"Watch where you're stepping, cane boy."The voice echoing through the long corridor seemed to draw everyone's attention. The orderly rays of the morning sun streamed through the windows lined along the corridor, casting their light onto the marble floor.
Trying to make his way through the groups of students, Aaron pushed his cane forward with his right hand and stepped with his supporting leg, doing his best to ignore the remarks.
"What's wrong? Why aren't you talking, huh!?"Two students who had been mocking him wasted no time and came straight over. One of them, with wavy blond hair and blue eyes, the wealthy and popular kid of the school, casually placed his right hand on Aaron's shoulder.
"Tell us—do you think you'll make it to class before the bell rings?"This was Siba, still clearly intent on making fun of him. "Here, let me help you."Without drawing attention, Siba placed his foot in front of Aaron's cane.
After that small move, Aaron lost his balance and fell face-first onto the cold, white marble floor. Now, every student in the corridor had their eyes locked on him, and laughter filled the air.
"Oh! I'm sorry, buddy… Let me help you up."Before even making a hand gesture to help, Siba pressed his foot down onto Aaron's ankles.
"What's going on here?"The voice that rose in the corridor managed to distract everyone for a few seconds. On the far end of the hall, the biology teacher, Mr. Rapinson, had appeared.
"Sir, our friend lost his balance and fell. We were just helping him up."Siba quickly removed his foot from Aaron's ankle and, grabbing him by the back of the neck, helped him to his feet.
"My friend, please watch your step. The floor is slippery..."Siba wore that same disgusting, fake-friendly smile.
"Anyway, everyone get to class—the bell's about to ring!"At Mr. Rapinson's instruction, the students started heading toward their classrooms. Once Aaron was seated at his desk, he drifted into deep thought for the rest of the lesson.
'Why?'His leg had been defective since birth. The diagnosis from the doctor he had visited as a child was Coxalgic Gait Disorder. Since then, he had only been able to walk with the help of a cane.
Although he was constantly targeted for mockery, he had recently begun to grow used to it. All eyes were always on him. Some students, when walking past, would throw words at him like cripple or lame.
When the bell rang to signal the end of the lesson, Aaron broke free from his thoughts. Using his cane for support, he slowly rose from his chair.
After several minutes of walking, he reached the top floor—he wanted to step out onto the school's rooftop garden for some fresh air. Normally, it was just a short walk, but for Aaron, it felt like an eternity.
When he opened the rooftop door, the refreshing morning breeze swept through his wavy hair, filling him with a sense of peace. Ever since the new garden had been built, students rarely came here.
For Aaron, this place was the perfect spot to rest. He walked to his usual corner and gazed down at the school's newly landscaped garden.
If only I could be strong…Aaron had always hated himself for being quiet and withdrawn. On several occasions, this hatred had even driven him to attempt to harm himself.
Watching the birds flap their wings in the sky, or the white clouds drift by with the wind, at least gave him a little peace.
"AAAAAAAAAARGGGGG!"A violent scream rose from the school garden below, reaching Aaron even from fifteen meters above. When he turned his eyes toward the source, he was met with a revolting sight he had never seen before.
A student had leapt onto another, spraying blood all around. The onlookers scattered in panic, running aimlessly. Teachers rushed in to save the attacked student, but in the struggle, they too were injured.
Within seconds, the teachers also began attacking everyone.
Just then, Aaron's phone buzzed with a notification. Still shaking, he unlocked it to see what was going on—and froze.
[1 New Notification!]
According to the official statement from the government: Please remain indoors to protect yourself from the attackers outside.
[1 New Notification!]
Twittar:Damn it, are you guys seeing this? Everyone's lost their minds…
Each new alert only deepened Aaron's anxiety. When he looked back down at the garden, he saw dozens of students lying motionless in pools of blood, while others were still attacking each other.
Aaron began to fear that this might be turning into something like the post-apocalyptic zombie novels he had read so often. The constant banging at the rooftop door made him tremble.
"Please open the door!"A familiar voice pleaded from the other side. Aaron slowly made his way toward it.
"Aaron, I know you're in there—I saw you from the garden. Please, it's horrible out here, open the door. Please..."It was Siba, his voice shaking with tears.
If someone who had spent all this time bullying him was now begging for help, it meant they were face-to-face with death. True to his kind heart, Aaron couldn't turn him away. After a moment of hesitation, he unlocked the door.
Siba stumbled in, collapsing to the floor."Thank God. Why didn't you open sooner?"He was the same as always—cowardly when afraid, but quick to revert to his usual self once the danger seemed to pass.
"What's happening out there?"Aaron tried to meet his eyes.
"Are you too stupid to see? Everyone's gone crazy—they're attacking each other."Siba's words only confirmed what Aaron had already witnessed.
Aaron's only wish was that this wouldn't turn into the zombie novels he feared—because if it did, he wouldn't be the main character. He'd be just another victim.
"Are you hurt anywhere?"Aaron asked the most important question.
"What, you're going to give first aid to someone who made fun of you?"Siba still didn't grasp the gravity of the situation—perhaps he'd never read a zombie book in his life.
"Show me where you're hurt."Reluctantly, Siba lifted his shirt to reveal the wound.
On his left side, near his kidney, was a deep gash several centimeters long. The flesh was already darkened, and the veins around it were swollen and clearly visible.
Shit…Aaron realized he had made a terrible mistake. It was too late to ask when, where, or how it had happened. Fear was making his knees buckle.
If he tried to escape, he might run straight into the zombies. But if he could get Siba away from the rooftop…
Then, an idea came to him. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, exhaled slowly, and calmed his racing heart.
"Siba, I need you to get me some hydrogen peroxide, a bandage, and a few cotton pads so I can help your wound."It was a standard first-aid request.
"Why should I get them? Why don't you?"Siba objected immediately.
"You know my leg's condition. If I could, I'd go myself. But if your wound isn't treated, things will get much worse."Aaron had no real medical knowledge—he was just trying to get Siba to leave.
"Fine… Damn it! But open the door as soon as I get back, alright?"Siba winced as he stood up.
"When you return, knock three times fast and twice slowly. That way I'll know it's you."Siba nodded, holding his wound as he walked to the door and stepped outside.
Aaron had used Siba's foolishness to his advantage. He didn't feel guilty—Siba's wound meant he'd turn within minutes anyway.
As Aaron approached the edge of the rooftop, he looked down at the chaos. He didn't know how things had reached this point, but he thought that, if possible, he'd rather die quickly under normal circumstances.
If a zombie bit him, the thought of living the rest of his life as a mindless creature seemed worse than ending it himself. He glanced at his crippled leg.
"You're the reason for all of this, Mom…"
He hurled his cane over the edge. It spun in the air before landing in the sandy garden below, sending up a small puff of dust.
He closed his eyes. Without his cane, it became harder to keep his balance with each passing second. His back began to bend, and the strain on his bad leg increased.
Still, he couldn't quite bring himself to jump. He focused on breathing, trying to calm himself.
He imagined what might come after death—perhaps a healthy body, perhaps a better life and family. The thought gave him the courage he needed. Without wasting another moment, he stepped forward into the void.
The wind rushed past every inch of his body. He could smell the metallic scent rising from the ground. Just a few more seconds, and it would be over—he hoped to open his eyes somewhere else.
But several seconds passed, and he felt no pain. In fact, he hadn't even felt himself hit the ground. Could this be a painless death?
[Incubation requirements met]
[Cellular brain functions restoring]
[System infrastructure check in progress]
[System successfully integrated]
[Welcome, Mr. Aaron…]