Daybreak

1 The zombie horde was a relentless wave, crashing against the Compound's defenses. Yet, Sarah, captain of the Gifted Squad, had led her entire team to the Exchange District, all to celebrate her ex-boyfriend Liam’s birthday. Command had ordered me to bring my wife back. I refused, point blank. In my last life, when the dead swarmed our walls, I’d driven like a madman, chasing them down, fighting tooth and nail to push back the tide of horrors. But Liam, caught by the lingering infected, had been torn apart, his limbs gnawed away, leaving only a severed head. Sarah, blind to the danger, had plunged into the horde, cradling Liam's mangled remains back to the Compound, then locked herself away for seven days and seven nights. When she emerged, it was as if nothing had happened. It wasn't until the serum I spearheaded finally proved successful, ushering humanity into a new age, that the truth revealed itself. On the night we celebrated our victory, she drugged me, then tossed me into a writhing pile of zombies. Amidst my screams, her voice cut through the air, icy and devoid of all warmth: "You jealous monster, you deliberately lured the zombies here, sent me away, just so Liam would be unprotected, left to die a gruesome death in that horde." "Besides, this serum? You stole his research data. Why should you be the one showered with praise?" "Die!" When I opened my eyes again, I was back. Back to the very day the zombie horde attacked. This time, she wanted to celebrate Liam’s birthday? Fine by me. Let her. … The cacophony of gunfire and screams was my awakening. I strode towards the door, pushing it open just as the Commander burst in. "Dr. Ethan, the horde's here! Get your wife to rally the Gifted for a counterattack, fast!" I was about to speak when Mike, the logistics chief’s frantic voice cut through. "Commander, we've searched everywhere! All the Gifted are gone. Even the few remaining SUVs are missing!" A wave of panic rippled through most of the Compound’s residents. The Commander froze, a stunned silence falling over him. "Where are they?!" I sighed, a weary weight in my voice. "They all followed Sarah to celebrate Liam's birthday." "What?!" The Commander's face contorted in disbelief. "Yesterday, we had a Compound-wide alert about the incoming horde, told the Gifted to be on high alert, and today they all went out for a birthday party?" Behind us, the few survivors left on this level overheard. Their faces twisted with raw resentment. To celebrate Liam's birthday, they’d willingly ignored the danger pressing down on every soul in the Compound. As we spoke, the horde surged closer. Another volley of gunfire ripped through the air. People ducked, screaming, the area dissolving into chaos. The Commander stepped forward, his voice cutting through the panic. "Those with firearms, secure the main gate! Everyone else, get to the research lab's basement. Don't come out until you hear our all-clear!" After organizing the survivors, the Commander turned to me. "Dr. Ethan, you're a pyro-kinetic, and you know the zombies' weaknesses. We still have one car left at the lab. Drive it, catch up with the Gifted, and get them back here to save us!" I shook my head, a difficult truth etched on my face. "Commander, it's not that I don't want to go. Even if I went, Sarah and her squad wouldn't believe a word I said." The words hung heavy in the air, creating a suffocating silence. Ever since Liam arrived at the Compound as a researcher, Sarah’s infatuation with him had been blatant. Everyone knew we fought constantly because of Liam, that divorce papers had been drafted countless times. Just as everyone watched me, helpless, Mike, the logistics chief, stepped forward, offering a lifeline. "I'll go! I have a gun and explosives. I can make it out there. The cure is in its final stages, Doctor, we can't risk you!" The Commander agreed. Mike, with a desperate urgency, peeled out of the Compound through the emergency exit. The Commander organized the survivors into the basement and, taking those with weapons, joined the defense against the horde. Two hours later, Mike returned. Hopes soared, then crashed. He was alone. "Captain, what happened?" a logistics team member asked, his voice filled with dread. Mike, eyes bloodshot, crumpled to his knees. "I failed you all. I couldn't convince the Gifted to come back! Sarah called me heartless, said I was colluding with Dr. Ethan to trick them." "I begged them, pleaded! But they used their abilities to trap me. Said I'd get what I deserved!" He was covered in wounds, his little car a mangled wreck. God knew what he’d endured out there. Listening