Chapter 7: The Separation
The mall felt heavier with every passing second, the weight of dust and silence pressing down on Dinl as he crouched in the rubble. His knife rested steady in his hand, the faint hum of his breathing the only sound accompanying him. Somewhere in the distance, a deep roar echoed, vibrating through the walls and shaking loose chunks of debris.
Dinl scanned his surroundings. He was alone now, separated from Zeke, Sarah, and Jake when the floor collapsed beneath him. His jaw tightened. If the Cerberus was nearby, the others wouldn't stand a chance! Not without a plan, and definitely not with Zeke leading them.
'They'll survive,' Dinl told himself. But even in his own mind, the words felt thin…
Another roar tore through the quiet, low and resonant, almost alive. Dinl froze, listening. The sound wasn't just noise… it carried purpose!
Moments later, the shuffle of countless feet echoed through the crumbling hallways. Dinl pressed himself against the wall, his eyes narrowing as shadows began to flicker at the far end of the corridor. The first wave of zombies stumbled into view, their decayed forms jerking unnaturally, as if something unseen was guiding them!
'It's pulling them in,' Dinl thought, his grip tightening on his knife.
Cerberus wasn't just summoning them… it was organizing them!
On the upper floor, Zeke leaned against a shattered display case, twirling his glowing dagger absently in one hand. The light reflected faintly on his face, illuminating the sharp set of his jaw.
"That thing's making a racket!" Zeke muttered, his tone laced with annoyance.
"It's not just noise!" Sarah shot back, her voice clipped. She gripped her crowbar tightly, her gaze fixed on the dark corridor ahead. "It's calling them!"
"Good!" Zeke said with a short laugh. "Let them come! We'll clear them out like before!"
Sarah turned sharply, her expression hard. "You don't get it, do you? We barely made it last time. Dinl…"
"Dinl isn't here," Zeke interrupted, his tone cold. "And if he were alive, he would be!"
Jake hesitated, his bat resting on his shoulder. "What if he's stuck? Or hurt? We could at least check!"
Zeke snorted. "Check? You saw how those zombies moved! If he's not here by now, he's hiding or dead. Either way, I'm not wasting time looking for him."
Sarah stepped closer, her voice low and biting. "You're scared! Admit it!"
Zeke's smirk faltered, his eyes narrowing. "I'm not scared. I'm smart. There's a difference."
The tension between them hung in the air, thick and heavy. Jake shifted uncomfortably, his grip tightening on his bat. "Guys… maybe we should just focus on getting out of here! The longer we stay…"
Sarah broke eye contact first, exhaling sharply as she turned away. Without another word, she started walking. Jake glanced at Zeke, who lingered for a moment before following.
Dinl crouched low as the last of the zombies passed, their shuffling forms disappearing into the corridor ahead. He stayed still for a moment longer, his breathing controlled, before moving cautiously into the open.
The lower levels of the mall were darker than above, with long shadows stretching across the cracked floors. Dinl's steps were deliberate, his eyes scanning for movement.
As he moved, he spotted a collapsed office near the edge of the hallway. Inside, overturned desks and shattered monitors sat in disarray, dust covering every surface. Among the debris, Dinl noticed a vending machine with its glass cracked.
He approached cautiously, his knife ready. A quick strike broke the remaining glass, allowing him to retrieve a pack of crackers and a half-empty bottle of water.
'It's not much, but it'll keep me going,' Dinl thought as he slipped the items into his bag.
He stepped back into the hallway, his gaze falling on a narrow passage ahead. Kneeling, he pulled a length of wire from his pack, tying it carefully across the corridor. He fastened a small shard of glass to the wire, creating a simple noise trap. It wouldn't stop the Cerberus, but it might buy him time!
The growl came again… low, rumbling, and far too close. Dinl pressed himself against the wall, his eyes fixed on the shadows ahead.
Cerberus appeared slowly, its massive form moving with a predatory grace. Its three heads snapped and snarled, each one moving independently as their glowing red eyes scanned the surroundings. Its hulking body was a grotesque patchwork of sinew and bone, its claws scraping loudly against the tiled floor.
Dinl stayed motionless, watching as the creature moved past. Behind it, the zombies followed in eerie synchrony, their movements directed by Cerberus's growls.
'It's not just leading them… it's controlling them!'
Each head had a purpose. One scanned for threats, another coordinated the horde, and the third emitted a low, rhythmic growl that seemed to keep the zombies focused.
'Three heads, three problems,' Dinl thought, his gaze narrowing. 'But even something this big has a weak spot!'
Upstairs, the group reached a narrow stairwell. Zeke stopped at the edge, glancing down into the shadows below.
"We're not going back down there," he said firmly, his tone leaving no room for debate.
Sarah turned, her eyes blazing. "You can't just leave him!"
Zeke raised an eyebrow, his smirk returning. "If he's alive, he'll catch up. If not… it's not my problem."
Jake shifted uncomfortably. "But what if he's the reason the zombies are going back to the mall? What if he's still fighting?"
Zeke shrugged. "Then he's an idiot."
Sarah's jaw tightened, her voice sharp. "You're pathetic!"
The silence that followed was deafening. Zeke didn't respond, turning and starting up the stairs. After a moment, Sarah followed, though her expression remained stormy.
Below, Dinl adjusted his position, dismantling one of his traps to reuse the wire. He glanced toward the darkened corridor where Cerberus had disappeared.
'It's pulling everything in! If I don't stop it now, the others won't stand a chance,' Dinl thought.
He checked his knife, testing its edge against his thumb. The blade was sharp, but against something like Cerberus, precision would matter more than strength.
"This ends now!" Dinl whispered, moving deeper into the shadows.
Sarah paused briefly at the top of the stairs, glancing back toward the ruined mall. Her face betrayed her doubt, though she said nothing.
"He's not coming back," Zeke said, his voice echoing faintly. "Let it go."
Her grip on her crowbar tightened, but she turned away, leaving the ruins behind.