Kia leaned against the door, his heart racing in fear. He could still hear the zombies shuffling and groaning on the other side, trying to get in, and it was only a matter of time before they did.
Don was panting beside him, beads of sweat forming on his forehead while still clutching the gun in his hand.
"We can't stay here," Kia said, breathing heavily. "They'll break through eventually."
The tension in the air grew worse when they heard the banging growing heavier. There had to be another exit.
Don looked around frantically with his flashlight. "Look," he said, pointing at the ventilation shaft near the ceiling. "We can use that to get out of here."
Kia looked up; it was a dark, narrow space but their only option. "Okay," he agreed and set Sofie down gently.
Don boosted Kia up the ventilation shaft. He pried the cover off and climbed inside; the metal surface was cold against his hands and knees. Then he reached back down to help Sofie up, pulling her into the shaft with him.
"Come on," Kia urged Don, his voice echoing in the confined space.
With Kia's aid, Don was able to climb into the shaft and he pulled the cover back into place behind him. The pounding on the door grew louder, and suddenly they could hear the wood beginning to splinter.
"Move, move, move," Don insisted as the door burst wide open, with the zombies pouring in like tidal waves.
The trio crawled as fast as they could through the narrow vent; it was a tight space and the sound of their breathing echoed loudly in the silence.
Kia turned on his flashlight as he led the way, casting eerie shadows on the walls. They didn't know where they were going; they didn't know where the vent led them. They just kept going.
Sofie coughed and her small body trembled as she fell to her stomach. She couldn't keep this up; she had used up every last bit of energy she had. Kia was in front of her so he hadn't noticed that she had stopped.
Don, on the other hand, who was behind her, noticed immediately. "Wait," he said in a low voice, and Kia paused. "She's not moving."
"What!" Kia yelled, panic in his eyes as he thought the worst. He tried to turn around, but the vent was so narrow; his body could only move forward, so he couldn't see her. "Is she breathing? What happened to her?" he asked.
Don placed a finger under her nose and sighed in relief. "Don't worry; she's still alive."
"Oh, thank goodness," Kia said in his head, his hand on his chest as he breathed out and sighed in relief.
"But I don't think she's in good shape to keep moving," Don continued, shifting his position to support her as best as he could in the cramped space. "We have to find an exit quickly."
Kia's heart pounded; with a nod, he started crawling again, this time more urgently. Although it took a while, the narrow shaft opened up into a slightly wider space.
They took a brief pause to catch their breath, and Don continued to stare at Kia, noting his worried expression as he looked back at Sofie. "She must be really lucky to have an older brother like you," he said, catching Kia off guard.
"Huh!" Kia blinked and shifted his gaze to meet Don as if processing what he was saying, then he turned away. "She's not my sister. I just found her," he muttered.
"Oh," Don's eyes widened for a brief moment. "I see. Well, you are still a lifesaver. For a stranger, she really clings onto you like you are part of her family," Don said. "You are quite a hero."
Kia could almost scoff. Him, a hero? That was pathetic; all this was just an act. If they knew the real him, he would probably have been sacrificed to the zombies. "I just did what anyone would do," he muttered.
Don nodded and smacked his lips together. "Maybe, but not anyone would risk their own life to save a stranger."
Kia lowered his head and took in a deep breath; he wasn't risking his life, he was just prolonging his own inevitable fate. "We should keep going," he said, his voice more like a whisper, and he started moving forward before he could get a response.
As he went further in, his gaze shifted, and he spotted another grate ahead with faint light flickering through it.
"Yes! That's it, a way out."
"I found one!" Kia said to Don.
Don, who was far behind, began to move as quickly as he could, hiding Sofie along with him. He reached the grate and with all his strength, he pushed it open.
*Ding!*
[One Infected Spotted]
Kia suddenly heard the familiar warning from the voice. Just as Don was about to jump down, Kia grabbed him by the collar, yanking him back into the vent.
"Wait," he hissed. "There's one down there."
Don looked at Kia, confused, as he didn't spot any zombie before he attempted to jump. But just as he was about to pull Kia's hand off him, Kia immediately pointed through the opening below.
"There," he muttered.
Don's gaze followed Kia's finger. At first, he couldn't see anything due to the flickering light, but as he looked closely, he saw it - a zombie. It came into view, staggering aimlessly in the dimly lit aisle below.
The zombie's movements were sluggish, but it was far too close for comfort, now standing directly under them.
"Damn," Don muttered under his breath. He glanced back at Kia, then at Sofie, who was barely conscious, leaning against the vent's side.
"We need to take it out," Don said.
"How? If we make a sound, more will come, and then we are done for." There was no way they could go back, but at the same time, they couldn't risk getting trapped.
Don was lost in thought; then suddenly, his eyes widened as an idea hit him. "The bag, hand it over," he stated hurriedly.