to his account, the survivors erupted, cursing Sarah and her squad. "What kind of Gifted Captain? She's nothing but a faithless wretch, always wrapped around Liam, ignoring the Compound's desperate plight!" Their indignation raged, then a thunderous crash from outside silenced them. The panicked residents didn't know what it was. The Commander returned, his face grim, gun clutched in hand. "The Apex Zombie. It's here. It's directing the horde, and the main gate won't hold much longer." "Are we really going to die here?" A survivor’s voice broke, tears mingling with terror in their eyes. I looked at the soot-stained faces, my comm in hand. "I contacted the Alliance Military rescue team in advance, but they need time. We have to hold out!" "I'll go find Gifted from nearby outposts. I'll beg them for help, anything to buy us more time!" Mike's eyes lit up. He immediately tried to rise, but after only two steps, his body swayed precariously. Everyone rushed to support him. Forcing him to sit, they saw it—not just wounds from Gifted abilities, but a massive zombie claw mark on his back. Mike managed a bitter smile. "Let me go! I'm already infected. If I can bring back help in my final hours, that's my last value!" The logistics team turned away, unable to bear the sight. Soaked sobs broke out among the survivors. "Don't go. I'll do it!" I pulled a vial of pale blue liquid from my jacket. Hesitantly, I held it out to Mike. "This is the latest version of the serum. It's been successful on animals. I don't know if it'll work on humans, but at this point, it's all we've got." Without waiting for anyone to object, I clambered into the rickety little car, preparing to leave. The Commander hurried over, his words urgent. "Dr. Ethan, hurry! Our ammunition will last two hours, tops!" I nodded, my jaw set. Just as I cleared the Compound's perimeter, a vehicle sped towards me. My eyes lit up. I slammed on the brakes, waving wildly. It was Chris, captain of the Gifted squad from the next outpost over. I practically ripped the car door open, seizing his arm, my voice tight with relief. "Chris, what are you doing here?! No time to explain, get to the Compound—" He yanked his arm free, a sneer twisting his lips. "Still putting on a show, huh?" 2 I stared at him, bewildered. "What are you talking about? Didn't you get the distress call to come rescue us?" Chris stood blocking my path, his gaze full of contempt. "You're not trying to escape, are you?" "Early this morning, Captain Sarah found me. She told me everything, asked me to block you right here! Ethan Vance, we looked up to you! To think your 'serum' was just a facade, a sick joke. May you rot in hell!" I stood there, frozen, the words taking a long moment to sink in. Dying in my last life, Sarah had said similar things. She’d claimed I deliberately lured the horde to get rid of Liam, to then steal his research — the cure. My heart sank, a sudden, horrifying clarity dawning on me. Sarah had reincarnated too. That's why Mike's pleas had fallen on deaf ears. She’d deliberately cut off the Compound's last lifeline. The thought of the desperate souls fighting inside overshadowed everything else. "Chris! Take your team, come back to the Compound with me! If I'm lying, you can do whatever you want to me!" "So many lives in there, I wouldn't joke about something like this!" Chris just rolled his eyes, a derisive laugh escaping him. "Talking big now, but who knows what stunt you're pulling? Even if the zombies did break through, Sarah and her squad would handle it easily, wouldn't they? Don't tell me all those Gifted couldn't handle a few zombies?" I grabbed Chris by his collar, my voice raw with fury. "Yes! With Sarah, it's easy! But she took everyone with her to celebrate Liam's birthday! There are no Gifted left in the Compound! Do you know why Sarah came to you a day early?" "Because she planned for you to hold me back! She didn't want anyone disturbing her celebration for Liam!" My face was burning red as I shrieked the words, my voice hoarse. Chris looked at me, a flicker of doubt in his eyes. "Impossible! Sarah would never abandon an entire Compound, leave her post, for personal feelings! You're lying!" I gazed at Chris, despair washing over me. I used to trust Sarah just as blindly. We were college sweethearts, fought side by side through the apocalypse until now. In my heart, Sarah was the person I trusted most. I thought we’d face the end of the world together, but everything changed the moment Liam arrived. She’d accuse me, without rhyme or reason, of ostracizing new recruits, simply because Liam was in a bad mood. Even though