Ethan kept his breath slow and steady. The creature was close.
From the dim aisle, he could see its grotesque form—a hunched, humanoid thing with rotting flesh and elongated limbs. Its skin was split open in places, revealing writhing muscle and exposed ribs. Its breath came in uneven, rasping huffs, and black saliva dripped from its jagged teeth.
Mutant. Level 1.
It sniffed the air, shuffling closer. It knew something was here.
Ethan's grip on his knife tightened.
He could fight. A clean stab to the throat, a quick escape—simple. But the real danger wasn't the mutant in front of him. It was the noise.
If he made too much sound, others would come.
Ethan moved carefully, inching backward toward the store's emergency exit. If he could just slip out unnoticed…
The mutant twitched. It turned sharply toward him.
Ethan cursed under his breath. It heard something.
Then, it charged.
Ethan reacted instantly. He couldn't use the gun. Too loud.
He ducked just as the creature lunged. Its claws scraped against the metal shelves, sending cans clattering to the floor.
The mutant turned again, faster than expected. Its jagged teeth snapped inches from his throat.
He had no choice.
Ethan drove his knife upward—straight into its jaw.
The creature gurgled, its black blood spilling down his wrist. Its claws swung wildly, slicing into Ethan's arm. Pain. Sharp, burning.
Ethan gritted his teeth and twisted the blade deeper.
With a final spasm, the mutant collapsed.
Silence.
Ethan exhaled shakily, pulling his knife free. The black blood steamed against the cold air, leaving a foul, acidic stench.
Then—he saw it.
The sphere.
A small, dark orb emerged from the creature's remains. It pulsed faintly, a swirling mix of black and red energy inside.
Ethan's eyes narrowed. He had to destroy it before it screamed.
He raised his knife—
Too late.
The sphere cracked.
A horrific screech tore through the air.
Ethan's blood ran cold.
Outside, in the ruined streets, an answer came.
Distant howls.
Screeches.
Movement.
Ethan sprinted toward the exit, slamming through the door just as the first shadows appeared outside the store.
The mutants were coming.
The streets were no longer silent. They were alive with horrors.
Mutants crawled from alleyways, stumbled out of broken buildings. Dozens of them. Some were like the one he had just killed—humanoid, decayed. Others were worse—faster, bigger, more twisted.
Ethan ran.
His truck. It was parked only a few blocks away. If he could reach it, he'd have a chance.
His boots pounded against the pavement. The city blurred around him—broken cars, shattered windows, abandoned buildings.
Behind him, the horde grew. Fifty. Sixty. More.
They moved in unnatural ways—some crawled along walls, others ran on all fours. Their screams blended into an eerie chorus of death.
Ethan's muscles burned, but he pushed forward.
Almost there.
Then—
A shadow loomed ahead.
Something huge.
Ethan skidded to a stop.
A ten-foot-tall monster stood in his path.
It was different. Stronger. Its muscular frame pulsed with unnatural energy, its glowing red eyes locked onto him.
Mutant. Level 2.
Before Ethan could react, it moved.
Too fast.
The monster swung its massive arm, hitting him like a wrecking ball.
Ethan's body flew through the air—
Slamming into a car.
Pain exploded through his ribs. His vision blurred. The world spun.
The last thing he saw before blacking out—
A gunshot.
The mutant roared in pain.
Someone else was here.