Downtown Lille, April 10, 2030 — 8:15 AM
Rose and Antoine were starting to worry. The absolute silence was oppressive, almost suffocating. Every second of stillness weighed on them, making Antoine even more anxious.
— "We have to move. It's now or never," Rose said, following her instincts.
The young second lieutenant signaled the group of ten civilians to follow her quietly. She cautiously descended the stairs, Antoine right behind her, their rifles aimed at every corner, ready to react at the slightest sign of danger
— "Idriss?! I know you can hear me!!" Antoine shouted, his voice echoing strangely in the empty building.
Rose felt something was wrong. Antoine was growing increasingly nervous, his movements jerky, almost panicked.
— "This isn't funny, man… Come back, now! We need to get the hell out of this place…"
Antoine was trembling, his rifle at the ready, moving forward slowly. That's when Rose spotted a figure in the hallway—Idriss' same build.
— "Soldier, return immediately!" Rose ordered, a hint of urgency in her voice.
But as she got closer, a chill ran down her spine.
It wasn't Idriss. It was a decoy.
The infected were smarter than they had thought. They were using tricks to lure survivors.
A bloodcurdling scream shattered the silence, followed by growls and the horrific cries of zombies—louder, closer.
— "RUN, DAMN IT! JUST RUN!" Rose bellowed, grabbing Antoine by the collar and dragging him forward.
The infected burst from an apartment on the ground floor, a window shattering under the force of a gunshot fired at the last second.
Dozens of undead were rushing toward them.
— BOOM! BOOM!
Rose fired several suppressive shots to slow the horde.
— "RUN THE OTHER WAY! THERE'S AN EXIT OVER THERE—FOLLOW THE RED CROSSES!"
But the situation was spiraling out of control. Rose and Antoine were getting cornered.
Downtown Lille — 9:15 AM
— "Mom… I'm scared… I'm really scared… They're here…"
The little girl in the group, paralyzed with terror, hid her face, unable to move. Her parents, just as helpless, tried to soothe her, but their own fear nearly froze them in place.
— "Athena…" her mother murmured, her voice breaking.
Rose gritted her teeth, backing up while shooting. The infected were too fast, their numbers overwhelming. She turned to Antoine and yanked his sidearm from him to buy them time.
— "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! THIS ISN'T THE TIME TO GIVE IN TO FEAR! RUN!" she roared.
Finally snapping out of their paralysis, the parents grabbed their daughter and sprinted toward the exit.
But the horde was too close.
Rose had to make a tough decision.
She pulled the pin from a grenade and hurled it into the mass of infected. Then, grabbing Antoine, she threw them both into a nearby room, shielding their heads just as the explosion rocked the building.
— "MOMMY!" Athena screamed.
— "DO AS THE SOLDIER SAYS—RUN!" her father yelled, his voice raw from panic and exertion.
The civilians' terrified screams echoed through the building.
Despite everything, Rose managed a small smile.
Then the grenade detonated.
A wave of intense pressure hit her ears instantly, followed by unbearable ringing.
The situation dissolved into absolute chaos—a black hole of danger, where threats seemed to come from everywhere at once.