The footsteps halted at the foot of the stairs. Everyone readied their weapons, aimed at the source of the sound. Pan signaled Cong to move forward.
Cong cautiously ascended the stairs, taking one step at a time. As he reached the top, a loud noise echoed. "Wait!" Cong shouted.
What emerged from the darkness turned out to be a large, scruffy dog. The dog appeared emaciated and starving but showed no signs of aggression.
"Elis, stay where you are!" Pan called out, though his tone softened as he saw the situation more clearly. The dog barked quietly before running back into a dark corner.
"This place has clearly been abandoned for a long time," Cong said, descending the stairs. "But whoever was here before left something behind."
Dail found a document under a table, containing a map with a route to the next safe zone at the border. They quickly prepared to move out again.
November 10, 2058 – Noon
The sky was clear, but Aegis Squad's mood was far from calm. They had been walking for hours along a trail littered with debris. The air still carried the stench of decaying bodies from the village they had just passed.
"Major, are we getting close to the border?" Cong, walking ahead with his rifle, asked.
Pan checked the digital map in his hand. "About two kilometers more. Before we get there, we should stop and try to contact headquarters."
Rico frowned. "Contact headquarters? Major, we've tried several times, and the signal always cuts out."
"We have to keep trying," Pan replied firmly. "If headquarters doesn't respond, we'll contact the team at the border. They might know what's going on."
The team finally stopped in an open area that seemed safe. Dail let Elis down from his back, allowing the girl to rest under a large tree.
"Elis, are you alright?" Dail asked softly.
Elis nodded faintly. "I… I'm okay."
Meanwhile, Pan took out his portable radio and tried to contact central command. "Central Command, this is Aegis Squad. Are you receiving our report? Central Command, please respond."
But all that came back was static. Pan tried again, but the result was the same. He changed frequencies and attempted to contact the team at the border where they had previously been stationed.
"Alpha Border, this is Aegis Squad. Is anyone receiving? Alpha Border, please respond," Pan said seriously.
"Major Pan, it seems like something's happening everywhere. We might..." Rico said quietly before suddenly, a voice crackled through the radio. But it didn't sound like usual.
A Disturbing Message
"…They… are coming… help… everything… has changed…" The voice was broken, but clear enough to send chills down the entire team's spine.
"Who is this?" Pan asked urgently. "What's happening there?"
But there was no answer. Only static followed. Pan clenched his fist and hit the ground, his eyes fixed on the border that was now visible in the distance.
Cong, who had overheard the message, let out a heavy sigh. "Major, it doesn't look like we'll find anything good there."
"I know," Pan replied resolutely. "But we have to go. They might still be alive. And if they need help, we can't leave them."
An Unexpected Attack
Minutes later, they finally neared the border, but the sight before them left them in stunned silence. The border gates were wide open, showing clear signs of a battle. Several military vehicles were burning, and soldiers' bodies lay scattered around the area.
"Oh my God…" Dail murmured, covering Elis's eyes so the little girl wouldn't see the horrific scene.
Cong checked one of the bodies lying on the ground. "Major, this body shows signs of bites or scratches."
Rico added, "But some of these wounds look old, and their bodies are pale, like... Oh, yeah, they look like the zombies we fought in the village yesterday. So maybe they changed before someone stopped them."
Pan closely examined the body. "Maybe they were infected by the pathogen and changed. Then this chaos ensued. We have to be careful now. There might still be zombies around."
Rico, standing near the gate, suddenly noticed something moving inside the guard post. "Major, there's something there."
Pan signaled the team to be ready. They approached the guard post cautiously, weapons raised. Upon entering, they found a soldier still alive, but in a terrible condition. His skin was pale, and his eyes showed deep fear.
"Please… they… changed…" the soldier said weakly before collapsing to the floor, motionless.
Dail checked for a pulse. "He… he's dead."
However, before they could react, the soldier's body began to move again. His eyes opened, now resembling those of a zombie they had encountered before.
"Back up!" Pan shouted.
The zombie attacked with surprising speed. Cong shot it directly in the head, stopping it before it could harm anyone.
"What the hell is this?" Rico asked in panic. "They're changing even after they die?"
"It seems this pathogen is more dangerous than we thought," Pan answered. "We need to find more clues here."
Back to Central Command
After ensuring the area was safe, the team found several documents in the guard post. The documents provided some clues about the attacks and the possible spread of the pathogen through rainwater or direct contact, though they were not very detailed.
Pan put the documents into his bag. "We can't stay here much longer. We need to report this back to central command."
Cong nodded. "If headquarters is still intact, Major. We don't know if they're experiencing the same thing."
Pan looked at his team seriously. "Whatever happens, we have to try. They need to know what we're facing."
A moment later…
"Major, the signal's cut again," Cong said, lowering his communication tablet.
Pan nodded, still staring at the border that was faintly visible in the distance. The cold night wind carried the stench of the frozen corpses.
Suddenly, a low growl echoed from behind them. Rico, who was on guard, immediately turned and raised his rifle.
"There's something there," Rico whispered.
Everyone tensed. From behind the ruins, a large shadow slowly emerged. The creature looked different—larger and more terrifying than anything they had faced before.
Pan whispered firmly, "Ready to fight."