The sirens had been wailing for almost ten minutes when Dr. Alden Stone finally stopped running.
He was drenched in sweat, breathing through clenched teeth as he carried his grandson down the narrow corridor. Red warning lights were proof of how perilous the situation was becoming every second. Every few seconds the floor trembled as another explosion shook the underground complex.
Dr. Alden Stone's grandson, Derek Stone, was burning in his arms.
His breathing was weak and his pulse was racing, instantly spiked or skipped next second. Veins were bulging dark under his skin, crawling up his neck toward his face.
"Stay with me, Derek," Alden muttered. His own heartbeat was hammering in his ears. "Just a little longer."
He slammed his shoulder into the metal door at the end of the hall and stumbled into his private laboratory. The door sealed behind him with a heavy hiss. Inside, the air was cold and dry, the only sound the hum of machines still running on emergency power.
He laid the boy on the main table. Derek's breathing came in short gasps; his eye rolled under half-closed lids. The Wolf Prototype Serum was tearing him apart from the inside.
Alden's hand trembled as he looked at the monitors. Cell rejection at 180 percent. Heart rhythm is irregular. Oxygen is dropping fast. Seeing the data, Alden looked at his grandson one more time.
"No, no, no..."
Dr. Alden, who looked like crying, seeing his only family was dying and could only watch helplessly. Finally, he made the decision. He opened the hidden vault behind the wall panel and pulled out a small case. Inside was a one syringe filled with thick, dark-red liquid. The label read Apex Serum - Experimental / Unauthorized.
He wiped his forehead with the back of his sleeve. "You shouldn't be here, Derek... I'm sorry you have to hold on for a little bit longer."
He looked down at the boy, his only family left after the outbreak and swallowed hard. He had kept the Apex Project secret from everyone. The serum was the result of years of his research: meteorite fragments perfectly combined with bat DNA to create a strain that could adapt to any infection by absorbing it. It was never meant to be used like this.
But the Wolf Serum had already been injected. If he did nothing, Derek would die within minutes. He can only gamble with injecting another serum that he secretly created to counter the Wolf Serum.
"Forgive me," he whispered.
He drove the needle straight into Derek's chest and pressed the plunger. The red liquid vanished into the boy's heart.
The reaction was immediate. Derek's body arched violently; his back lifted off the table as if hit by lightning. The veins on his arms lit with a deep crimson glow, pulsing like molten threads. His mouth opened in a silent scream.
Alden stumbled back, shielding his eyes. The lights flickered.
Then, just as suddenly, Derek fell still. His pulse steadied the monitors flat-lined for half a second, then showed a slow, powerful heartbeat.
Alden exhaled, shaking. "It worked... it actually-"
He stopped mid-sentence when a sharp pain shot through his left arm. He looked down and saw blood. A bite mark and fresh blood was still flowing out from freshly wound. Clearly, he must be bitten during the evacuation.
He felled on ground clearly showing signs of weakness. Because of blood loss and taking deep breaths to calm down. He then touched his wound with hand.
Argh...
Letting out small painful groan. He realised he didn't have much time. But he didn't regret anything he was old his hair were completely white. His wife died and then his son along with his wife, who died in a car accident four years ago. Now, only his grandson is left.
He was glad he saved his grandson, but regretting only one thing leaving him like this in the apocalypse. Alden focused his gaze one more time on his grandson and became more serious with clarity in the eyes.
Then his gaze fell on his watch and he clicked on the video recording option.
'This is Dr. Alden Stone, chief researcher of a secret project called Bio-Serum."
"Special serums that were created by combining meteorite astral particles and animal DNA."
"These serums give certain animal traits and superhuman speed and power."
"Because it is still in the testing phase and an increase in speed in power is remained to be tested."
"I don't have much time. I've been bitten by a zombie and infected. I injected my grandson with serum that I secretly created after creating twenty-one serums. I named it "Apex Serum."
"This serum is created with the possibility that if the human race goes near extinction so this serum would help with evolution and transform humans into the species that live in the apocalypse."
