Ello~ so before you all read this chapter, let me give you all a warning

This chapter are very heavily gore, many blood, corpses, body horror and more

So! If you all are uncomfortable with this, please don't read it, i am warning you all ಡ⁠ ͜⁠ ⁠ʖ⁠ ⁠ಡ

There will be also ooc and typo and such so pardon me if you found any.

But if you think you can handle this, then hope you enjoy this one! -------------------------------------------------------------

"Ha... Ha... Ha..." A sixteen years old teenager pants heavily while he continue to force his leg to run even faster to escape from something that had been chasing him from behind.

He didn't dare to look back as his heart race faster with adrenaline surged through him, he took a sharp turn and ducked behind a pile of trashcan. He gasp and inhaling the oxygen greedily before he take a small peak at the corner he ran before.

Seeing no sign of that thing following him make him let out a sigh of relief as he relax his shoulder and take another deep breath, however it was short lived when he hear another strange noise coming from the road.

He swallow his saliva hard and gulp, bracing himself to take another small peak after calming himself down, which he soon regret when he saw a figured with a mess up features and unnatural limps seem to be eating a dead corpses.

His emerald green eyes widen in terror as a small squiek escaped his lips, a mistake that he immedietly regret. The small sound manage to stop the creature from munching on someone arm and snap his head toward his direction with unnatural bone cracking motion.

He quickly hide and raise his hand to cover his mouth in attempt to supress any sound that he might make and crouched lower, holding his breath with his heart beating faster and faster when his ears catch the sound of heavy footstep slowly approaching him.

His hand trembled uncontrollably with his breathing quickened when the footstep didn't stop as he can now hear the low growl coming from it.

His mind begin to race and trying to think of a way to escape from that creature without drawing even more unwanted attention from those thing toward himself.

"Please..."

Clang!

As if fate took pity on him, a loud sound of a metal can fall down manage to gain the creature attention, his eyes darting to his left to find a rat where the can have fallen, which was probably the very reason on why the object fall in the first place.

In a blink of an eyes, that thing screech loudly and lung itself toward the poor animal which the rat respond by letting out a terrifiying squick follow by the sound of bone being crush and eaten.

He held his breath as he witness the scene unfolded with his two eyes before he shakingly pick himself up and took the opportunity that was given to him to get away.

It was to much for him to witness, all the terrifiying scream, the smell of blood from the fallen and many of those creature roaming around they island that they used to call home.

But for now... He need to get out of here

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They never thought that something like this will happen in their lifes, the peacefull and lively world suddenly twist and turn into something that straight out come from the horror movies which none of them are prepared for.

An unknown virus manage to spread and cause majority of human to either die in a horrible way or turn into something they can no longer recognize, he knew that zombie aren't real and just something that people create to entertain others in the movies.

But now, they are facing something similar to it, instead of a bloody torn apart pale or green zombie that they usually see in the television, they got something even worse and even more terrifiying than that.

The infection spread in two ways, which would be any blood contact with the virus or through simple bite from the infected, ironically similar to how a zombie spread in the movies.

But this is not a tv show where everything is just an act to entertain audience, this is a real life and death situation where they will need to fight and survive this nightmare.

From what he heard from their youngest brother observation, there are 5 stage of this inhuman transformation,

The first stage are usually unnoticable when they make contact with an infected, through blood or a bite, there are no drastic change in both personality and appearance.

The only thing that show would be the growing tireness that they often dismiss due to them keep moving around aimlessly with little to no rest every single day.

The second stage is when the victim feel the bite mark (if have any) getting really ichy with barely visible dark vein that slowly spreading in their blood stream, they will become more restless, paranoid, and getting more hostile, even in the most simple things they will lash out.

The third stage is where visible change begin, the victim will get really aggresive to anyone while any wound on their body will let out a black liquid, a small purple and black mushroom like flesh will form on the victim's eyes, nose, ears, and mouth.

The next stage is when the victim will slowly lose control to the virus, the virus at this stage already spread to most of their inner organs which cause the skin to change into gray, their hand and neck will painfully stretch out while their eyes slowly sink and darken in their socket.

This stage is the most painfull stage out of all.

The final stage is where the one you know die completely, the virus gain full control over the body while the victim's head slowly grew a giant flesh that somewhat resembling a mushroom, making them unrecognizable.

Their hand and neck are now longer and swollen with their jaw that are somewhat unhinged, their eyes sink in their skull and glow terrifiyingly in purple color.

