***
February 15, 2029
Meri let out a sigh as she notched another arrow and released it with practiced precision. Each new day brought a sense of routine, even though the relentless attacks of the mutated magpies had ceased. They had become a sort of experience point lottery machine, a way for Meri to hone her archery skills while reaping the rewards.
"Fwoosh," the sound of her arrow slicing through the air was followed by a thud as it punctured a bird. It fell from the sky, its lifeless form dropping toward the ground. Meri watched as its blood trickled out, dissolving into the air before it could reach the transparent barrier that shielded the university.
But something caught her attention. Amidst the falling magpie, she noticed a blurry image in the distance. Squinting, she strained her eyes to make out the figures, her curiosity piqued. There were multiple figures, and they seemed to be moving. She wondered if it was just a figment of her imagination or something more substantial.
With a mixture of caution and intrigue, she raised her bow and began walking from the front of the university toward the edge of the protective barrier. Her steps were deliberate as she approached the boundaries, her eyes focused on the distant shapes that seemed to be engaging with something.
As she neared the barrier's edge, she realized that her initial assessment had not been a hallucination. There were indeed people and human figures wielding objects that looked like weapons. They were fending off zombies, using a long stick and a knife.
Meri's heart raced. It was the first time she had seen other survivors, aside from Lucas and Lucy. Questions raced through her mind. Who were these people? How had they survived? Were they friendly or a potential threat?
But as her curiosity got the better of her, she made a decision that went against her better judgment. She wanted to know more about these strangers, to understand their intentions. She exchanged her bow for the dagger Lucas had lent her, a decision tinged with guilt, as she knew she shouldn't have left the safety of the barrier without permission.
Inching her way along the alleyways adjacent to the university, Meri tried to pinpoint the direction of their voices. The alleyways were not teeming with zombies, as her magpie hunting had drawn most of their attention. She considered the idea of returning to the barrier to inform Lucas and Lucy about her discovery, but her curiosity urged her to keep moving.
'I'm the first to see them,' she thought, her pulse quickening. However, her feet seemed to have a mind of their own as she continued to inch closer, compelled by her desire to witness this new encounter. Her steps took her to the corner of a building, and she leaned over to peer around it, her heart pounding in her chest.
'Perhaps I should notify Sir beforehand.'
There they were; two men and one woman, around her age or slightly older. They were engaged in a coordinated effort to dispatch the zombies. One man wielded a sturdy metal mop handle, while the other brandished a chef's knife, their movements precise and effective. The woman exhibited impressive martial arts skills; her strikes delivering calculated blows to the undead.
Meri's eyes widened as she watched their synchronized actions. She was both fascinated and apprehensive, caught between the desire to introduce herself and the nagging worry that they might not welcome an unannounced observer. She held her breath, torn between curiosity and the caution that had kept her alive thus far.
With effortless strength, the woman punched through the fallen zombie's head, her fist crushing its skull with a grim efficiency. She then approached her companion. "Matthew, have you noticed that Julia has seemed somewhat distant lately?"
The man gripping the knife halted his steps and turned towards her. "Don't overthink it, Zaina," he said, shaking his head. "Julia's been through a lot. I'm responsible for keeping the three of us safe down here."
"Matthew, suggesting we kill any stranger is insane. What if they need help, too?" Zaina countered.
"Don't invest too much concern in others, Zaina. We can't know their intentions," Matthew retorted.
"But, Matthew—"
"Enough, Zaina. It's annoying. Is that boy related to you? No, right? Then be quiet. They're worthless to us than these zombies. People die all around the world every day, even before the apocalypse. Why care?" Another man, holding a makeshift metal stick with blood still dripping from the end, chimed in.
"Jim's right, Zaina. You're being overly defensive. Don't attach too much importance to it; it hasn't happened yet."
Meri, hidden around the corner, listened intently to their conversation. The mention of a boy and their discussion about strangers triggered a mix of curiosity and apprehension within her. It was reminiscent of the warnings Lucas and Lucy had given her about the unpredictability of other survivors. Human nature could be both kind and cruel, as they had explained.
