Lyka scrambled out of bed, staring at her phone in horror. It was 8:00 AM. Her exam was at 8:30. She had pulled a brutal all-nighter, and her brain felt like mush.

As she got out of bed, Lyka looked in the mirror around the corner. Seeing her reflection, she noticed her frizzy hair and deep, heavy brown eyes, she looked like a ghost.

She still felt exhausted, but her stomach growled.

“Lyka! You need to wake up, you have an exam don’t you?!” her tío shouted from downstairs preparing breakfast for his children.

“Coming!” she yelled back, yawning as she rushed to get ready. Her hometown was way too far from the university, so she lived in the city with her father's brother. As she brushed her teeth, she hoped her friends had actually studied.

His tio always treated her badly, but she was resilient, always thinking positively with her determined mind, hopeful that someday she will become successful and that no one will look down on her anymore.

She grabbed a piece of bread from the pantry and an egg to make a quick sandwich. The door rattled as she went out.

'I'm going!' she mumbled while her mouth was full, once she was outside she saw her ride going, she sprints after the bus as it pulls away.

"Wait" She yelled for the bus. It screeched to a halt, and she climbed aboard. Panting heavily excited to see her friends on the campus.

As Lyka was riding the bus, she saw the city thriving, the streets lively and filled with everyday commotion.

On the other side of the city, Patricio was having a completely different morning. He hadn't studied a single page at all, but he felt refreshed. Walking down the street with the other students who passed by, while listening to R&B classic music in his earphones, he stopped in his tracks.

“Oh, isn’t that Nicay?” he muttered.

"Nicayy!" he shouted across the road.

Nicay turned, holding a travel mug.

“Hey Patty. Have you heard the news on tv?”

"What?" He shouted, taking the earphone in his left ear.

She glared and yelled "Are you deaf? I said, have you heard about the news on tv?"

“I haven't, why?” Patricio asked, dumbfounded.

Nicay sighed as she crossed the other side of the road, remembering what her roommate Claire had told her over coffee just an hour ago.

“There's a new virus spreading. Many countries are already affected by it. Claire said there are ten cases in our country, and one right here in our region.”

"Why is this happening in the world? Like, bro it's just been two years since govid20 ended" Patricio exclaimed.

“And just what are the chances the infected dude is in our city?” Patricio laughed it off like a total lunatic.

“I dunno, I'm tired already" Nicay said, adjusting her gear bag.

“I still have to practice my fencing today. Maybe Lyka is studying at the exam hall.” Nicay said with a heavy eyed exhaustion in facial expression.

“I bet she is,” Patricio joked with a calm demeanor.

Nicay wasn't surprised by the calmed demeanor, as she always thought that maybe Patricio already studied even though she hasn't seen him study once, just playing games.

"I mean she prioritizes her studies" Nicay pointed out, shrugging.

They didn't know that a mile away, a transport truck had just jackknifed across the highway the very highway Lyka needed to take to school. A man in a biohazard suit approached the smashed cabin. The driver was slumped over.

Click... click... snap.

The driver's head jerked back. His eyes were milky white. His spine snapped and lengthened under his skin, tearing through his clothes.

Humanity was completely gone from his face.

Stuck in traffic down the road, Lyka stared out her bus window at the flashing red lights in the distance. She gripped her phone, watching the clock tick closer to 8:30 AM.

"I'm doomed, what the hell happened over there?" Lyka murmured

Stressing out as she thinks that she will be late for her exam, completely unaware of the monster that had just woken up ahead of her.

"Sir, I would like you to just drop me off here," Lyka said to the bus driver.

As she stepped off onto the side of the road, she headed down a narrow path that served as a shortcut to her school. As Lyka entered the alley, she was taken aback by a shadow that looked like a beast. She stepped back at the sound of a sudden clatter. The beast suddenly jumped over a trash bin, causing her to cry out,

"Ahhh! Oh my gosh!"

Sweating heavily from the fright, she realized with relief that it was just a cat all along.

She thought, am I losing my mind?

"I was scared out of nowhere, this is what I get for drinking coffee at night"

As Lyka arrived at the school gate, the rain began to pour. She saw her friends running through the downpour and hollered,

"Yo, guys, go faster!" Watching them, a bright smile spread across her face. They were her whole world.

"Broski, we thought you were already in the room studying" Patricio said gasping his breath after running.

"I woke up late, and the traffic was a nightmare because of an accident!" Lyka exclaimed.

"What? An accident?" Patricio asked, his laughter instantly fading as he swapped a worried glance with Nicay.

"Yeah, the highway was completely backed up," Lyka replied, still catching her breath under the school awning.

"There were flashing red lights everywhere. I had to ditch the bus and take the alley shortcut just to make it here on time."

