17.10.2031.
Area F4 Baycoa
16:01 PM
The military vehicles finally came to a halt in front of a crumbling house, isolated in the middle of nowhere. A desolate field surrounded them, dotted with a few scraggly trees, while behind lay a dense maple forest that had not been part of their plans. Darkness slowly descended, casting an eerie shadow over the scene.
Danny stepped out at their request, his heart pounding with unease. He was led into the one building along with two other soldiers who stood close by. The plan was simple yet daunting: Danny, a skilled sniper, would keep watch with the other two soldiers, scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger. This was their first separation, and none of them felt good about it.
As they continued their journey in the military vehicle, they soon arrived at another abandoned building where two soldiers awaited them. The general entered with an air of authority, while Alex followed closely behind Owen, holding Vanessa's hand tightly. She trailed behind them, her expression a mixture of concern and determination. The building resembled a makeshift base; various boxes, papers, and weapons cluttered a large table. Two closed doors led from the room, and the windows were boarded up—only a harsh LED lamp illuminated their surroundings.
"Well, we can begin," the general announced, his voice cold and commanding. Just then, the lights flickered ominously before plunging them into darkness. Alex felt a surge of dread as he noticed Vanessa release his hand. In that suffocating blackness, he couldn't react, all he could hear was her soft mumbling.
"Vanessa?!" Alex called out desperately as he turned around. Suddenly, he felt a sharp blow to his head that sent him crashing to the floor. Dizziness enveloped him, he couldn't move until someone else pulled him upright and bound him with rough ropes. When the lights flickered back on, he found himself back-to-back with Owen, both tied up tightly.
"What the hell is this?!" Owen shouted angrily.
"Where's Vanessa? I swear I'll cut your throats if you touch her!" Alex's panic surged as he realized Vanessa was missing.
"Did you really think you could get away with this nonsense? Didn't your parents teach you not to stick your nose where it doesn't belong?" The general mocked them as two soldiers entered the room—two who had come out with Danny.
"Mission accomplished," one soldier reported smugly, pulling out a digital timer that counted down from 15:23. "The bomb is set, the target remains."
"Excellent," replied the general coolly.
"Where is Vanessa? Where is Danny? I'll kill all of you!" Alex's control slipped away as fury boiled inside him; his heart raced wildly.
"Sweetheart," the general sneered. "I've been generous. I've given him 15 minutes to live before that house disappears. Others would have poisoned him instead. But he looks like a weirdo, I didn't want to risk him surviving something he might be immune to." He grinned wickedly as he delivered the worst news yet to Owen and Alex.
FLASHBACK
Date: August 12, 2023, 19:05 PM
During the summer break, many students had part-time jobs to fill their time. For Danny, however, that wasn't an option. His parents owned a small restaurant in the neighborhood, well-known for its delicious recipes and refreshing beer. Throughout the break and during the school year, whenever he had free time, Danny helped his parents in the restaurant. They were the main workers there, with Liam, the son of their friends who worked as a waiter. Whenever Danny arrived, he would take over his mother's role in the kitchen or his father's at the bar. He found joy among the food and drinks. For him, money held little value, he never asked his parents for a salary. With his sharp mind, he could have excelled in numerous math competitions, but he didn't want fame or fortune. What mattered most to him was doing what he loved and keeping it close to his heart. Yet, this dedication slowly consumed him from within. His silence, hiding away his feelings, forgiving others without reciprocation—it all weighed heavily on him. He felt lifeless, rejected, and utterly alone. Isolation gnawed at him more and more, even though he had friends. He was trapped in his own problems.
During his shift, Danny found himself alone in the kitchen after finishing up cleaning. He hadn't spoken to anyone that day except for his parents. The weight of his thoughts pressed down on him, he felt as if he could no longer endure this way of life. It was a feeling that had haunted him since childhood, but now he swallows his problems —both metaphorically and literally. He pulled out a small pillbox from his bag and glanced around the room to ensure he was alone. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead as shadows danced across the walls—an unsettling reminder of his solitude. With trembling hands, he opened the box and stared at the small white pills inside. They were supposed to help him feel better, but deep down he knew they were a dangerous escape. Danny took a deep breath, feeling a mix of dread and desperation wash over him. He thought about how long he had been hiding this part of himself—how many times he had masked his pain with forced smiles and laughter around others. The thought of being discovered terrified him more than anything else.
With one final glance at the door to confirm no one was coming in, he swallowed a pill dry. The bitter taste lingered on his tongue as anxiety twisted in his gut. This wasn't just medication, it was a lifeline he clung to in moments of darkness—a darkness that threatened to eat him entirely. Just as he tucked the pillbox back into his backpack, the door swung open.
"Sweetheart, your friends have arrived! I'll take over here, go enjoy some time." his mother called from the doorway as she grabbed an apron off the wall and tied it around her waist. But before he was leaving his mom stopped him.
