The cool night breeze, the crescent moonlight, and the sense of death and chaos all seemed to whisper at the same time.
It was a quiet night like any other. Three journalists were heading towards the train after a hectic day at the office.
One, in particular, did not care about his surroundings and was instead busy with his phone.
The moment he stepped out of the building, his friends noticed him glued to his phone and complained about how he was slowly turning into an addict and stressing his brain over an online novel.
However, Cain shrugged it off, saying reading was far from stressful and was instead how he relaxed.
"At least pay attention while walking," the only girl among the three said, gently steering him away from bumping into several civilians.
But Cain was so invested in the novel right now. This was the final arc, so he simply let her guide him left and right.
"Woah, you're at chapter 5999 already? Dude, what color is the grass?" the other male asked. Unlike Cain, Owen was bigger and muscular.
Owen didn't have much time for novels, but he still read a little, mainly investing his attention in his body.
The latter smiled. "The grass is green, Owen, lol," Cain chuckled. "I just gotta finish the final arc today," he added.
Soon after, the three of them entered the Jeju Fast Train. With several passengers inside, they managed to get seats.
Except Owen, who preferred standing.
"So what's the novel about anyway?" the girl asked. Mikasa wasn't from the United States, unlike Cain and Owen.
Her father owned a dojo. She had just traveled here for a journalism internship.
When she first arrived, she wasn't very accustomed to the language, but Owen and Cain were always around to translate and teach her.
With these constant interactions, they eventually became friends.
"Just heroes, villains, and lots of villainesses, lol," Cain explained.
But the girl barely listened. 'He's so cute,' was all she could think, a secret admirer.
Mikasa felt her cheeks flush, not just because Cain was a handsome, red-haired guy with pink lips, but because he rarely smiled.
Everyone at work saw him as an emotionless person.
"Oh," was all she said while peeking at the novel. She was genuinely impressed by his focus.
Suddenly, when the train stopped for the next passengers, a middle-aged man in a grey suit stood alone outside.
However, when the door opened, he didn't move.
The longer he stood there, the more impatient one of the passengers became. He was with his girlfriend.
"Are you coming in or not?" he urged.
"Dude, get in already. I've gotta get home to my sick mom. I can't afford to miss her medication," another added.
Out of everyone, Owen noticed blood dripping onto the floor, particularly from the man's arm.
"Guys-"
Before Owen could draw his friends' attention to it, the man took a snarling step inside. He looked pale.
"Tsk, motherfucker, get in already."
The impatient man stood up and grabbed him by the collar. However, something else happened...
The pale-skinned man suddenly sprang to life when the hand came close. In one swift movement, he latched onto him and pinned him to the ground.
Owen's heart skipped a beat. "Cain, stop rea-"
He couldn't finish his words as the horrifying scene unfolded. Blood gushed from the man's neck as he was bitten. He kept yelling; however, several people in the train, including his girlfriend, stepped back.
Soon, the bleeding man stood up, blood dripping down his maw. His movements were slow, as if he were dragging his feet across the ground.
His hands stretched forward as if begging for a hug, and he let out a snarling sound.
"Johnny, are you.." the man's girlfriend rushed to his side, crouching beside him. However, she was next.
The commotion quickly pulled Cain out of his novel. He had just witnessed the man bite his girlfriend, and now all three were moving the same way.
"Zombie!!!" a random passenger yelled, triggering a stampede.
In that moment, all three zombies lunged at him. Before Cain could process what was happening, the entire train had descended into chaos.
"Owen, we gotta get out of the train," Cain said.
"Graaaahhhh!!!"
But Cain failed to notice the zombie granny that pounced on him. It was the old lady sitting opposite him earlier.
Cain's eyes widened in sheer terror. A set of foul, rotten teeth was barely a meter from his face.
There was no time to react, and before his friends could even understand what was happening, Cain was already on the floor, bleeding from a deep wound in his neck, or rather...
Dead!
---
Breaking News: Live on Trending Channels
Earlier this week, the tyrant villainess Hera has confidently accepted responsibility for crippling Thanos, a teenage boy attending the Nether Hero Academy.
Cain felt a sharp pain shoot through his head. He felt groggy as he struggled to lift his heavy eyelids.
"Fuck, that hurts," he groaned. It took him a moment before he managed to sit up on the bed, prompted by the lady's voice coming from the TV in front of him.
"Witnesses say that Thanos was a known bully, and Lady Hera made it clear that his greatest mistake was targeting her. As for Loki, he has also become involved. We're yet to hear from the doctors if Thanos is still alive; however, the tyrant's son, Loki, has been unconscious for over two days now. Trending Channel will always keep you informed. The citizens deserve to know."
After hearing the report, Cain looked around and realized the room resembled a hospital.
The kind meant for filthy rich civilians.
Although pain shot through his head again, Cain managed to glance at the news headline.
『Tyrant Villainess Hera Warns the World』
And it had nothing to do with a zombie outbreak.
"Owen," he said weakly. "Mikasa."
Everything that had happened replayed in his mind like a movie.
Cain's breath grew heavy. He slowly looked around again. That zombie granny had bitten him deeply; he shouldn't even be alive.
Even if it had been a nightmare, he should have woken up at work or in his bed.
Cain gave the headline another long look. This time, he stared at it for nearly two minutes before letting out a quiet chuckle.
After all, he was going to die again.
"Shit."