Even before they reached the expressway, they were already stuck in traffic. The city of Manila had become a parking lot. Twenty minutes crawled by without much progress.
At one point, they stopped at a gas station to refuel.
Back on the road, the system chimed in.
[Warning: Global Resurrection: 00:20:00]
Ava's stomach tightened.
They weren't going to make it.
They had left as soon as they could. Still, it wasn't enough. There was just too much traffic, too many cars, too many people. Panic and confusion clogged the roads like glue.
Eventually, they arrived in their hometown, but it offered no mercy. Just another jam, this time, on a road barely wide enough for two cars.
Ava gripped the steering wheel harder. Her foot tapped against the pedal nervously.
In the back seat, Aryan crossed her arms, clearly annoyed.
"This is ridiculous," she muttered. "People are just paranoid. They are losing their minds. Just because of a weird sound and some disappearances? Honestly, it's like no one can think for themselves anymore."
Ava said nothing. Her nails dug into her palm.
She wanted to yell. To scream that this wasn't just panic. That this was real.
But what would be the point?
Instead, she kept her eyes on the road, trying to hide the growing fear in her chest.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she adjusted her grip. The road ahead was packed with cars. No one was moving.
Ten more minutes.
Five.
Two.
Then, zero.
[Global Resurrection has started...]
She looked around the street, holding her breath. Nothing happened. No tremor. No sound. The world didn't change.
For a moment, Ava felt doubt creep in. Was it wrong? Was the system's warning false?
She exhaled slowly.
Then… a small movement ahead.
The cars started moving, just a little. A few feet forward.
After a few seconds…
The music playing on the radio cut off without warning.
A new voice replaced it. Sharp. Urgent.
"This is a global emergency broadcast. Reports are coming in from multiple countries, widespread violence, people attacking each other in the streets. Authorities are urging everyone to stay inside and lock all doors."
Ava reached over and turned the volume up. The air in the car turned heavy.
"...Japan has confirmed multiple attacks by individuals described as 'undead.' In South Korea, citizens are being told not to leave their homes. Similar events are now being reported in the United States, China, Malaysia, and even parts of Europe, Middle East and Africa…"
Aryan blinked. "What... are they saying?"
Ava didn't respond. Her hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. Her heart pounded against her ribs.
"...Some witnesses describe the attackers as corpses. The word 'zombie' is starting to trend on social media..."
Then, as if on cue, a scream rang out.
Not from the radio. From outside.
A few cars ahead, people had gotten out of their vehicles to investigate something. Ava saw a group gathered, heads turning toward something just out of view.
Then, chaos.
A man stumbled backward, tackled by someone. No, something.
A woman started shrieking, her voice cracking with terror.
Someone ran toward Ava's car, slamming their palms against the window.
Their faces were twisted in panic. Eyes wide. Blood on their shirt.
"Please! Help me!"
Before Ava could move, something yanked the person back.
Their hands scraped against the glass as they disappeared from view.
Ava froze. Nazi began to cry in the back seat.
"M-Mama… what's happening…?"
Aryan stared ahead. Her mouth hung open, lips trembling.
She didn't blink. She didn't move.
A blood-soaked figure was in the street, biting someone. No, tearing into them.
It was real.
Everything Ava feared. Everything she was warned about.
It had started.
Aryan whispered, "That's… not possible…"
Ava didn't have time for her disbelief.
"Hold on."
She shifted into reverse. The car jerked back, then stopped. Another car blocked them in. Too many vehicles. No room to move.
"Damn it…"
Her hands shook. She looked around. An alley? A sidewalk? Anything?
Nazi's cries grew louder.
"Shh, baby… We're okay. We're going home," she said, voice shaking. "We're getting out of here."
Aryan was still frozen. Ava reached across and shook her.
"Get it together. We have to move."
Aryan snapped out of it, her face pale. "W-Where? We're stuck."
"I'll find a way."
She turned the wheel, eyes scanning for the narrowest path, even if it meant driving off-road. The rules didn't matter anymore.
Behind them, more screams.
The undead had arrived.
Ava yanked the steering wheel to the side.
The tires bumped over the curb. She didn't care. The sidewalks were packed with abandoned stalls and motorbikes, but she swerved around them, heart pounding with every sharp turn.
Aryan clutched the handle above the window.
People were running now. Screaming.
Some were bleeding. Some weren't.
None of them looked sane.
A man with a bloodied arm slammed against their hood. Ava hit the brakes. He stared at her, dazed.
Behind him, two more figures appeared. Limping. Covered in blood. Their heads tilted unnaturally, mouths opening and closing like they were chewing the air.
Ava stepped on the gas.
The car sped forward, dodging them. She didn't look back.
Nazi cried louder in the back seat, voice high and frightened.
Pablo wrapped his arms around him, whispering, "It's okay. It's okay. We're almost there."
The chaos spread with every block.
Smoke rose from a burning jeep. A man stood in the middle of the road, swinging a metal pipe as the undead lunged at him. Screams echoed between buildings. People hid behind walls, inside cars, some running, some fighting, many already too late.
Ava swerved again, avoiding a group of people fleeing a nearby grocery store. The glass had shattered. Shelves had been tipped over. Blood smeared the walls.
She had to make it.
They left the town limits behind. The road turned narrow, an old provincial route with rice fields on either side.
"We're almost home," she whispered.
Then she saw it.
A checkpoint.
Several cars had tried to get through, but the road was blocked with traffic cones and a police truck turned sideways. A body lay near the truck, half-eaten. A police officer, still in uniform, slumped against the wall with wide, empty eyes.
More undead staggered toward the checkpoint. They weren't fast, but there were too many.
"We're not stopping," Ava said under her breath. "Everyone, hold tight."
She checks Nazi at the rear mirror, Pablo is hugging him tight .
She hit the gas again.
Aryan screamed.
Ava didn't slow down.
The undead turned toward the noise, but it was too late. The car smashed through the cones, bumping hard as they passed the checkpoint.
They were through.
But not safe.
A group of figures stumbled out of the trees ahead. Ava swerved again, right into a dirt path leading toward their farm.
The path was narrow and rough, but she knew every inch of it.
The sky had turned a dull orange.
They reached the final turn. Ava finally saw it, their watchtower.
Then came the sight of the fortress-like fence, tall, solid, and reinforced with steel and concrete. It surrounded the entire farm like a wall.
Home.
Pablo didn't hesitate. As soon as the car rolled to a stop outside the gate, he opened the door and jumped out. His feet hit the dirt road, and he sprinted to the manual switchbox by the gate.
Come on, come on…
The gate groaned as it began to open, slow and heavy.
Ava kept glancing at the road behind them, watching for any sign of movement.
Finally, the opening was just wide enough.
She hit the gas and drove through without waiting for a full clearance.
The wheels crunched over gravel. Inside. Safe.
Pablo ran in behind them and closed the gate fast. The lock clanked back into place.
Ava killed the engine.
Everything went quiet.
Her hands were still on the steering wheel, trembling.
The system message flashed in her vision.
[Task Complete: Retrieve the Survivor.]
[Reward: +10 System Points]
[Available System Points: 20]
They had made it.
But outside those walls… the dead were only getting started.