Day Zero (I/V)

Content Warning: The following chapter contains graphic depictions of violence and may not be suitable for all readers. Reader discretion is advised.

*** Tseng Deng was attentively watching the streets through the window. He was in his room on the 15th floor of a hotel in downtown Shanghai. He was studying mentally the city where he would pursue his master's degree for the next few years.

Despite the height, he had a clear view of what was unfolding beneath him. He saw an office woman waiting for the bus and some tourists shopping in a clothing store. He could distinguish the color of their clothes and relaxed actions, he also noticed the rush of many pedestrians trying to get to some appointment or meeting on time.

Unaware, just as his mind wandered to the people and the places he had been recommended, his vision focused on a dark street. There was no activity in that place, but his eyes refused to look away.

After a few seconds and seeing nothing abnormal, he wondered if he was tired and if he should go down to eat, when suddenly, a barely discernible man's figure staggered out of the shadows.

The man seemed drunk, walking erratically and uncoordinated. His behavior alerted Tseng Deng; it was very strange to see a drunk so early in the evening, he thought as he followed him with his gaze.

The man staggered his way to the intersection and stopped, he lifted his head as if sniffing the sky and turned towards the crowd. Then, without any prior sign of movement, he began to run.

Tseng Deng was surprised by the sudden acceleration, the man reached a very fast speed in two or three steps. He couldn't have done it himself sober, let alone if he had alcohol in his blood.

The drunken man headed towards a group of tourists standing on a corner with shopping bags in hand. The group was large, ten or twelve people if you counted the children. But, absorbed in their affairs, they did not notice the man running towards them.

When only a few meters separated the group from the running individual, one of the women in the group turned around at the sound of his footsteps. The man, without losing momentum, lunged at the woman in a surprise assault, causing both of them to fall to the ground. He then opened his mouth wide and bit her neck.

At that moment a chill ran down Tseng Deng's spine, and his eyes widened in shock, this was a zombie attack in the city of Shanghai.

The zombie was tightly gripping the prey he managed to bring down and was savagely tearing at her neck. Crimson blood splashed and stained the air with a reddish hue. The woman was writhing and screaming, trying to escape, but the zombie's strength was too much for her.

Meanwhile, life in the street panicked. Bystanders who witnessed the attack were panicking. Some were paralyzed by terror, and others ran screaming in all directions. Nobody dared to come forward and help the woman.

From the windows or nearby shops, some people pulled out their phones either to call the police or to record the events.

Tseng Deng stood paralyzed at his window; time seemed to crawl for him as he watched the horrific scene. The window glass reflected his dilated eyes and his trembling hands.

But if a third party could see Tseng Deng, they would be frightened. His appearance contradicted his inner turmoil. What the reflection didn't show was the half-smile on his lips and his tense muscles. His body exuded the impression of a hunter ready for his first hunt.

Tseng Deng's mind might be a jumble, but his honed instincts urged him to act. He was not aware, but the chaos of the world was a deeply hidden longing he had.

After a few minutes, when the police arrived and confronted the zombie, Tseng Deng's brain came to its senses.

He was able to see how the officers had to fire several times, until the zombie fell to the ground inert. ***

He jolted awake, with cold sweat dripping down his back. The voice of the attendant announced that his flight from Shanghai to Hong Kong had reached its destination. He recognized it as another nightmare, triggered by that cruel scene he had witnessed. It wasn't always the same memory; the scenario varied unpredictably. Once, he found himself on a battlefield fighting against those abominations. Another time, he had to witness himself being devoured alive.

Tseng Deng had traveled to enroll in a master's degree program; he had used the last few days before returning to explore the surroundings and get familiar with the area. Though, in retrospect, he wished he hadn't.

He glanced around sheepishly; he was afraid he had screamed in panic during the nightmare. He was one of those guys who didn't like to draw unnecessary attention. His seatmate was a tall, sturdy man, with a peculiar scar on his face, as if tiny sharp pieces had shredded his skin in a chaotic explosion; he was engrossed in his phone, paying no attention to him.

They had engaged in a brief conversation on the trip, and he found out that the man was in the military, though he didn't remember his name. And seeing his disinterested behavior, Tseng Deng assumed he hadn't caused a commotion, so he breathed a sigh of relief.

After disembarking and following the directions to pick up his luggage, he waited for his ordered taxi. He had had bad experiences with private transportation services waiting at the airport. Their rates were exorbitant, so he preferred to call an acquaintance of his to pick him up.

Sitting in the waiting room, he wore his headphones and waited for his ride to message him. He attempted to focus on the diary, which he had read again on the plane. But it contained nothing of significance. His grandfather had concentrated on what was happening in the lab but had glossed over any external events.

Absorbed in his thoughts, he barely noticed when his old seatmate from the plane greeted him. The man sat down beside him and mouthed something, trying to communicate.

Tseng Deng removed his headphones to hear what the man wanted, and only managed to hear the last part.

"...I think it'll help you, remember that nightmares can cause problems in your daily life." Saying this, the military man pulled out a business card from his wallet and gave it to him.

Tseng Deng unconsciously extended his hand to receive it and forced an awkward smile. His nightmare had not escaped notice as he had hoped. Stashing the card, he muttered a soft "Thank you" in response to the kind gesture. Tseng Deng was never shy, but his situation embarrassed him.

The military man nodded casually and said, "Don't dwell on it, nightmares are more common than you think." After that, he turned his gaze in the direction of a young man, who looked very much like him, and signaled him.

The man waved back and said goodbye to Tseng Deng, then stood up and walked towards his relative.

'Twins,' Tseng Deng realized when he saw the two men meet. Then he looked at the card he had received, which read: Li Ying - Military Psychologist.

"Obviously, it's common in the military, but not in civilians," he said to himself critically.

He had always felt out of place in his life, as if he was an NPC driven by circumstances. He could make decisions, but they were never what he truly desired.

As if a part of his mind was asleep and refused to engage and participate in his own life.

The nightmares, besides bringing back the traumatic event, displayed scenes of him fighting in an apocalyptic world. The tension he felt in battle, the satisfaction of defeating his enemies, 'roused him.' Even though he always lost, overpowered in the end by his lack of strength, they imbued him with a sense of excitement upon waking up.

Tseng Deng didn't want to revisit these memories anymore, nor did he want to probe his subconscious at this moment. He simply yearned to lead a normal life, or so he kept reassuring himself.

Suddenly his cell phone buzzed with two notifications; the first one from his parents saying that they would be home a bit late and asking him to look after his younger sister until then.

And the second one was from his taxi driver, who told him that he was waiting at the airport entrance.

He swiftly typed an affirmative reply to both and rose with his belongings in hand. He walked, reminding himself that he needed to stay calm. He would be at his parents' house soon and should not trouble them.

As he neared the main entrance, he looked back at the crowd behind him.

Each one of those people led a life that could be more thrilling or more dull than his. Each of them had obstacles or worries that they were grappling with in their own way. None of them deserved a world of chaos and tragedies like the ones he had witnessed at the hotel.

"Better to be an NPC in a world at peace, than a hero struggling to survive in a world of tragedies," he told himself, resuming his path.