As Meri absorbed their words, a sense of urgency welled up inside her. This information was something she needed to bring back to Lucas and Lucy. These people might either be allies or potential threats, and it was crucial to be prepared. Feeling a growing need to return to safety, she turned around abruptly.
"Ah-Ah-," her startled gasp was stifled as she instinctively covered her mouth. A zombie stood right in front of her, its decaying face inches away from hers. She reacted quickly, plunging the dagger in her left hand into its eye without hesitation. She wasn't concerned about killing it, just about not alerting the others with her unexpected scream.
As the zombie groaned, Meri stepped on its face to keep it subdued and slipped away through the alleyway with cautious, deliberate steps. She was astonished by how the indistinct sounds she had heard earlier had suddenly sharpened into comprehensible voices. Her heart raced as she contemplated whether they might have heard her unintentional noise.
Reorganizing her thoughts in a moment of urgency, Meri broke into a run, her bow in hand. Her swift movement and precision allowed her to dispatch any zombies that crossed her path. Her sole focus was escaping the immediate danger and returning to the university.
The sounds behind her seemed to grow nearer, fueling her determination to reach safety as her heart pounded in her chest. She was afraid, for herself and most of all for her younger brother, waiting at home.
"Jim, go to her right. The rat's running fast," a voice echoed in the air, and Meri's heart sank as she recognized it. The voice belonged to Matthew, the man she had overheard earlier.
"Zaina, move to her left. Ensure she doesn't get away," urgency-tinged Matthew's voice, causing a blend of fear and peril to well up within Meri.
"Absolute presence!" Meri called upon her skill, her practiced hand guiding its activation without a hitch. As though time had halted, she melded into the shadows, seamlessly slipping into a nearby building, her existence entirely concealed. Her breath, scent, every motion—everything came to a standstill. She transformed into a phantom, impervious to ordinary detection.
Taking solace in her newfound invisibility, she allowed herself to exhale a long-held breath, feeling the tension in her muscles slowly release. The building she had slipped behind turned out to be a small tattoo shop. The air filled with the scent of ink and the imagery of serpents, scorpions, and skulls painted on the walls.
Even with the urge to pant heavily, her legs quaking, and her heartbeat a rapid drum, Meri remained stock-still. Curling herself into a fetal position, she minimized her profile and minimized her noise, just as she and her brother used to do in their lone survival days prior to encountering Lucas and Lucy.
Even with her skill active, the habit remained ingrained—the need to minimize herself, to be as insignificant as possible, to blend into the quiet corners of the world. Before, it was a survival strategy for two; now, it was the only refuge for one.
Amid the stillness, a self-critical thought pierced her mind. 'I'm so dumb. Why did I come alone? Why did I expose our position? I'm so useless. Sir Lucas is going to be mad.' A tear escaped her eye, but she remained silent. She was alone against the deafening silence of the passage of time.
"Matthew, we can't find her anywhere. Where the @?!%$ did she go?" another voice sounded, unmistakably Jim's.
'They're close,' she thought, her mental grip tightening to minimize her presence even further.
"For someone who claimed he'd kill them, you're struggling to draw your gun, Matthew," a woman's voice—Zaina—taunted.
"Shut up, both of you! Search around here. She couldn't have gone far. I saw her enter this alley. Check every building," Matthew's voice snapped, now edged with frustration.
'They're drawing near,' Meri pondered, her heart thudding in her ears. She clamped down on her breath, urging her presence to fade away. Her thoughts battled against the natural urge to inhale, to catch her breath, to take in much-needed air. She strained to suppress her respiration, intent on evading any noise and maintaining her invisibility.
'They're nearing,' dawned on her as their footfalls escalated in volume. 'Ah-' regret flooded over her like an engulfing tide.
As dizziness encroached, obscuring her sight, her grasp on reality faltered. The world seemed to slip, her consciousness waning. Her struggle against her biological instincts transformed into a futile contest as her awareness flickered and receded.
In her vulnerable state, a sound broke through—a resonating chime that seemed to echo within her very mind.
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[Detection of a Bow, a Dagger, and an Ephemeral Presence in a Confined Space!]
[Initiating Dungeon Activation!]
[Opening Dungeon: Shadowy Arsenal Level 4!]
[Teleportation Sequence Initiated!]
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