Creating a monster that are now roaming freely around their small land that they used to call home.

At first, the seven of them are together, surviving and taking care of each other until they are not anymore, there a sudden wave of the infected that rush toward them and forcing them to split up and run away to survive.

Causing each one of them to be alone and survive on their own.

Thorn didn't like to be left in this now twisted ruin island, fill with falling debris and dead bodies of those they used to know, he manage to run away and hide safely from that creature but now he need to find something to help him survive.

"Ugh..." Thorn groan as his hand are aching once again, his emerald green eyes widen when he saw blood begin to stain his makeship bandage from a random pabric he found.

"No no no... Not now..." He thought internally while he shakingly pull out another random pabric in his bag and begin to rebandahe the large cut on his arm, he hiss in pain when he remove the old pabric that stick to his flesh before he used a little bit of his water to clean it up.

He bit his lips in attempt to shut any whimper from his mouth, forcing down his scream when the wound throb painfully, he soon sigh in relief when he manage to stop the bleeding before he rummage his bag to find something to eat.

"Aww..." Thorn lips curve down when the only food he have left are just a protein bar that he grab in his last hunt, he lower his head before he open the wrap and begin to eat it, it's better than nothing right?

Click!

The sudden sound gain thorn's attention from eating his food as he quickly turn his head toward the direction of the noise, he shakingly grab a bloody pipe that he been using to defend himself as he stood up to fight back if necessary.

Thorn held the pipe tightly with his hand trembling, he scanned the dim alley with his emerald green eyes darted nervously toward the shadow where the sound had come from.

"Please let it be the wind..." He whisper to himself with his voice barely audible.

But it wasn't the wind...

A figured slowly walk out from the shadows, it's elongated limbs jerking unnaturally with it's head hung at an akward angle, the purple glow of its sunken eyes piercing through the gloom.

Black liquid fripped from it's half open mouth, pooling on the ground with a sickening hiss as it burned the dirty floor beneath it, thorn froze in place upon seeing it.

A stage four infected...

The creature's head snapped toward him and for a moment there was silence, thorn's gasped with the pipe slipping slightly in his grips.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no" he muttered while taking a step back, his chest tightened with fear but then he remembered their oldest brothers word before they got seperated.

"Remember, you don't need to win, you just need to survive. Use what you got and stay light on your feet, don't hesitate when its time to run."

The creature let out a low growl before lunging forward, it's sharp claws swiping through the air. Thorn yelped and stumble back, narrowly avoiding the attack, his back hit the wall of a crumbling building, trapping him in the corner.

"Stay calm thorn" he whispered to himself with his breath shaky, he gripped the pipe tightly and braced his feet, just like how halilintar had taught him.

When the infected lunged again, thorn swung the pipe with all his might which the blunt end up strucking the creature side, making it screech in rage which manage to cause thorn to winced.

"I am sorry!" He blurted out with his voice cracking.

The infected didn't care and come at him again, it's jaws snapping inched from his face, thorn ducked instinctively with the creature's claws grazing the wall behind him.

"I don't want to do this!" Thorn cried as he swung the pipe upward, catching the creature under its chin, the force of the blow sent it reeling backward and giving thorn a brief moment to escape.

He immedietly bolted down the alley with his legs trembling as he ran, the infected's screeched followed him and growing louder as it recovered as its chase after him.

Thorn's eyes darted around desperately in attempt to search for somewhere to hide, he spotted a narrow gap between two building and immedietly dove into it, squeezing himself through just in time as the infected's clawed hand swiped at his back.

The creature snarled and clawed at the entrance but its swollen limbs were to large to fit, thorn presses himself againts the wall and panting heavily as tears welled up in his eyes.

"I... I Made it" he whispered while his voice shaking.

But his relief was short lived when another infected appeared at the far end of the narrow gap, it's glowing eyes fixed on him.

Another stage four infected...

Thorn whimpered while clutching the pipe tightly, his mind begin to race as he tried to think of what his older brother would do in this situation.

"Use your surrounding, think fast and escape!"

Thorn remember what gempa said to him as his eyes darted to a loose piece of metal piping leaning against the wall, he grabbed it and threw it forward the new infected, the sudden noise Made the creature hesitate as it's head snapping toward the clanging sound.

Thorn took the chance to scramble out of the gap and back into the open alley, his legs burned as he sprinted with his heart pounding like a drum.

