Simon coughed, each breath scraping painfully against his ribs as he struggled to push himself off the ground. Dust and debris clung to his clothes, and his muscles screamed in protest.
That punch had caught him completely off guard, a blow that reminded him of just how fragile his body could feel in moments like these.
Above the sound of his labored breaths, Adrian's laughter echoed through the air. It wasn't just a laugh — it was the kind of mocking, heartful cackle that sent chills down Simon's spine.
"You look surprised," Adrian's voice purred through the lingering interface. His tone was smug, dripping with amusement.
"I've always had a fascination with experiments. Ever since I was a child, I wondered: what would happen if you combined zombie DNA with human DNA? A childish curiosity, maybe. But this Apocalypse gave me the perfect laboratory to test my theories."
