The plan was simple.
Get into the tower. Take down Adrian Vale. Get out before everything collapses.
The execution? That was the nightmare.
Valerie's team had already lost three squads attempting to breach the tower. Every entrance was a death trap. Every corridor, a maze crawling with infected. And the closer they got to Adrian, the stronger his influence became.
Ethan adjusted the straps on his gear, glancing at his team.
Noah looked like he was about to throw up. Olivia had that reckless glint in her eyes that usually meant she was ready for a fight. Blaze was eerily calm—too calm.
And Valerie?
She was already loading her rifle. No hesitation. No fear.
"We move in five." Her voice was sharp. Commanding. "Once we're inside, we split into two teams. One clears a path. The other plants the explosives. No mistakes. No second chances."
Ethan took a deep breath. No turning back now.
The tower awaited.
Breaching the Gates
They moved fast. Silent. Shadows weaving through the ruins toward the base of the tower.
The infected were different here.
Still. Twitching. Their heads tilted toward the sky, their mouths moving as if whispering something.
Listening.
Ethan's gut twisted.
Adrian was speaking to them.
Valerie motioned for silence. Then—she raised her hand.
Go.
They slipped through the broken entrance, stepping into the dark.
The moment they crossed the threshold, the hum in the air changed.
It wasn't just a vibration anymore.
It was a voice.
Low. Distant. Crawling into their heads like a whisper from the abyss.
"You shouldn't have come."
The Hall of Echoes
The first corridor was lined with bodies.
Not just infected—soldiers. Survivors. Some with their weapons still clenched in dead hands.
No blood. No wounds.
Just empty, lifeless eyes staring into the void.
Noah swallowed hard. "This was a bad idea."
Ethan ignored him, stepping over a fallen rifle. They had to keep moving.
Valerie's team took the lead, sweeping each room with tactical precision.
They reached the first junction.
That's when the lights flickered.
And every corpse in the hall turned its head.
"RUN."
The Dead Awaken
The hallway exploded into chaos.
The bodies lunged, faster than any infected they'd seen before.
Ethan fired—one shot, two—but they didn't stop.
Because they weren't just infected.
They were controlled.
Adrian's voice whispered through the air. "Your bodies are strong. But your minds are weak."
Noah yelled as one grabbed his arm. Olivia swung her blade, slicing through decayed flesh.
Blaze leapt, tackling one midair before dodging another's grasp.
Ethan pulled a grenade from his belt. No time for hesitation.
"DOWN!"
He tossed it.
The explosion ripped through the corridor, sending dust and debris flying.
Silence followed.
Then—laughter.
Soft. Amused.
Adrian was watching.
And he was enjoying the show.
The Final Ascent
They didn't stop moving.
The stairs twisted upward, leading toward the core of the tower. Every step felt heavier.
Ethan could feel it now. The pull.
Adrian's voice was no longer distant. It was inside his head.
"You think you can stop me?"
A door loomed ahead. Massive. Sealed.
Beyond it—Adrian waited.
Valerie turned to the team. This was it.
The moment of truth.
Ethan clenched his fists. No turning back. No second chances.
They would end this.
Or die trying.