Finally... He spotted an abandoned convenience store with a partially open door, thorn didn't think twice as he dash inside and shutting the door shut behind him before pushing a heavy shelf againts it.

The infected pounded on the door with their growled echoing in the empty store but the makeshift barricade held, thorn sank to the floor with tears streaming down his cheeks as he clutched the bloody pipe to his chest.

He sniffled and wiped his tears with the back of his hand, feeling hungry and excausted by the chase.

Thorn leaned his head against the cold dusty shelf, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath, the pounding on the door grew softer as the creatures outside losing interest after realizing they couldn't get through.

The store fell eerily silent except for the faint creaking of the wind slipping through shattered windows, his trembling hands gripped the bloody pipe tighter as he whispered to himself.

"Just a little rest…" He closed his eyes and letting the adrenaline in his veins subdue, his muscles ached from running and his arm throbbed painfully beneath the makeshift bandage, after a few minutes, Thorn pushed himself upright with a shaky breath.

"I can’t stay here" he muttered while scanning the dimly lit store, rows of empty shelves loomed before him, some overturned with their contents scattered across the floor.

Most of the food had already been looted but he had to try, he needed to eat and more importantly, he needed strength to survive.

Thorn limped toward the shelves, his emerald green eyes darting cautiously toward every shadow, the store felt abandoned but he couldn't shake the sensation of being watched.

"Come on, there got to be something left" he whispered, brushing aside broken glass and torn wrappers.

He spotted a dusty can of beans tucked behind a fallen display, thorn crouched and pried it out before letting out a sigh of relief.

"Finally…" His relief turned to frustration as he realized it was dented, with no can opener in sight, he shook his head and tossed it into his bag anyway.

"Is fine... I will find a way to open it later" he muttered while continuing his search, his hands found a crumpled energy bar and an almost empty bottle of water, It wasn't much but it would have to do.

As he rummaged through the debris, something caught his eye, a splash of pale blue peeking out from under a pile of broken wood and torn packaging, thorn froze as his heart skipping a beat.

Slowly, he reached out and pulled the object free, his fingers brushed against the fabric and recognition hit him like a tidal wave, a baby blue scarf, frayed at the edges but unmistakable.

"Ice…" Thorn whispered with his voice cracking, the scarf belonged to his brother, the one who always carried it and used it as a makeshift pillow during their restless nights.

It still smelled faintly of Ice, a faint scent of rain and snow that somehow hadn't been washed away by the chaos, tears welled up in Thorn's eyes as he clutched the scarf in his hands, his fingers ran over the soft fabric as his chest tightening with longing.

“You're alive,” he whispered, a spark of hope igniting in the darkness of his despair.

After a moment, he shook himself and carefully wrapped the scarf around his neck, the familiar weight and texture gave him comfort, a reminder of Ice’s calm presence.

He adjusted the scarf, tucking it securely under his jacket, it smelled of home, of better days and he couldn’t bring himself to let it go, if Ice had been here then he was close, thorn had to believe that.

The baby blue fabric was a lifeline, a reminder that Ice was alive but as he turned to continue his search, something else caught his attention.

A faint glint of orange shimmered under a broken shelf just a few feet away, thorn's brows furrowed in curiosity and he crouched to inspect it, he carefully brushing away the debris before his breath hitched as his fingers closed around the object.

It was a bracelet, unmistakably Blaze's.

The bold brave orange of the band shone faintly even under the grime and at its center was a fire shaped logo... blaze's custom emblem.

Each one of his brothers had their own unique design including himself and Thorn could recognize this one anywhere, Blaze had spent hours crafting it and stubbornly insisting that no one else could replicate his 'perfect' design.

Thorn’s lips quirked into a small, weary smile as he held the bracelet up, turning it over in his hands, It was scratched and scuffed but the logo remained intact, its bright hue defiant against the bleak surroundings.

"Blaze…" Thorn murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, warmth flickered in his chest and melting away the cold dread that had gripped him for so long, if Blaze’s bracelet was here... It meant Blaze had been here too and is most likely still alive.

His mind raced and connecting the dots, first Ice’s scarf and now Blaze’s bracelet. It wasn’t just coincidence, there was a pattern, a trail leading him to them and if Blaze and Ice were both alive, there was a good chance they were together.

Thorn’s smile widened and for the first time in what felt like forever, hope bloomed within him. His brothers were fighters and he know his brothers won't go down that easily.

He slipped the bracelet into his wrist and look at it with longing, he will find them... And he will survive in this world for them.

