The day after Hayden's group arrived at the school, in Life Corp's secure bunker, the group of six taken in by Gabriella Sanchez began discussing the recent events.
Seated in the bunker's common room—an area furnished with couches, screens, and a central table—Amber, Loïs, Véra, Gary, Liam, and Harry debated the fact that Hayden's group had survived and made it back to the boarding school.
An Unexpected Source of Information
They had received the news from a friend of Amber's, a student from the boarding school who, out of caution, had decided not to go out on the night of the school's reopening and had observed Hayden's group return from a distance.
Véra (crossing her arms, annoyed):
"So they came back? Honestly, I thought they'd die out there like idiots."
Loïs (shrugging, with a greedy look):
"That means they're smarter than I thought... or just lucky."
Gary (arrogant, feet on the table):
"Especially that Hayden guy. He seems to be their leader. I wonder how he managed to bring them back alive."
Liam (looking at himself in a portable mirror, narcissistic):
"I don't care who survived. The real question is how they survived. If we ever want to get out of here, that could be useful."
Amber listened quietly without speaking at first. Her interest in Hayden's group was growing. Unlike the others, she didn't despise them. In fact, she was starting to see them as a potential opportunity.
Harry (always the follower, looking at Amber):
"What do you think, Amber?"
Amber (grinning slightly, playing with a strand of hair):
"What I think… is that we should keep an eye on them. If they made it back, that means they have resources we don't know about. And that… is interesting."
The Shadow of Gabriella Sanchez
In a nearby room, Gabriella Sanchez, Amber's mother and one of Life Corp's top executives, was secretly listening in on the conversation. Leaning against a wall, arms crossed, she calmly analyzed each teen's words.
Gabriella (inner thoughts):
"They're finally starting to think. That's good. But Amber… she sees further than the others."
Gabriella knew her daughter was neither stupid nor impulsive. Unlike the others, who only saw rivalry or jealousy, Amber analyzed things strategically. That's why Gabriella was listening closely, curious to see how far her daughter's thoughts would go.
Still cloaked in shadow, Gabriella allowed herself a faint smile.
She knew that sooner or later, Amber and Hayden's group would meet. And when that happened, she intended to see how it would unfold.
Regret and Fear of Death
As the conversation about Hayden's return continued, the topic of Lila came up—bringing a heavy silence over the bunker's common room.
Loïs, still focused only on herself, sighed and looked away.
Loïs (muttering):
"Lila..."
Véra (raising an eyebrow, sarcastic):
"What? You're going to tell me you feel guilty now? Let's be honest, we weren't going to risk our lives for her."
Gary (irritated, slamming his fist on the table):
"So what?! What were we supposed to do—get eaten along with her?!"
His aggressive tone hid a deeper fear: the fear of accepting they had abandoned her… and that it could've been any one of them instead.
Liam, who usually only cared about his reflection, lowered his gaze to his hands. His narcissistic expression shifted into a troubled frown.
Liam (murmuring):
"She's probably… dead now."
Amber hadn't said a word since Lila had been mentioned. Sitting comfortably on the couch, she observed her friends' reactions with a calculating gaze. Unlike them, she felt neither fear nor guilt.
Amber (soft voice, but sharp):
"You know what bothers me the most?"
Everyone turned to her.
Amber (still playing with a strand of hair):
"It's that we don't know for sure if she's really dead."
A collective shiver ran through the group. The idea that she might still be out there—no longer human—hit them all with chilling clarity.
Véra (trying to stay detached, but her voice trembled):
"What do you mean...? Of course she's dead… We let her go outside. There was no chance."
Amber (grinning, crossing her legs):
"Really? We're talking about zombies, Véra. The dead walking around. What if Lila... isn't just a victim anymore, but something else?"
An icy silence fell across the room.
Loïs (whispering, panicked):
"You mean she could come back… for us?!"
Harry, ever the follower, felt a deep fear rising in his stomach. He remembered that night, hearing Lila's screams outside the karaoke bar, calling for help.
He'd never admitted it before, but now it was clear: he was afraid. Afraid to die, afraid of turning into one of them, afraid that Lila would return in another form… and remember them.
