Flashback:
June 21, 2024
Sabvurg High School, Graduation Ceremony
Even though graduation was over, the students had one more day to spend at school. More accurately, just a few more hours. After finishing high school and enjoying themselves at the prom, the time had come to pass the diplomas. After that, they would officially end their studying at Sabvurg High School. Ahead lay the inevitable goodbyes and transitions to their next steps in university life. Of course, not everyone wanted this.
All students were divided into classes during these four years, and each class had its own classroom. This was how the diploma distribution was organized—each class in its own classroom while the form teacher signed and called names for the diplomas. It wasn't a ceremonious event but rather a simple, classic way to say goodbye.
12:22 PM
"I'm going to the restroom. I'll be back quickly. Keep an eye on charger for me. My phone's always dead," said Vanessa as she addressed Alex, who was sitting at their spot—the last desk by the wall. Alex was leaning against the wall, more nervous than ever before. He had done something he had planned for a long time, and now he was terrified of the consequences.
Vanessa wasn't actually heading to the restroom, though. She knew about Alex's plan and supported him, but she wanted to find out the outcome before Alex did, just in case. She rushed to the hallway where Class 4-F was located. She almost entered the classroom when she heard voices. She was late. The others were already in the room. She stopped by the wall next to the open door, debating whether to enter and call Danny out or to text Owen to ask him to get Danny.
Peeking inside, she checked if Owen was using his phone. She spotted everyone—Danny, who was holding a letter on the desk, and Owen, without his phone. She was sure Danny had read it but didn't know how to get him out into the hallway without drawing attention or causing a scene. While she was contemplating, she heard Daniel, someone she hates, speaking to Danny.
"Hey Danny, so what do you think about his idea? Will you?" Daniel mocked.
"Short and simple, no. It's disgusting to even think I'd agree to something like that," Danny said sharply, as Daniel and Brian burst into laughter.
Vanessa stood frozen in the hallway, shocked. All she could hear was her heartbeat growing louder and louder. She hadn't expected this response from Danny. She was angry and upset at the same time. She walked back down the hallway and into the classroom. With tears welling in her eyes, she approached their desk and Alex.
"Vanessa, what's wrong?" Alex asked, seeing her distressed.
"I'm so sorry, Al."
12:04 PM
Owen and Danny were among the first to enter the classroom and sat at their spot—the last desk by the window.
"Let's just get this done. I didn't get enough sleep. I want to go home," Owen whined, but Danny didn't react. His attention was focused on something else. He had sat on what he initially thought was just a piece of paper, but upon picking it up, he realized it was a letter. He opened and read it. A smile soon formed on his face, and his cheeks turned rosy. Taking a pen from his bag, the rustling caught Owen's attention.
"What's that?" Owen asked while lying on the desk, but Danny didn't answer. Owen didn't press further, as he heard noise at the door and turned to see who was entering the classroom. Meanwhile, Danny wrote down what he wanted and placed the paper back in the envelope, now holding it in his hand, waiting for the ceremony to be over.
Around them gathered a small group of classmates. There were seven of them: Owen, Danny, Bruno, Daniel, Pablo, McKenzie, and Brian—a small group within Class 4-F.
"Let's bet , the twins and Sophie will drift apart. They're together every day, they'll get tired of each other for sure," Daniel gossiped while sitting on the last desk in the middle row.
"You hang out with them the most," McKenzie added. "He lied to them, saying he's gay just to hang out with them. Ouch, but it's true," he said, silenced by a smack from Daniel.
"They're not dumb enough not to figure it out, I guess," Pablo added while rocking on his chair.
"Dumber than Daniel for coming up with that and thinking they didn't notice, for sure. They're girls. They know when you are lying," Owen retorted sharply as usual, always ready with an answer.
"And the lawyer spoke," Bruno chimed in. While sitting across from Danny, he couldn't help but notice the paper partially hidden under Danny's hand.
"What's that, Danny?" Bruno asked, but Danny waved it off as unimportant. Bruno didn't pry further, but that's when the teasing began.
"Hey Danny, what do you think of his idea? Will you?" Daniel shouted, trying not to laugh, pointing at Brian, who was also stifling laughter.
"Short and simple, no. It's disgusting to even think I'd agree to something like that," Danny replied candidly and firmly. Daniel and Brian burst into laughter.