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The room reeled of death and decay as the stench are enough to churn even the strongest stomach, blood smeared across the cracked floor, pooling beneath a twisted, unrecognizable corpses.

A body... If it could still be called that... Lay sprawled there, mangled beyond comprehension, Limbs bent at impossible angles, chunks of flesh torn away, exposing pale bone beneath.

The infected crouched over it, it's jaw working feverishly as it tore into the soft remains, gnashing meat between it's broken teeth, every bite was wet and sickening.

In the shadow of a crumbled wall, a figured watched with their hands trembling at their sides, his teeth biting into their lip to stifled any sound.

Tears streaked down their face as they stood frozen, unable to tear their gaze away from the horror unfolding before him.

His eyes darted toward the lifeless body before slowly looking at the infected who didn't notice his presense, he took a step back as he suppresing his hiccups.

Abang....

The word echoud silently in their mind, shattering the fragile calm they try to maintain in order to survive, their knees nearly buckled but they clung to the wall, pressing their back againts the rough surface.

Hus breath hitched but he refused to let even a single sob escape, knowing the infected would hear him. Blood coated the infected hand and dripped from it's chin, it's movement erratic, Almost animalistic...

Yet, beneath them savagery, there something disturbingly human in its posture, in the way it's shoulders hunched protectively over it's meal.

His throat tightened and turned their gaze downward, unable to bear it any longer, but as their tears fell silently, their clenched fist trembled for something deeper than grief...

Something too unbearable to aknowledge...

He stepped away, his movement carefull with the faintest whisper of regret etched into the floorboards beneath their retreating steps.

He didn't dared to look back, though the sight of the mangled corpses and the monster that consumed it burned vividly in his mind.

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The night swallowed the ruins whole and leaving only faint glimmers of moonlight to guide Thorn as he sprinted through the desolate streets.

His breathing came shallow and sharp but he didn’t dare stop, not when the guttural cries of the infected echoed too close behind, their erratic footsteps scraping against broken concrete and shattered glass.

"Stick to the shadows, Thorn"

Blaze’s voice came to him like a whisper from the past, his older brother’s hand had once rested firmly on his shoulder as he said those words back when they all been together.

Thorn darted into an alleyway, pressing his small frame against the wall as the infected stumbled past the opening, he didn’t to move, not yet. His heart thundered in his chest, every instinct screaming at him to run but he forced himself to stay still.

"You are small, use that to survive, The infected are fast but they are dumb, if you make yourself invisible, they won’t find you"

Blaze said while grinning with that fiery confidence that made everything seem possible, thorn’s hands trembled but he clutched them into fists.

He wasn’t invisible, not like Blaze had made it sound like but he could try. He took a slow silent breath then carefully began creeping deeper into the alley, his feet deliberate on the uneven ground.

The stench of decay was thick here and Thorn gagged silently, swallowing hard to keep it down, the infected were gone for now but the streets were never truly empty, he had to keep moving.

"When you are running, don’t panic" Ice’s calm almost lazy voice echoed in his head.

"Breathe. Think. You will live longer if you are smarter than them, unlike a certain firehead brother of ours"

Thorn couldn’t help but scoff at the memory, his lips trembling as he smiled faintly, ice had always been so casual about everything as if the apocalypse wasn’t happening right outside their door, but his words were solid.

They had always been solid.

He crouched low as he exited the alley while scanning the street for movement, a lone infected limped along in the distance with its back hunched and its head jerking side to side.

Thorn tightened his grip on the small knife he found earlier in his hand, a pitiful thing that barely looked like it could cut but it gave him comfort nonetheless.

"Never fight if you don’t have to" taufan had told him once.

"Killing one will just bring more, If you can run, run."

As he remember it, thorn ran, the streets blurred as he zigzagged through debris, his body moving almost on instinct.

He clambered over a pile of rubble and slid into the wreckage of an old storefront, the broken glass bit into his palms but he ignored the pain, crawling deeper into the darkened interior.

He pressed his back against the wall, trying to catch his breath, his pulse thundered in his ears, drowning out everything else. He wiped the sweat from his brow with his hands trembling as he stared at the floor.

"You’re doing good, Thorn" Gempa’s gentle voice surfaced now, soft and reassuring.

"If you are scared, thats okay , But you can’t stop moving. You got this daun " tears welled in his eyes but Thorn forced them back, crying wouldn’t help.

Not now.

