They moved cautiously down the quiet corridor of the sixth floor, the last rays of the evening sun slipping through grimy windows and casting long, fading shadows across cracked walls. The fading light added a sombre hue to the already grim hallway. Unlike their earlier chaotic battle here, this time they took a quieter, more methodical approach. Instead of drawing the infected out into the hallway, they slipped silently from door to door, entering each room to quietly dispatch the infected lurking within. The sickening stillness was broken only by muffled grunts and the soft thuds of bodies hitting the floor.
Behind several doors, the scene was grim. The bodies of students—young, some still clutching personal belongings—lay twisted in final moments of fear and desperation. Some had died hanging themselves in the roof their bodies hanging by a rope. Others bore the unmistakable marks of infection, wounds cruel and ragged. The doors themselves, once locked tight, now simply stood unlocked, an eerie sign that no one had been able to protect them, and that the chaos inside had claimed them in the end.
Jade's breath hitched as she took in the lifeless faces, her heart tightening. She glanced briefly at Dan, who avoided her gaze, his jaw clenched tight. None of them said it aloud, but the unspoken truth weighed heavy—they all silently understood what might have happened if Dan hadn't arrived when he did. If his desperate, furious burst of strength hadn't shattered their attackers, they could have ended up like them the accommodation being their tomb.
The weight of that near-miss hung over them, a cold reminder of the fragile line they walked. For a moment, silence filled the hallway again as they processed the stark reality of the lives lost here. The quiet wasn't just the absence of sound—it was the echo of all they had almost become.
Eli finally broke the silence, his voice low and grim. "No one barricaded those doors after the chaos started. They just... gave up." His fingers tightened around his hammer.
Mia nodded, swallowing hard. "Makes you wonder how long some of them held on before it all ended."
Dan's eyes swept the corridor, determination settling over him like Armor. "Let's finish this floor and get back. We'll clear the seventh tomorrow—after we've had some rest."
Jade nodded, the weight in her chest easing just a little. "Sounds right. No point rushing when we're already running on empty."
Mia and Eli exchanged grim looks but didn't argue. Together, they moved quietly through the remaining rooms, dispatching the last few infected and securing the floor.
As they gathered near the stairwell to descend, the fading light of evening cast long shadows behind them—shadows that seemed to carry the memory of the lost, and the fragile hope that they would live to fight another day.
As the evening sun dipped low, casting long shadows across the city, the group settled into floor 2—their current refuge. This floor housed their main barricades and a small dorm they'd claimed as their base.
While Eli worked tirelessly reinforcing the heavy metal doors and boarding up windows, fortifying their defenses against the restless infected outside, Mia and Jade moved through the quieter, empty dorm rooms on floor 3. They gathered every can, box, and scrap of food they could find and carefully carried it down the stairs to floor 2.
Meanwhile, Dan was busy consolidating their supplies on floor 2. He pushed and pulled several heavy fridges from other abandoned dorm kitchens along the hallways, hauling them one by one into their own secured dorm kitchen. The fridges still hummed faintly, a small blessing in this forsaken place.
"Keep everything together," Dan said, wiping sweat from his brow. "Makes it easier to keep track of what we have—and what we need."
Jade nodded, stacking the last cans neatly. "And safer. We won't have to risk going back up just for food."
Eli's hammering echoed down the hallway as he finished boarding up the windows. "That should keep them out for a while."
Mia glanced toward the barricaded entrance. "Good. Let's get some rest tonight. Tomorrow, we finish clearing the seventh floor."
Dan leaned back against the wall, exhausted but determined. "Yeah… let's finish this floor and then get some rest. We'll deal with the seventh when we're ready."
Together, they settled into the dim quiet of floor 2—their sanctuary amidst the chaos, fortified and stocked, if only for a little while.
After securing the floor, the group took their time having a nice warm shower. For the first time in almost 2 days, each of them took a long, hot shower — the water steaming and washing away the grime, sweat, and tension that clung to their bodies. The simple act of cleansing felt almost like a ritual, a brief return to normalcy in a world turned upside down.
Refreshed and feeling lighter, Dan and Jade headed to the dorm kitchen where Dan had arranged the fridges he'd hauled from other rooms into one spot. The humming refrigerators were stocked with the food they had scavenged.
"We've got enough to make a decent meal," Dan said, pulling out canned goods and dried meat.
Jade smiled, rolling up her sleeves. "Alright, you cook, I'll help."
Meanwhile, Eli and Mia rested in the common room, their bodies grateful for the chance to recover.
Together, Dan and Jade prepared a simple but nourishing stew, the smell of cooking filling the quiet dorm. When it was ready, Dan carried the bowls back to Eli and Mia.
While Dan and Jade cooked, Eli and Mia settled into the common room to rest. The tension in their muscles slowly eased as they sank onto worn chairs, the soft hum of the refrigerators nearby offering a strange kind of comfort.
Eli rubbed the back of his neck and glanced over at Mia. "You know, I didn't think we'd get a proper meal or a shower today. Feels almost… normal."
Mia smiled faintly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Yeah, it's a small thing, but it helps. Reminds me there's still a life worth fighting for."
Eli nodded, his usual gruff demeanor softening. "You've been a solid rock through all this. I don't say it enough, but… thanks."
Mia shrugged playfully. "Someone's gotta keep you grounded when you start grumbling like a grizzly."
He chuckled, the sound low but genuine. "Fair. I guess we make a good team."
A comfortable silence settled between them. For a moment, the apocalypse felt a little less heavy.
Mia caught his gaze and, with a small smile, said, "We've got each other's backs. That's what matters."
Eventually they all gathered together to celebrate surviving another day.
"Here's to a little peace tonight," Dan said softly.
They ate in companionable silence, savouring the rare comfort, knowing the fight wasn't over — but for now, they were clean, fed, and together.