The Shadow of Gabriella Sanchez
In the adjacent room, Gabriella Sanchez still listened, now with a slight frown.
"Lila…?"
She didn't know all the details of what had happened outside, but she mentally noted the name.
If these teens had abandoned one of their own, then maybe they hadn't delivered a fatal blow. And if that was the case…
"This could be a problem."
She didn't yet know that Lila had been brought back from the dead by Sol, but she understood one thing: these teens were still naïve. They believed they were safe in here… but nothing guaranteed that would last.
The Rebirth of Lila: Now Lena
In a space where the light seemed to bend around Sol's presence, Lena—once Lila—looked at him with an unreadable expression. Her eyes, once filled with fear, now held a strange, icy serenity.
She knew she was different. She could feel power flowing through her, a new essence that transcended her former humanity.
Lena (calm, analyzing Sol):
"Why did you bring me back? What do you really want from me?"
Sol, dressed in white pants with a scarf floating slightly around him, gave an enigmatic smile.
Sol (calm, but imposing):
"I gave you a second chance. A new beginning. A role in this great play where humanity fights itself."
Lena narrowed her eyes, trying to understand his true intentions.
Lena:
"So you want me to be just a pawn?"
Sol chuckled—a warm laugh tinged with condescension.
Sol:
"A pawn? No. You are much more than that. You are proof. An anomaly that even Life Corp didn't anticipate. And now… you get to choose what to do with this existence."
Silence fell. Lena lowered her gaze to her hands, noticing the subtle changes. Her body was no longer fragile. She felt strength beyond that of any normal human—even trained soldiers.
Then a memory surfaced: her old friends' faces, their terrified expressions as they left her behind without hesitation.
Her expression darkened slightly, though she showed no emotion.
Lena (in a measured tone):
"Then… I think I'll pay them a little visit."
Sol didn't answer right away. He just smiled, amused.
Sol:
"Do as you wish. But remember… you're not the same anymore."
Without another word, Lena turned and disappeared, her goal etched clearly in her mind: to find those who had abandoned her.
Intrusion into the Life Corp Bunker
In the secure bunker's control room, the screens suddenly lit up, alerting the researchers—and Gabriella Sanchez herself.
An unknown presence had breached the outer barriers, moving with unsettling ease through Life Corp's security systems.
Researcher 1 (panicked):
"Someone's breached the defenses?! How is that possible?!"
Researcher 2 (staring at the screen, puzzled):
"Wait... It's a teenage girl?"
Gabriella stepped forward calmly, observing the image on the screen: a teenage girl with dark hair, strangely pale skin, and piercing eyes.
But what struck her the most… was her face.
"Impossible."
When she saw the girl's face on screen, Gabriella froze. It was Lila—the girl Amber's group had left outside. But she was supposed to be dead.
And yet there she was, walking confidently toward the bunker's entrance.
Gabriella (firmly):
"Activate the communication system. Let's see what she wants."
Seconds later, an external speaker activated, and Gabriella spoke with a measured but commanding tone.
Gabriella:
"You're not supposed to be here. Who are you really?"
The girl stopped in front of the blast doors, slowly raising her gaze to the surveillance cameras.
Then, a faint smile appeared on her lips.
Lena (calm, almost mocking):
"Oh, Ms. Sanchez, nothing dangerous."
She paused before adding, with a touch of irony:
Lena:
"I just came to see some old… friends."
Lena, standing before the bunker doors, gave a serene smile before placing one hand on the reinforced entrance. In a soft, almost singsong voice, she declared:
— Ms. Sanchez, be kind and let me in…
She paused, her eyes glowing with a strange light.
— Or I'll break it down.
Gabriella stared at the control screen intently. Her expression remained cold and analytical, but a flicker of doubt crossed her mind.
A dead girl brought back to life… speaking as if nothing had happened?
She could've ignored the threat, but something in her gut said otherwise. If this "Lena" truly had the strength to tear through a blast door, then a direct confrontation in such a confined space would be dangerous.
With a swift motion, she sent a message to Amber:
"Get ready. Someone you should've never seen again just arrived."
Then, calmly, she gave the order to open the door.