System detected

Kia handed the bag to him, and he rummaged through it urgently. After a moment, he pulled out a coin.

"What's that?" Kia asked, eyeing the coin. "A coin?" He whispered in confusion.

Don nodded. "We'll use it to distract the zombie. If we are lucky, it will give us enough time to get out of here."

He tossed the coin across the aisle, away from their position. The coin clattered loudly against the floor and echoed through the empty space. The zombie's head snapped towards the noise, and with a guttural growl, it started to shuffle quickly in that direction, creating enough distance between them.

"I will go first," Don said. He lowered himself through the vent and landed silently on the floor. Then he looked around, checking his surroundings to ensure no other zombies were sneaking up on him.

Seeing the coast was clear, he raised his arms, signaling for Kia to drop Sofie. Kia nodded and turned back to Sofie, who was barely conscious.

He lifted her gently from the vent, slowly beginning to lower her down to Don.

They were halfway through the process when they heard approaching footsteps and low growls.

Kia's heart raced faster as he tried to move more quickly. At the same time, he had to be extra careful not to drop her, but damn! Right now, she was so heavy.

"Hurry," Don whispered urgently, glancing nervously towards the aisle where the zombie had disappeared. It was only a matter of time before it returned.

Kia huffed, his hand shaking slightly, and finally, he was able to lower her into Don's awaiting arms.

It was now Kia's turn, but as soon as he moved, his foot knocked against the bag, sending it crashing to the ground.

The crash wasn't too loud, but it was loud enough. The footsteps and growls grew louder, the sound of shuffling and groaning becoming unmistakable. The zombie that had been lured away by the coin was now coming back. Kia knew this, and he also knew he had messed up.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no…" he whispered, his eyes fixed down on the bag with horror.

"Damn it," Don cursed. "Sofie, go!" he whispered, pushing Sofie towards the end of the aisle, and they hid behind a stack of crates.

Kia remained in the vent, watching the zombie reappear below him. You could easily hear his heart pounding in his chest as his eyes darted for a way out. He glanced back down at the vent, his only way of escaping now compromised by a mistake.

Don peeked through a small gap in the crate and saw the zombie walking in their direction. Sofie was too weak to run on her own, so that wouldn't do.

He glanced up and made eye contact with Kia, and he could see desperation in his face. "I will create a diversion," he mouthed, hoping Kia had understood him, then he pointed in the opposite direction.

Kia got the message and nodded in response. Don then sat back down and held Sofie's cheek so she was facing him.

"You wait here," he whispered to her. "Can you do that?" he asked. Sofie could only nod her head.

He placed her huddled behind the crate and took one last deep breath before dashing in the opposite direction. His footsteps echoed, catching the zombie's attention.

Its head snapped in the direction of Don's fleeing figure. Its growls and snarls grew louder as it gave chase. Kia's eyes widened as he watched Don deliberately lead the zombie away from Sofie's hiding spot.

Don continued running until he was three aisles ahead, then he hid behind a large shelf, his chest heaving with exertion. He pressed himself against the shelf, trying to control his breathing as the zombie shuffled closer. Then he peeked around the corner. The zombie was standing directly behind a stack of crates, sniffing the air and growling softly.

Now that he had successfully drawn the attention of the zombie away from Sofie, he needed to find a way to get out of there.

Meanwhile, Kia took advantage of the situation and slowly began lowering himself from the vent. He couldn't risk making a sound when he landed, so he had to focus all his attention on moving silently. His grip on the vent was slippery with sweat, but despite that, he still managed to hold on, his eyes fully fixed on the spot where he was supposed to land.

He took in a deep breath and then jumped down. His legs absorbed the impact. He froze, his heart pounding as he listened for any sign that the zombie had heard him. But the creature was still sniffing around the crates, oblivious to Kia's presence, while Don moved slowly and quietly until he reached the edge of the aisle.

Kia let out a silent sigh of relief and began to move towards Sofie's hiding spot when his foot stepped on the bag he had dropped. He quickly bent down to pick it up, but as soon as he did, a hand grabbed him and slammed him against the shelf. A strong arm wrapped around his neck, cutting off his breath, and Kia found himself face to face with a scarred face.

Logan, who had appeared out of nowhere to Kia's dismay, bore his eyes into Kia's, his eyes blazing with anger. Kia, for some reason, felt a chill down his spine as he struggled to break free, but Logan's grip only tightened.

He tried to use one of his hands to pry at Logan's fingers, but the other man was too strong, and Kia felt his breath growing shallow as the pressure on his neck increased.

Damn! Was this how he was going to die? Another pathetic end, Kia thought.

Just when it seemed like the end, Kia's watch suddenly lit up with a bright blue light.

Ding!

The familiar sound vibrated in his head.

[System detected. Do you wish to initiate communication?]

Kia's brow furrowed as he managed to glance down at his watch, wondering what it meant. But Kia noticed something else. It wasn't just his watch that was lighting up. He looked up at Logan and saw that the other man was also wearing a watch, and it too was glowing with the same blue light.

***************

A/N

Dear readers,

I hope you're enjoying the story so far. As a participant in this year's WSA, I'm thrilled to share my work with you all. Although I don't expect to win, I aim to reach the top, and I've put a lot of time and effort into creating this book.

From now on, I'll be locking chapters, and I know some of you might be disappointed. However, as a student, I need to prioritize my studies, and I'm in need of funds for my school supplies, like textbooks and tuition. Your gifts and subscriptions would mean a lot to me, and I promise to continue writing and updating regularly.

Thank you for your support and encouragement. Please comment below with your thoughts on the story so far, and consider subscribing, gifting, or leaving a review. Your feedback is my inspiration, and I'm eager to hear your suggestions and ideas.