The sky was a burning red haze, thick with smoke and fear.
Inside the house, Evelyn's heart pounded as she clutched Kai's small hand.
Her parents moved frantically, trying to secure the doors and windows.
"Evelyn," her mother said, voice shaking but fierce, "you need to run. Take Kai and don't stop. Protect him. No matter what."
Her father held a kitchen knife tightly. "We'll hold them back. You have to go."
Before Evelyn could respond, the front door exploded inward.
The Infected poured in—twisted figures with backs bent at unnatural angles, their faces pale and monstrous, jaws snapping silently.
Her mother screamed, throwing herself at the nearest creature, claws scratching at it desperately.
Her father fought fiercely, but it wasn't enough.
Evelyn watched in horror as the creatures overwhelmed them—her mother's desperate cries echoing, her father's last attempt to shield them breaking apart under the relentless assault.
Blood stained the floor and walls.
Her brother whimpered beside her.
With tears blurring her vision, Evelyn turned and fled, dragging Kai into the darkness.
Behind her, everything she loved was lost.