Back at the Cafeteria
The rain pounded against the cafeteria windows, turning the outside world into a blurred canvas of gray streaks and muted shadows. Denji and Isamu sat across from each other at one of the weathered tables, their lunches barely touched. The heavy drumming of the rain was the only constant sound, broken occasionally by a low rumble of distant thunder.
"It's really coming down today, huh?" Denji remarked, leaning back on the table, his gaze fixed on the rivulets streaking down the glass.
Isamu exhaled, his breath clouding slightly in the damp air. "Yeah, but we'll have to leave before sunset no matter what. We won't be able to see anything if it gets dark, and these things have a tendency to pop up out of nowhere."
"So they're like me, huh?" a voice interjected.
Isamu turned sharply to see Sato seated beside him, his signature smirk plastered on his face.
'Sato, I was starting to think you'd finally found peace. But I see you were just giving me false hope,' Isamu thought bitterly.
Sato chuckled, his laughter light yet grating. "False hope, huh? Kinda like you when I thought you were gonna help me that night I tripped. But don't worry—I'm not going away anytime soon."
Isamu leaned his head into his palm. 'Trust me, I've got bigger problems, like surviving this new life of mine. I'll deal with you when I've got the time to spare.'
Sato's smirk faltered for a moment. "I understand. Guess that means we're stuck with each other until then, huh?"
'Guess it does.'
As Isamu turned back toward the table, Sato was gone. He sighed, tilting his head back to stare at the water-stained ceiling. 'That's a first. He left me alone.'
Time crawled by as the rain gradually softened, the heavy downpour easing into a steady drizzle. When only sporadic droplets dotted the windows, Denji and Isamu decided it was time to leave.
The pair stepped out into the damp air, the scent of rain-soaked concrete filling their nostrils. Their journey back to the main hall was uneventful, the quietness of the corridors broken only by the occasional groan of distant undead. Each step was deliberate, drawing away the stragglers without attracting too much attention.
At the main hall, Takumi greeted them with a raised eyebrow. "The rain held you up, huh?"
Isamu huffed, brushing droplets off his jacket. "Yeah, we just killed time in the cafeteria 'til it cooled down. How was everything here?"
Takumi shrugged nonchalantly. "You know, same old, same old."
Isamu's eyes scanned the room, noticing the absence of a familiar face. "Hey, where's Yuto?"
Astrid, leaning against a nearby desk, frowned as she glanced around. "I don't know. I haven't seen him in a while now that you mention it. Why do you ask?"
Isamu chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his neck. "Oh, nothing. Just asking."
But his thoughts betrayed his calm demeanor. 'Yuto's been my number one suspect for the window shenanigans. He's been quiet these past few days, and now this? He's probably snooping around on the fifth floor. Maybe he found the surveillance room… though there's nothing useful on there. Not for him, anyway.'
As the daylight waned and shadows lengthened, Isamu made up his mind. "I'm gonna check upstairs. It's getting late."
Astrid nodded, her concern barely masked. "Okay. Be careful."
On the Fifth Floor
The fire escape was damp and slippery underfoot as Isamu ascended to the fifth floor. The dim hallway stretched out like a forgotten tunnel, illuminated only by the faint glow of monitors spilling out from the surveillance room.
Yuto sat at the desk, leaning back in a chair with an air of self-assuredness. His glasses caught the light as he turned to see Isamu standing in the doorway.
"Well, I see you found me," Yuto said, a smug grin spreading across his face. "I've been combing through the footage, looking for our window culprit. Nothing so far. But then I got curious and started going back further. Imagine my surprise when I found what happened at the garden that night."
Isamu's heart sank, but his face remained neutral. 'He saw Sato. Shit. Play it cool, Isamu.'
"What the hell are you talking about?" Isamu feigned confusion, stepping closer.
Yuto's grin widened. "Come on, Isamu. Don't play dumb. Wanna watch it together?"
He clicked the mouse—now on the left side of the desk—and replayed the clip. The footage of Isamu dropping the bottle and luring Sato into danger played on the screen, but Isamu's mind was elsewhere.
'The mouse was on the right side yesterday. Yuto moved it to his left. Like the knife in the cafeteria... he's left-handed. The hand from the footage—it was a left hand. It's Yuto!'
Isamu smirked. "You're the one who's been trying to kill us."
Yuto's expression darkened, his composure faltering. "What the f**k are you talking about? You're the killer! I'm going to show this to everyone."
Isamu shook his head, his voice icy. "Why'd you do it, Yuto? Why try to kill us?"
Yuto's grin returned, this time cold and unhinged. "Fine. You're taking the blame anyway. It's because I wanted Astrid to notice me. All of them to notice me. But it didn't work. Then you and Astrid got close again, so I had to get rid of you."
Isamu chuckled. "So you opened the window on the first floor. Wow, you are the most pathetic person alive right now."
A faint, low whirl cut through the tension. Both heads turned toward the blinds.
A faint light flickered in the night sky.
'A helicopter!'
Everyone on the fourth floor managed to notice it as well. They all rushed up, hope surging through their veins for the first time in a while, going up the fire escape to the 5th floor. Soon, they joined Yuto and Isamu on the roof, their breaths ragged from the climb. The cool night breeze did little to calm their frayed nerves.