"That blonde girl isn't my daughter in law ? You know u can tell me hon." And the question that has been repeated for 100 times, is again asked. Danny's mom was in hers early 50s, and she has been waiting for Danny's girlfriend since he started high school. Her wish is to see her son with a beautiful girl and to have grandchildren. But she knew that Danny has no interest in dating. Danny looked at his mom, yet the smile on his face was painfully he had to hide it all.
"Mom, no. We are all just friends. Let me breath." Danny patted his moms shoulder .
"I know son, I just want the best for you. But I know you will turn to right, you are my only son." She kissed Danny's cheeks and went to kitchens cabinet. Danny left, and gain the same sentence came from his moms mouth : "turn to right." Deep down his mothers traditional lifestyle was killing him softly. Knowing that his parents only has him he didn't want to be a disappointment, but nor a puppet to make others wishes and abound his. Danny stepped out of the kitchen into the bar area and spotted them.
"Well, look who we have here. Our house-wife !" Owen teased right away while rocking back in his chair. Alex lightly pushed him aside, causing Owen to fall backward.
"Shut up, you lazy ass." Alex shot back as Owen lay sprawled on the floor. Danny couldn't help but smile at their antics after such a long day.
"I'm dying of heat, Giraffe, give me some juice please!" Vanessa chimed in with mock annoyance. She often teased Danny but was polite when they go together at his place—those were rare moments indeed. He playfully gave her a thumbs-up before turning to the fridge, they always drank the same things: Vanessa enjoyed strawberry juice, Owen preferred a little beer, Alex had coffee, and Danny was dying for fizzy soda.
As he went to the fridge for their drinks, he didn't expect to find someone behind him—startling him as it happened every time.
"FOR GOD SAKE! How long are you going to keep appearing out of nowhere?" he exclaimed to Alex while holding onto the drinks tightly to avoid spilling them.
"I think forever," Alex replied with a grin. Danny shook his head with a gentle smile as he prepared water for Alex's coffee. He then noticed Alex watching him intently as he made it—just like every other time.
"You know you could make your own coffee by now with how many times you've seen me do it," Danny said teasingly.
"Hmm, no thanks. I prefer when you make it. I'd probably spill half of it," Alex replied with a chuckle.
As Danny moved aside to grab a coffee cup, Alex asked again with concern in his voice,
"Are you okay? You seem tired, you didn't respond all day." Worry etched across Alex's face about Danny's recent disappearances. Swallowing hard against the lump in his throat, Danny replied with forced cheerfulness.
"Don't worry shrimp. I just couldn't sleep well because of that neighbor's dog. Today I took double shift and slept on every break." It was a lie, but he smiled as he handed Alex his coffee. Though Alex accepted this explanation, doubt lingered in his eyes. Danny grabbed three bottles and they joined Owen and Vanessa at their table.
END OF FLASHBACK
"I'LL KILL YOU! DO YOU HEAR ME?!" Alex screamed, his sanity slipping away with each passing second. Owen remained silent, a storm of confusion swirling inside him. He didn't understand what was happening, where Vanessa was, or what fate awaited them.
"You're really annoying. Good thing I won't have to listen to you anymore. Follow the orders when the time is up. Then bring me the blonde—unharmed. "Understood?"
"Understood, General." The soldier repeated. General was about to to leave but paused for a final word.
"In a world ruled by politics, don't pretend to be heroes. Nothing happens by consequence, kids. Everything has a reason. Of all people, you've been granted the most beautiful death—unzombified." With that, he exited the room, flanked by two guards and joined by the other soldiers who had been with Danny. Alex felt himself spiraling into despair when Owen finally spoke up.
"This is all your fault, you're insane!" Owen snapped at Alex. He couldn't believe what he was hearing and turned sharply to Owen, who winked at him, directing his gaze downward .In that moment of chaos while Alex argued with the general, Owen seized his chance. He discreetly pulled out a small pocket knife and began sawing at the ropes binding his wrists. But he needed to divert the soldiers' attention first. With a subtle gesture of his lips, he urged Alex to keep talking.
"I'm insane? You're the one who agreed to this madness! If you hadn't doubted me from the start, we wouldn't be tied up in this mess!" Alex's words were sharp, and he noticed how the soldiers were momentarily distracted by their banter.
"What's so funny asshole? Where's Vanessa?" Alex shot back angrily as they turned their attention toward him.
"You don't need to worry. I'm sure she's having a great time behind those doors. She bit me so hard we had to tape her mouth shut. Once we're done with you two, we'll take care of her." The soldier smirked.
"She's responsible for all this! Her stupid mouth always gets us into trouble! And you still defend her?" Owen chimed in again, buying time as he continued to work on his restraints.
"Unlike you, I have friends—not soulless husks like you!" Alex shot back.
