Arjun went to college as usual, but something felt off. His class had barely any students. The lecture began, and soon after, the main gates were closed. Everything seemed normal—until it wasn't.
From outside, strange figures started moving toward the campus. It was like they were being pulled by some kind of muscle memory. The students—no, the zombies—began gathering at the gates.
The watchman, Shyam, shouted,
"The gates are closed! Go away!"
Arjun watched from his classroom window, confused. Shyam kept yelling, pushing them back with his hands—until one of them bit him. The others started ramming the gate, and with a loud clang, it broke open.
Arjun stared in disbelief. "Who are these maniacs breaking in just for one day of attendance?" he muttered. But then he noticed something weird—the way they walked. It was off, stiff, like puppets being pulled by invisible strings.
As they entered the campus, chaos erupted. The college siren blared, and everyone's face filled with panic. Arjun had no clue what was going on. Someone shouted,
"The dead have awakened!"
"What the hell are you saying?"
Arjun thought.
More screams followed—"They're attacking! They're biting! They're eating people! RUN!"
Arjun froze, trying to process everything. Soon, the classroom was empty. He thought,
"Maybe this is just another weird drill. Zombie apocalypse? Seriously? Nah, I'll take a nap."
He lay down but was jolted awake by a blood-curdling scream. Peeking into the corridor, he saw mutilated bodies—blood, limbs, everywhere. His stomach dropped. He felt something cold and eerie creeping over him.
As he moved toward the stairs, he spotted creatures—real zombies—devouring people. Suddenly, another scream echoed. All the zombies turned toward the sound. Arjun used the chance to sneak out of the building quietly.
Outside, he saw the campus dogs barking and the zombies shambling after them. He tiptoed toward the gate and slipped out, heading for home. "I'll be safe there," he thought.
But after walking a few hundred meters, he froze. A huge herd of zombies was coming straight toward him. He tried to hide, but his foot slipped on a stone, making a noise. Every zombie turned to look at him. Panic shot through him—he bolted back toward the college, dodging through the horde.
Inside again, he crouched through the corridors, seeing zombies munching on students. He searched desperately for a safe place and spotted a few students locked in a room. He knocked and gestured for them to open. One of them peeked through the glass—it was his friend. Despite protests from the others, his friend unlocked the door.
After a quick, tense talk, Arjun noticed a guy in the corner groaning in pain. He'd been bitten.
"We have to get out of here," Arjun said urgently. "All those zombies had bite marks. He'll turn!"
They hesitated, then agreed—except for three who refused to leave their bitten friend.
The rest planned to escape through the vents they used to sneak out during class. Checking the corridor, they saw a few zombies ahead. One guy threw a ball to distract them. It worked—the zombies followed the sound, and they slipped out quietly.
They reached the vent room and switched on the light—only to find zombies already inside. Thinking fast, Arjun threw a box outside to lure them away. The sound worked, but it also drew others. As the zombies left, the group climbed onto a table. Arjun unscrewed the vent and climbed in silently.
The second guy tried to follow but slipped and fell. The zombies turned and rushed at him. The third guy hid, but when his friend screamed,
"NOOOOOO!" he gave away his position. Both were dragged down, screaming as the zombies tore them apart.
Arjun could only watch in horror. Their screams echoed through the vents as tears rolled down his cheeks. "I couldn't save them…" he whispered, heartbroken.
He kept crawling through the vents, watching from above as the entire university turned into a feeding ground. Students were being eaten, others turning. Eventually, he reached the terrace. Evening had fallen. He finally felt a hint of relief—he'd survived—but guilt crushed him.
Down below, the news spread like wildfire. The government went into panic mode, ordering the army to start rescue operations.
That night, Arjun slept on the terrace, hungry and haunted by nightmares of his dying friends screaming his name.
By morning, five helicopters were sent out—each with a pilot, a gunner, and space for four survivors. As they flew over the ruined town, they spotted people waving from rooftops. Ladders were dropped, and survivors were pulled up.
One helicopter hovered near the university and spotted Arjun. The sound woke him up. "Hey, kid! Climb up!" Captain Rudra shouted. Arjun grabbed the ladder and climbed quickly. "Don't look down!" Captain Rudra yelled. He made it aboard and buckled up.
Next to him sat a man trembling, sweating, muttering nonsense. Arjun noticed a bite mark on his arm.
"Officer! He's infected!" he shouted.
The man lunged at Arjun, who instinctively kicked him toward Captain Rudra. The infected man tried to bite, but Captain Rudra shoved his gun into the man's mouth, pushed him out of the helicopter, and shot him mid-air.
Breathing heavily, Arjun said,
"Sorry for pushing him toward you."
Captain Rudra replied,
"You're lucky I've got good reflexes, kid."
"Thanks for covering my ass," Arjun said with a faint smile.
The helicopters landed at a facility newly turned into a safe shelter named SHIELD. Everyone was checked carefully—only 20 survivors made it, and 12 were sent to quarantine.
The quarantine rooms were strange: thick metal walls, cameras, and chairs with straps. The 12 were tied down for observation.
Arjun and the other 8 survivors got clean clothes, food, and a separate room. Within hours, all 12 quarantined victims turned into zombies. Scientists immediately began researching the infection, taking blood samples through openings behind the chairs.
Meanwhile, Arjun sat on his bed, unable to forget the screams of his friends. Rage and guilt boiled inside him. He shouted,
"It's all my fault! They're all dead because of MEEEEEE!" and broke down crying.
An officer nearby heard the cry, hurried over, and asked,
"Why are you crying?"
Arjun told him what had happened. Captain Rudra's face fell; sadly, he admitted he had lost his wife and son. His expression hardened, eyes burning, and he asked,
"Do you want revenge?"
Arjun's grief snapped into rage. With a steady, confident voice he answered,
"Yes."