"Yes, an apocalypse after the meteorite fragments that fell on Earth. We found out these fragments emit a special type of particles called Astral Particles."
"Humans who are infected with this after their death transform into zombies. Cure for this infection has not been found. These particles not only affect humans but also animals and plants."
"Mutation is found in both of them. Still mutating, which shows humanity going to face unpredictable danger."
"Apex serum is different from the remaining twenty-one serums. It has a strong devouring nature. It devoured the host's blood before the fusion was completed. All the test subject fusion rate was 0..."
"Coincidentally, my grandson was injected with serum created with wolf DNA, which was unstable and he would have died from gene collapsation."
"I took last gamble by injecting him with Apex in next the Apex started devouring the wolf serum and the host is fine."
"Vital signs are stable. But body changes are unknown. More data is needed for further examination."
"As Bio serums give their host animal trait are used to create them. Assumptions about its ability and drawbacks can be made."
"According to me host would gain both superhuman strength and speed. The possibility of ability would be bat sonar. As for a major drawback, the host needs to drink blood which is bat's main diet."
He paused. coughing. His vision blurred at the edges. The infection was spreading faster than expected.
"Derek's body is already adapting. If he survives, he will be the first of his kind.
"The wolf Serum in him should be absorbed by Apex and transformed into a hybrid."
As he finished speaking the lab lights dimmed again. The backup generator was nearly out of its power supply.
Alden turned off the recorder and set the watch on the table. He turned to look at his grandson- and froze.
The table was empty.
"Derek?" His voice cracked. He spun around, scanning the room. "Derek!"
The boy was gone.
For a moment, the only sound was the whine of broken electronics. Then, behind him, something moved-a low rustle, followed by a sound like air being cut apart.
Alden turned.
And there he was.
Derek stood in the shadows near the far wall, breathing heavily. His pupils glowed faint red in dim light. His veins pulsed under his skin, visible even in the dark. His fingernails had lengthened into dark claws, and his canines were sharp enough to gleam.
"Derek..." Alden whispered. "It's me."
The boy's head tilted slightly, like an animal hearing a sound it couldn't quite place. His breathing deepened. A faint growl escaped his throat.
Alden was confused why Derek was not listening and there was something that his instinct was telling him the thing in front of him was dangerous.
Alden took one cautious step forward. "Listen to me. It's over. You're safe now. You-"
Before Alden could finish, Derek moved faster than sight.
Alden couldn't even blink. A blur of motion happened in front of his eyes and then pain exploded in Alden's neck. The boy slammed into him, pinning him against the wall. His mouth opened wide, and fangs dug deep into his flesh. Hot blood was sucked from Alden's shoulder.
"De..rek..! Alden gasped, gripping his grandson's shoulders. But the boy's strength was inhuman. The suction grew stronger; his heartbeat thudded through Alden's every time he bit even more tightly. As if he were hungry for months.
Seeing his grandson's action, Alden was shocked. But soon he found out why his grandson attacked him. The nature of bats is sucking blood from their prey and Derek clearly sees him as prey. This must be the side effect of fusing the Apex completely.
Alden, due to blood loss he was already weakened and barely able to stand when he noticed that Derek had disappeared. It was impossible to shake him off and run.
Clearly, Derek is superhuman now and he was no match for him. He was already at death's door rather than becoming a zombie. It is much better that his body still has some use for his grandson.
After having such thoughts, Alden didn't resist.
Seeing that the prey has stopped resisting. Derek started to suck even more violently.
Soon, Alden's vision faded into the dark now his pupils were blank. Completely devoid of life.
Derek finally let go of Alden, then staggered back. His breathing was ragged. Then he roared, expressing his satisfying expression. He looked around before he fell on the ground.
Within a few seconds, he completely stopped moving. His body entered into a deep sleep. The Apex serum was digesting the fresh blood sucked, used as a nutrient to evolve his host's body.
Slowly, two years passed. The world was completely changed.