On that day, everyone heard 'The voice.' The entire planet's inhabitants heard a cold, emotionless voice that rang in every mind, regardless of language or location, as if it had reached into the very core of humanity. The words were heard, were felt, like a weight pressing against one's chest, impossible to ignore.
[[[Inhabitants of <
[[[The time has come for you to prove your worth.]]]
[[[You have but one objective.]]]
[[[Survive.]]]
On that day, Humanity witnessed the apocalypse.
---
Felicia yawned as she sat up in bed, glancing at the clock on her nightstand. It read 10:30 AM.
"I just had the strangest dream," she mumbled to herself, rubbing her eyes.
Looking around the room, she noticed she was alone, her three roommates had already left for class. With a sigh, she picked up her phone and checked the department timetable.
"Damn, we have a lecture at 10:00. I can still make it. The lecturer won't mind."
Dragging herself out of bed, she made her way to the bathroom and began brushing her teeth. As she stared at her reflection in the mirror, she took in her features, curly brown hair that barely reached her shoulders and a plump figure.
"I'm not fat," she mused.
She snickered before spitting out the foam. "Dreams are weird. Why was Batman dancing naked in the middle of the Watchtower? And why did Wonder Woman say, 'Time to prove my worth'? As if that would ever happen."
After finishing her morning routine, she took a quick shower and changed into her clothes. Before heading out, she checked her bag to make sure her inhaler was inside.
Just then, her phone rang. Seeing Nora's name on the screen, she picked up the call.
"Hey, Nora. Before you get mad, I'm about to leave the dorm. I should be able to make it by 11:20. I'll have to borrow your notes again, though."
Instead of the usual teasing or complaints, Nora's voice came through, sounding frantic.
"Felicia, wait, you're still at home?"
"Yeah?" Felicia replied, frowning as she picked up the noise in the background, shouts, hurried footsteps, and what sounded like sirens. "Nora, what's that noise?"
But Nora ignored her question and spoke even more urgently. "Felicia, whatever happens, do not go outside. Do not open that door. Stay inside, okay? Stay inside!"
"Wait, Nora what's going on? What are you..." The line went dead. Felicia was really confused, she tried dialing the number again, but it just kept saying the phone was switched off.
"Is Nora in trouble?" She murmured. This honestly wouldn't be the first time one of her friends had gotten themselves in a bind and had needed to hide for at least a month.
"She wanted me to stay inside." She stared at the door, contemplating her best friend's words. "No,my best friend is in trouble, like hell I'm staying inside!"
Felicia grabbed her bag, slung it over her shoulder, and marched toward the door. Her hand hesitated on the knob for a moment, Nora's frantic voice replaying in her mind.
Stay inside.
She shook her head. "Sorry, Nora. If you're in trouble, I'm coming to help."
Taking a deep breath, she unlocked the door and stepped outside.
The hallway was eerily quiet. Normally, there'd be students rushing to and from class, but now... nothing. The fluorescent lights flickered slightly, casting long shadows against the walls.
Felicia made her way down the corridor, her footsteps echoing louder than they should. She reached the elevator and pressed the button, tapping her foot impatiently as she waited.
A few seconds later, the familiar ding echoed through the hall, and the doors slid open.
She froze mid-step.
Inside the elevator stood three figures though calling them *people* felt like a stretch. One of them, a woman, had a deep gash across her neck, black, viscous blood oozing from the wound. Her head lolled to the side unnaturally, lifeless eyes staring into nothing.
The other two looked just as bad, their skin pale and marred with open wounds. The stench of rot hit Felicia like a brick wall, making her stomach churn.
Felicia was not stupid. She was a geek through and through, a lover of movies, anime, and novels, with an impressive track record of cosplaying as Wonder Woman, her all-time favorite hero. She knew exactly what she was looking at. And more importantly, she knew exactly what to do.
"Nope."
Without hesitation, she spun on her heel and bolted in the opposite direction.
Running back through the corridor, she finally noticed some things that were definitely wrong. Like the multiple stains of blood on the wall.
The growls coming from behind her, told Felicia that the three zombies were chasing after her, albeit slowly.
She finally reached the corridor to her room, and cried in her mind. "Seriously?" The corridor was no longer empty, as six different sets of lifeless eyes, stared at her.
Once again, Felicia spun around, and bolted, this time heading for the stairs.
Felicia raced down the hallway, her breathing finally getting ragged as she pushed herself forward. Her mind screamed at her to keep moving, to not look back.
The pounding of unsteady footsteps behind her sent shivers down her spine.
"How is this happening?" she muttered under her breath, gripping the strap of her bag tighter.
She reached the stairwell door and shoved it open, taking the steps two at a time. The sound of shuffling feet echoed below and above, and Felicia cursed under her breath.
"Of course," she huffed. "Because why would it be easy?"
