Chapter 1 - The Beginning of the End

Date: December 22, 2012

It’s four o’clock in the afternoon now. Everything happened three hours ago. Three hours ago, this was a school, but three hours later, it became hell. No one knows why, at least not here, in this school. As for me, I only know that the world I am familiar with is slowly crumbling. That was the beginning of the end…

Three hours ago, on the rooftop of TP High School in FZ-HOPE City.

“Ah” I let out a long yawn. Two consecutive math classes left me extremely bored. For a liberal arts student like me, math belongs to the domain of science, something I lack talent in. Coupled with some recent events, I was even more agitated.

“Hey, Tiankuang, skipping class again?” A teasing voice came from behind me. I turned to look and saw it was my desk mate, and the only good friend in class, Ye Xiang. “You’re one to talk. Didn’t you ditch class too?” I said with a smirk. Ye Xiang scratched his head and replied, “I’m just worried about you. Judging by your expression, you got rejected after confessing your feelings again, didn’t you?” “Ha, it’s nothing. I’m almost getting used to it. In terms of the number of rejections, I’m probably becoming the Sakuragi Hanamichi of TP High School,” I replied with a bitter smile. “But talking seriously, we’re in our senior year. I plan to settle down a bit.”

Just as Ye Xiang was about to pat me on the shoulder to show his understanding, the sunlight suddenly disappeared. It wasn’t covered by clouds; it was akin to a solar eclipse, plunging the entire world into deep darkness. It reminded me of the eerie Mayan Apocalypse prophecy that was once widely circulated a few years ago: “The end of time is December 22, 2012. When darkness descends, light shall never emerge again. Earth will no longer belong to humans, but humans will belong to Earth.” Back then, the likelihood of this prophecy coming true was considered nearly zero, so it was laughed off. But the sudden appearance of a “solar eclipse,” combined with that eerie prophecy, was truly spine-chilling.

“Hang on, brother! I’ll bandage you right away!” Having come to her senses, Ling Qimeng quickly tore a strip of cloth from her school uniform jacket to bandage Ling Feng. However, Ling Feng waved her off, saying, “There’s no need. I know all too well what happens once I am bitten.”

Brother? I just realized they’re siblings. They don’t look alike at all. “No! This is a lie! Like something out of a movie! Just like a movie!” Ling Qimeng cried out.

“What happens when you’re bitten?” Ye Xiang asked. “What do you mean? What happens?”

“Qimeng, stop crying. You’ll look ugly if you keep crying. Maybe this is just my fate,” Ling Feng said, affectionately patting Ling Qimeng’s head while forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace. “You’ve seen Resident Evil, right? They aren’t human anymore. Calling them zombies is more accurate. The virus is contagious, so the outcome of being bitten by a zombie is obvious-and the only way to kill them is by attacking the head. In fact, we started with four people. One of us was bitten, but we still took him along as we fled. Unexpectedly, just a few minutes later, he turned into one of them and bit another person to death.”

Zombies! These things only existed in movies and games, but now they’ve appeared in reality, and they’re everywhere in the streets! How are we supposed to accept this?! Just thinking about it gives me cold sweats, but now we must face them head-on!

The world is slowly crumbling. The peaceful world has ended, and a world of chaos and death is just beginning…

At that moment, Ling Feng coughed up a mouthful of blood. He wiped the corner of his mouth, glanced at the blood with a bitter smile, and said, “I remember your name is Zhang Tiankuang, right? Can you do me a favor?”

“What?”

“If I turn into one of them, please help me.”

“Brother! What are you saying? You’ll be fine! You won’t!”

“Qimeng, I’m sorry. I can’t take care of you anymore. Tiankuang, I’m counting on you. I don’t want to become a zombie. I want to remain myself until the end… please take care of Qimeng for me, cough-!” Ling Feng coughed up another mouthful of blood. He felt his eyelids growing heavier and heavier, and he couldn’t hold on much longer. Finally, Ling Feng closed his eyes and collapsed, still coughing blood, but it was no longer bright red. It had turned a dark red-the blood of the dead.

“Brother! Please wake up! Brother!” Watching Ling Qimeng sobbing uncontrollably over Ling Feng’s body, I didn’t know what to say. All I could do was respect Ling Feng’s wishes.

“Qimeng, move aside,” I said, approaching with the steel spike. “No, you can’t do this! My brother won’t turn into a zombie! He won’t! He won’t!”

“Qimeng, step aside,” I said, unable to look her in the eye. Just then, Ling Feng slowly rose.

