Return to the Inside
Meanwhile, back in the karaoke room, the group was deep in discussion. Mary, Katie, Flora, and William exchanged worried glances.
KATIE:
"He's been out there too long. Do you think he's okay?"
WILLIAM:
"I think he'll make it. But he's going to need help getting back. We can't leave him out there alone."
FLORA:
"Who's going to go get him? We can't all go outside..."
After a few seconds of hesitation, Mary raised her hand.
MARY:
"I'll go. I might be the one who's shown the least faith in him so far… but this is something I can do."
The group nodded silently.
Mary Joins Hayden
Mary carefully stepped outside, finding Hayden still on his knees, his katana resting by his side.
MARY (gently):
"Hey… Hayden. You're alive. That's already a win. Come on, let's get you back inside."
Hayden looked up at her, visibly exhausted but grateful.
HAYDEN (weakly):
"Mary… Thank you. I thought that—"
MARY (helping him up):
"Stop talking. We'll take care of you, okay?"
She wrapped her arm around his shoulders to support him, and together, they made their way back to the relative safety of the karaoke room—watched by the relieved eyes of the rest of the group.
System Announcement
As Mary helped Hayden sit down in the karaoke room—breathless but alive—a new series of holographic messages appeared before the entire group, floating in the center of the room.
SYSTEM:
+100 experience points for defeating a special zombie.
New technique unlocked: "Eye of Truth".
(Description: Allows the user to reveal information about a target, such as level, special status, and details based on the user's rank.)
Body level increased by +5%.
KATIE (mouth agape, staring at the messages):
"Wait... can everyone see this, or am I losing my mind?"
FLORA (voice trembling):
"No, we all see it. It's… real. This system is more than just a shared hallucination."
WILLIAM (clenching his fists, half frustrated):
"'Eye of Truth'? Special zombies? What the hell kind of reality have we been thrown into?"
MARY (looking at Hayden, concerned):
"And you, Hayden? Did you know about all this? How long has it been happening?"
HAYDEN (weakly, raising a hand to calm them down):
"I just found out about all this at the same time you did. Believe me, I'm as lost as you are. But if this system can help us make sense of what's going on… then we need to learn how to use it."
FLORA (looking at Hayden with a hint of admiration):
"It's insane… You just took down that special zombie, all alone, out there. And now you're unlocking skills like it's a video game. How do you feel, Hayden?"
HAYDEN (sighing):
"Tired. Really tired. But alive."
A Moment of Rest: Hayden and Blue's Exchange
After drinking some water and eating whatever they could find in the room, Hayden lay down in a corner to catch his breath. His friends spoke in hushed tones, giving him a moment to recover.
In his mind, Blue's familiar voice echoed.
BLUE:
"Hey, nice work out there. Seriously, I'm impressed. But you really almost died, man."
HAYDEN (mentally):
"Yeah, thanks for the reminder. I'm wrecked. But this new 'Eye of Truth' technique... do you know what it actually means, Blue?"
BLUE:
"Hmm, you're the one who unlocked it, not me. But from what I can sense, this technique reflects your collective will. You and your friends—you want to understand what's happening, right? That's probably why the system gave you this tool."
HAYDEN:
"My friends, huh? They've been incredible so far. But how can they really help me? I'm the only one with a weapon and a system..."
BLUE:
"Wrong. You may be the one wielding the katana, but they're the ones giving you a reason to fight. Without them, you would've given up a long time ago. They can think, analyze, watch your back… all the things you can't do while you're fighting. You're a team, Hayden. And that's more valuable than any weapon."
HAYDEN (weakly smiling):
"A team, huh? Still hard to believe I'm the one who's supposed to lead them."
BLUE:
"Not alone. I'm here. And so are they. So stop overthinking everything and get some rest. You'll need it."
Discussion About Returning to the Dormitory
An hour later, although still tired, Hayden had managed to sit up. His friends were gathered around him, discussing their next move.
KATIE:
"We can't stay here forever. The karaoke place isn't safe, and we don't have enough supplies."
