A mutated one appeared, carrying heavy dumbbells. Its legs were oddly strong, and it charged straight at them, jumping with the dumbbells raised. Lily pulled Arjun down just in time, making him drop to the stair step as the zombie crashed in front of them. Lily fired again.
Arjun grabbed Lily and shot upward at the incoming zombies. With no time left, he snatched his bag and they both sprinted up the stairs.
On the second floor, Sia held the ID card to the scanner one more time. This time—beep.
The door unlocked.
Ahmad rushed down to call them—only to see Arjun and Lily halfway up the stairs with a stream of zombies behind them.
Ahmad: "Hey! The door's open—come fast!"
Arjun: "Okay!"
He grabbed Lily's arm, and they both sprinted upward.
Ahmad stood on the stairs, staring at the terrifying number of zombies pouring in. He swallowed hard. A bit of white foam slipped from the corner of his mouth; he quickly wiped it away. His eyes trembled as he looked from Sia—busy checking inside—to Arjun and Lily running for their lives.
He swallowed again, his voice barely a whisper.
Ahmad: "I can't… no… I can't…"
Flashback
Last night, Ahmad woke up hungry and saw Vijay eating something—gummies from the same pack they had all seen earlier.
Ahmad: "Why are you eating that? We said it's not safe."
Vijay: "But I'm starving. And looking at all of you… you barely have food for five people. If it was dangerous, I wouldn't be alive—I already finished one full pack before you guys even came here."
Ahmad's stomach growled. He looked at Arjun's bag.
Ahmad: "You're right… we do have limited food and water. But still…"
Vijay: "It actually works. Gives you energy. You should try it once…"
Ahmad: "No."
He shook his head with a forced smile, looking away—then back again.
His stomach growled loudly.
Vijay smirked.
Vijay: "This pack is almost empty. Should I leave some for you?"
Ahmad: "No…"
He forced the word out.
Vijay placed pack with last few gummies on the floor.
Vijay: "Just in case you change your mind."
Then he went to bed.
Ahmad stared at the gummies.
Ahmad: "Some gummies won't harm me… right? They boost energy too…"
He tried convincing himself.
"I mean… if I don't eat, I'll collapse anyway…"
He grabbed the pack and ate a few.
---
Back to Present
Ahmad's hands shook as he clutched the railing.
Ahmad: "Not now… please… not now…"
His voice trembled with fear.
Ahmad closed his eyes for a second, confused and overwhelmed, as if the world around him froze. When he opened them, all he could see was his friends—almost being caught by the zombies climbing the stairs.
Something snapped inside him.
He sprinted toward Sia, snatched her gun without warning, and rushed back down the steps.
Ahmad — "Go! Just go!"
He fired at the zombies, creating a shaky barrier of sound and chaos.
Lily and Arjun froze for a moment, confused about why he came back down instead of running up—but they had no time to argue. They continued climbing, trying to grab him and pull him up with them.
Arjun — "Ahmad, come on!"
But Ahmad didn't turn. His shoulders trembled, yet he kept shooting, steps slowing, knowing exactly what was happening to him… and how little time he had left.
Ahmad shut his eyes for a split second, confused as everything around him seemed to freeze. When he opened them, he saw his friends just seconds away from being surrounded. His heartbeat spiked. Without thinking, he sprinted toward Sia, snatched her gun, and dashed back down the stairs.
He fired rapidly, each shot buying his friends a few more precious steps. Lily and Arjun stared in shock—why had he come back down? But there was no time to question it. They kept running, reaching for him, trying to pull him upward.
Ahmad kept shooting while moving up the stairs, but a few moments later, the gun clicked—empty.
By then, Lily and Arjun had reached the upper floor and ran inside. Ahmad bolted upward behind them. Sia had already checked the whole place—everything was secure. She stood at the entrance, one door already locked. As Arjun and Lily rushed in, she grabbed the second door, ready to shut it the moment Ahmad crossed the threshold.
Ahmad stopped outside.
Sia: "Hey—come in!"
Ahmad: "Close the door."
Arjun: "What? Come in, you—"
(As he grabbed Ahmad's hand, Ahmad's sleeve slid up slightly. A scratch on Ahmad's arm was exposed. Arjun's eyes widened in shock. Ahmad and Arjun looked at each other—one in disbelief, the other in sorrow.)