Just as they were returning from the cafeteria, Leon suddenly noticed a horde of zombies moving toward the building. He didn't dare go closer—the sheer number of those things swarming the place was insane. Instead, he decided to wait until the area cleared out.
While waiting, his eyes drifted toward her. She was sleeping deeply, completely unaware of the chaos outside. Then his gaze shifted to the ring.
Suddenly, the metallic liquid seeped out of it again.
Leon frowned. "This thing again…"
He hesitated for a second, then slowly pushed his hand inside.
The liquid felt cold—unnaturally cold. As he rummaged through it, something hard brushed against his fingers. He grabbed it and pulled it out.
It was a book.
"The Doc's book…" he muttered under his breath.
He opened it. On the very first page, it read:
"Leon, if you are reading this, it means I'm dead."
"Listen carefully. For now, the zombies you see are part of an experiment conducted on the human body. If you get infected, there is only one way to cure it—take the antibiotics before 24 hours pass. And avoid getting bitten multiple times within that time frame."
"I have left something for you to survive in this world. I believe the virus has already started spreading globally."
"Inside this ring, there are four manuals—Fire, Lightning, Blood, and Space & Time. For now, train the Fire manual. It suits your abilities."
"Remember, there are others like you—people with different manuals. Find the Water manual in my clinic… before it's too late."
A drop of tear fell from Leon's eyes.
"Even now… you're still looking out for me, huh…" he whispered.
He flipped the page.
"I want you to enter the military. That's where you'll find answers to your questions."
"Take care of your family… and that foolish friend of yours."
Leon let out a shaky breath and closed the book. He placed it back inside the ring and wiped his eyes.
"Damn it…"
Composing himself, he started the engine.
When they reached the school, Leon noticed something strange.
The ground was completely barren.
Not a single zombie in sight.
His grip on the steering wheel tightened.
He turned slightly and called out,
"Naina… wake up."
Her eyes fluttered before snapping open. The moment she realized her skirt had ridden up slightly, her face flushed.
Just as Leon turned away, she hurriedly adjusted it.
"W-We've reached the school?" she asked, still groggy.
"Why is it so empty? Where are all the zombies?"
Leon let out a small chuckle.
"What? You want them to be roaming around?"
They stepped out of the car cautiously, their footsteps slow and measured as they entered the school.
Leon scanned the surroundings carefully.
No zombies.
No sound.
Nothing.
But his instincts screamed otherwise.
Something wasn't right.
He muttered under his breath,
"What the hell could attract that many zombies to one place…?"
Suddenly—
"Leon!" Naina called out.
He turned.
"Yeah? What is it?"
She hesitated for a moment before speaking,
"Can we go to the staff room?"
Leon frowned.
"The staff room? Why?"
"There are phones there," she said quickly. Then, after a pause, added,
"We can use them to call for help."
Leon crossed his arms.
"And you know the password to any of those phones?"
She shook her head slightly.
"No… but maybe we can use a teacher's phone. They might be unlocked… or we'll figure something out."
Leon sighed.
"Fine. Let's check."
They made their way to the staff room.
The moment Leon pushed the door open—
A zombie lunged straight at them.
"Shit—!"
Before it could reach them, Leon's axe swung in a sharp arc.
Thud.
The zombie's head rolled across the floor.
Leon exhaled sharply.
"Fuck these damn zombies…"
They quickly grabbed a few phones and headed back to the classroom.
As they entered, Leon's eyes landed on a body lying motionless on the floor.
A zombie.
Dead.
He looked at John.
"What the hell happened here?"
John leaned back slightly, his expression serious.
"You saw that horde heading toward the school building, right?"
Leon nodded.
John continued,
"After you guys left… there was this roar. Not like a zombie—something bigger. Way bigger."
He paused, then pointed toward the window.
"I think that thing is evolving. Look."
Leon followed his gaze—
And froze.
A thick, grotesque tentacle was gripping the edge of the window.
Then he noticed more.
Several tentacles, all extending outward… connected to something in the center.
A cocoon.
It glowed faintly—pulsating.
Alive.
Leon's voice dropped to a whisper.
"…What the hell is that?"
Meanwhile, Naina approached the teachers.
"Please check if any of these phones are yours," she said, holding them out.
"I found them in the staff room."
A few teachers stepped forward. Two of them recognized their phones.
A student, trembling, spoke up,
"Ma'am… can you call the police?"
Miss Sunita nodded, trying to stay calm despite the fear in her eyes.
She dialed 100.
The call connected.
"Hello, there's an emergency at the school!" she said urgently.
"People are getting infected—there's some kind of zombie virus!"
A heavy voice responded from the other side,
"Ma'am, please calm down and explain the situation clearly."
She took a deep breath.
"There was an accident. A truck crashed into a man… but then… a creature—around eight feet tall—came out of it. It started biting people, and they turned into zombies."
There was a brief pause.
"Ma'am, do not panic. Are there any survivors?" the officer asked.
"We've received similar reports. There are multiple cases across the city. We are trying to contain the situation."
After giving the address, the officer instructed them to stay put until help arrived.
Leon turned back to John.
"So… what do we do about that thing?" he asked quietly.
"Do we try to kill it?"
John let out a dry scoff.
"With what? Your axe? Don't be stupid."
Leon clenched his jaw.
"We can at least try. It looks like it's in some kind of weakened state."
John shook his head immediately.
"Or it's setting up something worse."
He leaned forward, voice low and serious.
"What if that cocoon is a defense mechanism? Or a transformation phase? We mess with it, and boom—we're dead."
Leon stayed silent.
John added,
"Right now, taking risks like that? That's suicide."
A heavy silence filled the room.
Finally, Leon exhaled.
"…Fine. We wait."
And so, they did.
Waiting.
Watching.
As the creature continued to evolve.