Once again, Nathan returned to the stairwell.
The place was still shrouded in darkness as he cautiously descended, each step measured and silent. His senses were on high alert, listening for any sound that might hint at the presence of something else. He didn't want surprises. Not now.
------------------------------
Finally, he reached the door leading to the eighth floor.
The descent had been quiet. Maybe too quiet. He hadn't encountered any obstacles on the stairs, nor had there been any signs of zombies. A part of him wanted to be grateful, but another part wondered if this was a good sign or a bad one.
He paused in front of the door, closing his eyes as he took a slow, deep breath. His heart pounded, not from fear, but from the tension of the unknown.
Exhaling, muscles tensed and gaze determined, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.
To his surprise, the eighth floor wasn't a complete mess like the ninth. There were some bloodstains, but nothing compared to the slaughter he had witnessed upstairs. Moreover, all the apartment doors were open. That meant he wouldn't have to go back for the sledgehammer to break them down. A small relief.
The hallway appeared clear. No zombies in sight, but that didn't mean he was alone. He moved cautiously, keeping a firm grip on his bat.
When he reached the first apartment, he slowly peeked inside—and saw them.
Two zombies stood in the entryway hallway.
—Shit… —he thought, gripping the bat tighter.
He had hoped, foolishly, that this floor would be easier to clear. But no. He'd have to deal with these two first.
However, he couldn't rush in. If there were more zombies in the other rooms, he could end up trapped.
He didn't have many options, but he did have an advantage.
The zombies hadn't seen him yet.
With careful movements, he slipped inside the apartment, pressing himself against the wall as his eyes scanned the scene. Stealth was his best weapon right now.
If he played his cards right, he could take them down before things spiraled out of control.
------------------------------
As he stepped inside, Nathan shut the door behind him as quietly as possible, ensuring he wouldn't be attacked from behind. However, in that very instant, something unexpected happened.
One of the zombies, the closest to him, abruptly turned around.
A low, menacing growl broke the silence of the apartment. Its lifeless, glassy eyes locked onto Nathan, and without hesitation, it lurched forward, its movements clumsy yet filled with a clear intent to kill.
Nathan didn't wait. His body reacted on instinct.
He tightened his grip on the bat and swung it swiftly, delivering a brutal strike to the zombie's head.
A dry, grotesque crack echoed through the room. Blood splattered against the wall as the body collapsed lifelessly to the floor.
There was no time to process it.
The second zombie, alerted by the noise, moved toward him without hesitation.
Nathan was already prepared. He repeated the motion, bringing the bat down with precision, shattering bone and flesh. Another corpse dropped beside the first.
Silence returned—but only for a few seconds.
Nathan remained on guard, his breathing heavy, his muscles tense. Then, the sound of dragging footsteps sent a chill through his spine.
He turned his head and saw more zombies emerging from the depths of the apartment.
He couldn't afford to let them surround him.
With determined steps, he moved forward, raising the bat and swinging it directly into the head of the first one in sight. With sheer force, he yanked the weapon back and struck the next.
One by one, he took them down until the last body fell motionless.
His breath was ragged. His arms ached from the effort, but he didn't lower his guard just yet.
He waited, listening carefully for any sounds that might hint at more movement.
Nothing.
Only then did he scan the room and count the bodies.
Seven in total.
Five freshly killed, along with the first two he had taken down upon entering.
Still, he refused to grow complacent. In this world, overconfidence meant death.
Moving cautiously, he swept through the apartment, checking every corner. He searched the living room, the kitchen, and the bedrooms, but found no further threats.
Once he was sure the place was clear, he let out a long sigh, his shoulders finally slumping.
He spotted a chair and dropped into it.
The apartment was a mess, bloodstains marking the walls and floor, but after everything he'd seen, it no longer fazed him. Besides, this place wouldn't be his refuge, so there was no reason to concern himself with its condition.
For now, he took the moment to rest. His muscles needed it.
It was still early—plenty of time left to continue clearing the floor.
After a few minutes, he pushed himself back to his feet and headed for the exit.
There were still more apartments to clear, and he needed to finish them all before the day was over.
------------------------------
Before stepping out of the apartment, Nathan took a quick glance down the hallway. Everything was still quiet.
Taking advantage of the lack of movement, he moved carefully toward the next apartment. He had to make sure no hidden threats remained.
He peeked cautiously through the entrance.
Nothing.
At first glance, the interior was empty.
Still, he didn't let his guard down and stepped inside slowly.
Following the same procedure, he shut the door behind him and remained still in the entryway, waiting for any sound that might reveal the presence of a hidden enemy.
Absolute silence.
With each step he took, his breath remained steady, his senses sharp, ready to react at the slightest sign of danger.
But to his relief, the apartment was completely vacant. Only chaos remained inside—overturned furniture, scattered belongings, and a trail of dried blood smeared across one of the walls.
Nothing he needed to deal with.
Wasting no time, he moved to the last apartment.
This time, his luck ran out.
The moment he stepped inside, a zombie stood in the entryway.
Nathan didn't hesitate.
He shut the door behind him, and, as expected, the creature reacted instantly, turning clumsily toward him.
Before it could do anything else, Nathan had already raised his bat and brought it down with brutal force.
The skull cracked with a sickening crunch, and the body collapsed with a dull thud.
But before he could even take a breath, a different sound filled the air.
A rough, irregular noise.
Like claws scraping against the floor.
A cold shiver ran down Nathan's spine.
Something was wrong.
His entire body tensed, his senses sharpening to their limit.
And then, he saw it.
From the darkness of the apartment, the source of that sound emerged.
Nathan's eyes widened.
Sweat trickled down his back, and despite the iron grip he had on his bat, his hands trembled.
A deep, guttural growl rumbled through the room.
Nathan barely had time for a single thought.
—Shit.