The helicopter still a bit far, it couldn't see them or the S.O.S sign in the dark hastily fashioned from torn fabric and debris. Desperation took over as they began screaming and waving their arms frantically.
"OVER HERE!!... HELP!!!"
Their collective shouts echoed into the night, bouncing off the buildings, but the noise had another unintended consequence. Below, the dead heard them. Moans rose from the stairway near the fifth floor, accompanied by the sharp, unsettling sound of scratching and banging against the barricade.
Yet no one paid attention to the ominous warning. All their hopes and fears were pinned on the helicopter—a beacon of survival they had waited for so long.
The barricade gave way with a sickening crash, the dead forcing themselves through. Their shuffling forms began climbing the stairs, drawn by the commotion above.
"HEYYYY!!... HELP!!!"
The helicopter grew closer, but its trajectory wasn't direct. It seemed to veer slightly, as if unsure of its destination. Then came the growl—a chorus of raspy, guttural sounds as dozens of the dead emerged onto the roof.
Yuna's scream pierced the air. "They're here!!"
Everyone froze, their eyes locking on the slow, relentless advance of the undead.
"Everyone calm down," Isamu barked, his voice sharp and commanding. "When I shout, go around them and get downstairs as fast as you can."
He took a deep breath, then bellowed at the top of his lungs. The sound drew the dead like moths to a flame. They groaned and lurched toward him, leaving a narrow path for the others. Without hesitation, the group darted around the undead and sprinted downstairs.
Yuto hesitated briefly near the janitor's room, spotting one of the dead blocking the way to the fire escape. Cursing under his breath, he followed the others down the hallway.
On the roof, Isamu stood at the edge, his heart pounding. He waited until the dead were perilously close before dodging their outstretched arms with agile precision. He darted past them and descended the stairs, their rotting forms turning clumsily to follow.
Once inside, he slipped into a classroom and hid under a desk. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he tried to quiet his breathing, but the faint sound attracted a few of the dead. He stiffened at the sound of soft, stifled sobs behind him.
Turning his head slowly, he saw Haruka standing at the back of the room, her tear-streaked face pale with terror. Her quiet whimpers grew louder, and the dead turned toward her.
She screamed, panic overtaking her as she scrambled to flee, but the dead were relentless. They surrounded her, their decayed hands pulling her down beside the desk.
"Help meee!!" she shrieked, her voice rising in a crescendo of desperation.
Isamu remained frozen under the desk as the dead tore into her. Her blood poured through a crack in the desk, hot and sticky as it trickled onto his face. He clenched his teeth, suppressing his nausea as her screams faded into silence.
When they were fully engrossed in devouring her, he slid out from beneath the desk. His movements were deliberate and soundless. He peered into the hallway—it was clear. Carefully, he stepped out, closing the door behind him with agonizing slowness.
He approached a fire extinguisher mounted on the wall. Lifting it, he revealed a gun taped behind it. He retrieved the weapon just as Yuto burst from a nearby room, slamming the door shut behind him.
The growls and scratching from the other side of the door were relentless. Yuto exhaled heavily, his relief short-lived as he turned to face Isamu. His eyes widened at the sight of the blood covering Isamu.
"What the f**k is all that blood?! Are you bit?" Yuto demanded, his voice a mix of anger and alarm.
Isamu shook his head. "But you are." He pointed to Yuto's arm.
Yuto looked down, noticing for the first time the bite mark. He chuckled bitterly. "Of course. So it's over for me? Just like that? Life f**king sucks."
Isamu raised the gun, his expression devoid of emotion. "You understand what needs to be done, right?"
Yuto nodded, his face darkening. "I just wish I could've shown everyone you killing that guy in the garden."
Isamu shrugged. "Well, don't worry, 'cause they'll sure as hell know I killed you."
The gunshot echoed through the corridor. Yuto's body crumpled to the ground, his blood and brains splattering against the wall. The growls of the dead grew louder, drawn by the noise.
Isamu turned without a word and climbed back to the roof. He scanned the horizon, but the helicopter was gone, swallowed by the night. He fell to his knees and screamed into the void above.
The rest of them soon joined him, Astrid laying a hand on his shoulder. They stood in silence, mourning the shattered hope.
Day 11
Isamu, staring out the window as Denji came to wake. He sat up straight, his face had lost the usual smile and shine expression.
"Let's get the f**k out of this place," he said flatly.
Wordlessly, everyone packed their bags and began their silent exodus down the fire escape. Isamu, as always, distracted the dead, allowing the others to pass. They moved past the cafeteria, its eerie stillness contrasting the chaos they had just survived.
One by one, they climbed over the school walls, finally reaching the street. A sudden ding echoed—a notification sound.
They exchanged confused looks. Takumi rummaged through his bag, pulling out the phone. The screen was blank.
"Guys," Yuna called, her voice trembling as she pointed skyward.
They all turned, their eyes widening in disbelief. Hovering in the dark sky, written in crimson-red holographic letters, were the words:
[Congratulations Players! You have completed Stage one]
"What the f**k?!!"
Authors side note: Unfortuately the chapeters ahead are locked, but to give you a preview of whats ahead.
They discover they are in a game, Isamu gets a cool katana from the game, it supposedly can kill anything with one cut. They begin a new journey far to the cities maybe...
New characters are introduced and we learn more about the game etc...