That day started early in the morning.
There was no panic,
no rush.
It was as if the three of them were getting ready to go to work.
They stopped in front of the villa.
Boran turned the key and locked the door.
"Did we lock the house?" he said.
"Just in case zombies come in and turn on Netflix."
Riven laughed.
"Don't worry, the internet will be gone."
Karel closed the trunk of the car.
"We're leaving."
That was it.
No dramatic farewell,
no last look back.
They already knew they would return.
---
Music was playing in the car.
Like a normal day.
Boran was driving.
"Man," he said,
"you expect to feel something strange on your last day, but…"
Riven looked out the window.
"When you know," he said,
"it doesn't feel strange."
"Not knowing is what's scary."
Karel was sitting in the back.
Looking at his phone.
Checking the time.
It was getting close.
---
When they arrived at Marmara Forum, the mall was still open.
There were people.
There was noise.
There were smells.
Life… was going on.
They parked the car.
Just as they were getting out,
a scream echoed.
Sharp.
Clear.
A human voice.
Boran suddenly straightened up.
"IT STARTED—"
He jumped to his feet.
Then…
a girl appeared from across the way.
She was laughing.
Her friend next to her was laughing too.
It turned out to be a joke.
Boran froze.
Slowly sat back down in his seat.
"I…"
"Well…"
"I thought I was ready."
Riven tapped his shoulder.
"Too early to be a hero."
Karel smiled slightly.
"It has a minute."
---
They entered the mall.
The plan was simple:
The top floor.
The food court.
The cinema area.
High up.
Controllable.
Riven's girlfriend had come as well.
Riven hadn't told her anything.
He had just said "surprise."
"We'll spend some time together."
She was normal.
She had no idea.
Meanwhile, Karel…
while waiting at a café on a lower floor, met someone.
A short conversation.
Simple small talk.
An Istanbul classic.
They called her over.
"Let's hang out as a group of four."
Boran's comment came immediately:
"Either the apocalypse is happening today, or we've become way too social."
---
The time came.
First…
a shout.
Then another.
Then…
glass shattered.
The hum inside the mall suddenly changed.
There were human voices but…
no more words.
There was running.
There were collisions.
And someone fell.
Karel spoke calmly:
"Okay."
"Now."
---
They didn't kill the zombies at first.
They ran.
Stairs.
Escalators.
Passing through people's screams.
They reached the top floor.
They found a closed-off area.
They hid.
They waited.
As time passed, the sounds changed.
Human voices decreased.
They turned into something else.
Biting sounds.
Hoarse growls.
Boran whispered:
"Okay."
"Now it's really started."
---
Hours later…
The mall was almost silent.
Karel stood up.
"Now we begin."
At first, they cleared the top floor together.
Fast.
Silent.
Professional.
Then it was time to split up.
Karel spoke:
"I'm taking the ground floor."
Boran immediately jumped in:
"Then I'll take the floor above that."
Riven spread his arms.
"So I get the bottom floor."
"You bastards."
Karel turned to Riven:
"Seal all the parking garage entrances on the bottom floor."
"Lock everything."
Riven nodded:
"On it."
They handed out the weapons.
A sword to Boran.
And a gun.
A spear to Riven.
And a handgun.
Then they separated.
---
Karel went down.
He was fast.
Very fast.
He sealed the entrances.
Chained the doors.
Blocked the routes.
Then he entered a clothing store.
There were zombies inside.
Minutes later…
none were left.
And then,
four people came out from the back.
They were trembling.
"Who… who are you?" they said.
"Are you the rescue team?"
Karel's face didn't change.
He smiled.
Warm.
Friendly.
"Yes," he said.
"I came to save you."
"To set you free."
The four people came closer.
They thanked him.
Karel bowed slightly.
"No," he said.
"There's no need."
Then…
the katana came out.
One strike.
Four heads.
They fell to the ground.
Karel spoke calmly:
"Yes."
"You are free."
---
When he returned to the top floor,
there was nothing on his face.
"I'm back," he said.
"You can come out."
The girls came out, trembling.
The surroundings…
were bloody.
There were dismembered bodies.
"Don't be too afraid," Karel said.
"They're not human anymore."
They went to the food court.
They grabbed drinks.
Sat down and waited.
"Make yourselves comfortable," he said.
"We're finishing our work."
Boran called out from a distance:
"Man,"
"this mall will be enough for us."
The game had begun.
The hunt had begun.
And no one…
still knew
Karel's true face.