Chapter 46
Jinjin stood frozen in place.
It was as if time itself had stopped.
The moment she saw the zombie sink its teeth into Adam's shoulder, the color drained from her face.
Her pupils trembled violently, and her entire body went numb with shock.
Then, a heart-wrenching scream escaped her lips.
"ADAM!!"
Her cry echoed throughout the third floor, carrying unbearable grief and despair with it.
---
At the same time...
Inside the men's washroom, Hasnain, Sam, Saad, Borak, Ghani, Michael, Sana, and Afra remained hidden in complete silence.
Suddenly...
A desperate scream pierced through the silence.
Sam's head snapped up.
His heart skipped a beat.
He recognized that voice instantly.
"That's... that's Jinjin!"
Without hesitation, he jumped to his feet and rushed towards the washroom door, reaching for the handle.
Before he could open it, Borak and Saad grabbed him.
"Sam, calm down! You're letting your emotions control you. What if that wasn't Jinjin? Maybe you only imagined hearing her voice."
Sam's eyes immediately turned red with anger.
He shook off their hands and shouted,
"I'm not imagining anything! That was my Jinjin! Now let me open the door!"
Before anyone else could argue, Hasnain's calm but commanding voice echoed behind them.
"Open the door... but all of you stay behind me. Let me see what's happening outside first."
As he walked towards the entrance, he looked at Sana and Afra.
"Neither of you is leaving this washroom."
The two girls nodded silently and stood beside the doorway, their hearts pounding anxiously.
Hasnain slowly unlocked the door.
Every movement was careful.
Every second felt painfully long.
He slowly pulled the door open.
The instant the gap became wide enough to see outside...
Sam's guess was confirmed.
It really was Jinjin.
She was standing there, crying uncontrollably.
Not far above her...
Adam was still inside the ventilation shaft, using every last bit of strength in his body to keep the zombies from getting through.
Blood continued flowing from the bite wound on his shoulder.
More frightening than the blood...
The infection had already begun spreading.
Dark bluish-red veins slowly appeared beneath the skin of his neck and face.
His eyes were gradually losing their normal colour.
Anyone looking at him could tell the truth.
Adam didn't have much time left.
---
A strange sense of peace slowly settled inside Adam's heart.
The pain in his shoulder no longer mattered.
Neither did the zombies clawing at him from behind.
He slowly closed his eyes.
Countless memories flashed before him.
Then he quietly spoke to himself.
"How unfortunate my life has been... I lost my mother and my little sister when I was still a child. Since then... I've lived alone. The girl I loved more than anyone else... never once developed feelings for me. For three whole years, I foolishly believed she loved me too."
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Perhaps the peace I've spent my entire life searching for... will finally find me after death."
His breathing became heavier.
"Maybe death was always the ending meant for someone like me. I was the fool who forgot his place after watching others chase happiness. But today... I've finally remembered who I really am."
Slowly...
He lifted his eyes.
Through his blurred vision, he saw Jinjin.
She was crying so desperately that every tear felt like it was piercing his heart.
His lips trembled.
His voice existed only inside his own heart.
"Today... my patience has finally reached its limit."
"I'll never be able to tell you how deeply I've loved you for the past three years."
"The day I first saw you... was probably the most beautiful day of my life."
"You were nothing less than a miracle that God sent into my dark world."
A tear quietly rolled down his cheek.
"But if I confess my feelings today... you'll blame yourself for the rest of your life."
"So just as I silently endured my incomplete life... I'll silently accept my death as well."
He took one slow breath.
"Still... before I leave... there's one thing I want to tell you."
Gathering every ounce of strength he had left, Adam raised his voice.
"Jinjin! I'll always be grateful to you. You filled my dark life with colours I never thought I'd see. You're the most precious person in this world to me. So if I die today... I'll be happy knowing I managed to save a friend like you. Jinjin... always take care of yourself... and never lose hope."
Jinjin shook her head violently, tears streaming down her face.
"Adam! Please... don't say things like that! Nothing will happen to you! Please!"
Deep inside...
She already knew the truth.
Adam had been infected.
But her heart simply refused to accept it.
Slowly...
The whites of Adam's eyes became clouded.
His pupils turned blood-red.
Dark blue and crimson veins spread rapidly across his face.
He could feel the infection taking control of his body.
He knew...
He would not remain human for much longer.
With the last traces of consciousness still left inside him, Adam looked towards Chen Zheyan and shouted,
"Take Jinjin and leave! Hurry! I don't have much time left!"