The horde was at our gates, and Lena, my wife and Vanguard leader, took her team to celebrate her ex's birthday. The Commander ordered me to retrieve them. I refused. Last life, I'd raced to bring them back. We won, but her precious James got cornered and eaten by zombies—just his head left. Lena went berserk retrieving his corpse. She locked herself away for a week, then acted like nothing happened. When my serum cured humanity, she drugged me and fed me to zombies. "You lured the horde here," she hissed. "You stole his research. Go to hell." I woke up back at the attack. This time? Let her party. 1 The symphony of gunshots and screams was the sound of my rebirth. I was heading for the door when the Commander burst in, his face pale. “Dr. Larry! The horde is here! Get Lena to rally the Vanguard, now!” Before I could answer, the voice of Marcus, our logistics chief, cut through the panic. “Commander! I’ve searched everywhere. The Vanguard is gone. Every last one of them. And they took our remaining armored trucks!” A wave of terror washed over the faces of the survivors huddled in the lab. The Commander froze, his eyes wide with disbelief. “Gone? Where did they go?!” I let out a heavy sigh, the truth a bitter pill. “They went with Lena. To the Exchange, for James’s birthday party.” “What?!” The Commander’s face was a mask of shock. “We had intel yesterday! A horde was on its way! They were all put on high alert! And they left—all of them—for a goddamn birthday party?” Behind him, the whispers turned to furious muttering. The survivors’ fear was curdling into rage. To abandon the entire Sanctuary for one man’s birthday… The roar of the horde grew closer, punctuated by another volley of gunfire. People screamed and ducked, the lab dissolving into chaos. The Commander took charge. “Everyone with a firearm, secure the main gate! The rest of you, get to the research wing’s basement! Do not come out until you hear a friendly voice, you understand?” After directing the stream of terrified survivors, he turned to me, his expression grim. “Dr. Larry, you’re a pyrokinetic, and you know their weaknesses better than anyone. There’s still a small jeep in the research garage. You have to go after them. Bring them back.” I shook my head, a knot of futility tightening in my gut. “Commander, it’s not that I don’t want to. But even if I reach them, Lena won’t believe a word I say.” A heavy silence fell over the room. Everyone knew. Ever since James, another researcher, had arrived at the Sanctuary, Lena’s infatuation had been a public spectacle. Everyone knew we fought constantly over him, that we had divorce papers drawn up and waiting. As they stared at me, trapped and helpless, Marcus stepped forward. “I’ll go,” he said, his voice firm. “I’ve got a rifle and some charges. I can make it out. The serum is in its final stage. We can’t risk the Doctor.” The Commander nodded, and Marcus didn’t waste a second, peeling out of the emergency tunnel in the jeep. The Commander led the armed defense, a desperate stand against the tide of the dead, while the rest of us huddled in the basement. Two hours later, Marcus returned. Hope flickered in every eye as he staggered through the door, but it was extinguished in an instant. He was alone. One of his team members rushed to his side. “Marcus? What happened? Where are they?” Marcus’s eyes were bloodshot. He fell to his knees, his body trembling. “I’m sorry… I failed,” he choked out. “Lena… she called me a liar. Said I was in on some sick joke with you, Dr. Larry, just to ruin the party.” He looked up, his face a canvas of pain and betrayal. “I begged them. I told them the whole Sanctuary would fall. They just… they used their powers to hold me down while they laughed. They said I’d get what I deserved for trying to trick them.” He was covered in bruises and cuts, the jeep behind him a mangled wreck. It was clear they hadn’t been gentle. The story ignited a firestorm of fury. “Vanguard Captain? She’s nothing but a whore, circling that pretty boy James while we all burn!” The angry shouts were cut short by a deafening boom from outside. The ground shuddered. Panic erupted again. The Commander reappeared, his face streaked with grime and despair. “An Alpha! It’s here, commanding the horde! The main gate won’t hold!” “We’re going to die, aren’t we?” a survivor sobbed, their voice trembling with terror. I looked at the terrified, soot-stained faces around me and raised my communicator. “I’ve already contacted the military. A rescue convoy is on its way, but it will take time. We have to hold on!” I turned to the group. “I’ll go