Evolved Nightmares

The convoy came to a halt near the Casino's parking area, a barren desert expanse littered with rusted vehicles and debris where the rusted container stood ominously in the path. The eerie silence surrounding us was almost too much to bear. I scanned the container with my enhanced vision and immediately saw what was inside—dozens of Isaacs' evolved zombies, tightly packed and barely restrained by the metal container doors.

The survivors climbed out of their vehicles, stretching their limbs and adjusting their gear. Claire and Leon, ever-vigilant leaders, instructed the group to spread out and search for anything useful—fuel, weapons, food, or medical supplies.

I watched them disperse with disinterest, leaning against the door of my vehicle. They moved like a well-oiled machine, scanning for threats and scavenging supplies, but I didn't bother warning them about the danger hidden within the container ahead.

Even after knowing of the danger I didn't warn them as I no longer cared about them. My reasons for helping them had never been altruistic. I had sought Claire's favor, her affection, and to make her mine. But now that she is already mine without having to do much I no longer care for them and hold little value to me. Also, If they couldn't handle what was coming, they weren't fit to survive in this brutal new world and were unfit for what was coming the evolution of zombies, mutated creatures, and even some humans. The weak would fall, leaving only the strong to face the evolutionary horrors that lay ahead. They would be better off dying and leaving this world as soon as possible.

Claire and Leon, their curiosity piqued, began to approach the container. I sighed, pulling my sword from its sheath over my shoulder. "Stop," I said curtly, signaling for them to step back. They looked at me questioningly but obeyed as I knelt and picked up a stone. Without another word, I hurled it at the container.

The sharp clang echoed through the parking lot like a bell tolling doom. For a moment, there was silence. Then the container doors exploded outward with a deafening crash, and the horde poured out. These were not the shambling dead the survivors were used to. These were evolved zombies—faster, stronger, and terrifyingly intelligent. Their blood-red eyes glowed with hunger as they surged forward like a tide of death.

Chaos erupted as the zombies descended upon us. The survivors scattered, shouting orders and firing their weapons, but it was immediately clear they were outmatched. The evolved zombies moved like predators, their claws slicing through flesh with horrifying precision.

I sprang into action, my sword a blur of motion as I cut down the first wave of attackers. My blade sliced through their bodies with ease, leaving a trail of severed limbs and howls of rage. Claire, Betty, K-Mart, and Leon stayed close to me, their backs to one another as they fought to hold the line.

"K-Mart, behind you!" I shouted, lunging forward to intercept a zombie lunging at her. My sword cleaved it in two, and I kicked its twitching remains aside.

Betty fired her shotgun in controlled bursts, her expression grim but determined. "These things are insane!" she shouted, reloading as fast as she could.

"They're stronger than anything we've faced before!" Leon replied, shooting one in the head multiple times before it could reach Claire.

The group was fighting valiantly, but the tide of zombies seemed endless. Survivors fell one by one, their screams of terror and pain punctuating the air. Mikey, the techie, tried to buy time by setting up makeshift barriers, but they were quickly overrun. Chase, the sniper, provided crucial cover fire from a nearby tower, his steady aim picking off zombies.

I stayed close to Claire, my sword carving through the horde as I fought to keep her safe. "Stay behind me," I commanded, blocking a swipe from a zombie's claws and countering with a clean decapitation.

"Don't tell me what to do!" she snapped due to the pressure, firing her handgun at a zombie that had flanked me. Despite her defiance, she stayed close, trusting my skill to protect her.

Betty and K-Mart fought side by side, their teamwork keeping them alive. Barry, the group's heavy weapons specialist, unleashed devastating firepower, but even he was starting to falter under the relentless assault.

As the battle raged on, the survivors fought desperately to hold their ground. My sword cleaved through yet another wave of evolved zombies, their bodies falling like broken puppets. Nearby, K-Mart struggled with a zombie that had pinned her against a wrecked car. Before it could sink its teeth into her, I stepped in, driving my blade through its chest and kicking it aside.

"Thanks," K-Mart gasped, pushing herself upright. She looked at me, her face pale but determined. "Ryan, why aren't you using your fire abilities? You could wipe them out in seconds!"

Her words hung in the air, cutting through the chaos. Claire, Leon, and Betty glanced my way, momentarily distracted by the question. I met K-Mart's gaze, my expression was carefully neutral.

"I haven't fully regained my energy yet," I said, my tone measured and calm. "The last time I used my powers, it took more out of me than I expected. If I push myself now, I might collapse, and then I'd be no help to any of you."

The explanation seemed to satisfy her. K-Mart gave a reluctant nod, ducking as another zombie lunged at her. "Fine, but don't hold back when you're ready!" she shouted, slamming the butt of her rifle into the zombie's face.

Leon barked an order, drawing everyone's focus back to the fight. The survivors continued their desperate struggle, none of them realizing the truth: I could have incinerated the entire horde in moments, but I chose not to. Letting them rely on their own strength—and survive.

Half an hour into the battle, the tide finally began to turn. The survivors had adapted to the zombies' speed and tactics, and their counterattacks grew more coordinated. I continued to fight at the forefront, my sword glowing bright blue a whirlwind of death. My left hand wielded a handgun, firing precise shots when my blade couldn't reach.

"Ryan! Another wave coming from the left!" Claire shouted.

I turned, cutting down three zombies in rapid succession before they could close the distance. My movements were calculated, efficient, and deadly. Despite the chaos around me, I felt no fatigue, only a cold detachment. 

When the last zombie fell, the parking lot was a battlefield of blood and carnage. The survivors stood in stunned silence, their weapons still raised, their breaths ragged. Slowly, they began to realize the battle was over.

I sheathed my sword, scanning the area. Claire, Leon, Betty, K-Mart, Barry, Mikey, Chase, and I were the only ones left. The rest of the group had been wiped out, their bodies scattered among the dead.

Claire wiped blood from her face, her expression a mix of grief and exhaustion. "We lost too many," she said quietly.

"Not everyone was meant to survive," I replied, my tone devoid of emotion. Claire shot me a sharp look but didn't argue. She knew I was right and soon her eyes teared up and she fell into my embrace wanting to be comforted.

As the remaining survivors gathered Chase who was on top of a tower shouted at us that it was Umbrella's doing and that they were observing from a nearby building's terrace. Leon seemed to have reached his boiling point and the minute he heard who was responsible for this he rushed over to the place followed by the rest of the survivors except me and the girls. But by the time they reached there, Dr.Issacs escaped in the helicopter but not before being bitten by his own experiment test subject.