The growls grew louder, echoing through the narrow tunnel like a storm racing toward them. Xinyi could hear the scrabbling of clawed feet on rock, the sickening wet rasp of the infected dragging themselves forward. Dust filled the air as the tunnel shuddered under the weight of the oncoming swarm, and the light from above seemed to shrink, distant and unreachable.
The stranger kept his weapon steady, but Xinyi saw the hesitation in the way his hands tightened, the slight shift of his stance. He wanted to survive as much as they did. Xie Yan's voice cut through the growing chaos, firm and low, like steel in the dark.
"You can either shoot us and die here with them, or we can all fight our way out together. Your choice."
The stranger hesitated, his masked face turning slightly toward the dark maw behind them where the infected poured in. The first shadows flickered into view, shapes that no longer resembled people, hunger burning in their hollow eyes. The stranger cursed under his breath, lowering his weapon just enough.
"Fine," he spat. "But try anything, and I'll take you down before they do."
Xinyi didn't waste time on words. She shoved past him, toward the opening above, her lungs burning with the effort of the climb. Xie Yan stayed close, covering her, his rifle barking in sharp, measured bursts that dropped the first of the infected that came too near. Zhao Ming brought up the rear, his face pale but set, firing into the shadows, buying them precious seconds.
The tunnel collapsed further behind them, stones crashing down, the sound deafening. The infected shrieked, the noise of their fury mixing with the roar of falling earth. The passage was closing, the weight of the city above threatening to bury them all.
Xinyi's legs ached, her body pushed beyond its limits, but she kept moving. The light above grew brighter with each step, the promise of air and sky driving her on. She could feel the heat of the infected's breath at her back, the scrape of claws on stone so close it raised welts of fear along her skin.
The stranger reached the opening first, pulling himself out into the light. Without hesitation he turned and reached down, grabbing Xinyi's arm and hauling her up. She gasped as fresh air hit her face, the brightness of the world above blinding after so long in the dark. Xie Yan was next, emerging with his gun still raised, already scanning the surroundings for more threats. Zhao Ming followed, dragging himself free just as the tunnel behind gave a final shudder and collapsed completely, sealing the infected beneath in a tomb of rock and dust.
They stood there, breathless, filthy, staring at the ruined entrance. The city stretched around them, broken and burning, smoke curling into a sky choked with ash. But for a moment, they were safe.
The stranger yanked off his gas mask, revealing a face gaunt from hunger and exhaustion, his eyes bloodshot but sharp. His hair was matted, his skin streaked with grime. He glared at them, his mistrust plain.
"Name's Ren," he said grudgingly. "I don't like company. Don't think this means I trust you."
Xinyi wiped sweat and dirt from her face, her limbs trembling with the aftermath of adrenaline. "We didn't ask for trust. Just a chance to live."
Ren gave a sharp laugh, bitter and tired. "Then you're as stupid as the rest. There's no living left in this city. Just dying slow or fast. Take your pick."
Xie Yan stepped forward, his posture steady, his gaze hard. "We're not here to argue. Do you know a way out of this sector?"
Ren hesitated, his eyes flicking between them, calculating. He could leave them behind. But he knew as well as they did that alone, his chances were slim. The infected were getting smarter, stronger, and the city was falling apart by the hour.
"There's an old rail yard about two klicks west," he said finally. "If it hasn't been overrun, we might find a working transport. But we move fast. They're everywhere now."
They set off without another word, keeping low, weaving through the ruins of buildings, skirting the edges of streets clogged with burned-out cars and the remains of barricades that had failed. The city was unrecognizable. Fires burned unchecked, the stench of decay thick in the air, the cries of the infected never far. Every shadow could hide death. Every sound made them jump.
Xinyi kept glancing at Xie Yan, drawing strength from his steady presence. His focus never wavered, his eyes always watching, his body always ready. Zhao Ming moved with less grace, but determination hardened his features. Ren led them, his knowledge of the city clear in the way he guided them through alleys and broken fences, always one step ahead of danger.
They reached the edge of the rail yard as night began to fall, the sky bleeding red and gold as the sun sank behind the horizon. The yard stretched wide and empty at first glance, rows of rusting trains and cargo containers casting long shadows. But something was wrong. The air felt too still. The silence was too deep.
Ren raised a hand, signaling them to stop. They crouched behind a tangle of metal, scanning the yard. And then they saw it. Movement. Not infected. Not human. Something else. Figures that moved with eerie coordination, their bodies wrapped in makeshift armor, weapons glinting in the dying light. Raiders.
Xinyi felt cold seep into her bones. Raiders meant worse than death. They meant cruelty, suffering, the worst of humanity let loose without rules or mercy.
Ren cursed softly. "We can't go through. They'll tear us apart."
Xie Yan's eyes narrowed, thinking fast. "There has to be another way."
Before Ren could answer, a noise behind them made them all freeze. A voice, low and mocking, drifted from the shadows.
"Now what do we have here? Lost little lambs?"
Xinyi turned slowly, heart sinking. A group of raiders had found them first, slipping through the ruins like wolves, their weapons already drawn, their eyes glittering with hunger.
And behind them, the distant howls of the infected rose again, drawn by the scent of fresh prey.