find help. I’ll go to the neighboring outposts and beg for reinforcements. We just need to buy more time!” Marcus’s eyes lit up. He struggled to his feet, ready to go, but swayed and nearly collapsed. The others caught him, and as they helped him to a seat, they saw it: a massive, grotesque gash on his back, the unmistakable mark of a zombie’s claws. He managed a weak, bitter smile. “Let me go. I’m already infected. If I can bring back help… let that be the last thing I do.” The logistics team turned away, unable to watch. Soft sobs echoed in the cramped basement. “You’re not going anywhere,” I said, pulling a vial of pale blue liquid from my coat. I hesitated for only a second before holding it out to him. “This is the latest version of the serum. It’s been successful in animal trials. I have no idea if it will work on a person… but right now, it’s all we’ve got.” Ignoring the protests, I grabbed the keys to the battered jeep and headed for the exit. The Commander stopped me at the door. “Dr. Larry, be fast. Our ammo will last two hours, tops.” I gave him a solemn nod. I had barely cleared the Sanctuary’s perimeter when headlights appeared, coming straight for me. My heart leaped. I slammed on the brakes and waved frantically. The driver was Rhys, the Vanguard captain from the northern outpost. I jumped out of my jeep, grabbing his arm in relief. “Rhys! Thank God you’re here! There’s no time, you have to come back to the Sanctuary with me…” He shoved my hand away, his face contorted in a sneer. “Still putting on a show, Larry?” 2 I stared at him, completely baffled. “What are you talking about? Didn’t you get the distress call?” Rhys blocked my path, his eyes filled with contempt. “You mean the distress call from your own impending escape? Captain Lena radioed me this morning. She told me everything. Told me to wait here and stop you from running away like a coward.” He spat on the ground. “And to think we all respected you, ‘Doctor.’ That serum of yours is a load of crap, isn't it? Just a cover for your getaway. You’re a real piece of work.” I stood frozen, the world tilting on its axis. It took me a moment for his words to sink in. Lena had said something similar, right before she’d had me killed in my past life. She said I lured the horde to kill James. That I stole his research to create the serum. My heart plummeted. It hit me like a physical blow. Lena… she’d been reborn, too. That’s why Marcus couldn’t convince them. And now… she’d cut off our last lifeline. Thinking of the desperate faces back in the basement, I pushed aside my shock. “Rhys, listen to me! Get your team and follow me back to the Sanctuary right now. If I’m lying, you can do whatever you want to me! I swear on my life!” I grabbed his jacket. “There are hundreds of people in there. I would not joke about this!” He just rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Nice speech. How do I know this isn’t another one of your tricks? And even if the horde did show up, Lena and her Vanguard are there. You expect me to believe they can’t handle a few zombies?” I yanked him closer by his collar, my voice raw with fury. “Yes, it would be easy if Lena was there! But she’s not! She took her whole team to a birthday party for James!” I was screaming now, my face hot with rage. “Do you know why she called you yesterday, Rhys? She planned this! She sent you here to stop me, to make sure no one interrupted her precious celebration!” For the first time, a flicker of doubt crossed his face. “No… that’s impossible. Lena wouldn’t abandon her post, not for… personal reasons. She wouldn’t risk the entire Sanctuary.” He shook his head, trying to convince himself. “You’re lying.” I looked at him, and all the fight went out of me, replaced by a wave of crushing despair. I used to trust her like that, too. Unconditionally. We’d met in college. When the world fell apart, we’d survived it together, side-by-side. I thought she was the one person I could always count on. I thought we would see the end of this nightmare together. But that all changed the day James arrived. She would snap at me, accusing me of alienating the “new guy” whenever James was in a mood, even though he was a worthless nepotism hire who knew nothing about real research. She would find time in her packed schedule to cook special meals for him, fawning over him in front of everyone, making no secret of her affection. While I, her husband, stood by and watched. A familiar, bitter taste filled my mouth, but this was no time for self-pity. If he wouldn’t help, I’d go to another outpost. Even a single squad of reinforcements