was wrong."
Loid stiffened. His mind flashed back to Mia's obsession with her appearance. The way she would spend hours perfecting her look.
Then it hit him.
What if this has something to do with who we are?
Before he could say anything—
A loud crash from outside.
Everyone's breath hitched.
Slow, deliberate footsteps echoed beyond the broken supermarket doors.
Loid, Belle, and Joe exchanged a glance before peering through the glass.
A monster stood there.
But this one wasn't moving.
It just… stood. Watching.
Its head twitched slightly, as if listening for something.
Jade whispered, "Why isn't it attacking?"
Joe's grip on his bat tightened. "I don't wanna find out."
Then—
A scream from inside the supermarket.
Everyone whipped around.
Lynn was shaking violently, her hands clutching her mouth, her eyes wide with horror.
She was pointing at someone.
At Ziad.
"Y-YOUR HANDS," she stammered.
All eyes snapped to him.
Ziad frowned and looked down.
His fingernails were turning black.
His breath came out in ragged, uneven gasps.
A slow, creeping horror spread through the room.
Ziad's eyes darted up, panic flashing across his face. "No. No, I—I'm fine. I'm not—"
Then he lurched forward.
A monstrous snarl tore from his throat.
Ethan reacted instantly, shoving Maya and Lina back.
Joe swung his bat, cracking it against Ziad's shoulder. He barely flinched.
Ziad's body convulsed. His veins darkened, crawling up his arms like ink spilling through his skin. His breathing turned into something guttural, inhuman.
Loid's heart pounded.
He was changing.
Right in front of them
Ethan cursed. "We need to take him out now!"
Ziad let out a roar and lunged.
Joe dodged, slamming the bat into Ziad's ribs. CRACK
Ziad stumbled but didn't fall. His head snapped up, and his mouth twisted into a grotesque smile.
Belle grabbed a metal shelf and shoved it toward him. He snarled as it crashed against his legs.
But he wasn't stopping.
Loid's breath came in sharp gasps. He had to think.
Then he saw it.
The fire extinguisher mounted on the wall.
Without hesitation, he sprinted toward it, yanking it free.
Ziad turned toward him, his eyes gleaming with something not human.
Loid didn't wait.
He aimed and sprayed.
A blast of freezing foam engulfed Ziad's face. He let out a strangled, distorted cry, clawing at his burning skin.
Joe took his chance.
He swung the bat.
CRACK
Ziad collapsed, his body twitching.
For a moment, nobody moved.
The only sound was Lina's muffled sobs.
Lynn whispered, "Is… is he dead?"
Loid stared at the unmoving body. The foam still clung to Ziad's face, his features barely visible. His breathing was slow. Shallow.
Ethan exhaled sharply. "Not dead. But close."
Jade looked at Loid, eyes wide. "That was quick thinking."
Loid barely heard her. His mind was racing.
Ziad wasn't bitten.
But he still transformed.
He turned to Samir. "You said there might be a pattern."
Samir nodded slowly. "And I think we just found one."
Loid's hands clenched.
This wasn't random.
People weren't changing because of an infection.
They were changing because of who they were.
And if that was true…
None of them were safe.
-
Fin