"And what is it about?" Pablo asked.
"Oh, the idiots. He told us the physics teacher had been at his restaurant, and this idiot asked him to put some cologne in her lemonade, just so her breath wouldn't smell weird in class," Owen explained McKenzie idea. The two of them were always coming up with jokes and ideas that only they found funny.
end of flashback
5:13 PM
The attacks were getting stronger. More and more zombies were coming, both weaker and stronger, in no order. The darkness outside and the open building doors allowed them to get in with ease.
But Vanessa managed to reach the laboratory. Owen and Danny had her back, constantly shooting and physically fighting, with only LED lights to buy some time. The lamps wouldn't last much longer and Vanessa had the last functioning lamp, which now illuminated the lab table. Using her plant analysis and the recipe for the cure, she mixed everything. The lab had enough water to dissolve it all.
In the hallway outside the lab, chaos erupted with gunfire. They did everything to buy Vanessa more time. She now had to activate the power in the room to open the automatic window at the top. Pulling the plug, the main lab light turned on, and the central glass roof window opened. That's when Owen stumbled in—but not by choice. He had been thrown through the door, landing on the ground.
"Owen!!" Danny ran to him, he tried to wake him, but realized he had been knocked unconscious by the hard hit.
"Watch out!" Vanessa shouted, shooting her gun in his direction, killing another monster that was heading to them. Danny grabbed Owen and dragged him toward Vanessa.
"How much longer?!" he asked, desperate for the end.
"I just need the gas canister!" she pointed to the canister near the door. Danny rushed toward it, hearing loud footsteps and growls heading for the lab. Turning toward the door, he was knocked to the ground but quickly shot the zombie off him and continued firing at the others.
"I'LL HOLD THE DOOR! GO GET THE CANISTER!" he shouted, already exhausted but determined. Vanessa ran to the canister and dragged it as best as she could. It was heavy, made even harder by her sweaty gloves, damp from nerves and everything happening. She was on the brink of life and death; everything depended on her. And when she needed him most, Alex wasn't there. Gunfire echoed in her ears, making her think she was going insane after the last few days. No one would save them but themselves.
Danny kept shooting, but it wasn't enough. He was thrown against the wall. Vanessa was close to the table but had to let go of the canister. She didn't even have time to grab her gun before a zombie knocked her to the ground. She struggled to push it off but could only see one thing—death.
Gunfire. With her eyes closed, she thought it was nearby, but assumed she was hallucinating her rescue. That was until the weight of the zombie collapsed on her. Looking at the now doubly-dead body, then at Danny's shocked face, she turned toward the door. There, she saw the unthinkable—Alex. He had shot the zombie. Standing at the door, clutching his left arm, he struggled to stay balanced and not collapse.
"Let's finish this." He said before lowering himself to the ground, relieving himself.
"Man, death is afraid of you." Owen's voice came from the floor as he regained consciousness. He had actually been present the whole time, but his body had simply frozen. Though everyone wanted to rush to Alex and celebrate being alive, they listened to him. Owen stood by the door as an extra guard, while Danny and Vanessa set up the gas. Then, they allowed the mixture to transform into a gas.
"How did you climb all the way up there? Zombies, stairs. Two major obstacles for your lame leg." Owen teased him.
"Ventilation system. I followed the sounds of gunfire. Though, at one point, I got lost. I thought I heard sounds from both sides," he replied. By then, it was done—the gas was escaping from the mixture.
"Do you think it will work? There's wind, but will it be enough?" Danny asked. Was this the end of their troubles? Everyone hoped it was.
"It has to. There's no other option," she answered him.
"I think I'll be the first to find out." He grabbed the others' attention and then moved his hand away from his left arm, which he had been hiding. In fact, he was hiding a bite mark. A zombie had bitten him in the ventilation system just before reaching the lab.
Time seemed to freeze, no one knew how to react. No one could quite believe what was happening.
"Well, Nessie, I guess I'll be your first experiment." He laughed as tears welled up in his eyes. Vanessa dropped to her knees. Alex would soon turn into a zombie when the poison spread from his arm. When he did, he would die instantly from Vanessa's toxin. Thanks to her, they had survived, but someone had to die. Danny stared at Alex, but it felt like he was looking into nothingness. His nightmare had come true. Owen's goal had been destroyed.
