Prologue (Part - 2)

Lila's shock receded, replaced by a surge of adrenaline. She tugged the crossbow's trigger, but the damage it had sustained proved insurmountable. The bolt remained lodged within the mechanism. The zombie, meanwhile, stood like a statue, its hollow gaze locked onto her.

Her pulse quickened, and her gaze flicked to the shotgun resting between them. The zombie followed her line of sight, its lifeless eyes assessing the weapons and then descending upon Marcus.

Blood oozed from the corner of Marcus's mouth, mingling with the dust on the floor as he struggled to rise. His face contorted with rage at the sight of the creature, a stark reminder of his past failures and losses.

Lila's mind raced as she frantically sought a way to survive. Neither she nor Marcus were in a position to mount a significant defense against either the mutant or the zombie. Their best hope lay in a surprise attack. She seized a bolt from the crossbow and armed herself.

Marcus's eyes briefly met hers before returning to the menacing creature. With a herculean effort, he pushed himself to his feet, grunting with exertion but managed to hold its attention. Perhaps it was his imposing physique or the menacing machete in his grip, but the zombie seemed to disregard Lila's presence. A fatal error she was determined to exploit.

Marcus spat out the blood and brandished his sword, taunting the grotesque foe. "Come at me, you rotting piece of shit!"

The zombie took a menacing step toward Marcus, exposing its vulnerable back.

With desperate resolve, Lila sprang forward, her heart pounding in her chest. She reached the creature in a single, adrenaline-fueled bound, ignoring the painful protests of her body. Her arm arced through the air in a powerful strike.

Hope surged as her attack closed in, but it passed through nothing but thin air. The zombie had vanished. Her eyes widened in disbelief, the world around her blurring into a whirlwind of confusion. Then, in a disorienting moment, she was knocked off her feet once again. She collided with the ground in a heavy crash, gasping for breath, her eyes watering from the pain.

With a furious roar, Marcus lunged at the zombie, but the creature brushed him aside as if he were a lumbering drunk. Marcus collided beside her, shattering the remaining pieces of the cupboard and bringing it down on top of them.

The machete clattered near the abomination's feet, the ringing sound slicing through the silent morning like an ominous harbinger.

Horror gripped Lila, freezing her in place. The noise pierced her like a searing needle as she tried to comprehend what she had just witnessed. "Martial arts?" she uttered in disbelief.

Gritting her teeth, she blindly grabbed a shattered piece of wood and propped herself up, her back against the wall for support. It was a futile effort; the abomination was too strong and skilled for her diminutive stature.

Despite the overwhelmingly dire odds, she locked eyes with the creature and prepared to fight for her life. Marcus mirrored her resolve, his breath coming in ragged wheezes.

The desolate world they inhabited had taught the survivors one brutal truth: those who surrendered died. Struggling against the impending darkness until their last breath offered the slimmest chance of survival, no matter how unlikely.

They roared, ready to charge, when an unholy screech engulfed their world.

The deafening sound washed over the surroundings like a relentless tide, drowning out every other sensation. With a cry of agony, Lila dropped to her knees, covering her ears as the sound clawed into her head, overriding any rational thought.

When the tormenting sound finally ceased, she collapsed to the ground, sweat-drenched and disoriented, her gaze hazy as she peered at the zombie.

The creature seemed to have lost interest in them. Its vacant eyes stared past her, ignoring both Marcus and herself, and it proceeded with deliberate steps, leaping after the mutant as if accepting a challenge.

Without wasting a moment, Marcus pushed himself off his butt and collected his weapons. "We need to go," he said, stumbling towards the door like a dead drunk.

Lila waited for the world to stop spinning and grabbed her backpack.

"Leave it," he said. "It will only slow us down."

"But—"

A loud boom shattered the fragile peace. Windows rattled in their panes and the floor quaked beneath her boots. A second, more forceful blast followed, drawing nearer.

Reluctantly, Lila abandoned her bag, though she hesitated briefly over a damaged crossbow. It had accompanied her throughout the harrowing journey in the unforgiving world. She knew finding a replacement would be no small task.

But her indecision didn't last. She stepped over the bow, resolved to leave it behind, and moved toward the exit. Surviving in the harsh world meant detachment from possessions. Everything was merely a means to endure, and if it didn't serve that purpose, it had no place in their world

"Cover our backs," Marcus ordered, tossing the shotgun to Lila. "Be careful. That thing has quite a recoil."

Lila nodded, her arms cradling the shotgun, finding solace in its weight and the security it provided.

They stumbled through the shaking apartment not being too careful about making any noise as snarls echoed in the silent morning.