Nicay gripped her travel mug a little tighter, the heavy exhaustion leaving her face as her mind raced back to the news report Claire had mentioned. A sick feeling twisted in her stomach. "Did you see what kind of accident it was, Lyka? Was it just a normal car crash?"

"I couldn't really tell from the bus window," Lyka shrugged, wiping the rainwater from her forehead.

"But whatever it was, it looked serious. Come on, we need to get inside before we're late for the exam."

As the three of them hurried through the school doors, the rain slammed harder against the glass behind them.

They were completely safe inside their classroom, entirely unaware that the nightmare from the highway was already beginning to spread into the city.

The three of them searched through the crowded hallways for their classroom, stepping inside just as the warning bell rang. They quickly found their seats, shivering slightly as they brushed the remaining rainwater from their hair and clothes. Before the teacher could begin, Nicay leaned over the aisle and gave Lyka a reassuring elbow nudge.

"Hey, don't sweat it, Lyka. You're the smartest one out of all of us, you're going to absolutely crush this thing."

Patricio smiled warmly from the row ahead, turning around to nod in agreement. "She's right. Stop overthinking it and just do your best. We've got your back."

Lyka felt the tight knot of anxiety in her chest loosen. She offered them a grateful smile, glad to have them by her side.

"Thanks, guys. Let's just get this over with." She said with a serious face that she might perfect the exam.

A moment later, the teacher arrived at the front of the room, loudly announcing the subject of the exam and instructing everyone to clear their desks. As the test papers were handed out, Lyka looked out the window.

On the side, a flock of birds sat perched in the downpour rain, singing harmonically against the glass window.

To Lyka, it felt like a beautifully poetic moment, when the birds dancing together under the gray, rainy sky. It was a brief sight of peace that made her forget about her stressful morning.But the poetry was violently cut short.

The birds suddenly scattered and flew away as the heavy thumping roar of approaching helicopters shattered the quiet moments. The deafening sound echoing from the skies made every student stop mid sentence on their test papers.

Pencil froze against paper as everyone turned their heads toward the windows. The city outside was in a complete uproar. Through the rain clouds, thick black smoke and bright bursts of fire erupted from a block dangerously close to the school campus. Sirens wailed from the streets below, competing with the thundering blades above.

Before the panic could break out in the classroom, the school’s system crackled to life with a loud, urgent announcement.

“Attention all students and staff. The current exam session has been postponed. Please remain calm and follow your instructors. We are initiating an immediate evacuation to the gymnasium and the nearest safe zones to avoid the fire near the campus. Move quickly and orderly.”

The classroom erupted into chaos as chairs scraped against the floor, Lyka swapping a terrified look with Patricio and Nicay as the reality of the nightmare began to set in.

Lyka, Patricio, and Nicay exchanged wide eyed looks of panic as the sirens blared.

"Stay close!" Nicay shouted over the noise, grabbing Lyka by the arm. "We need to line up and stick together so we don't get lost in the crowd!"

"Move, move!" Patricio urged, ushering them toward the exit.

They abruptly joined the sea of panicked students rushing down the hallway toward the gymnasium.

Inside the massive gym, the air was thick with tension and echoing whispers. Through the crowd, Lyka spotted a few familiar faces pushing toward them, their classmates Norie, Charis, and Trixie.

"What's happening?!" Norie gasped, her voice trembling.

"Did a fire break out?"

"Is the school under attack?" Charis asked, looking frantically between them while Trixie gripped her arm in fear.

"We don't know exactly," Nicay explained, trying to keep her voice steady.

"But Lyka saw flashing lights on the highway, and there's black smoke coming from just a block away. Something is really wrong."

As the students huddled together in the safety of the gym, completely oblivious to the true nature of the threat and the horror outside of the campus.

OUTSIDE THE CAMPUS

On the smoke filled streets just outside the school gates, three military helicopters touched down with a deafening roar. Out stepped a squad of elite soldiers clad in heavy tactical gear and specialized armored masks members of the BioContainment Strike Unit, or BCSU. They had been deployed in a rush, completely blind to what they were actually facing.

Fanning out with rifles raised, the soldiers surveyed the gruesome scene.

One of the soldiers said " what happened here?"

" That's what we're going to find out" With a stern face under his mask.

The street was a graveyard. Bodies lay scattered across the asphalt, brutally torn apart by the monstrous entity from the transport truck the creature whose spine had violently lengthened and snapped under its skin.Near the wreckage, a soldier knelt beside a body wearing a torn, bloody biohazard suit.

It was the original hazmat man who had approached the truck cabin.

"Sir, check this out," the soldier called out through his helmet's comm link, rolling the scientist over.