"It was pleasure to be with you guys. You gave me a reason to live." These were Alex's last words before he lost consciousness.
Vanessa screamed and cried simultaneously. She tried to reach Alex, but Owen held her back. If she touched his infected arm, there was a chance she could be infected too. He held her tightly, trying to stay composed. Then, he noticed Danny holding an axe and moving toward Alex.
"NO, DANNY, STOP!" he shouted.
October 21st, 2031.
Lentigton, St. Korton
The apocalypse that destroyed the entire state of Modenia ,and wiped out 94% of its population, was political.
On the day the team released the poison into the air, it all ended. The gunfire they thought they were imagining was real. When they contacted Pablo, they managed to reach him and tell him the key motives behind the apocalypse. The government had betrayed them, and that's when "they" stepped in. After significant efforts, they finally managed to secure a connection with neighboring states. Lentigton was alerted and came to their aid. Soldiers arrived late at night at F4 and helped them. The remaining troops embarked on a mission to arrest the killers of this country—the government and their armies.
In what was now the former Modenia, a rescue operation began. That night, the team that ended the apocalypse was transported to Lentigton by helicopter. The next day, additional military troops, vehicles, and helicopters were sent to search for survivors. With the help of the northern state of Simelin, the battles for justice against the Sodenom government and the escaped Modenian government began.
14:24 PM
The team that ended the apocalypse was given assistance. They were provided with medical help, a place to stay in a hotel, food, and most importantly, peace. It was lunchtime, and the three of them left their rooms and went to the dining hall. Receiving glances from the main guests, the apocalypse left deep scars on them. All the effort, sleepless nights, fear, and the hardest of all, loss. As the team that saved the last 1% of the remaining population, and uncovered the true origin of the virus, they were receiving the treatment they deserved.
Those glances weren't scared or disgusted, they felt pity. Three young faces, physically and mentally exhausted. Owen's face was full of bruises, his hands and knuckles bandaged, near the point of breaking. Vanessa fared the best, although she had fewer injuries. This apocalypse had affected her mentally, one image kept spinning in her head, one voice, screams, and gunfire. It was highly likely that this would leave her with PTSD. Without a doubt, Danny was the one who would never hold a gun again in his life. He had to decide twice whether his friends would live or die. A scar on his neck, a cut on his face, a broken shoulder—those were small pains to him. The pain that overwhelmed him was the possible loss of a loved one. He wished he would never have to relive it. He never wanted to hold Alex's body again and watch him suffer, see him near death. But the cycle didn't stop. He was aware that maybe last night he had made a wrong choice, that Alex could have survived without that part. But he was scared, afraid to lose him.
Can you imagine being the one who has to determine the life or death of someone you love? But for the chosen life, consequences must remain. Knowing that Alex wouldn't survive if his infected arm let the poison through his blood to his heart or brain, Danny made the decision. He determined someone else's future again, choosing life. And with that choice, he decided to cut off Alex's arm with an axe. The pain he felt inside, knowing he had to do something like that to possibly save Alex, was unimaginable.
He had no appetite, no will for anything at the moment. As he went to his room, he felt his heart pounding. He knew that if he entered the room where Alex lay hooked up to anesthesia, without one arm in a bandage, with so many bandages, he would just break even more. He reached the handle to his room but hesitated. He opened the side door and entered Alex's room. Danny stopped again. Expecting to see Alex in critical condition on the bed, he instead saw him alive and standing on the terrace, even though he was sure he had lost him. Danny quickly approached but gently embraced him, being careful not to hurt his wounds, while his heart raced like never before. He was in so much shock that his emotions were paused, he wasn't fully aware of everything. Alex wrapped his right arm around Danny, not expecting to survive this time. This time, death had played with him, but someone else had changed the game.
"I thought I was really going to lose you this time," Danny whispered, still holding onto Alex.
"I'm alive because of you." With this answer, Danny was stunned. Just waking up from near death, Alex wasn't confused. He knew exactly what had happened without anyone telling him. "I know you saved me, Dan. You amputated my arm so I could survive. Thank you." Everything Alex concluded was the truth. Letting go of Danny, Alex looked toward the view from the terrace. It was warmer than in Modenia, and the sky wasn't even that cloudy. They couldn't remember how long it had been since they'd seen the sun breaking through the clouds.