"And unlike you, I don't buy my friends with cheap compliments!" Owen retorted.
"Go fuck yourself!" Alex yelled back.
"At least I can—and you can't, no dick!" Owen yelled back before slapping Alex on the shoulder—a signal that sent adrenaline coursing through them both. The soldiers were now focused on their weapons at the table. In a flash, Alex and Owen moved in unison, they attacked the soldiers from behind, knocking them down before they could react. Alex took control of the situation.
"Where's Vanessa? Where's Danny? Or do you want me to leave you here for something worse than death?" Alex grabbed one soldier by the throat, pressing his gun against his temple.
"Behind the door... it's too late, the bomb will activate soon—there's no deactivation!" The soldier stammered before Alex released him and shot both men dead—an act that shocked Owen into silence as he realized Alex was capable of such brutality. Rushing toward the door, Alex flung it open to reveal Vanessa bound and gagged in a corner, her face smeared with dirt and tears streaming down her cheeks. He hurriedly untied her and removed the tape from her mouth.
"I'm so sorry. It's all my fault—he is right!" she sobbed as Alex gently stroked her hair and lifted her chin to meet his gaze.
"You're not at fault for anything. We pretended to argue to distract them so we could escape. It worked!" He reassured her.
"But gunfire—your head is bleeding?! What happened?!" She gasped in horror at his condition.
"I did it. I'm fine." He replied quickly.
"Alex! You need to see this!" Owen called out urgently as he held up some papers he had found—documents that revealed they had been under surveillance for some time
"William set us u, they made this together! None of this was accidental." The realization hit them like a freight train as they understood they had stumbled into a conspiracy far deeper than they imagined when contacting William about their plan. Everything had been meticulously planned; this entire apocalypse had its purpose. The political situation in Modenini was deteriorating rapidly, suddenly everything made sense to Alex. The zombie virus originated in Mosina's lab—with the intent to eradicate them all so authorities could sell out their country and surrender peacefully to enemy forces. Clearly, units F3 and F1 were not informed, the likelihood of being sold into servitude loomed large over them all. That's why they tried to kill them—to prevent them from ending an apocalypse.
"Danny... time is running out, we have only six minutes left to warn him...This can't be happening!" Owen reminded them harshly of their grim reality. Alex watched as seconds ticked away: 5:48... 5:47... Panic surged through him as he realized there was no other choice left. Grabbing the timer from one of the dead soldiers along with his weapon, he turned toward the door.
"Don't come after us if we're not back in thirty minutes." That was all he said before bursting out of the abandoned house with only five minutes and thirty-seven seconds remaining on the clock. Vanessa wanted to follow him, but Owen grabbed her arm firmly—he knew Alex would never forgive him if she were put in danger again. Alex sprinted with every ounce of strength he had left—his hope driving him forward—to save Danny before it was too late. As he ran, those strange hallucinations returned: running through valleys—all those moments felt like distant memories now but far more beautiful than this nightmare unfolding around him. Minutes slipped away like sand through his fingers. But If he stop, Danny would vanish forever...
FLASHBACK
Date: April 4, 2023, 15:41 PM
"The dandelion suits you better than any emo black flower from the swamp Alex," Danny remarked, lounging in the green valley beside Alex as they observed the wildflowers swaying gently in the breeze.
"Who's yellow here, me or you?" Alex replied, attempting to tease Danny, but the words felt hollow."
I'm not yellow, I'm BLONDE, for starters. Though you're more of a sunflower—just a tiny one." Danny shot back, a playful smile on his face.
"When will you stop mentioning my height? I'm not short you're just some kind of supernatural being." Alex added, making a crown out of flowers. He loved spring, everything was vibrant and colorful. It didn't fit the stereotype of an emo kid's happiness, but he didn't want to change that little joy he found.
"When you grow up. So never." Danny laughed, and Alex retaliated by tossing a handful of grass at him.
"I swear, if you keep this up..." Danny began, but before he could finish, a clump of grass landed in his long blonde hair. Alex chuckled at the sight but then noticed that Danny wasn't smiling back. Something shifted in the air, it felt heavier. He felt a sudden urge to run away from whatever was lurking beneath their laughter. He took off across the valley, sensing Danny right behind him. Danny lunged to grab Alex's hood but stumbled instead, falling into him. The impact knocked Alex down harder than he expected, he hit the ground with a thud that echoed in his chest.
"You're so smart Danny, yet sometimes you're so stupid!" Alex teased through laughter, but their eyes locked for a moment—too close to each other. The world around them faded as they both realized how intimate that moment felt. Danny quickly pulled away and stood up while Alex remained on the ground, crossing his legs and spreading his arms wide as he soaked up the sun. But that peace shattered when Danny yanked him by the leg and started dragging him away.