“Grrrrr,” Ling Feng growled, dark red blood oozing from his orifices. “How could this happen, brother! It’s me, Qimeng! Brother!” Ling Qimeng screamed, running frantically toward Ling Feng. “Idiot!” I hurried after her, grabbing her collar and pulling her back, pushing her toward the approaching Ye Xiang. “Ye Xiang, keep an eye on her for me. I’ll handle Ling Feng.”

“This is a lie, my brother…” Ling Qimeng still couldn’t accept the fact that Ling Feng had turned into a zombie, murmuring as she stared at him. “Things like in movies might seem like fairy tales,” I said, raising the steel spike. “However,” I plunged it into Ling Feng, “this is the undeniable truth!”

“No-!”

“Why did you do this! Why!”

“If I hadn’t, you would have been bitten.”

“I never asked you to save me! Living like this, I’d rather have been bitten by my brother and become a zombie too! I hate you!”

“Smack-!” A crisp slap echoed on the rooftop.

“Hey! Tiankuang, she’s a girl.”

“I know, but Ling Qimeng, do you think Ling Feng would be happy seeing you like this?! Pull yourself together!”

Faced with the hysterical Ling Qimeng, this was the only way I knew to handle it.

“Sob, sob.”

“Cry it out. You’ll feel better.”

I was about to mention the Mayan Apocalypse prophecy I had just recalled to Ye Xiang when my body suddenly felt like it was being consumed from the inside out. I wanted to scream out in agony, but my chest felt like it was holding its breath, and no sound could escape my throat. It was suffocating! All I could do was grip the rooftop railing tightly, clench my teeth, but even that didn’t alleviate the pain coursing through my body.

Just as I was on the verge of losing consciousness from the intense pain and suffocation, the solar eclipse quietly came to an end, just as it had begun. The sunlight once again bathed the earth, and the moment it touched me, my body returned to normal. The excruciating, bone-deep pain vanished instantly, and fresh air flooded into my lungs. I gasped desperately, greedily inhaling the air. For the first time in my life, I realized that the simple act of breathing freely was a blessing.

Ye Xiang was still “looking up at the sky,” marveling at the previous “solar eclipse.” He didn’t notice my drenched state as I slumped to the ground until I weakly tugged at his sleeve, catching his attention.

“Tiankuang!” Ye Xiang quickly helped me up. “Are you alright?” he asked with concern. Leaning against the railing, I replied, “I’m fine. I just need to sit for a bit. Maybe I’ve just been too tired lately. You should head back to class; I want to be alone for a while.” Ye Xiang looked at me, still worried. “Are you sure you’re okay? Shouldn’t you go to the infirmary to get checked out?” I patted his shoulder and forced a smile. “Don’t worry, brother, I’m good, just a bit exhausted. You should head back. If the class teacher calls your mom, you’ll be in trouble. Unlike you, I don’t have parents to worry about.” Ye Xiang sighed, “Alright, but take care of yourself.” With that, he turned and headed downstairs.

So tired, truly tired-not just physically, but more so in spirit. I’ve been without parents since I was young, and the “incident” four years ago still haunts me. It’s probably why I fail every time I confess my feelings. The recent ordeal unearthed feelings I had buried deep within, feelings I thought I’d overcome: loneliness, helplessness, and that soul-shaking fear. All those negative emotions surged forth! I was too drained to fight them. I even had fleeting thoughts of seeking relief in death.

I have no idea how much time passed, but just as my mind was in turmoil, I noticed even more chaos erupting at the school gate about a hundred meters away from the teaching building. A few people outside the gate were clawing wildly at the air from behind the movable gate barrier, while three security guards and two members of the Student Management Team inside were trying to disperse these “maniacs” who had come to cause trouble.

“What on earth is wrong with you people? Move along now, or we’ll have to call the police!” shouted a particularly muscular teacher from the Student Management Team, clad in a black T-shirt, at the “maniacs” outside the gate.

“Hey, isn’t that Black Bear?” I muttered to myself. That teacher in the black T-shirt was known among the students as “Black Bear” due to his imposing physique and apparent fondness for black clothing. He, along with another teacher from the Student Management Team who also favored black attire, Lin Qiang, were collectively known as “The Black Wind Evil Duo.”

These two were the “ace” of the Student Management Team. No matter what trouble you got into, if you were caught by these guys, it was pretty much “game over.” They were the nightmares of TP High School’s delinquent students.