Liam was the one with connections, clueless about research. She’d carve out time from her busy schedule to cook for Liam, openly favoring him in front of everyone. Even though I was her husband. A bitter ache swelled in my chest, but this wasn't the time to dwell. I looked at Chris, only helplessness remained. If he wouldn’t help me, I’d go directly to other outposts for aid. Even a single squad would be enough for the Compound to hold on. With that thought, I scrambled back into the car, slamming the accelerator to the floor, ready to leave. But Chris, quick as a flash, maneuvered his car directly in front of mine, blocking my path. "Ethan Vance, you're not getting away today!" Seeing Chris's stubborn refusal, I ignored him, stomping the pedal. I’d crash right through him if I had to. Even if it killed me, I would bring back reinforcements! Chris startled, then reacted instantly, unleashing his ability to wreck my car. I screamed at him, my voice breaking. "Chris! Don't you dare stop me from saving lives! The Compound is about to fall!" But Chris ignored my fury, steadfastly blocking my way. "I'll go with you to the Compound! But if you're actually lying to me—" I cut him off. "Message your team! I'm not lying!" Chris alone wasn't enough; my Compound needed more Gifted. Chris looked at me, torn, then pulled out his comm. The next second, the distinct emergency broadcast blared. [ATTENTION! ATTENTION! Southern Outpost under severe zombie threat! All able-bodied Gifted from nearby sectors are requested to provide immediate assistance!] [All Gifted from nearby sectors are requested to provide immediate assistance!] Chris’s face drained of all color. 3 By the time Chris and I reached the Compound, it was pure pandemonium. Gunshots and screams ripped through the air, endless. Zombies roamed the labs, bits of flesh and broken bones scattered everywhere. I stared at the unrecognizable Compound, tears streaming down my face. No matter how hard I tried, I was still too late. Chris stood beside me, speechless. I watched the surging horde, my abilities flaring, pushing them back again and again. Chris snapped out of his daze, forcing himself into the fray, battling the infected. Just as my power began to wane, a zombie lunged at my side. Too slow to dodge, I enveloped myself in my pyro-kinetic shield, hoping to minimize the damage. BANG! A gunshot. The zombie’s trajectory shifted. Mike stood at the basement entrance, firing his gun, relentlessly attacking the zombies. Just then, figures of Gifted appeared outside the Compound walls. Reinforcements! My heart soared. I immediately worked with the arriving aid, pushing the zombies back. It wasn't until the last of the dead vanished from the Compound that I collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. The basement door creaked open, but when I saw that only a tenth of the survivors remained, the fragile smile on my face froze. Chris stood before me, guilt etched on his features. "I'm sorry! It's my fault!" I was about to speak when Sarah’s triumphant voice cut through the air. "Well, well, well, look at all these handsome faces! Is this all a big surprise for our Liam?" As she spoke, Liam, arm slung around Sarah’s waist, strode in, followed by a grinning squad of Gifted. Sarah looked at the Compound’s devastation, then at me, her tone dripping with mockery. "Ethan Vance, is your little act over? Doesn't feel so good when your plans fall apart, does it?" "Alright, it's Liam's birthday! Don't be an eyesore, we're going to keep celebrating!" She grew more pleased with herself with every word, utterly oblivious to the strange looks around her. She didn't notice the subtle shift in her own squad’s expressions. Liam, meanwhile, openly wrapped his arm around Sarah, kissing her right in front of me. When they finished, he smirked, a taunt in his eyes. "My apologies, Dr. Vance. Captain Sarah lost a dare and has to be my girlfriend for the day. You don't mind, do you?" His smug smile lasted barely two minutes before he was drenched in a torrent of foul, murky water. The survivors, eyes red-rimmed with rage, stared at Liam as he shrieked and sputtered from the sudden dousing. Pure hatred blazed in their gazes. They grabbed anything they could, pelting him. "You dog! What are you gloating about?! Does dancing on our graves taste good?!" "Beast! Why wasn't it you who died?!" "Get out! We don't need protection from a pair of traitors like you!" ... It wasn't until they were completely surrounded by the enraged survivors that Sarah finally realized the zombie attack had been real.

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