After some time.
Ryu pressed his ear against the closet, trying to listen. The sound of low growls and the footsteps echoed through the room, then slowly it began to fade.
'Maybe they left...'
Ryu thought.
'Staying here will not change anything. I have to go outside.'
He waited. One minute, two minutes. Every second felt like an hour. When the silence finally settled, he took a slow breath. His whole body was shaking.
"I have to get out of here…" he whispered to himself.
He slowly opens the door. The door creaking sounded slightly. His heart nearly stopped at the sound.
He peeked through the small openings. His heart shuddered at the scene. Bodies lay everywhere. Cromson's blood staining the desks and walls. The stench of the blood was enough to make him throw up.
Carefully, he stepped out. He glanced around, looking for anything that could be used as a weapon. His eyes landed on the broken chair lying near the teacher's desk.
He picked it up, gripping it tightly even though his hands were trembling.
"Just… stay calm, Ryu. You can do this…" he muttered under his breath.
He moved toward the door, trying to make as little noise as possible. When he peeked outside, he could feel the heart coming out. The hallway was worse than the classroom. People running, screaming, and the dead chasing after them.
Ryu's breath caught in his throat.
'If I stay here, I'll die. If I go out there… I might die too.'
He bit his lip, tightening his hold on the chair leg.
'No choice. I have to move.'
And with that thought, Ryu stepped into the chaos.
With the chair in his hand, Ryu slowly made his way outside.
grww!!!
But before he could walk, he heard a low growl. His whole body froze.
Sweat dripped from his temple as he slowly turned his head.
'No way.'
"...Sarah?" he whispered, his voice trembling.
He muttered in a low and scared voice as the zombie in front of him was none other than Sarah.
Her whole body was covered in blood. Her clothes in tattered. Her eyes were full of tears as if she were in torment.
Ryu's grip on the chair leg tightened until his knuckles turned white. His breath hitched, his heart pounding so loud it drowned out everything else.
The girl, though for a short time, who used to sit beside him. now stood there lifeless her once bright brown eyes clouded and empty. Blood trickled from her lips, and her hands twitched as if struggling against something unseen.
For a brief moment, he thought he saw a flicker of pain in her eyes.
"Sarah... can you hear me?"
But the only answer he got was a growl.
Grrrraaaahh!!!
Zombified Sarah approached Ryu. Its movement was slow, the same as the kid walking. Ryu's brain was still not accepting. Though he was reincarnated for a short time, the memory of the previous body owner was still fresh.
The zombie arrived in front of Ryu and brandished its claw.
Ryu stumbled backwards, barely dodging as she crashed into the desk behind him.
His mind screamed at him to run, but his legs refused to move.
"Damn it, Sarah! Stop!!"
She turned again, her head jerking unnaturally, blood dripping from her mouth. Each step she took echoed in Ryu's ears like a death bell.
Tears welled in his eyes. "I'm sorry…" he whispered, raising the broken chair leg.
As Sarah charged again, Ryu struck forward with all of the strength present in his body.
Bang!!
The impact sent a shiver through his arm, and she fell to the ground .
The impact from the wooden chair sent the zombie flying into the nearby wall..
Fwoosh!!
Th zombie again stood up and drew near him, and once again swung its arm at him. Ryu steeled his mind and once again, with all his strength, he swung the chair.
This time, without a second thought, he raised the chair above his head and fiercely swung it again at the zombie again and again till the body stopped moving and lay motionless.
[Kill: 1]
*Huff* *Huff*
The room went silent again except for Ryu's heavy breathing.
He dropped to his knees beside her body, trembling. "Why… ?"
Blood pooled around her head, staining his shoes red. He wanted to cry, scream, do anything—but no words came out. Only silence.
After a few seconds, he forced himself to stand. His hands were shaking, his heart felt heavy, but he knew if he stopped now, he would die next.
"…I have to survive," he muttered, his voice hollow.
He took one last look at Sarah, then turned toward the exit.
_____
As Ryu walked towards the hallway discreetly, his muscles bulged and the nerves tensed.
The stench of blood and rot filled the air making Ryu's stomach churned painfully.
Wherever his eyes landed, there were corpses. Broken mangled bodies, bodies with holes and blood-stained walls painted a picture of pure horror.
Ryu covered his mouth, swallowing hard to stop himself from vomiting. His hands trembled slightly, but he forced himself to move forward.
'Stay calm… just keep moving,' he told himself, trying to drown out the pounding in his chest.
A faint sound came from the corner.
Ryu froze instantly. His pulse spiked. Slowly, he crouched and peeked around the corner.
A half-eaten corpse was being dragged away by a zombie, its mouth still chewing, the sound of tearing flesh echoing in the hallway.
Ryu's breath hitched. He stepped back quietly, gripping the broken chair leg tightly in his hand.
As Ryu tried to move from one point to another.
Creak!
The faint sound of a door echoed through the hallway, slicing through the silence like a blade.
Every zombie that had been feasting suddenly froze. Their heads turned in unison, blood dripping from their mouths.
Ryu's eyes widened. Only one word escaped his lips.
"FUCK."
Grwwww!
Growllll!
Graaahh!
Ryu bolted down the corridor, his heartbeat pounding in his ears. Behind him, the pack of zombies surged forward. Some were walking slowly while some running.
He wanted to scream but he knew, screaming would alert more zombies. But before he could escape the corridor, three male zombies appeared at the end of the corridor.
Although Ryu could feel somewhat anxious at the threat from the front and the back, but after the initial emotional distress, he quickly calmed down himself. He knew, losing control over his emotions at such a crucial moment was the quickest way to die.
Currently, there was only the chair in the hallway that could be used for the weapon, but there was not one enemy, but three.
Then, without hesitation, Ryu sprinted straight toward the three zombies, watching their staggering movements.