Downtown Lille, April 10, 2030 — 6:30 AM
The silent, narrow streets weighed heavily on Rose's unit. Every step echoed in the oppressive quiet, and the soldiers watched every shadow for a lurking threat. Rose climbed onto a scaffold with the support of her comrades, helping to hoist up Sergeant Serge, who was injured. A nervous chuckle escaped her as she watched the infected pass by without noticing them.
— "Chief, we need to make a decision," said Antoine, the young soldier recently recruited at the start of the Naraka Virus outbreak.
— "Soldier, what were you taught at the center? We don't abandon anyone! We stick together, or we all die!"
Rose, stubborn as ever, could already read Antoine's thoughts. Abandon him? Leave him for dead? The very idea revolted her. Tightening the makeshift rope of torn fabric, she pulled with all her strength, hoisting the sergeant's body over the empty space below.
— "Chief, come see this! The infected are acting weird now!"
Corporal Idriss, tasked with monitoring the area, had noticed unusual behavior drawing the infected's attention.
— "Affirmative, soldier. Nurse, help me get Sergeant Serge up!" Rose ordered.
With the help of Sana, the team's medic, they finally pulled Serge to safety. However, his jaw kept snapping at the air, his eyes now milky white, his skin deathly pale, and a twisted, demonic grin frozen on his face.
— "MUZZLE HIM!"
The nurse acted immediately, gagging the sergeant to stop him from biting himself senselessly.
Downtown Lille, April 10, 2030 — 7:30 AM
An hour later, the nurse let out a small sigh of relief. She had stayed by the sergeant's side, administering several tranquilizers to ease his violent and aggressive state.
— "Chief, the injured soldier is stable. In an hour or two, we should be able to remove his restraints."
— "Copy that," Rose replied.
Tension was growing among the team. Some soldiers, uneasy about keeping an infected man alive, showed clear signs of nervousness. Fear was evident in their eyes.
— "Sana, stay with the injured. Idriss and I are heading out. One of our men will remain here to assist you. Antoine, take position on the rooftop and cover us with your rifle. Move out!"
Corporal Idriss scanned the surroundings with his binoculars.
— "Chief, two buildings ahead—civilians spotted," he reported.
Rose nodded, gripping her HK416F. She checked her ammunition and ensured her weapon was functioning properly.
— "No gunfire. Use bayonets."
She attached a knife to her assault rifle, opened the metal door to the rooftop, and climbed down a ladder. Once on the ground, she signaled that the area was clear.
— "All clear," she gestured silently.
Idriss and Antoine followed her down.
Downtown Lille, April 10, 2030 — 7:40 AM
Every movement was an auditory nightmare in the desolate environment. Echoes bounced everywhere. Rose's men walked over debris and dried blood, their flashlights struggling to cut through the darkness. The suffocating, inhuman atmosphere drained their morale. Their breathing grew heavy.
— "STRACH… STRACH…"
A muffled sound in the distance made the soldiers tense, rifles aimed toward the source. Rose took the lead, advancing cautiously. The noise grew closer, more distinct.
— "STRACH… STRACH… STRACH…"
An old man emerged—blind, emaciated. His mutilated face, gnawed down to the bone, was revealed under the flickering light of a flashlight.
— "Treated," Rose murmured.
Terror-stricken but resolute, she plunged her bayonet into the old man's skull. He collapsed wordlessly.
Second Building, Downtown Lille — 7:55 AM
For over fifteen minutes, Rose and her team swiftly cleared the two zones. She marked the spare wheels with chalk to indicate their passage.
— "Alpha Group, move out," she commanded firmly.