A faint humming drifted through the dark.
At first it was barely there — a thin vibration floating somewhere between a breath and a thought.
Then a voice began to rise from the noise, soft, almost kind.
— Max… wake up…
He stirred slightly, eyelids heavy. The sound seemed to echo from far away, like someone calling him through water. His mind hovered between dream and waking, unsure of what was real.
— Max! Wake up, man!
His eyes flew open. His heart jumped inside his chest. Bright classroom lights burned his vision, and a blurry shape leaned over him.
— Damn it, why are you waking me up, idiot? he grumbled, voice rough with sleep.
Weiwei laughed, leaning back in his chair.
— The class ends in five minutes, and you haven't written a single note, genius.
Max blinked, disoriented.
— Seriously? You woke me up just for that? I was having an incredible dream, dude.
— Oh yeah? Is that why you were twitching like crazy in your sleep? What kind of dream was it, huh? Girls in bikinis?
Max rubbed his face, a lazy smile appearing.
— Nah, there were zombies everywhere, and I was like… the leader of the whole school. It was epic, I swear.
Weiwei raised an eyebrow.
— Zombies? Why the hell were there zombies?
— I dunno… some virus thing, maybe. But it felt so real.
— Uh-huh, sure. Now pick up your pen before the teacher notices, sleepyhead.
Max sighed and sat up straighter, stretching his stiff arms. His body was awake, but his mind wasn't. The dream still clung to him — sirens, screams, the smell of smoke. It had felt more like a memory than a fantasy.
He scribbled random words in his notebook, trying to look busy, when he noticed movement in the back of the room.
Several students had stood up, crowding around a boy holding his phone. The blue glow of the screen lit their faces, pale and tense.
— What are they doing? Weiwei whispered.
A girl stood, curiosity winning over boredom.
— I wanna see! What's on the video? asked Amalia, weaving through the desks.
Théo answered without looking up.
— The police shot a guy in Pointe-à-Pitre.
— What?! Why?! Amalia gasped.
— No idea, said Maxence. But the dude took twenty bullets and kept walking like nothing happened.
A chill crawled down everyone's spine.
— Wait, how can someone take twenty bullets and still walk? Perle whispered.
Akyl shook his head slowly.
— Bro, he looked like a zombie or something.
— Oh my God, imagine if it really was a zombie, said Maïra, half-joking.
— Are you stupid or what? snapped Darell.
— You think we're in a movie? added Raphaël, forcing a laugh.
Nervous giggles spread, thin and shaky. Then — BANG!
A single gunshot cracked through the air.
The laughter stopped.
— What… was that? Perle whispered, frozen.
Chloé's eyes were wide. — Don't tell me that was a gun…
Another burst followed, sharper, closer — right outside the school walls.
Screams erupted. Chairs toppled. Someone cried.
— QUICK! GET UNDER THE TABLES! the teacher shouted. TURN OFF THE LIGHTS! CLOSE THE BLINDS! I'LL LOCK THE DOOR!
Chaos filled the room. Desks screeched against the floor. Students ducked, trembling, some clutching their friends' hands.
Max's pulse hammered. He dove under the nearest table beside Weiwei, heart pounding in his ears.
Then — silence. Only shallow breaths and quiet sobs.
Until every phone in the classroom vibrated at once.
The emergency alert tone sliced through the dark.
Red letters flashed across every screen.
NATIONAL ALERT — URGENT MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTRY OF INTERIOR AND HEALTH
THIS IS NOT A DRILL
Citizens,
A highly dangerous virus has been detected on the national territory.
This pathogen causes severe neurological disorders, extreme aggression, and total loss of reason in infected individuals. The situation is evolving rapidly.
Immediate safety instructions:
• Stay indoors and lock all doors and windows.
• Avoid contact with people showing convulsions, erratic movements, no reaction to pain, violent behavior, or bite wounds.
• Do not help infected persons.
• Turn off outdoor lights and keep silent.
• Do not spread rumors online.
Security forces are being deployed. Stay tuned to official media for updates.
Emergency number: 113 — Call only in case of immediate danger.
— Government of the Republic —
National Crisis Management Center
No one moved.
Weiwei was the first to speak, his voice barely a whisper.
— What the hell is this thing…?
— Why did we get an alert? Axel shouted from under his desk.
— It says there's a dangerous virus, read Loricia, her voice trembling as she held up her phone.
Everyone started talking at once. Fear filled the room like smoke.
Max could barely breathe. His hands were ice-cold.
— Weiwei… he muttered.
— What?
— That thing… the virus… it was in my dream.
Weiwei froze, eyes wide.
— Wait, what do you mean it was in your dream?!
— Stop yelling, dude! Max hissed, panic rising.
But everyone had heard. Heads turned toward them.
— What do you mean it was in your dream? Mériame asked, voice shaking.
— When did you dream that? Was it exactly the same? said Raphaël.
— Max, this isn't funny right now, said Lara, her face pale.
— I'm not joking, bitch! It was exactly the same! he snapped.
The room fell dead quiet. Even the sirens outside seemed to fade.
— What did you see in your dream? asked Noa softly.
Max hesitated. He felt every pair of eyes on him.
His mouth was dry.
— …There were a lot of dead people, he finally said. And zombies.
A wave of unease spread through the class. A few students laughed nervously, but no one really found it funny.
— Bro, he's messing around, Andréa said quickly.
— Yeah, not funny at all, Max, added Darell.
— How do you know he's lying? argued Maïra. Maybe he really saw something!
— Shut up, Maïra, growled Mathieu.
— Do you think we'll be able to go home? Amalia asked through tears. I don't wanna sleep at school…
Lara looked toward the door, her voice barely a whisper.
— Maybe… but only after they figure out what's going on out there.
No one answered.
The classroom felt smaller, the air thicker. Another burst of gunfire echoed outside. Somewhere down the hall, a window shattered.
The lights flickered once, twice… then stabilized.
Max felt a cold trickle of sweat run down his spine. He could still hear that voice from before, the one that had called him out of sleep.
It was as if the dream had warned him, and now the world was catching up.
He swallowed hard. Outside, sirens wailed, distant yet growing closer.
The teacher pressed a finger to his lips, motioning for silence.
No one moved. No one spoke.
Only the sound of their breathing filled the room.
And Max knew, deep down, that the nightmare wasn't over.
It was only just beginning.