She spun around and ran up instead of down, hoping the rooftop access was unlocked. Her legs burned as she ascended, but she didn't slow down. The moans and growls were getting closer.
Reaching the top floor, she slammed against the door and tugged on the handle. Locked.
Felicia groaned in frustration, pounding on the metal. "Come on, come on!"
A loud crash from the stairs below made her jump. She turned just in time to see one of the zombies stumbling onto the landing, its lifeless eyes locking onto her.
Felicia backed away slowly, her heart hammering. "Okay, Felicia, think. What would Wonder Woman do?"
The zombie lunged.
Felicia dodged to the side, swinging her bag with all her strength. It slammed into the creature's head, sending it reeling. Without missing a beat, she bolted back down the stairs, muttering to herself, "Wonder Woman wouldn't run... but I sure as hell will!"
Skipping the next few steps, she dashed onto the lower floor, bursting into the hallway. It was eerily silent, too silent.
Felicia didn't trust it.
She slowed her pace, carefully creeping forward, ears straining for any sound. Her eyes darted around, searching for an exit, a weapon, anything.
Then she heard it. A soft shuffle, just around the corner.
Felicia held her breath, pressing herself against the wall. Peeking slowly, she saw a figure standing with its back turned to her.
It wasn't a zombie.
"Nora?" Felicia whispered, her voice barely audible.
The figure tensed. Then, slowly, it turned.
It wasn't Nora.
Felicia's blood ran cold as she met its empty, soulless gaze.
Felicia's breath caught in her throat as the figure turned fully to face her. Its eyes were dull and lifeless, its mouth slack, and its skin was a sickly gray. A deep gash ran across its forehead, black ichor dripping down its face.
Not Nora. Definitely not Nora.
The zombie let out a low, guttural moan and took an unsteady step forward. Felicia's instincts screamed at her to run, but this time, her legs felt like they were made of lead.
"Okay, Felicia. Move. Move!" she hissed to herself.
As if on cue, the creature lunged. Felicia snapped out of her paralysis, stumbling backward and bolting down the hallway. Her mind raced, scrambling for options.
'The emergency exit!'
She sprinted towards the glowing green sign at the end of the hall, dodging overturned chairs and scattered belongings. The zombie was close behind, its raspy breathing sending chills down her spine.
Reaching the door, she grabbed the handle and pushed, only to find it jammed.
"You have got to be kidding me!" she groaned, rattling the door in frustration.
A glance over her shoulder made her heart skip a beat. The zombie was almost on her. Without thinking, she grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher off the wall and threw it with all her strength.
THWACK!
The heavy metal connected with the creature's head, sending it sprawling to the ground in a heap.
Felicia didn't waste time. She turned and sprinted down another corridor, her breath ragged. She needed to think, to find a safe place. Her dorm was no longer an option, and the hostel was clearly overrun.
As she rounded a corner, her phone vibrated in her pocket. She fumbled for it and saw Nora's name flashing on the screen.
"Nora!" she gasped, answering immediately. "Where are you? What the hell is going on?"
"Felicia, listen to me!" Nora's voice was barely a whisper, but it was sharp with urgency. "Are you still in the dorm?"
"I'm trying to get out! The place is crawling with-"
"Don't!" Nora interrupted. "The streets are worse! Find somewhere to hide and stay there. I'll come get you, just stay there."
A loud crashing noise cut her off, followed by static.
Felicia stared at the phone in horror. "Nora? Nora!"
The call had dropped.
Felicia swallowed hard, looking around the deserted hallway. She was alone, and the danger was everywhere.
Her eyes landed on the door to the janitor's closet. It wasn't ideal, but it was better than nothing. She rushed over, threw it open, and slipped inside, locking it behind her.
In the suffocating darkness, Felicia pressed her back against the wall, clutching her phone tightly.
She had to survive.
Survive.
[Congratulations. You have awakened unit code 00013567. More details available in [Status]. Good luck.]
A blue holographic screen flickered to life in front of Felicia, its glowing text hovering in the darkness of the janitor's closet.
"What the..." she gasped, eyes wide in shock. Hesitantly, she reached out to touch the floating display, but her hand passed through it without resistance. Of course.
Taking a deep breath, she read the message again. "Status?"
At her command, the hologram shifted, displaying a new set of information.
---
[Status: Felicia Dane]
Race: Human
Tier: 1 | Level: 1
Milestone: [0/1]
Resources: HP: 10 | MP: 5
Talent: Telepathic Link
Active Skills (2/20): Connect, Transfer.
---
Felicia gaped at the screen, struggling to process what she was seeing. "I'm... not crazy," she muttered under her breath, though the doubt lingered.
She scanned the details again, taking note of the talent. "Okay, so Telepathic Link?"
Felicia exhaled slowly, gripping the strap of her bag. "Alright," she whispered, "either I've finally lost it... or this is real."
And judging by the monsters outside, reality was far stranger than fiction today.