[Leon]
Leon's mind raced with a million conflicting thoughts, his heart pounding in his chest like a wild beast yearning for freedom. Fear coursed through his veins, urging him to flee, to abandon all sense of duty and humanity. Every fiber of his being screamed for him to run to save himself from the impending doom that lurked just meters away.
But instead, he found himself picking up an unlikely weapon — a long handle dustpan, an object so inconsequential in the face of the undead that surrounded them.
Leon wanted to cry, but the first zombie was upon them. It emerged from the line of bushes that served as their only buffer from the field.
Its grotesque form looms ominously. Its decayed flesh and vacant eyes sent a chill down Leon's spine, but he refused to let the fear paralyze him, or it would be his end.
With a surge of adrenaline, he swung the dustpan with an unexpected force, the metallic clang echoing through the air as it collided with the creature's skull.
Leon's heart pounded in his ears as the impact momentarily stunned the zombie. In his life, he never killed anyone. This would be the first, though they were already dead.
There were more of them, closing in from all sides, their hungering moans growing louder with each passing moment.
His grip tightened around the dustpan, his muscles tensing in anticipation. With every swing of the pan, Leon fought back the horde, his movements fueled by a newfound resilience. The adrenaline coursed through his veins, heightening his senses and sharpening his reflexes.
Each blow landed with a satisfying thud, momentarily pushing back the relentless tide of undead. But for every zombie he dispatched, more emerged, attracted by noise. Their numbers were seemingly endless. The odds were against them, and a wave of doubt threatened to crash over his resolve.
The scoop of the dustpan had long ago splintered from the handle, and Leon tried so hard to push the zombies away from him just by using what was left of his weapon.
He couldn't kill anyone with it, though. It could only prolong his life . . . for how long he didn't know. Every undead he managed to push away got back up and attacked again. They were backed by numbers from all sides, and it felt like an endless battle. No matter how many zombies he managed to push away, they would rise again.
Panting, Leon stole a glance at Lina. There she stood, a vision of fierce willpower and strength. In her hands, a short knife glinted with deadly purpose. With every swift movement, she struck down the undead with brutal precision.
Her eyes blazed, which sent a chill down Leon's spine. There was a raw intensity in her gaze that both mesmerized and frightened him. Lina had transformed into a killing machine fighting tooth and nail to keep them alive.
She was the champion in the Kendo girls club, and she definitely deserved the title. However, Leon couldn't fathom how she could just mercilessly kill everyone without batting an eyelid.
They were dead, but . . . to him; they were still living being. Well . . . dead that appeared alive. Holding a knife and slicing their head off wasn't that easy. He knew because he was in this situation.
Heck, just thinking of stabbing them made his knees weak. He wasn't used to killing – he had never killed anything in his life except for a bug!
It would definitely be some time before he would be used to it.
In the midst of the chaos, time seemed to warp, the minutes stretching into eternity as they battled the unyielding horde. Blood spattered their clothes, sweat trickled down their brows, and exhaustion threatened to overtake them. But still, they fought on, fueled by the sheer will to survive.
Leon's thoughts raced, wondering how much longer they could hold out. The knife in Lina's hand had become an instrument of survival. Each swing and thrust seemed to defy the odds, temporarily keeping the relentless tide at bay.
But even as he fought alongside her, Leon couldn't shake the gnawing uncertainty. How long could they keep this up? How long until their luck ran out until their weapons failed them, until their bodies succumbed to exhaustion?
They were cornered from all sides, and more were pouring in. They were back in the wall, and Leon was about to pierce the handle on a closing undead when something grabbed his leg.
"Help me!"
It was Mia. Her eyes were in tears, snot and sweat covered her face, and her broken legs dangled as she crawled. Her grip was like constricting vines on his legs.
"L-Let go!" Leon lost his focus and almost stumbled. If not that he quickly regained his balance.
"Bring me with you! I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"
"S-stop it! L-let me go!"
"If you don't help me, then I will take you with me! We will all die!" she shouted in desperation.
"You're crazy!"
Despite the dire situation unfolding around them, Mia's lips curled into a smile that sent an unsettling shiver down Leon's spine. It was a smile that seemed detached from the chaos, a haunting expression that danced on the edge of madness.
"Crazy? You left me for dead! What does that make you?! You assholes! Fuck you! All of you! You will die with me!" she screamed and cursed. She had totally gone crazy from despair.
Leon's heart sank as Mia's anguished words pierced his ears, fueled by a mix of desperation and rage. The accusation cut through him like a knife, and his resolve wavered under the weight of her accusation. It was true, he had abandoned her in that moment of chaos, and guilt washed over him in waves.
But before he could gather his thoughts or find the words to respond, Lina's swift kick silenced Mia's tirade. The force of the blow sent spittle flying from Mia's mouth, and her grip on his legs loosened.
Leon quickly took a step back, his eyes locked on Lina, a mixture of horror and disbelief etched on his face.
Lina's gaze remained focused on the horde of undead, her determination unwavering even in the face of Mia's outburst. She ignored the woman's curses as if they were mere background noise in the midst of their struggle for survival.
Mia's furious cries were abruptly cut short as an undead creature lunged at her with relentless ferocity. The sight that unfolded before Leon's eyes was nothing short of gruesome, and his stomach churned with a sickening mix of horror and disgust.
The ghoul's gnarled, decayed hands clawed at Mia's defenseless form, its putrid breath mingling with her anguished screams.
