Kyle jolted upright in his seat, his breath shallow. Sweat clung to his skin like static.
A dream?
His eyes darted across the familiar classroom. The light was still normal. Students whispered. Pens scratched paper. The world hadn't ended. Not yet.
He clutched his chest, heart still pounding.
> "But it all felt so real…"
Every detail from the nightmare still clung to his brain—Zeke, Rita, the mutants… his own death.
The bell rang. Students began packing up.
Kyle rubbed his temples, trying to shake off the lingering dread.
But then… the room darkened.
A shadow swept across the classroom, subtle at first. The sun dimmed unnaturally. The classroom lights flickered.
Gasps filled the room as people rushed to the windows.
A familiar voice echoed from the hallway speaker:
> "Students, please remain calm. The solar eclipse has begun…"
"Whoa! Look, the sky is turning red!" one of the students shouted.
"Red?" Kyle felt a chill crawl down his spine. He approached the window.
The sky was indeed crimson.
Kyle's blood ran cold.
> "No…" he whispered. "It's happening."
The sky was just like his dream. Blood crimson.
The nightmare flashed before his eyes again.
> I don't have much time. The chaos will start any second.
> No. I can't panic… Zeke. I have to find Zeke.
He bolted from his seat, tearing down the corridor.
Thud!
He collided with a professor.
"Hey! Watch it! Why are you running in the hallway?"
Kyle rushed forward, ignoring him.
"What the—how insolent—"
Suddenly, a shadowy figure lunged from behind, grabbing the professor by the neck. Blood splattered everywhere.
---
Cafeteria
Zeke stood by the vending machine, flashing his usual goofy smile. In his hand: two cans of soda.
Kyle skidded around the corner, lungs burning.
"ZEKE!" he screamed.
Zeke turned—confused. "Whoa, dude! You good? You look like you saw a ghost—"
Then Kyle saw her.
Clara.
She stood just meters away, clutching her head, groaning. Her eyes—black. Veins crawled beneath her skin.
She was turning.
"MOVE!" Kyle yelled, tackling Zeke to the floor as Clara screeched and lunged.
They hit the ground hard. Kyle rolled, pulling Zeke up by the arm.
"We're getting out of here—NOW!"
---
The Fall of the Campus
The college had become a warzone. Students screamed. Blood smeared the walls. Friends turned into nightmares.
Kyle and Zeke sprinted through the corridors, dodging broken doors and overturned desks.
In one hallway, a student mutated mid-run—his body bursting through his clothes, limbs stretching grotesquely. He grabbed another boy by the throat and slammed him into the wall.
Around another corner—three students were cornered by a long-limbed creature. Kyle yanked Zeke back just before the thing's tail lashed through the wall beside them.
Every stairwell was blocked. The air was thick with smoke and the stench of death.
"Man… we're trapped! We're not gonna make it," Zeke gasped.
Kyle looked up. "The roof. It's our only shot!"
---
The Last Door
They reached the upper floor, only to find the corridor blocked.
Then—voices.
A nearby classroom.
Inside, a few survivors huddled in fear.
Kyle and Zeke entered, gasping for breath.
A girl sobbed in the corner. One guy paced, muttering, "This can't be real…" Another kept trying to call someone, but his phone was dead.
Zeke slumped to the floor, heart pounding. "What the hell's going on, man…?"
"I—I don't know," Kyle said, still clutching his head. "It's like… everyone's changing. Like they're not—"
CRASH.
The door burst inward.
A hulking mutant stomped in—flesh splitting, limbs twitching, eyes glowing pure white.
"NO!" someone screamed.
Chaos erupted.
The monster lunged. Blood splattered. Two students dropped instantly.
A panicked student shoved Zeke forward in an attempt to escape.
"ZEKE!!" Kyle shouted, shoving through the chaos.
He reached for him—
SLAM.
The mutant's arm smashed Kyle across the room. He hit the wall hard and gasped as pain shot through his body.
He looked up—Zeke was on the ground. Helpless. The mutant towered over him.
> "I won't let you die this time…"
Something inside Kyle snapped.
A heat surged through his chest. His body moved before his thoughts could catch up.
He roared, charging across the room—faster than ever. His fist collided with the mutant's chest like a meteor, sending it flying through desks and chairs.
Silence.
Zeke blinked. "Cough! Bro… I didn't know you were that strong."
Kyle stood, dazed. He flexed his fingers. His muscles buzzed with energy. His reflexes felt razor-sharp.
But the mutant wasn't done.
It snarled, crawled back up—and grabbed the selfish student with its claws.
With a sickening crunch, it devoured him whole—its wounds healing rapidly.
"Damn it… What is this thing?" Kyle muttered.
---
Kyle's Awakening
The mutant lunged again—but Kyle dodged effortlessly.
His body moved like it knew what to do.
He ducked, countered, unleashed a flurry of strikes that dented flesh and cracked bone.
Stronger. Faster. Untouchable.
The mutant shrieked as Kyle grabbed its head and slammed it into the ground.
Silence.
A shaky voice: "...Is it dead?"
"Don't jinx it," Kyle muttered, getting up.
Zeke coughed and grinned. "Dude. You just went full anime protagonist. How'd you do that?"
Kyle chuckled, tired. "Didn't mean to. I just… I really didn't wanna lose you again."
"Again?" Zeke raised a brow.
"Never mind," Kyle replied.
They exchanged a look—half joke, half something deeper.
Zeke lightly punched his arm. "I owe you one, bro."
"You owe me like… three sodas."
"Make it four."
---
Rooftop
They reached the top. The heavy metal door creaked open.
And there it was.
The city—or what was left of it.
Red skies. Smoke rising. Flames licking rooftops. Mutants tearing through the streets. Sirens in the distance. Downed helicopters.
The world had ended.
Kyle stepped forward, wind brushing his face.
> "This is really happening…"
Zeke stood beside him, silent.
Then Kyle froze.
A figure on the ground below.
Tall. Arm curved like a blade. Head tilted upward.
Watching them.
The same mutant from Kyle's dream.
The one who killed him.
It stood motionless… waiting.
> The nightmare wasn't over.
It was just beginning.
---
[To Be Continued...]