Their group stood frozen outside the hospital entrance.
Fear hung in the air.
"We're trapped…" one of them whispered. "Those creatures—they're coming…"
From far away, faint growls echoed.
Ron frowned. "Creatures… you mean zombies?"
Kai let out a small, tired laugh. "If calling them that makes it easier… then yeah. Zombies."
No one laughed.
The reality hit harder.
Some of them began to break down, tears slipping through fear and exhaustion.
"We're not going to make it…" someone said.
"Stop it!" Ron snapped, though his own voice trembled.
Just then—
A firm voice cut through the chaos.
"Let them in."
Everyone turned.
A senior doctor—clearly in charge—walked toward them with a serious expression.
"We'll check them first," he said. "If they're clear, they can enter."
Hope flickered again.
They were quickly brought inside for inspection.
One by one, they were checked.
But—
No one noticed.
During the struggle in the car…
One of their friends had been bitten.
He stood there quietly, hiding it. His face pale. His breathing uneven.
Slowly…
He began to lose consciousness.
"Kai…" he muttered weakly.
Before anyone could react—
His body jerked.
His eyes changed.
And suddenly—
He lunged.
Straight at Kai.
But Kai reacted instantly.
THUD.
With a powerful kick, he sent him crashing to the ground, stopping the attack.
Everyone froze in shock.
"What… what is happening?!" Ron shouted.
The boy tried to get up again—his movements no longer human.
Zeny screamed. "No—he's our friend!"
She ran toward him.
But Kai grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
"Stop!"
"Let me go!" she cried. "We can help him!"
Kai's voice turned cold.
"He's not human anymore."
The words shattered her.
Tears streamed down her face. "No… no, you're wrong…"
But deep down—
Everyone could see the truth.
Ron stepped forward slowly, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Zeny…" he said softly, struggling to keep his voice steady. "He's gone…"
She broke down, crying harder.
The others stood in silence, grief mixing with fear.
Outside, the sounds of approaching creatures grew louder.
Inside—
They had just lost one of their own