"Come onnnn! It's not fair. You're already sun-kissed! I want some vitamin D!" Alex whined playfully.
"I can't promise vitamins, but I can give you some D!" Danny laughed at his own joke.
"YOU YELLOW BASTARD!" Alex shot back with a grin, but deep down, he felt something shift again—an unsettling reminder that these moments were fleeting.
21:02 PM
Later that evening, Alex sat alone in his room, playing video games to drown out the silence that enveloped him like a suffocating blanket. After returning from that walk with Danny, he felt an emptiness gnawing at his insides—a void that seemed to expand with every passing moment. The only flicker of emotion came from that day's memory with Danny, but even that soon faded into the vast ocean of shattered hopes and dreams .He knew he shouldn't think like this; he was aware of the truth lurking just beneath the surface—nothing was real anymore. Each thought spiraled deeper into self-destruction as he sat there in front of his screen. His heart raced as sweat dripped down , panic clawed at him like a wild animal desperate to escape its cage. He reached for his medication hidden in the drawer—a different kind than pills or drugs or cigarettes. This was blade—an edge that promised release from the darkness inside him. It was smooth and thin but cut perfectly through his skin, leaving trails of lines across his arms where blood would flow freely. This was his escape from the pain he couldn't resist—a way to feel something other than the relentless ache inside him. He didn't want to die, he didn't want to disappear completely. But the suffering was overwhelming. Afterward, he would feel better—just like now—as he cleaned the wound and wrapped it with care like every time before. His body had been through many changes—some desired, others unwanted. Sometimes bruises were his only comfort because they reminded him he was fighting back against something—even if it was just himself.
"They beat me up because I look like a queer," he'd joke with Vanessa while wearing a smile. He found solace in being called "twink boy," a term that made him feel seen even if it hurt inside. No wound was as painful as the one buried deep within—the one he faced every day while trying to ignore its whispers of despair: "You have to lose something to replace it with something better." That thought became his twisted comfort. Each cut bled out real pain—the kind that felt tangible compared to everything else swirling around in his mind like shadows threatening to consume him whole. And so it went on every day: cut after cut until he glimpsed happiness again—until those dark eyes swallowed all his problems whole like a ravenous void.
END OF FLASHBACK
The faster Alex ran, the more it felt like time was slipping away from him, each second stretching into an eternity. Ten seconds felt like five—an agonizing distortion of reality. Just three minutes had passed, yet he was still 500 meters from Danny. His legs screamed in protest, pain radiating through his knees as he struggled to maintain his speed. Each step felt like a betrayal, his body refusing to cooperate as he pushed himself harder. But he couldn't stop; he wouldn't allow himself to falter. He could see the building where Danny was trapped, a flicker of hope igniting within him. Yet, as he glanced at the timer in his mind, panic gripped his heart—only one minute remained. He felt hollow, devoid of strength to call out for Danny. The thought of climbing up to save him felt insurmountable, but deep down, he knew what he had to do. He burst into the building with only thirty seconds left, his voice echoing through the empty halls.
"DANNY?! DAN?!" His cries bounced off the walls, but silence greeted him in return. A cold dread settled in his stomach as he realized Danny must be upstairs. Time was slipping . Climbing the stairs felt like an impossible task, every step was a battle against despair. As he reached the top, he spotted Danny by the window, shock etched across his face at the sight of Alex. But there was no time for explanations—only ten seconds remained. It wasn't enough time to warn Danny or escape together, this was it—the end. Alex's heart sank as he realized that if he don't act now, they would die together. But he couldn't let that happen, not like this. In that fleeting moment, Danny opened his mouth to speak, but words were lost in the chaos of their reality. With eight seconds left, Alex run forward and wrapped his arms around Danny in a desperate embrace. Danny had no idea what was happening, he didn't understand that this would be their last moment together. The world around them faded into a blur as Alex held him tightly, feeling the warmth of Danny's body against his own—a warmth that would soon be extinguished.
Then a sound of shattering crash as glass was heard. But it wasn't a bomb, it was Danny being thrown through the window by Alex's forceful push. Time slowed as Danny fell toward the ground below just as the bomb detonated with a deafening roar. The building crumbled violently, dust and debris filling the air like a suffocating cloud. For a moment, everything was chaos—a whirlwind of destruction that swallowed everything whole. It took several agonizing seconds for Danny to understand what had just happened. Alex had sacrificed himself for him. As he lay on the ground, gasping for breath amidst the rubble and dust. Alex was still inside—trapped in a collapsing structure that no longer existed. The weight of despair settled heavily on Danny's chest, he had been saved only to witness the death of his "everything".
"ALEX!" Danny screamed into the void, but there was no response. Alex had saved Danny, but in doing so, he had sealed his own fate. As the dust settled around the ruins, the weight of loss crashed down on Danny. With tears streaming down his face, Danny will carry this pain with him forever.