Leon's eyes widened, a profound sense of helplessness washing over him. He wanted to turn away, to shield himself from the gruesome spectacle, but his gaze remained fixed on the horrifying scene. His mind recoiled, struggling to process the sheer brutality that unfolded before him.
As the undead creature tore into Mia's flesh, a wave of revulsion surged through Leon's body, threatening to overpower him. The violence was unrelenting, the sickening sound of tearing flesh and crunching bone echoing through the air. He felt bile rise in his throat, threatening to spill over as he grappled with the repulsive sight.
His mind raced with conflicting emotions. Guilt washed over him for leaving Mia behind, a decision that had now led her to this gruesome demise. Regret gnawed at his conscience, consuming him in bitter remorse. At that moment, he couldn't help but question if he could have done something differently. If he could have prevented this grim fate.
"Focus!" Lina shouted and swiftly sliced the head of an undead that almost clawed Leon's eyes out.
"S-sorry."
Lina was right. Now was not the time to wallow in his despair. They have to escape first.
They resumed fighting until they panted with exertion and exhaustion. The heat was getting into their heads, and Leon wobbled on his feet.
"W-we can't keep this any further. We have to escape."
Lina clicked her tongue and glanced over at their room, where Jin was still inside.
"Lina!" Leon's voice cracked with urgency as he screamed at Lina's name, desperation etched into every syllable. "We have to go! Or Jin's sacrifice will be in vain!"
There was hesitation in her face, and Leon's heart sank at the sight.
The seconds ticked away, each one feeling like an eternity. Leon's mind raced, grappling with the weight of their predicament. He knew that time was of the essence, that the undead horde drew nearer with every passing moment.
Should he just leave her here while he still had the chance to escape?
Leon felt guilty at the thought, but his survival was all he could think about. Impatience welled within him, mingling with a rising tide of frustration.
"Lina," Leon pleaded, his voice tinged with a mix of urgency and desperation. "We have to go. We can't let Jin's sacrifice be in vain. We need to get away while we still can!"
Silence hung heavy in the air as Lina's eyes darted between Leon and the encroaching threat. He could see the internal struggle playing out within her.
Why was she so concerned about Jin? They weren't even close in school. They weren't even talking before. Leon didn't know and didn't have the chance to ponder on his question when a loud blast almost tore his eardrums from his head.
Leon's eyes widened as he surveyed the scene before him when the explosion settled. The room they had just vacated was now engulfed in flames, billowing smoke rising into the air like an ominous specter.
But it was the sight beyond the flames that caught his attention. A shadowy figure leaped onto a nearby tree, desperately reaching out for the branches in an attempt to find purchase. His heart skipped a beat as Jin's hands slipped, grasping at empty air before finally managing to secure a firm grip.
A surge of relief washed over him as Jin swung from branches to branches to break his momentum, avoiding a deadly fall. Jin landed on the ground with a heavy thud, sending a cloud of dust into the air.
Leon didn't know if that was humanly possible. To break your fall with the branches of trees. He guessed that only Jin could pull it off from their class or probably on the entire campus.
He is so cool. Leon thought.
"Jin!" Lina quickly went to him, slicing every undead her way. A surge of energy burst forth in her every action.
Leon was close to her tail and pushed away the undead so they could go to Jin. A good thing that the undead didn't have their strength doubled. They have just regular strength, the one they had when they were still human.
Leon was the tallest in their class, and he could say in confidence that he had the strength to overpower the weaker once . . . except for, of course, the bigger ones like teacher Henry. He shivered at the thought.
"Jin. Are you okay?" Lina asked, assisting Jin to his feet.
The fire cast flickering shadows on Jin's face, highlighting the exhaustion etched into every line and crease.
Jin groaned. The fall must have been bad, but he didn't fracture any bones and could still walk, though limping.
That was a good sign. Leon thought.
"Yeah," Jin croaked, catching his breath.
"You're not bitten, right?" Leon found himself asking.
Jin and Lina's sharp eyes made him clamp his mouth. He was just being careful. Jin was trapped in that room with dozens of zombies after all.
"No," Jin assured him and moved away from Lina to take control of his stance, and then Leon heard a gunshot.
The bullet went pass at the side of his head. Slowly looking over at his shoulder, he gulped when he saw a zombie lying just behind him.
"Let's get out of here," Jin uttered, every word a whence.
Leon couldn't agree more.
The three of them run from the gap of the zombies while making sure to reduce their numbers so as not to overwhelm them as they escape.
"W-where are we going?" gasped Leon. His throat was burning, and his steps were faltering but stopping meant death.
The undead were on their back, their side, their front in hot pursuit of them. Without Jin's gun shooting the zombies that tried to block them on their path, they would surely be overwhelmed by now.
"In the parking!" Jin answered with a huff, and from his pocket, he pulled a key. "Teacher Bernadette went to the room and . . ."
"D-don't tell me . . . y-you killed her." Leon lamented.
Teacher Bernadette was his favorite teacher because of her enormous rack and hips. She talked in a soft voice and even looked at him with her eyes that twinkled with mischief. Her seductive smile and sultry tone was the reason why his attendance was perfect!
"She's already a zombie," Jin stated. "And we need her keys more than her."
"It's perfect," Lina chimed in. "Teacher Bernadette owned an SUV if I was not mistaken. It could cram ten people inside."
"Now we don't have to look for a bus key in the admin! We could finally get out from here!" Leon was ecstatic. "Jin . . . I could kiss you right now."
"Don't," Jin answered dully.