Lila rolled to the side as a piece of the roof, crashed beside her. "Damn," she cursed. "Are they planning on bringing down the entire apartment?"

"Keep running," Marcus urged.

Through a broken window, she observed the ongoing struggle between the abominations. Each devastating blow was capable of leveling walls and pillars, and that's precisely what was happening.

Worry settled in Lila's mind like a dark storm cloud, casting a shadow over every thought and smothering the flicker of hope. Regardless of which abomination emerged victorious, their settlement would be in danger. A single misstep could bring the horrifying creatures down upon them.

"Almost there," Marcus said upon reaching the stairwell.

Lila discarded her disquieting thoughts and pushed forward with a burst of speed. Just before they reached the stairwell, a section of the wall exploded, sending Marcus lunging forward. Lila skidded to a stop as a blur passed between them, crashing into the opposite wall.

The living nightmare in front of them was a gruesome sight. The zombie bore numerous cuts and lacerations across its body, yet there was a striking absence of blood.

Conversely, the mutant looked as though it had been battered by a relentless force and multiple dents covered its body. Bathed in the morning light, it almost resembled a human, contrasting with the appearance of the zombies. Its skin retained an unhealthy, but strangely vibrant hue, and it had a more substantial physique, marred only by grotesquely twisted limbs.

Their eyes, however, were the shared trait that haunted Lila. While zombies displayed vacant, glassy gazes, the mutants' eyes seethed with a fervent blend of rage and insatiable hunger. The malevolence of the mutant's gaze sent shivers through her, leaving her feeling utterly powerless.

Without hesitation, Lila raised her shotgun and fired. The mutant, however, displayed unnatural agility, moving almost parallel to the ground with lightning speed. 

The shot's powerful recoil sent her sprawling to the floor, completely exposed and vulnerable.

"Lila!" Marcus's cry pierced the air as the mutant leaped toward her, but he wouldn't reach her in time. Time slowed, and Lila watched in helpless despair as the mutant's clawed hand reached for her, her prone form defenseless.

The devastating blow she anticipated never arrived. Instead, it landed on the zombie, crushing its chest almost entirely.

In a final surge of strength, the zombie seized the mutant's head and twisted it. Blood-curdling screeches rent the air, and the mutant flailed helplessly. With one final twist, a hush descended over the area as the mutant's spine snapped with a chilling crack.

Lila sat frozen on the floor, unable to grasp the turn of events.

The zombie slowly turned toward her, and to her astonishment, she found herself meeting its emerald green eyes, filled with a glimmer of life and an unmistakable curiosity. For a brief moment, their gazes locked, and she found a trace of the humanity within it. But the moment was fleeting. The zombie's eyes rolled upward, and it crumpled to the ground, leaving her with a profound sense of wonder.

Moments later, Marcus arrived at her side, his eyes locked on the fallen zombie. "You okay?"

Lila nodded mutely, her focus lingering on the fallen zombie.

"Good," Marcus said tersely, grabbing the shotgun and heading toward the lifeless creature. He positioned the barrel at its head, ready to end it.

"Wait," Lila cried, desperation in her voice as she pushed his arms away. The shotgun fired, leaving a gaping hole in the floor.

Marcus's gaze sharpened as he turned to her, his voice laced with frustration. "What are you doing?"

Lila hesitated, struggling to explain her inexplicable impulse. She remembered the zombie's emerald eyes and finally managed to say, "Let's take it back with us. It could be of help."

Marcus's expression twisted into disbelief. "Are you out of your goddamn mind? I'm not bringing this thing near the settlement."

Determination coursed through Lila. "This could be the hope we've been searching for. You saw it. Maybe it still has some consciousness. It might help us find a cure for this cursed world."

Marcus responded with a guttural laugh. "I thought you were a realist, Lila," he mocked. "Wake up. There's no cure, no way out. This is our reality now." His finger tightened on the shotgun's trigger. "Move if you can't stomach it."

The tension between them escalated, and Lila refused to yield. "I'm not letting this chance slip away," she declared, standing her ground.

The standoff continued, both of them locked in a heated glare. Lila was uncertain about why she felt so strongly, but deep down, she knew it was the right choice. She took a deep breath and firmly said, "You will back down, Marcus. You owe me."

Marcus's expression shifted, his face becoming an unreadable mask. He didn't speak a word but lowered the shotgun slowly. With a heavy, contemplative silence hanging in the air, he turned and moved toward the exit.

Lila cast one more look at the fallen zombie and sighed, her decision made. "You better be worth it."