However, their usual tactics that worked on students were useless against the “maniacs” blocking the school gate!

Despite Black Bear threatening to call the police, the maniacs outside only became more aggressive in their assault on the gate. Seeing that his warnings had no effect, Black Bear reached his right hand through the gate to grab one of the “maniacs” by the collar and yelled, “I told you to get lost!” Unfortunately, before he could finish his sentence, the maniac viciously bit off half of his paw-like hand!

“Aaaaah-“! My hand! My hand!” Black Bear screamed in agony, trying desperately to retract his hand, but it was too late. The better part of his “bear paw” was gone, and crimson blood spurted out like a fountain, leaving him writhing on the ground in pain. Meanwhile, the maniac was delighting in chewing on the half piece of the bear paw he’d bitten off!

Everyone around, both security guards and teachers, was left stunned and helpless by the horrific scene, but soon enough, the struggling Black Bear ceased all movement on the ground.

His eyes bulged lifelessly like a dead fish, and his pupils were already dilated and unfocused-he was clearly dead. “Dead, he’s dead?!”

Lin Qiang seemed unable to accept this reality, shaking Black Bear’s body forcefully and shouting, “Mr. Li, how are you? Hang in there! We’re taking you to the hospital right away!” Yet at that moment, Black Bear, who was supposedly dead, suddenly began to move! “Are you alright, Mr. Li?”

But before they had a chance to feel relieved, Black Bear grabbed Lin Qiang, who was closest to him, and bit savagely into his neck! Blood gushed out, and Lin Qiang didn’t even have time to struggle before collapsing. Yet soon he too rose, charging madly at the three security guards frozen in fear, turning the school gate into utter chaos!

“What on earth is happening?” Fear-or perhaps something else-gripped my mind, but there was an unsettling sense of familiarity with the scene, even though I was witnessing it for the first time. The earlier thoughts of ending it all had vanished completely.

At that moment, as if urged by an instinctive force, my body propelled me into action, and I sprinted towards the stairs. I had to get back to my class! I had to save my friends! As I dashed through the winding corridor, my mind was blank, but I was certain that this situation was anything but simple. Despite not knowing why I reacted so swiftly, something inside me insisted that I must act.

After a sprint, I finally arrived at my class: Class Z of Senior Year.

I couldn’t care less that it was still class time. I burst through the door, ignoring the surprised stares, and shook Ye Xiang awake from his slumber. “Quick! We need to get ready to run!”

“Zhang Tiankuang!” The class teacher, standing at the podium, could no longer tolerate my behavior. “This is too much! Not only are you skipping class, but you’re also disrupting it! I’m reporting this to the Academic Office, and you can prepare to be expelled!”

But I completely ignored the class teacher’s outburst. “Ye Xiang, move fast, we must leave here immediately.” Ye Xiang, still confused by my bizarre actions, replied, “Leave here? What’s going on? Tiankuang, explain yourself.”

It seemed I wouldn’t be able to get him to leave without an explanation.

“Some people were causing trouble at the school gate, and then the teachers started attacking each other. I believe there’s more to this situation, so if you want to live, you need to follow me now!” I said with a frown.

Ye Xiang hesitated for a moment but eventually chose to stand up and follow me out of the classroom.

“You, you two!!” The class teacher was so furious he seemed lost for words.

“Teacher, let me give you a piece of advice: if you want to survive, you’d better start evacuating everyone!” I tossed this remark over my shoulder as I left the classroom, nearly causing the teacher to explode with rage. The students buzzed with gossip about what I had just said, with some thinking I had lost it, but none of that mattered to me anymore.

In the corridor.

“Hey, Tiankuang” “What is it?” “Don’t you think it would be better to notify the police about this first?” “Alright, give it a try.” Ye Xiang stopped, pulled out his phone, and dialed the emergency number. However, the response was: “We’re sorry, due to a high volume of calls, all lines are busy. Please hold or try again later.” Now Ye Xiang also realized something was wrong, his brow furrowed in concern. “Even the police line is busy, this is…”

Just as Ye Xiang was in a state of shock, the school’s PA system blared urgently: “Emergency notice! Emergency notice! Attention all staff and students! A large-scale terrorist attack is happening on campus! Teachers, please begin emergency evacuation procedures immediately! Stop-ouch! Let go of me, you maniac! Ah-! Mr. Wang, you too! Ahhh-!” The announcement was abruptly interrupted by horrifying screams, suggesting that the teacher making the broadcast was also under attack.

