The stairwell was a death trap.
Footsteps pounded behind them, the infected moving faster than they should. Snarls echoed through the darkness, growing closer.
Two more floors.
Ethan's body burned with adrenaline. Blaze dashed ahead, lightning sparking in his fur, illuminating the way.
Noah shoved a barrel behind them, blocking the stairwell entrance for a few precious seconds. "Keep moving!"
They burst onto the top floor—straight into chaos.
A Door That Shouldn't Be Open
The safehouse door was supposed to be reinforced. Locked. Sealed. Impenetrable.
But it was wide open.
Ethan's gut clenched. This was wrong.
Noah skidded to a stop. "What the hell?"
Olivia swung her rifle up. "It's a trap."
But they had no choice. The infected were closing in—they had to go inside.
Ethan was the first through the door. Blaze followed, Olivia and Noah right behind.
Then—they slammed it shut.
Lock engaged.
Silence.
Heavy breathing.
And then—they realized they weren't alone.
The Survivors… or What Was Left of Them
Bodies lay sprawled across the room.
Some had been shot. Others—ripped apart.
Blood stained the walls, the floor, the furniture. The air was thick with the stench of death.
And in the corner—someone was still alive.
A woman, barely conscious, slumped against the wall.
Ethan moved fast, crouching beside her. "Hey. Can you hear me?"
Her eyes fluttered open. Dark. Haunted. Afraid.
Then she spoke, her voice barely a whisper.
"They… let them in."
Ethan's stomach dropped.
This wasn't an attack.
Someone had let the infected in on purpose.
The Message Left Behind
Noah searched the room, cursing under his breath. "There's nothing left. No supplies. No weapons."
Olivia pointed at the walls. "That's not true."
Because someone had left a message.
Scrawled in blood.
And it said:
"YOU'RE TOO LATE."
Ethan's fists clenched.
Too late for what?
Blaze growled low in his throat. Then—his ears perked up.
A sound.
Not from the stairwell.
From inside the room.
Ethan stood. And realized the real danger wasn't outside anymore.
It was already in here.