"He's dead, sir. Looks like some kind of animal attack. Massive trauma to the throat."

"Secure the perimeter and check the side alleys!" the commander ordered over the radio.

Leaving the man's body unguarded for just a couple of minutes, the squad fanned out to sweep the surrounding buildings and clear the path toward the school.

It was a fatal mistake.

Behind them, the dead man's fingers twitched against the pavement.

A wet, sickening click... click... snap echoed from his neck. His eyes flew open, completely milky white, his jaw unhinging with an unnatural gurgle.

Before the nearest soldier could even turn around, the infected corpse lunged from the ground, tackling him into the shadows of a smashed vehicle. A choked scream tore through the radio as the virus claimed its next victim.

The smoke-filled street outside instantly turned into a desperate, chaotic battlefield.

Behind the vehicle, the dead scientist's body began to deform. A wet, sickening crunch... wet snap... crunch echoed through the alley as his spine forcefully lengthened, tearing through the biohazard fabric. He let out a wet, guttural screech.

Before the nearest soldier could even turn around, the freshly turned Hallow lunged from the ground.

"Ambush! Behind us!" a soldier screamed through his comm link as he was tackled into the dirt.

"Get it off him! Fire! Fire!" the commander ordered, his rifle flashing blindly into the gloom. Bullets tore into the creature's chest, but it didn't even flinch. It buried its teeth deep into the soldier's neck, tearing away flesh.

"Ahhh! Help me! It's biting through my suit! God, please, help" The soldier's desperate radio transmission cut out into a wet choke.

To make matters worse, the citizens who had been slaughtered on the pavement by the original truck driver began to change. From all around the smoke, the horrifying sound of them rising filled the air with a chorus of click... snap... pop as dozens of human spines broke and elongated at once.

 They rose from the dead, their eyes milky white, and let out an echoed, unified howl that rattled the school's windowpanes.

"They're multiplying! Command, we need immediate extraction! We are being overrun!" the radio operator panicked, his voice cracking as three closed in on him.

 "No, wait, ...get away from me! Ahhh!"

Within minutes, the overwhelming swarm completely destroyed the unit. Frantic gunfire ceased, replaced by the terrifying sounds of ripping cloth, cracking bones, and monstrous snarls.

Only three soldiers managed to break away from the slaughter. Bleeding, terrified, and desperate, they turned and fled toward the only fortification nearby the school.

"Get to the building! Lock it down!" one of the surviving soldiers yelled through his shattered helmet, as he shouted looking back at the horde of monsters chasing them through the pouring rain.

They slammed through the back entrance of the campus, desperately looking for a place to hide. But they hadn't closed the heavy doors fast enough. Following closely behind them was the horde. As the monsters swarmed the campus grounds, they caught the late-arriving students who were still trapped outside in the rain, dragging them down into the mud.

Terrified shrieks and the sound of breaking glass echoed through the school hallways, heading directly toward the gymnasium.

The heavy double doors of the gymnasium slammed open with a deafening bang.

Every student inside shrieked, jumping back as the three surviving soldiers stumbled into the room. They were a horrifying sight. Their tactical armor was torn, smeared with dark blood, and drenched in rainwater. One of them was dragging his leg, gasping for air through a shattered visor.

Barricade the doors! Now!" the lead soldier screamed, his voice cracking with pure terror as he pointed his rifle back at the hallway.

 "Lock it down! They're inside the building!" As he warned them, everyone could hear the terror in his voice, cracking up.

The gym teacher and a few older students froze in confusion.

"Sir, what's going on? What about the fire?" the teacher asked, stepping forward.

"It's not a fire! It's a slaughter!" the wounded soldier bellowed, collapsing against a stack of gym mats.

"They're eating people out there! Help us move these bleachers, hurry!"Panic instantly roared through the crowd of students. Shrieks and cries echoed off the high ceiling as everyone scrambled away from the doors.

In the middle of the chaos, Lyka, Patricio, and Nicay stood paralyzed. Lyka’s heart hammered against her ribs, her mind flashing back to the shadow she had seen in the alleyway. It was just a cat, a terrifying thought whispered in her mind. There really was something else out there.

"Pat..Patty" Norie spoke, grabbing Patricio’s jacket as she, Charis, and Trixie crowded around them.

"What are they talking about? Who is eating people?" Norie asked anxiously.

Before Patricio could answer, a bloodcurdling scream echoed from the hallway just outside. It was followed by the unmistakable, terrifying sound that Lyka had heard in her nightmares

 click... snap... pop.

Something heavy slammed violently against the outside of the gym doors, making the metal frames shudder.

"Sshh, guys be quiet" the leader of the soldiers murmured.