"You know, maybe this apocalypse brought something good with it," Alex said during the silence. Danny looked at him in confusion. "I would never have gotten that letter back. And we would never have met again." He smiled at Danny. But now, the blonde become shy and awkward again. The "letter" was the key thing that complicated everything at first but solved all the problems in the end. Taking a deep breath, Danny decided he wouldn't be the same old Danny, the one who ran away from the truth, but instead, face it.
"I really loved you, Alex. I will always love you." Danny said it clearly and sincerely, and Alex was shocked. But that wasn't all he had to say. "I never wanted it to end like that. I should have approached you. We should have talked about it, not—"
A hand over his mouth stopped Danny from speaking further.
"Enough, Harding. Enough self-deprecation. We survived death together. I think we'll survive that letter too." Alex smiled at Danny, easing him.
"But since I asked first, now you could take me on a date. Where are we going?" It was the question of a serious leader who led his friends through the apocalypse. Sometimes things aren't always what they seem. Because inside, they still carry that high school group of the nerd, the twink, the jacked guy, and the popular girl. And so, they remained forever.
//October 23rd, 2032.//
Modenia had been extinguished. An innovative plan emerged to merge three surrounding countries. Since Lentigton's government also took control over Sodenom after the arrest of its ruling authorities, a new formation was in progress. The states of Simelin and Lentigton reached an agreement for joint governance. Once Modenia's reconstruction and urbanization were complete, the states would merge.
The" united Modenia" would comprise Lentigton, Simelin, Sodenom, and the renewed Modenia. It would be divided into districts, governed by two ruling authorities. Until then, the surviving citizens were provided new residences in Lentigton and jobs, starting fresh lives after the nightmare they endured.
Lentigton, Minden
19:11 PM
"Just tell me Alex didn't bake these muffins. I don't need diabetes this early," Owen teased, lounging on the couch. Vanessa and he were invited to Alex and Danny's for a weekend gathering.
They lived just a few kilometers apart, close enough to remain in touch. Minden was a smaller town that Danny and Alex chose for its peace. All four of them, under the age of 30, had earned a pension. Though deserved, they still preferred to remain active.
After his recovery and resumption of regular training, Owen opened a boxing club in Kinto, where he was one of the main trainers. Naturally, every trainee had their idols, but many sought Owen for his legendary hand-to-hand combat with zombies. Despite living in Kinto, Owen frequently visited his friends, staying active and on the move.
"You're lucky he can't hear you," Danny chimed in, laughing as he struggled to uncork a bottle of wine. Danny worked in the Mechanical Development sector, supporting projects he was passionate about. To keep himself engaged during the day, he also opened a restaurant named "SHarding," offering recipes inspired by his grandmas dishes.
Alex, his partner, worked as a game developer and volunteered at a local kindergarten during his free time. Additionally, he published a book he'd been writing during the apocalypse.
"How long does it take you to open a bottle of wine, for heaven's sake? ALEX! Your boyfriend can't even open me a wine," Vanessa teased, growing impatient while waiting for Danny to pour the wine. She lived in St. Korton, the capital, where she owned a dental clinic and shared an apartment with her three cats, currently cared by her girlfriend. Vanessa had also bought her dream car and didn't mind the one-hour drive each day to see Alex.
"I can't leave you guys alone for five minutes," Alex said, entering the room after finishing a phone call. "The manager called to ask where the napkins are stored—can you believe it? I feel like I'm surrounded by kids, just like at the kindergarten." He sighed, tossing his phone aside and grabbing some glasses.
Now that he had a left hand again, thanks to a mechanical design created by Danny, everything was easier for him.
"So, when are you two having kids?" Vanessa asked while taking a sip of wine.
"Yeah. You're getting really boring," Owen added, observing the couple. The pair stared back at them, surprised by the unexpected question but amused nonetheless.
"When you grow taller," Danny smiled and replied ironcly, pouring drinks.
The group continued chatting about their week's happenings. This was how they spent every weekend now that they lived in peace.
The End
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I would like to thank everyone who read this story for their support. I hope you enjoyed the book and that this group remain remembered. One day, there will even be a comic. Until then, I'll stay active promoting the book on TikTok: his.jade.eyes.
Thank you for your support, and see you perhaps in another universe with this chaotic group. :)
Author,
Ane.S