WILLIAM:
"Okay, but if we head out, we need to know what's out there. After everything we've seen, we might run into more special zombies."
FLORA:
"Maybe that new technique—'Eye of Truth'—could help. Hayden, can you check what's waiting outside?"
MARY:
"What if we go back to the dorm first? We know the area, and there could be other survivors. It's our best starting point."
HAYDEN (watching them, making a decision):
"You're right. We need to head to the dorm. But before we move, I'll use the 'Eye of Truth' to scan the surroundings. If anything's off, we need to know."
His friends nodded, visibly nervous but determined.
Using the Eye of Truth
Hayden approached a window facing the street. He activated the new skill, feeling a soft warmth flow through his body. A faint light surrounded his eyes, and the world seemed to subtly shift.
HAYDEN (murmuring):
"Let's see what this street is hiding..."
He focused on a group of zombies in the distance. Information popped up before his eyes, like a digital display.
TARGET: Common Zombie
Level: 1
Status: Non-Special
Threat: Low
TARGET: Common Zombie
Level: 1
Status: Non-Special
Threat: Low
Hayden deactivated the skill and turned back to the group.
HAYDEN:
"For now, it's just regular zombies outside. We can push through if we stay together."
KATIE (relieved):
"That's something, at least. We've got a chance."
MARY:
"Let's go. The longer we wait, the worse things might get."
The group began preparing to leave the karaoke room, determined to reach the dormitory and keep unraveling this nightmare made real.
In the Underground Laboratory: Gabriela Sanchez's Concern
In the stark calm of the underground lab, a technician shouted, eyes glued to several monitors:
TECHNICIAN:
"Ms. Sanchez! We've lost the signal from the specimen near the karaoke site!"
Gabriela Sanchez—imposing, impeccably dressed—looked up from her desk, brows furrowed.
GABRIELA (calm but sharp):
"You mean it was neutralized? By whom? No military units were deployed in that area."
TECHNICIAN (stammering slightly):
"That's exactly what's strange. The data shows a sudden interruption. No signs of ammunition or mechanical intervention… but it's been taken down."
Gabriela stood up, the sound of her heels echoing as she approached the monitors. She studied the data, her mind already calculating possible scenarios.
GABRIELA (with a mix of curiosity and suspicion):
"Something doesn't add up. Send a team to the site. I want every scrap of information we can get. I need to know who—or what—is capable of dealing with a specimen without our standard equipment."
The lab sprang into motion, technicians rushing to follow orders. But deep down, Gabriela knew this was more than just an anomaly.
In the Luxury Karaoke Room: The Young Elite in Crisis
Meanwhile, in the luxury room of the karaoke lounge, Amber, Véra, Loïs, Gary, Liam, Harry, and Clyde were handling the crisis in their own way. Leather chairs were in disarray, phones vibrating and ringing non-stop across the tables.
Amber, anxious and exasperated, paced back and forth.
AMBER (aloud, holding her phone):
"My mom says everything's under control, that a convoy is coming for us soon. But why doesn't anyone actually know what's going on?!"
VERA (calm but cutting, typing quickly on her smartphone):
"Because it's a complete disaster, that's why. And you, Amber, should sit down instead of pacing like a zombie."
LOÏS (trying to hide her stress, fiddling with a gold ring):
"Vera, now's not the time for snark. We should try to stay positive."
LIAM (lounging with a detached attitude, looking at his phone, bored):
"Positive? Seriously, Loïs? We're stuck here with monsters outside. Even if they evacuate us, the whole city's in chaos."
GARY (snapping his phone shut with a cold expression):
"Doesn't matter. We can only rely on ourselves. Adults will always downplay the danger to keep us calm. I say we stay ready to fight."
HARRY (trying to joke to ease the tension):
"Fight? With what, Gary? A bottle of champagne? I bet zombies love vintage."
CLYDE (calmly setting down his phone, voice deep and tense):
"Cut the crap, Harry. This isn't the time. We wait for the helicopter and do what we can to stay safe."
AMBER (frustrated):
"Safe? If those zombies get in here, we're all dead—convoy or not. I want answers, not empty promises!"