He was wrong.
The hallway looked empty, and Barry thought it was safe. The first sign came when he stepped past the second door on his left. The air changed. It was still quiet, but it felt thicker, like something was pressing on it. He slowed down, his shoes making soft sounds on the polished floor. He glanced behind him, then looked ahead again. Nothing.
He passed the third door, then turned slightly to check the corridor that led to the main stairwell. And that was when he saw them. Three people—or what looked like people—stood near the staircase. Their heads turned slowly toward him at the same time. One had a twisted leg, dragging it across the floor. Another had part of her face scratched raw, like she had slammed into something hard. The third was smaller, maybe a student, with both arms hanging limp at his sides.
Barry didn't breathe. Not out of fear. Just out of habit. He didn't need to breathe as much anymore, but the movement helped him think. He stepped back.
The nearest one made a noise. A dry sound, like a cough mixed with a moan. Its eyes were glassy, and its mouth hung open. When it saw him move, it let out a low growl and began to shuffle forward. So did the others.
Barry didn't wait. He turned and ran the other way, back the way he came. His feet moved faster than before. The cold inside him didn't slow him down—it helped. He ran smooth, steady, like his body had memorised the motion and didn't need to warm up. He dashed past the bathroom door, down the hall, and around the corner.
Another hallway opened up to his right. He took it without thinking. One of the classroom doors was open. He ducked inside and quietly pulled it shut behind him. He locked it quickly. The soft click echoed in the silence. Then he waited.
His breath was calm. Too calm. He pressed his ear against the door. The sound of slow footsteps came from the hallway. A dragging foot scraped the floor. Something thudded lightly. Then… nothing.
The hallway was quiet again.
Barry stayed still, watching the shadows under the door. Nothing moved. No moans. No breathing. He turned around and looked at the classroom. It was empty. Chairs were still arranged in small rows, and the windows were half open. A projector hung from the ceiling, and a few pens lay scattered on the floor near the teacher's desk. The whiteboard at the front had a half-erased sentence on it: "The role of systems in society."
Barry let out a long breath and walked over to the window. He peered through the gap in the blinds. What he saw made his chest tighten. Down in the courtyard, more people wandered slowly. Some walked in circles. Others just stood. Two were eating something. He couldn't tell what. Their faces were too low, and their bodies blocked the view.
They didn't look human anymore. Not fully. Their movements were wrong. Like puppets with bad strings. Slow, jerky, and unthinking.
'They're not just sick,' Barry thought. 'They're gone.'
The system message still floated faintly in the corner of his vision:
[Energy Level: 91%]
It had only dropped by one. That meant time was moving normally, but his body was using energy slowly. Maybe because he hadn't fought anyone or run far. Maybe because of how cold he was now.
He sat down in the nearest chair. It felt strange. The plastic wasn't cold. It wasn't warm either. Just there. Neutral. He touched his wrist again. Still no pulse. Still no warmth. But his fingers moved fine. His mind felt clear.
'So this is what I am now. Not alive, but not mindless.'
He closed his eyes for a second. The image of Jamie came back. That bite. The struggle. The window breaking. That thing flying into his mouth. He opened his eyes again.
The message hadn't changed:
[Race: Zombie (Sead)]
'What's a Sead anyway?' he wondered.
It didn't explain. The system seemed quiet unless something changed. He wasn't sure if it could talk to him. Or if it would.
He stood up again and walked to the teacher's desk. He opened a drawer. Pens, paper, a stapler, and a small bottle of headache tablets. Nothing useful. The next drawer had some tissues, a USB stick, and an old packet of chewing gum.
He took the gum. Not because he needed it, but because it felt normal. He unwrapped one and popped it into his mouth.
No taste. His jaw moved, but nothing happened. It felt like chewing rubber.
He spat it out into a bin.
'No more gum then.'
He walked back to the window and looked outside again. Two people were now slamming into a locked door near the building's side entrance. The door rattled, but it held firm. Barry scanned the courtyard again. There was a bench. A few bags. Someone's phone lay shattered on the ground. A jacket lay folded near the edge of the grass, like someone had taken it off in a hurry and never came back.
'If they catch me, they'll attack. Just like Jamie.'
He touched his arm again. The healed skin was still there. Still smooth. Still strange.
Then he remembered the message about energy.
[Consume raw flesh to maintain sentience]
His stomach didn't growl. But he understood the warning. He would need to eat. Not food. Not gum. Not sandwiches. Raw flesh.
He shut his eyes again. 'I can't think about that now.'
He focused on something else. His stats:
[Strength: 6]
[Speed: 8]
Better than average, maybe. Not superhuman. But enough to outrun most people. Or to dodge. Maybe even to fight if he had to. He didn't want to fight though. Not yet.
He looked at the hallway door again. It had a small window. He peeked through. The hallway looked empty again. The dragging noises had stopped. No sounds. No shadows.
He unlocked the door slowly, turning the knob without a sound. He opened it just a little and waited. Still nothing.
He stepped out, closing it behind him. This hallway was longer than the one by the bathroom. There were more classrooms. Most of them were locked. One or two had the lights off. Others had chairs knocked over inside. He walked slowly. His footsteps were quiet. Even the floor didn't creak. It was like his body knew how to move silently now.
He reached the stairwell. It led down to the first floor. The ground floor. If he could get outside, maybe he could find a safer place. Or answers. He stepped down carefully, hand on the railing.
Halfway down, he paused. Voices. He heard voices. Real ones.
Two of them. A girl and a boy. Arguing.
"They're all gone!" the girl said. "I told you we shouldn't have come this way!"
"They're not here now," the boy replied. "We just have to find a way out."
Barry moved closer to the wall and crouched down. He looked down the stairwell. Two people stood near the bottom. One had a backpack. The other was holding a fire extinguisher. They hadn't seen him.
They were human. Not pale. Not slow. Not groaning.
Barry felt a strange pull in his chest. Relief. Then hesitation. He wanted to call out. But he didn't.
'What if they see what I am?'
He stepped back, pressing his back against the cold wall. The voices continued. They were planning to check the side exit. The same one the zombies were trying to break through earlier.
Barry knew it was dangerous. He had a choice now. He could warn them. Or stay hidden. He didn't know what he was supposed to do.