Chapter 9: A Moment of Broken Fate
The cry of "Walkers!" instantly turned the camp into an inferno. As sleep-addled people rushed from their tents, dozens of staggering figures emerged from the darkness of the forest. Their groans were a chorus of death that filled the night.
Panic and chaos reigned. People screamed and ran in different directions. Shane, his face ablaze with shock and anger, tried to organize them: "Arm yourself! Protect the children!"
But Jayden's focus was single. He wasn't panicking. He'd been preparing for this moment for days. His eyes searched for one person amidst the chaos: Amy.
He saw her. Just as he'd feared, she was trapped in the open, between the trailer and the tents. He was frozen by the screams, unsure of what to do. His sister, Andrea, was trying to run toward him, but another walker had blocked his path.
Jayden recalled the horrific scene in his mind. That walker had crept up behind Amy, biting her arm and shoulder savagely. His eyes scanned the area. And he saw it. That particular walker, a little faster than the others, advancing with a single, targeted approach toward Amy.
Time seemed to slow down. Jayden's mind was working like a supercomputer. Distance: thirty meters. Wind: none. Target: mobile but predictable.
He didn't hesitate for a second. He grabbed his bow from his back and loaded an arrow. This wasn't training. This was a moment to rewrite destiny. His [Basic Archery Level 2] skill activated. His body automatically assumed perfect posture, his breathing steady. His eye, rear sight, front sight, and the target's head merged into a single line.
The arrow flew from the bow with a whoosh. It streaked invisibly through the air, and just one step before reaching Amy, it lodged itself right in the walker's eye socket. The creature stopped as if it had hit an invisible wall and collapsed lifelessly to the ground. [Critical Hit! Walker killed! +50 EXP!]
[Fate Changed! Massive System Experience Gained!]
[LEVELED UP!]
[Level 2 -> Level 3]
[All HP and STA fully restored!]
[You Gained Assignable Stat Points: 1]
Jayden ignored the system's notifications. His only focus was on the shocked Walker falling to the ground and the trembling Amy. He had done it. He had saved her.
But the battle wasn't over. On the contrary, it was just beginning. With the renewed strength he had gained from leveling up, he thought, "Assign the points to Agility!" His body felt even lighter.
He drew his machete. "AMY! CARAVANA!" he shouted, his voice clear even in the chaos.
Amy came to his senses at Jayden's voice. He looked at the fallen walker, then at Jayden, and remembering his promise to her, he began to stumble back toward the trailer. Andrea cleared her path and reached her sister.
Jayden was now free. No longer on the defensive, he was on the offensive. He plunged like a hurricane into the horde of walker swarming into the camp. His [Strength: 12, Agility: 12] stats transformed him into a superhuman warrior. His machete crushed or decapitated a head with each swing. His movements were so swift and fluid that the walkers couldn't even touch him. He avoided one, dodged another, and sliced a third in half with his machete.
His minimap was filled with red dots that covered the entire campsite. He was an angel, extinguishing these dots one by one. Shane and Morales fired their rifles, while Jayden took out the biggest threats in close combat. Dale supported him by firing from the trailer.
Ed Peletier was caught by a few walkers as he tried to escape his tent. His screams were quickly silenced. Several others in the camp shared the same fate. Jayden knew he couldn't save everyone. But he was doing his best to protect the core group.
The battle ended after ten minutes that felt like an eternity. When the last walker fell, only the sobs, groans, and heavy breathing of the survivors filled the campground. The area was littered with corpses, both human and walkers.
Jayden stood, covered in blood and sweat. Blood dripped from his machete. He looked around. Shane, Morales, Jim, Jacqui… They were alive. Dale was climbing out of the trailer. And most importantly, Andrea was hugging Amy, who was trembling but unhurt.
Amy's eyes found Jayden amidst the rubble. His eyes were filled with fear, shock, and a depth of gratitude he'd never seen before. In that moment, they both knew. The bond between them wasn't just a friendship or a teacher-student relationship anymore. It was a life debt. Jayden had broken the timeline. He had saved Amy. But now he was forced to face the consequences of this new reality.