Ivan and Danny rushed to Johnathan's side as he writhed on the pavement, clutching his chest as if his heart were trying to burst out of his ribs. His screams echoed through the empty street, raw and desperate.
For nearly a full minute, he rolled on the ground, gasping and crying out in agony.
Then suddenly—
He went still.
He lay flat on his back, staring at the sky, chest rising and falling heavily.
"Haah… haah…"
"Dude, no time to rest," Danny said urgently, scanning the street. "We've gotta go. Those things are getting excited."
Johnathan slowly opened his eyes.
Then he laughed.
Not a normal laugh—something breathless and almost hysterical.
Ivan's stomach dropped. "What's wrong with you? We need to get out of here!"
Johnathan finally pushed himself up to a sitting position. His movements felt… lighter. Easier.
He stood.
"I feel amazing," he said, flexing his fingers. "Stronger. Faster. Like my body just leveled up or something. I've got more stamina too. If we can get more of these crystals… we'll survive."
Ivan and Danny stared at him.
Then realization hit.
"Thank God," Ivan whispered, his eyes watering with relief.
For the first time since the chaos began, they felt something close to hope.
"Alright," Danny said, exhaling. "Let's go save your brother. But don't ever do that again. We can't gamble our lives for a power boost."
Johnathan smiled faintly. "I won't."
They quickly checked the second corpse for another crystal, but found nothing. Unlucky.
So they moved on.
As they continued toward their destination, they forced themselves to ignore the constant pounding on doors and car windows around them. Zombies groaned and snarled from inside houses, their fists slamming against glass.
Despite their new confidence, none of them stopped scanning their surroundings. Confidence didn't mean stupidity.
Suddenly, Johnathan grabbed both of them and pulled them into the shadows beside a house.
Ivan opened his mouth to ask why—
"Not now," Johnathan whispered. "I hear a horde chasing something."
They held their breath.
Less than a minute later, two figures burst around the intersection ahead—a little boy and an older woman, likely his mother. They were sprinting as fast as they could.
Behind them—
A horde.
Dozens of zombies stumbling forward in a loose mass, growling hungrily.
The woman and child were barely outrunning them. The woman's breathing was ragged, her steps unsteady. They'd clearly been running for a long time.
Daniel's fists clenched.
"I'm going to help them," he said, stepping forward.
Both Ivan and Johnathan grabbed him immediately.
"Are you serious?" Johnathan hissed. "That's a horde."
"Don't tell me you're just going to watch them die!" Daniel snapped. "You said you're stronger now! We can do something!"
Johnathan's jaw tightened.
"I want to help. You think I don't?" he said quietly. "But I won't risk our lives for strangers. Right now, our families come first. If we save them, they'll depend on us."
Ivan nodded grimly. "We barely have food for ourselves. Not even enough for our families yet. You expect us to feed random people too?"
Daniel's shoulders slowly sagged.
They watched in silence.
The woman stumbled.
She fell hard onto the pavement.
The little boy stopped, turning back toward her.
"Keep running!" she screamed. "Don't look back!"
He hesitated.
"Run!" she shouted again, louder this time.
Finally, the boy ran.
The horde swallowed the woman.
Her screams tore through the neighborhood.
As the child ran past their hiding spot, Johnathan's heart shattered.
He couldn't do it.
Before Ivan or Daniel could react, Johnathan lunged forward, grabbed the boy, and pulled him into the shadows, covering his mouth.
The child's eyes widened in terror. He struggled wildly.
"Shhh," Johnathan whispered urgently. "You're safe. Don't make a sound. The monsters will hear you."
Ivan gently covered the boy's ears.
The woman's screams echoed for what felt like forever.
They waited fifteen agonizing minutes before the sounds faded and the horde shuffled away.
Sweat dripped down all three teenagers' faces.
They had been confident before—but hearing that woman die destroyed any illusion of control.
This wasn't a game.
They could die at any moment.
Johnathan looked down at the small boy now trembling in his arms.
What did I just do?
A child was a liability. More food. More water. More protection needed.
They were barely surviving themselves.
After a long moment, Johnathan forced those thoughts aside.
What was done was done.
He couldn't undo saving the kid.
He could only get stronger.
He peeked out carefully.
"They're gone," he whispered.
The others exhaled heavily.
The boy, drained from fear and exhaustion, had fallen asleep in Johnathan's arms.
Johnathan lifted him onto his back, adjusting his grip, and stepped back onto the street.
As they walked, his mind raced.
Why didn't the zombies react to all the banging on doors and windows? Shouldn't loud noise attract them?
Are they smart enough to ignore each other? Or too dumb to recognize anything but movement?
And why were they moving together like that? I thought they just chased food individually…
The idea of coordinated hordes chilled him more than anything.
If zombies could move in groups—
What chance did they really have?
He pushed the thoughts aside for now. Survival first. Analysis later.
They walked in silence until—
A growl sounded behind them.
Johnathan sighed.
He gently handed the sleeping boy to Daniel and pulled a knife from his bag.
The woman's corpse twitched.
Then she rose.
Her head tilted unnaturally as she staggered toward them.
Johnathan's pulse quickened—but his hands didn't shake.
Compared to what he had just witnessed, one zombie wasn't nearly as terrifying.
He rushed forward.
His movement was explosive—faster than before. Stronger.
The zombie barely had time to react before he drove the knife straight into her skull.
She dropped instantly.
The fight lasted seconds.
Johnathan stared down at the body, stunned.
He was noticeably stronger. Not superhuman—but enhanced.
Faster reactions. More power behind his strikes.
The crystal had worked.
As the corpse lay still, a red glow emerged from her chest.
Another crystal.
Johnathan picked it up and showed the others.
"Another one," Ivan said, eyes lighting up. "We're lucky. I doubt these are common."
He stepped closer.
"You don't mind if I take it, right? Or should we play rock-paper-scissors?"
Daniel chuckled softly.
Johnathan shrugged. "Go ahead. You actually know how to fight. It's better if you take it."
Ivan nodded gratefully.
He took a deep breath.
Then swallowed the crystal.