Fog curls through the empty streets of Raven Creek, curling around broken street lamps and abandoned cars. Kai moves cautiously, hatchet in hand, every sound amplified in the heavy silence — a snapping branch, a rustling metal sign, distant crows.
[Day 2 – 9 Days Remaining Until Global Activation]
He's been scavenging all morning, hunting for food, water, and anything useful. Each alleyway and ruined building is a potential trap. Every instinct honed in DeadZ screams: stay quiet. Stay alive.
Then he hears it.
A slow, dragging shuffle from the side street ahead.
His stomach knots.
(That sound… infected. No doubt.)
Kai freezes, pressing himself against the shadow of a toppled mailbox. He glances at his reflection in a puddle — Katy's eyes are wide, sharp, terrified but calculating.
(Alright… I know how this works.)
The infected emerges from the fog — pale skin, torn clothing, movements jerky and unnatural. The stench of rot hits him before it even steps closer.
Kai tightens his grip on the hatchet.
(Stay calm. Don't get bitten.)
The creature lurches toward him, claws raking across his forearm as he raises his arm to block. Pain flashes white-hot. He reacts on instinct — the hatchet swings, catching its shoulder with a wet scrape.
It snarls, flailing wildly, trying to drag him down. Adrenaline surges; Kai sidesteps, teeth gritted, and swings again — this time the blade buries deep into its skull with a wet, sickening crunch. The creature shudders once, then collapses.
Kai staggers back, trembling, blood already seeping through his sleeve. He rips a strip of cloth from his shirt and ties it tight around the wound.
(First kill… first real kill…)
But relief doesn't last. Another low moan rises from the mist. More infected. He knows he can't stay in one place.
Meanwhile – in the real world
Elara sits in front of the monitor, tracking Kai's neural activity. Every spike in heart rate, every tremor in his muscle signals is visible in vivid detail.
USER_0001: Active Connection
She types frantically into the console:
[ADMIN MESSAGE – KAI/KATY]
Katy, do you copy? This is Elara. Respond if you can hear me.
The screen blinks once. Then nothing.
Another message:
[ADMIN MESSAGE – KAI/KATY]
Katy, stay calm. You're safe… mostly. I can't open a full channel yet, but you're not alone.
Back in the game, Kai creeps through the fog, hatchet in hand. Each step crunches on gravel. His arm throbs; blood seeps through his makeshift bandage.
He collapses against a lamppost, catching his breath. Pain is sharp. Fear is sharper. Every moment feels real.
The HUD flickers:
[Warning – Health Critical]
Kai swallows hard, checking the hatchet. Still solid. Still usable. Small reassurance, but enough to keep moving.
(One step at a time…)
Elara watches every spike, every neural signal, worry tightening her chest. She types another admin message:
[ADMIN MESSAGE – KAI/KATY]
Do not engage more than you can handle. Find shelter. I can guide you — but you have to survive this first.
The flicker on the monitor suggests the message might have reached him — or maybe it's just interference. She can't know.
Kai ducks into a narrow alley behind the diner. The forest beyond Raven Creek looms silently. Shadows press close. He leans against the wall, hatchet ready, breathing ragged.
(First kill… but it could've ended me.)
Lightning flashes. Katy's reflection glimmers in a broken window. Eyes wide, terrified… but resolute.
(Okay… survive. One day at a time.)
And somewhere deep in the data, Elara waits, hoping this time… he can hear her.
End of Chapter 3