The sky outside the classroom window hung heavy and gray, like a sheet of ash waiting to fall. Inside the stuffy classroom, the scratch of chalk on the blackboard echoed dully, accompanying the endless drone of the math teacher's explanation.
In the third row from the back, a teenage boy sat still. His deep blue eyes pierced through the monotony of the lesson, staring blankly at the board even as his mind wandered far from the world of numbers and formulas.
Julian Deaw. That was his name.
His black hair fell slightly messy over his forehead and ears. He wasn't the talkative type, nor the kind who sought attention. For Julian, school was just a routine to endure—until the final bell rang and he could return to his own world.
Today, he thought, he'd try out a new game he bought last night with what little savings he had left. People said it had a grim story, set in a world consumed by chaos and a mysterious outbreak. Julian was curious—what would it feel like to survive in a world that had collapsed?
But he didn't expect the answer to come so soon… or to be so real.
Drrrriiiinnngggg!
The school bell rang out, sharp and jarring, slicing through the classroom's silence. Chairs scraped back. Bags were grabbed. Students rose to their feet.
But the teacher at the front, Mr. Rauf, glanced up at the clock, his brow furrowing.
"Huh? It's not time to leave yet," he muttered.
The students exchanged confused looks. The bell never malfunctioned. Before anyone could raise a question, Mr. Rauf lifted his hand.
"Sit down. Must be a system error. Let's continue—there'll probably be an announcement."
Groans erupted across the room. Julian checked his watch. Ten minutes left. But... why did he feel that knot of unease forming in his chest?
Then, the intercom crackled to life.
"To all students and staff, please proceed to the evacuation area immediately. This is an emergency."
Every head turned toward the speaker. The voice was flat, strained, trying to remain formal—but the tension underneath was unmistakable.
Then came the moment that shattered what little calm remained.
"All students, please—NO! DON'T! DON'T EAT ME! AAAARGHH—!"
Screaming. Panic. Flesh being torn. And the microphone continued to transmit it all... until it went dead.
The classroom froze.
Julian's eyes widened. His breath caught. His mind scrambled to process what he'd just heard.
"Was that… real?" someone whispered, barely audible.
Julian swallowed. His head filled with scenes from movies—outbreaks, apocalypse, humans turning into monsters. Part of him wanted to believe this was a prank. But the instinct in his chest screamed otherwise.
Mr. Rauf moved faster than anyone expected.
"EVERYONE OUT! NOW! EVACUATE! DON'T JUST STAND THERE!"
His shout snapped the class out of their daze. Chairs clattered, books spilled, bags were dragged. Julian grabbed his backpack on reflex and ran with the others.
The school corridor erupted into chaos. Teachers shouted, trying to direct students. But it was hopeless. Bodies jostled, some crying, others running without knowing where.
As Julian stepped outside the building, a metallic stench filled his nose. A sharp, sickening scent—blood.
And then he saw it.
The creature was once human. Its school uniform still clung to its frame. But its face was mutilated, drenched in blood. Its mouth tore into a student's body with ravenous fury.
Screams erupted around him.
"Z-ZOMBIE!"
"It's a ZOMBIE!"
Some ran back into the building. Others fled toward the school gates. But the creatures were everywhere—attacking, ripping, mauling anyone within reach.
Julian stood frozen, trembling. His mind throbbed in denial.
This is insane. This isn't real. This can't be happening.
But the risen corpse was real.
The screams of his classmates were real.
The blood pooling at his feet was horrifyingly real.
He looked up at the ashen sky. The world he once knew was gone.
And a bitter thought clawed into his mind.
"So much for a boring life. It's going to be hell from here."