The sun shone brightly through the windows of Grade 9 - Physics, Room 3, Building 2, casting a warm glow over the class of 28 students. Mrs. Diebre was in the middle of her math lesson on quadratic equations, her voice a steady hum. Krieru sat in the middle row, his pencil idly tapping on his notebook. Though he wasn't fully focused on the lesson, his mind was wandering, thinking about lunch.

Suddenly, a loud, piercing alarm rang through the school. The class exchanged quick glances, their conversations rising. This wasn't a fire drill—it felt different.

Mrs. Diebre raised her voice over the noise, "Everyone, stay calm! Stay in your seats, it's probably just a malfunction."

But before she could finish, the intercom crackled to life, and the shaky voice of the principal came through. "Attention students and faculty. This is not a drill. We are currently under lockdown. Remain in your classrooms. I repeat, remain in your classrooms. There has been… an incident in the area. A quarantine is now in effect."

A murmur spread through the classroom, but to Krieru's surprise, it wasn't panic that gripped his classmates—it was excitement. The words "quarantine" and "incident" sounded like the start of a zombie outbreak right out of their video games.

"What do you think it is?" Jezro asked from the back, a grin on his face. "This is it, guys. We've trained for this."

Viana, sitting beside Krieru, smirked. "Looks like we're finally going to see some real action."

Krieru couldn't help but chuckle. Despite the seriousness of the announcement, he knew exactly why they were all so excited. For months, they had played endless zombie games, planning strategies and imagining what they'd do in a real-life scenario. It seemed like everyone in the room was ready to take on the role of the zombie-slaying hero they'd dreamed of being.

"Well, if this is the start of a zombie apocalypse, we're more than ready," Krieru said with a smirk, his excitement bubbling up. "Let's see what happens."

Some students in the back started talking about their plans to "gear up" using anything they could find in the classroom. A few desks were being dragged aside to form makeshift barricades. Others were checking their bags for anything that could double as a weapon. It was clear—this wasn't fear; it was excitement.

But not everyone was on board. A few students sat quietly, their faces pale, clearly worried about their families. Mikko and Tina whispered in the corner, tears forming in their eyes as they clutched their phones, trying to get a signal to call their parents.

"I just hope my family's okay," Tina muttered, her voice shaking. "This can't be happening."

Mrs. Diebre, however, was trying to maintain control. "Everyone, sit down! This is serious—this isn't a game!" she called out, her voice nearly drowned out by the chatter.

Before she could regain order, the door swung open, and Mr. Arano, the gym teacher, rushed in, out of breath. "Mrs. Diebre, we need to secure this classroom. A zombie escaped from a nearby research facility. The whole area is on lockdown."

At the word "zombie," the classroom erupted—not in panic, but in cheers.

"No way! This is like a real-life zombie game!" one of the boys shouted, fists pumping into the air.

Mrs. Diebre tried to hush them, but it was no use. The majority of the class was ready to spring into action. Krieru caught Viana's eye, and they both shared a knowing look. This was their moment.

"We should stay put," Krieru said, pulling Viana aside. "We don't know what's really going on outside, and the gates are probably sealed."

Viana nodded. "Yeah, but what if the others try to escape?"

In the distance, they could see a group of students from Building 4 rushing toward the guard house, the one place where only teachers and student leaders had access. The panic had driven them inside, searching for safety. But Krieru knew better. The guard house held the keys to all the rooms, the controls for the gates, and access to the CCTV. If the situation escalated, the guard house would become the central hub of control.

As if on cue, the sounds of metal clanging filled the air. From the window, Krieru saw the students from Building 4 rushing toward the school's front gate, desperately trying to escape. In their panic, they had managed to break the gate open, only to reveal a horde of zombies waiting just outside.

Screams echoed through the yard as the fleeing students encountered the hungry creatures. The zombies swarmed them, their decayed forms moving with terrifying speed. The sight was horrifying—but in Grade 9 - Physics, it only cemented the idea that they were in the middle of their own zombie game.

Krieru's heart raced as he pulled Viana back from the window. "We're staying in here. We can't leave."

Viana nodded, still calm but more serious now. "Let's just hope the rest of them figure that out."

"We're better off here," Krieru said again, this time more firmly. "We've got everything we need."

The room had settled into a strange mixture of excitement and tension. While a few students still cried over their families, most of the class sat back, waiting for the next move—like players in a game waiting for the next level to load.

For now, Grade 9 - Physics was in lockdown, and Krieru couldn't help but feel like the real game was just beginning.