He peeked out from the broken window and scanning the street for any signs of danger, the infected were nowhere to be seen but the silence was heavier than the noise.

Thorn tightened his grip on the knife and turned toward the back of the store, where a shattered staircase led to the second floor.

"Always find high ground" Blaze had said, grinning as he pulled Thorn onto the roof of their old home.

"If they’re below you, they can’t get to you."

The memory gave Thorn strength as he climbed the crumbling stairs, his footfalls careful and quiet, he reached the second floor and found a small corner where he could rest, hidden behind an overturned bookshelf.

His body ached, his hands stung but he was alive.

Thorn curled up in his makeshift hiding spot, clutching his knees to his chest, The night was quiet again but his mind wasn’t.

His brothers’ voices filled the void, a chorus of lessons, jokes, and reassurances that carried him through the darkness.

"Everything have a way out, we just need to figured it out" solar said while holding his hand.

"We got this" thats the last thing thorn remember before he close his eyes and fall asleep in this cold night.

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The faint creak of broken floorboards jolted Thorn awake as his eyes snapped open, heart pounding as the unmistakable wet guttural growls of an infected reached his ears.

He froze.

The sound was close... too close.

"No sudden movements," Ice’s voice echoed in his mind, thorn forced his shaking body to remain still even as his instincts screamed at him to run.

Slowly he craned his neck, peering through the narrow gap between the overturned bookshelf and the wall.

A shadow shuffled into view, the infected’s rasping breaths filled the air, ragged and uneven. It dragged its twisted body closer, its limbs jerking unnaturally, thorn clamped a hand over his mouth to stifle his breathing, sweat dripping down his temple.

Suddenly, the infected froze with its head snapped toward him, thorn’s blood ran cold as the creature let out a shriek and lunged.

Panic surged through him as he scrambled to his feet and shoving the bookshelf aside with all his strength, it crashed to the floor but Thorn didn’t stop to look back.

He bolted down the crumbling staircase, his pulse a deafening roar in his ears, the infected was faster than any he encountered before, its frenzied movements closing the gap between them.

Thorn leapt over the debris, his small frame darting through tight spaces in a desperate attempt to lose it.

"Run! Don’t look back!" Blaze’s voice screamed in his head, thorn obeyed with his legs burning as he pushed himself forward.

But the infected was relentless.

It followed him with an eerie precision, tearing through obstacles with terrifying strength, thorn rounded a corner, his breath coming in gasps only to find himself face to face with a dead end wall.

"No... no, no, no" he whispered before spinning around, the infected stood at the entrance of the narrow alley and blocking his only escape. Its distorted face twitched as it tilted its head, a low growl rumbling from its throat.

Thorn pressed his back against the wall, his knife trembling in his hand with his chest heaved as he struggled to think, to breathe.

Then he saw it.

The infected shifted and something glinted in the moonlight, a necklace hung from its neck, swaying with its jerky movements.

A red lightning bolt pendant.

"No..." Thorn's breath hitched, his eyes widened, filling with tears as he stared at the pendant, he knew that necklace, He knew it.

The red lightning pendant belonged to Halilintar, their oldest brother.

"Abang...?" The knife slipped from Thorn’s hand, clattering to the ground as the weight of realization crashed over him, he couldn’t tear his gaze away from the necklace, couldn’t stop the tears streaming down his face.

The infected stepped closer, its movements slowing as if recognizing something or someone.

Thorn’s knees buckled and he sank to the ground, his mind screamed for him to run, to fight, to do anything, but his body refused to move.

"Abang... I- I can't believe it..." The infected let out a guttural growl but its movements hesitated, for a fleeting moment, Thorn thought he saw something human in its eyes...

Something familiar.

But then it lunged at him...

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Hello my little waves! I am back with this chappie~

First thing first, i want to say Merry Christmas for everyone who are celebrating it!

I don't really celebrate it but yeah :^

Anyways, hope you enjoy this one! Is been in my mind for a while now and now i have time to write it >:D

And yes- i did say there will be no angst but... Let's just say i can't help it (⁠ ⁠╹⁠▽⁠╹⁠ ⁠)

Sorry not sorry!

Also, i am sorry if the story felt rush and didn't make sense with many typos, i don't have any motivation to reread all of it and fix the plot (⁠눈⁠‸⁠눈⁠)

Okay thats it's all! See ya all in my next chapter!

Have a lovely Christmast everyone!

Stay healthy and happy

Peace out~

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