"Just help us put a barrier" the other soldier said while shaking from fear.

The lead soldier’s warning broke the spell of panic. The gym teacher, snapping into action, pointed toward a massive stack of plastic chairs and folding tables tucked against the wall.

"Everyone! Grab the chairs! Pile them against the doors, now!"

Dozens of students, including Lyka, Patricio, and Nicay, scrambled forward in a frantic rush. Hand after hand piled heavy plastic and metal chairs against the double doors, creating a makeshift barricade.

Just as they finished stacking the last row, the PE teacher stepped back, his hands shaking violently. He tripped over his own whistle lanyard, crashing heavily into the side of the pile.

CLATTER! CLANG!

A stack of three metal chairs slipped and slammed onto the wooden gym floor with a deafening, echoing boom.

The gym went dead silent.

........

Nobody breathed. Outside the door, the mindless groans instantly stopped. A second later, a chorus of sharp clicks... snap... pop sounds erupted in the hallway. They had heard it.

BOOM!

The heavy metal doors shuddered as the Hallows slammed into them from the outside.

"Push! Hold the line!" the lead soldier yelled, rushing forward to throw his body weight against the chairs. Patricio and the gym teacher lunged forward too, digging their sneakers into the polished floorboards. But the force from the other side was monstrous.

The wood groaned. The metal frames bent. Slowly, inch by inch, the Hallows pushed and pushed until the door creaked slightly open. Through the narrow gap, a pale, bloody hand with elongated knuckles clawed wildly at the air, accompanied by a wet, hungry hiss.

"They're here!" Nicay shouted, her voice piercing through the chaos as she grabbed Lyka’s hand.

"We have to move, now!"

The makeshift barricade began to collapse under the pressure. Seeing the doors giving way, the lead soldier grabbed Lyka and Nicay, shoving them toward the back of the gymnasium.

"Fall back! To the stage! Move!"

"I'll hold them" the limp soldier shouted as he raised his rifle to the monsters.

But before he could fire, he was jumped by one of them

"Aghhh" the soldier cried in lain as he was pierced by one of them in the chest.

They sprinted past the panicked crowd toward the school's theater stage at the far end of the gym. Slipping behind the heavy velvet curtains, the lead soldier guided Lyka, Nicay, Patricio, Norie, Charis, and Trixie into the dark backstage area.

They scrambled into a tight, cramped fitting room. The soldier slammed the door shut, sliding the lock into place just as the sound of splintering wood and shattered glass echoed from the main gym floor.

The barricade had failed. Inside the pitch-black fitting room, the only sound was the heavy, terrified breathing of the students and the click of the soldier's rifle as he aimed it at the door.

Inside the suffocating darkness of the fitting room, a horrific sound began to leak through the thin walls. It started with the sound of the gym doors completely splintering off their hinges, followed by a wave of heavy, wet thuds. Then, the screaming began. It wasn't just panicked shouting anymore, it was the sound of pure, agonizing terror.

"Please! No! Get off me!" a student's voice cried out from the main floor, cut short by a sickening crunch.

Through the cracks under the fitting room door, they could hear the chaos clearly. The unknown creatures were tearing through the gym. Faint, muffled crying from students trying to hide under bleachers was quickly met with the terrifying click... snap... pop of shifting bones, followed by silence.

The sounds of tearing flesh and monstrous, wet snarling echoed off the high gym ceiling, turning their school into a slaughterhouse.

Trixie clamped her hands over her ears, burying her face into Charis’s shoulder as she began to sob silently. Charis held her tightly, her own tears streaming down her pale face, while Norie trembled so hard she had to lean against Patricio to stay upright.

Patricio stared at the door, his usual calm demeanor completely shattered, his jaw clenched as he tried to process the horror. Next to him, Nicay’s grip on Lyka’s hand tightened so hard it hurt.

Lyka felt cold sweat dripping down her neck. She pressed her back against the wall of the fitting room, staring blindly into the dark. This can't be real, she thought, her mind racing. Just an hour ago, I was worried about an exam.

Now... everyone is dying. The lead soldier kept his rifle raised, his breathing ragged inside his helmet. He reached up with a bloody glove, tapping his headset as he tried to block out the sounds of the students being killed outside.

"Command, do you copy? This is Bravo Kenan," he whispered into his mic, his voice shaking with a mix of rage and fear.

"The asset broke containment, the unit is wiped out. I am trapped inside the school gym with civilian survivors. Requesting immediate extraction. Over." Only static buzzed in his ear.

Suddenly, the screaming in the main gym began to die down. The loud chaos faded into a heavy, suffocating quiet, replaced by the slow, dragging sound of footsteps moving toward the backstage curtains.