At that moment, the once-quiet campus erupted into chaos. Everyone rushed frantically into the hallways, ignoring any semblance of organized evacuation. The corridors were a scene of complete pandemonium, filled with pushing, shoving, and even trampling!

In this frantic crowd, anyone who fell was mercilessly trampled by those surging from behind. In the struggle to survive, the ugliest side of human nature was laid bare. I quickly realized that descending the stairwell was no longer an option, especially since the school’s only exit-the gate-had already…

Going down now would mean getting caught up in the stampede, possibly ending up trampled to death by the panicked crowd. I exchanged a glance with Ye Xiang, and we wordlessly agreed to head for the rooftop. At this point, retreating to the rooftop and waiting for rescue seemed like a better option than being crushed by those desperate to escape.

However, as we opened the iron door leading to the rooftop, despair gripped our hearts. The entire FZ-HOPE City was engulfed in chaos, with plumes of smoke and fire visible everywhere. Many areas were ablaze, the flames raging so ferociously that they were unmistakable even in daylight. Every now and then, earth-shattering explosions echoed in the distance!

“What the hell is going on?! Everything was fine just a moment ago!” Ye Xiang struggled to comprehend the sudden disaster.

“I know it’s hard to accept, and I’m sorry, but I don’t have any answers either,” I said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. As we spoke, several Helicopter 11 aircraft flew low overhead, the powerful downdraft nearly knocking us off our feet.

Despite our desperate shouts for help, the helicopters showed no sign of stopping. We could only watch as that sliver of hope disappeared.

“Ye Xiang, stop shouting, it’s no use,” I said, patting him on the shoulder. “As far as I know, there’s no military presence in FZ-HOPE City, so I guess those helicopters are from outside the city on a special mission. We can’t count on them for rescue.” “Damn it! Why is this happening?” Ye Xiang vented his frustration by punching the rooftop railings, but he soon stopped and turned away, retching.

“Hey, what’s wrong?! Are you okay?” I quickly asked, but Ye Xiang just continued to dry heave, pointing towards the athletic field. I leaned over the railing to look, but immediately recoiled and started retching like Ye Xiang. The field was utter chaos, and the scene was terrifyingly clear: it was a massacre-people were eating each other!

The field was stained with large patches of dark red blood. A male student was tearing at a female student’s uniform, but it was clear he wasn’t engaged in some romantic act; he was biting into her neck, tearing out a chunk of flesh, and swallowing it. The girl’s arteries had burst, and blood was spraying everywhere.

On another part of the field, a more horrifying scene unfolded. Three or four people, both male and female, were crouched on the ground, feasting on a corpse as if it were a bloody steak, entrails spilling out everywhere. There were even more similar scenes… some people were walking, dragging half their intestines behind them!

A shiver ran down my spine as beads of sweat rolled down my cheeks and my stomach churned violently. It was horrifying to witness such a grotesque act of cannibalism occurring in broad daylight, right here on our school’s athletic field in what was supposed to be a civilized society. Had everyone gone mad?

Even more baffling was the fact that those people, suffering from severe injuries, were still roaming the sports field as if they were on a leisurely walk. My chest tightened with anxiety and discomfort; I felt an overwhelming urge to scream at the top of my lungs. Only then did I understand why people, especially women, scream when they’re scared-it’s a primal release of sheer terror.

Before we could regain any composure, chaotic footsteps sounded from the only entrance to the rooftop-the iron door. The lock, long neglected, was merely decorative and couldn’t possibly hold back those “crazed” individuals. The approaching footsteps heightened our nerves, and panic surged through us. We quickly scrounged through the piles of junk on the rooftop and found two rusty, pointed steel spikes, each about a meter long. Though not ideal, these makeshift weapons provided some degree of reassurance.

Just as the steel spikes were firmly in hand, two blood-covered individuals tumbled through the iron door. To my shock, I recognized them both: one was Ling Qimeng from my class, and the other was Ling Feng from the neighboring class. Following them was a “teacher” who had completely lost all sense of reason.

That teacher had latched onto Ling Feng’s lower leg with a ferocious bite! Seeing this, I instinctively pulled the terrified Ling Qimeng aside with one hand while thrusting the steel spike into the crazed teacher with the other. Despite piercing his heart, it had no effect! The “teacher” seemed impervious to pain. “Dammit! Let go!” In desperation, I drove the steel spike into the empty eye socket of the “teacher.” This tactic worked-the “teacher” crumpled to the ground like a ragdoll, yet Ling Feng’s lower leg was already a mangled mess.