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Chapter 4: Blood and Resolve
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The gym doors creaked as Kaito led the survivors into the darkened hallway. His grip tightened around the crowbar, its weight steadying him as he glanced back at Hana and the handful of students behind them. He couldn't waste time on plans or promises. Every step was a step closer to survival or a step closer to death.
They hadn't made it far when they heard the scrape of dragging feet. Kaito signaled for the others to halt, then peered around the corner. An infected student lurched toward them, its eyes vacant, its mouth twisted into a grimace of hunger.
"Stay back," Kaito muttered to the group. He lunged forward, slamming the crowbar into the infected's head. The body crumpled, lifeless, but there was no time to think about it. Kaito barely registered the system notification—just another tally in the deadly game he was being forced to play.
"Move," he whispered, pressing on. They slipped silently through the dark, every creak of the floor and whisper of wind ratcheting up the tension. They passed empty classrooms, the floors stained with blood, and corridors littered with broken chairs and shattered glass.
They neared the emergency exit when a faint, muffled scream echoed from down the stairs. Kaito froze, his instincts screaming to ignore it, to keep his group safe. But another cry came, softer but unmistakable. Someone was still alive.
"We need to help them," Hana whispered, her eyes pleading.
"Are you kidding?" hissed Ryo, a tall, grim-faced student clutching a broken chair leg. "We're barely hanging on ourselves."
Kaito's jaw clenched. He didn't know these people, didn't owe them anything. But the idea of abandoning someone was a line he wasn't willing to cross—not yet. "We go down there. Fast and quiet."
Ryo rolled his eyes but followed, and the group descended, the sound of shuffling feet growing louder as they reached the lower level. They rounded a corner to see a girl huddled against the wall, a makeshift weapon raised against three infected closing in.
"Hold on!" Kaito shouted, charging forward. The first infected turned, but he drove the crowbar into its skull before it could react. Hana darted forward, her broom handle catching another one off guard. Kaito dispatched the last one, his breathing heavy as the girl looked up at him with wide, grateful eyes.
"Thank you…" she whispered, her face streaked with tears.
Kaito nodded. "Let's go. We've made too much noise already."
They hurried back to the emergency exit, the girl falling in step as they pushed through the doors and into the cool night air. A brief relief washed over Kaito, but it was shattered almost immediately by the sight of a small horde lumbering toward the school from across the grounds.
"Run!" he ordered. The group bolted, slipping through the shadows, staying close to walls and avoiding the open spaces. Infected roamed the streets beyond, but they stuck to alleyways, dodging bodies and hiding whenever they heard footsteps.
After what felt like hours, they reached the edge of town. The girl they'd saved led them to her family's convenience store, unlocking the door quickly as they slipped inside. The store was small but packed with food, water, and supplies, and the sight of it was enough to finally let them breathe.
They barricaded the door with crates and collapsed in the storeroom, catching their breath. Kaito checked his system notification—six infected down, four more to go for his quest.
Ryo, slumped against the wall, glared at Kaito. "You really think we can fight our way through this? Those things don't stop. They don't feel pain. You're insane if you think we'll last."
Kaito returned his stare, unwilling to back down. "Sitting around and waiting to be rescued isn't an option. We can either fight or we die. I choose to fight."
A tense silence followed, but one by one, the others nodded. They were battered, scared, and desperate, but they weren't ready to give up.
Hana placed a hand on Kaito's shoulder. "We'll get through this," she murmured.
"Yeah," he said, though he barely recognized his own voice. He felt something changing within him, a cold resolve settling in his bones. He couldn't afford to be afraid anymore. The world had changed, and he would have to change with it if they were going to survive.
"Rest up," Kaito told them. "Tomorrow, we start looking for a way out of this town."
As the others settled into a fitful rest, Kaito kept watch, his mind haunted by the system's cold reminders and the bloody path he'd have to walk.