could be enough to turn the tide. I scrambled back into my jeep and slammed my foot on the accelerator. Rhys immediately swerved his own truck, blocking my path. “You’re not going anywhere, Larry!” I saw red. I didn't care anymore. I floored it, aiming straight for him. If I had to die today, I was dragging reinforcements back with me. My move startled him. He reacted instantly, a wave of kinetic energy erupting from his hands, shredding the front of my jeep and killing the engine. I slammed my fists on the useless steering wheel, my voice cracking. “Rhys, get out of my way! They’re dying in there!” He ignored me, his jaw set, planting himself in front of the wreckage. “I’ll go with you. But if you’re lying to me…” “Then radio your team!” I cut him off, my voice hoarse. “Tell them to get ready! I’m not lying!” One man wasn’t enough. We needed his entire Vanguard. Rhys stared at me, his resolve finally wavering. He pulled out his communicator. The next second, the emergency broadcast channel crackled to life, a robotic voice cutting through the silence. [ALERT. ALERT. SOUTHERN SANCTUARY UNDER CRITICAL SIEGE BY ZOMBIE HORDE. ALL AVAILABLE VANGUARD UNITS IN THE SECTOR ARE TO PROVIDE IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE.] [REPEAT: ALL AVAILABLE VANGUARD UNITS ARE TO PROVIDE IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE.] The color drained from Rhys’s face. 3 By the time Rhys and I made it back, the Sanctuary was a slaughterhouse. The air hung thick with the stench of blood and gunpowder. Gunshots and screams echoed through the research labs, now overrun with the dead. Limbs and torsos littered the corridors, a gruesome testament to the failed defense. My eyes burned with tears. No matter what I did, I was too late. Rhys stood beside me, speechless, his face ashen. I ignited my power, fire erupting from my palms, incinerating the closest zombies. The shock finally broke Rhys’s trance, and he joined the fight, a whirlwind of motion and controlled violence. Just as my energy reserves began to bottom out, a zombie lunged at me from my blind side. I had no time to dodge, only to wrap myself in a desperate shield of flame, bracing for the impact. BANG! A single gunshot sent the creature stumbling sideways. Marcus was standing at the entrance to the basement, a pistol in his shaking hands, picking off the undead one by one. At the same time, the silhouettes of more Powered fighters appeared at the main gate. Reinforcements had arrived. A surge of desperate hope flooded through me. We fought side-by-side with the newly arrived teams, a coordinated storm of power and bullets that drove the horde back. When the last zombie was finally cut down, I collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. The basement door creaked open. But when the survivors emerged, my relief curdled into horror. Barely a tenth of them had made it. The smile died on my lips. Rhys approached me, his head bowed in shame. “I’m so sorry, Larry. This is my fault.” Before I could respond, a cheerful, lilting voice echoed through the ravaged hall. “Well, look at this! Are all you guys here to throw a surprise party for James?” And there she was. Lena, walking in with James’s arm wrapped around her waist, her Vanguard team trailing behind them, all smiles and laughter. Her smile faltered as she took in the carnage. Her eyes landed on me, and a cruel, mocking smirk spread across her face. “So, is the little drama over, Evan? How does it feel to have your plan fall apart?” She waved a dismissive hand. “Whatever. It’s James’s birthday. Don’t be an eyesore. We have a party to get back to.” She was practically giddy, completely oblivious to the daggers being stared at her from all sides. Her own team members were starting to notice the bodies, their cheerful expressions slowly dissolving into confusion and horror. James, meanwhile, pulled Lena into a deep, theatrical kiss right in front of me. When he broke away, he shot me a smug, triumphant look. “Sorry, Dr. Larry. Lena lost a dare. She has to be my girlfriend for the day. You don’t mind, do you?” His smirk was wiped off his face by a bucket of filthy water. A survivor, his eyes blazing with hatred, stood trembling before them. He and the others began grabbing anything they could find—metal pipes, broken equipment—and started advancing. “You son of a bitch! What are you gloating about? Enjoying the party you paid for with our lives?” “You monster! Why aren’t you the one lying dead on the floor?!” “Get out! We don’t need you two traitors protecting us!” …
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