Chapter 13 — Descent into Darkness

  The black military jeep came to a slow halt outside the facility.

  Before them stood a sprawling military base, eerily quiet. The area was littered with barricades, abandoned military trucks, and civilian cars. On the ground lay corpses—some soldiers, some civilians, all victims of a failed defense. Some had gunshot wounds, others were clearly bitten. The air was heavy, metallic, and smelled faintly of decay.

  Tokita glanced at Nezuko and the others. “So… this is the famous military base where we’re supposed to get the car and weapons?”

  The old man, their captive guide, nodded. “Yes. That’s right. But be careful—inside, it’s not what you expect... and one more thing, you guys can't take your guns inside the military facility."

  Natsuki muttered under his breath, “Sketchy as hell… I should have just killed him when we had the chance.”

  The old man’s hands trembled slightly. “Wait! You need to hear me out first.”

  They stopped.

  He continued, voice low and urgent:

  “Number one—any noise down there will attract zombies. Not normal ones… the fast, dangerous kind. Number two—the basement holds all the equipment and vehicles you need. But it’s locked… and traps line the corridors. One wrong move and you’re done.”

  Nezuko raised her hand, gripping a pistol. “What about these traps? Silenced guns okay?”

  “They won’t trigger alarms,” the old man replied. “But still… stay cautious.”

  Aoi unzipped the bag containing the weapons they’d brought along. Only one silencer. She handed it, to Nezuko. Aoi,Kaito,Tokita and Natsuki each took a dagger. Everyone had their role, their weapons, their instincts ready.

  “Perfect,” Tokita said, adjusting his grip. Nezuko shot him a look. “We’ll see.”

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  The group moved cautiously toward the facility’s entrance. The lights inside flickered sporadically. The corridor was dark, the air cold and damp. For several minutes, they walked silently, flashlights sweeping the walls, careful not to make a sound.

  Then a shadow moved in the corner.

  Kaito tensed. The beam of his flashlight revealed… two rats scurrying across the floor, fighting over scraps. Everyone exhaled, embarrassed.

  “Alright,” the old man whispered, “this way.”

  They continued until they reached a massive iron door. No handle, just a scanner.

  “This leads to the basement,” he said. “The equipment you need is down there.”

  Red frowned. “And how do we open it?”

  The old man smiled faintly, reaching under his shoe to reveal a card. He swiped it across the scanner. Lights flickered, traps deactivated. The door slowly ground open.

  A dim light spilled from the stairwell leading down.

  “Ready?” the man asked.

  “Let’s do this,” Nezuko replied, stepping forward.

  The group descended into the basement. The air grew colder. The lights overhead were weak and flickered sporadically, casting shadows along the concrete walls.

  Bodies were strewn along the floor—zombies and soldiers alike. Their skin hung loosely, some missing limbs, some with eyes wide open, staring blankly.

  “From here…” the old man said, voice barely audible, “don’t look for them on the floor.”

  The group where dumbfounded by what the old man said, replying simultaneously "huh?"

  Red lifted his flashlight slowly.

  Red suddenly spoke "Guy's,I think you should point your flash lights up."

  Above them, three shapes clung to the ceiling. Limbs twisted unnaturally, fingers digging into concrete. Their eyes were crimson red, unblinking. Silent. Waiting.

  “They wait,” the old man whispered.

  Then one dropped.

  It wasn’t a fall—it was a pounce. It slammed toward Kaito, brushing his arm. Instantly, Kaito felt numbness creeping up his forearm. His dagger slipped.

  “Paralysis!” the old man shouted.

  Natsuki annoyed replied "And your telling us now, seriously!?"

  Red reacted instantly, stepping forward. His blade flashed, slicing clean through the creature’s neck. It hit the ground twitching.

  The others followed suit. Nezuko fired her silenced pistol mid-air, taking down another ceiling-crawler. Aoi stabbed one that lunged towards Tokita. Kaito struggled with his arm, Red pulled him back, keeping him behind the line of defense.

  Another creature dropped from the ceiling toward Red. He didn’t flinch—he moved forward instead, slicing through its skull and tossing it aside. The corridor echoed with screeches, then silence. For now.

  Kaito’s arm slowly regained feeling. “It wears off,” the old man panted. “Only temporary… if it’s just skin contact.”

  Red looked up again. The ceiling was empty. For now. But he knew—they weren’t alone. The basement wasn’t abandoned. It was a hunting ground. And they had just stepped into it.