Mark - 108
Michael - 60
Martin - 13
Mario - 13
I was asleep, dreaming of cake—the kind I hadn't tasted in months. A slice of red velvet, so vivid in the dream it almost felt real. The cream cheese frosting, rich and sweet, lingered on my tongue. But just as I took another bite, the world around me began to fade. The warmth vanished, replaced by a chill, and I was yanked violently from the illusion.
I woke up disoriented, my eyes struggling to adjust to the dimness. I barely got out a slurred, "What's going o..." when a hand covered my mouth.
"Shhh," Mark whispered, voice tense. "There are corrupted. I don't know how many."
That sobered me up fast.
Of course it had been too quiet lately. Peace is a liar in this world.
I rolled out of the makeshift bed, careful not to make a sound. I grabbed the spear I had crafted the day before, my hands already familiar with its shape and weight. As I tightened the grip around it, I moved silently to the desk, where my shield rested. I slid my left arm through the straps, the reinforced planks snug against my forearm, and crept toward the front door.
I cracked it open just enough to peek outside. My breath hitched.
A massive horde of corrupted shuffled through the street. Dozens of them, maybe more. Their eyes didn't glow red like the fully turned ones, but their twisted forms and erratic movements were enough to confirm their state. Strangely, none of them tried to enter any buildings. They moved like a river—steady, relentless, and with direction.
Where were they going?
Every last one of them looked human, too. That gave me pause. Usually, there was a mix—a twisted dog, a warped deer, maybe even something worse. But this group was all human. That kind of uniformity meant something was directing them. Something higher tier. But what? Why now?
The longer I watched, the more questions swarmed my mind.
Eventually, they disappeared from view. I shut the door slowly, quietly, and let out a breath I didn't realize I had been holding. As I made my way to the back of the church, Mark met me halfway. He looked more tired than I had ever seen him.
"They're being led," I told him. "All humans. All headed somewhere."
He frowned, jaw tightening. "That means a controller… maybe Tier Two or higher. We need to be careful."
I nodded. "We can't afford to be caught off guard."
As if on cue, a sharp crash rang through the air. Wood splintering. The unmistakable sound of our front door giving way.
I spun around, heart hammering in my chest.
Mark was already backing toward the children. "Go. I'll cover them."
I didn't argue. I charged forward, shield raised, and there they were.
Two corrupted dogs. Lean, with skin stretched too tight across their malformed bones, and eyes that shimmered with a disturbing intelligence.
Of course it had to be dogs.
I braced myself, but the fear was sudden and overwhelming. My vision blurred for a moment as my heart raced, every instinct screaming to run.
No. Focus.
The first dog lunged, jaws wide. I raised the shield. It crashed into me, a thud that rattled my bones. I stumbled backward, nearly falling, but that stumble saved me—the second dog had aimed low and missed.
They backed off, circling. Their eyes were watching, calculating.
Smarter than most.
I pointed the spear at them, its tip still stained from yesterday's crafting. They split off—one flanking right, the other left.
"You're not fooling me," I muttered.
I dashed to the left, forcing an engagement. The right-side dog charged, but I pivoted and jumped back, avoiding its snapping jaws. The left-side dog, now in front of me, leapt.
I thrust the spear forward, channeling all my momentum.
The blade sank into its side with shocking ease. No resistance. Like slicing through wet paper.
But the kill wasn't clean.
The creature, impaled and still twitching, hung from the shaft. The sudden weight pulled the spear down, and I was forced to drop it.
Big mistake.
The second dog lunged at my ankle. I lifted my foot just in time, but the shield slipped from my arm as I stumbled.
Teeth flashed.
I swung the shield, smacking its snout. It yelped and jumped back, eyes glowing with hatred.
I gritted my teeth and raised the shield again.
"Come on then."
It darted to the side, and I followed—too late. It was fast. Faster than I could track. The moment I turned, it latched onto my leg.
Pain exploded. I fell, cried out, and it pounced. I raised the shield just in time to block the bite aimed at my face. I shoved it back and scrambled upright, knife now in hand.
It circled.
I was bleeding. Limping.
This thing was going to wear me down.
It leapt again. I slashed with the knife. It dodged. Smarter. Always adapting.
I had one shot.
I threw the knife.
It missed.
The dog froze, confused, glancing at the blade stuck in the wall. Then it looked back at me.
I was already moving. I rammed it with the shield.
It dodged to the side. I smirk expecting this. I target the legs and sweeping them in midair.
The creature tumbled.
I raised the shield high and brought it down hard.
A sickening crunch.
Again.
And again.
And again.
By the time I stopped, the dog was little more than a heap of twitching muscle and blood. My arms shook from the effort, and my heart thudded like a drum in my chest.
I turned and ran to the door, slamming it shut behind me. I collapsed against it, panting.
"No more visitors tonight."
I staggered back to the corpses, pulled out my knife, and began cutting.
Looking for the cores.
But there was nothing.
No glow.
No hum of energy.
I frowned.
They weren't fully corrupted.
Just beginning to turn.
That explained their intelligence. Their coordination.
"All this effort," I muttered. "For nothing."
I glanced over at my spear, now stained and dropped. Its blade was too sharp. Too efficient. That wasn't a bad thing, but it left me wondering: would it cut deep enough through something fully corrupted? Would the shield hold up under stronger impacts?
I looked at the mess, the blood, the ruin I left behind.
Too dark now to investigate properly.
Tomorrow, I'd clean up. Tomorrow, I'd assess the weapons.
And tomorrow—I'd prepare to strike first before anything else had a chance to find us.