Darkness swallowed the hallway.
Ethan's breath was steady, but his pulse hammered in his ears. The only light came from the faint glow of Blaze's golden eyes, flickering like dying embers.
Something was coming.
The stranger in front of them didn't move. Didn't panic. Just stood there, watching.
Then—the stairwell door creaked open.
Heavy footsteps. A ragged, wet breath.
Not human.
Ethan raised his gun. "Move. Now."
But the man didn't flinch. Instead, he smirked.
"You still don't get it, do you?"
The Betrayal
The thing in the stairwell wasn't attacking.
It was waiting.
And then—footsteps behind them.
Noah cursed. "We're surrounded."
Ethan spun, gun trained on the darkness behind them. Shapes moved in the shadows—too fast, too quiet.
Then the stranger spoke again.
"You think this is an outbreak." He took a slow step forward. "But this? This was planned."
Ethan's stomach twisted. Planned?
Olivia's gun was still locked on the man. "What the hell are you talking about?"
The man chuckled. "You'll see soon enough."
Then he did something none of them expected.
He stepped back. Into the dark.
And the creatures let him pass.
Nowhere to Run
Blaze growled, sparks flickering off his fur.
Ethan's grip on his rifle tightened. This wasn't just about surviving anymore.
Someone was controlling the infected.
And that meant—they weren't just fighting monsters.
They were fighting people.
The hallway was too narrow. Too many blind spots.
Noah's voice was low. "We make a break for the safehouse."
Ethan nodded. "On my count."
A second of silence.
Then—"Go!"
They sprinted.
The infected screeched—a high, unnatural sound.
Then—they charged.
A Fight in the Dark
Gunfire erupted. Olivia took out the first one—a clean headshot. Noah fired next, dropping another.
Blaze lunged, his body a blur of lightning as he tore into a third.
But there were too many.
Ethan fired three times—a bullet through the skull, another through the chest. The third missed.
A creature slammed into him. Hard.
He hit the ground, vision blurring. Claws scraped across his arm. Teeth snapped inches from his throat.
Then—Olivia yanked him back, knife flashing.
The infected collapsed. Dead.
"Move!" she shouted.
They burst into the stairwell.
Two floors up. The safehouse was two floors away.
But as they climbed, Ethan knew one thing for certain.
This wasn't just survival anymore.
This was war.
And the real enemy?
Was still watching.