Chapter 1: Prologue

The deep, whining siren is like the bell of death to all of the inhabitants of the facility. The warning blares red throughout, making no mistake to ensure that the warning reaches each person. Everyone is warned yet still unprepared. But then again, such a situation as they are in is not one they would ever thought to prepare for, and nobody can't help but scream.

There was too much noise all around; noise that sounds like it's coming underwater for the woman stirring up from the ground.

"Wh..at..?" Erna's mind couldn't understand what's happening or what she's seeing. Her mind felt too heavy.

Pressing on her left arm, she tries pushing herself up. Ack! Pain ached along her back as soon as she move, making her groan. It feels like something heavy slammed onto her back enough to knock her out her breath. The pain at least alerted her mind and cleared it up.

"I...I need to get out of here fast.."  But Erna knows she can't just leave. Not with all of...them roaming around. At least she knows she's in a safe room for now, but it won't stay like that forever. 

Sweat begins to form as her heart races. "No! Don't panic! Don't panic! I need to stay calm, to stay calm, and, think!" It's easier said than done, though, when she can hear all the fearful screams of her co-workers and the guns blazing for the growling...monsters. That doesn't feel right for her to say.

"No! Focus!" First things first, she needs to sit up and calm down.

Taking a deep breath, she prepares herself to sit up again; this time slower and much more careful. As expected, the pain came stinging again, but Erna is prepared this time and managed to sit up properly, leaning against the nearby wall. She managed to sit up but the pain her back has gotten worst, and she can only grit her teeth to stop herself from groaning loud.

"Just focus...focus on escaping..." 

Right now, it's better to assess her situation first. Seeing as she's still in Dr. Leimont's laboratory, exactly where she was before she became unconscious, that thing must've left. Still, it must be roaming around somewhere. There's also too many of them roaming around, she can't just run out. Either she'll be...eaten or she'll be shot on site. There's no way those gunmen are here to protect everyone, certainly not for the people who shouldn't be in the know.

Anyway, it just means she has to sneak everywhere in the facility. 

The problem is...Erna looks down on her bloodied and scratched body. Will she even be able to? She had to use a lot of strength just to sit up, and even that took some time. There's really a low chance of her surviving. Is it better to just give up? 

"..." No, she needs to survive even if she has force herself. How, though, is the question. Well, best to start with something simple: her legs and feet. It's best to check how injured they are. Maybe she'll be able to tear up her clothes and bandage some of them. Hopefully. With that in mind, carefully lifts up the hem of her pants. Her hands freeze only a few inches up.

A bite mark: right by her ankle, there's a bite mark.

Oh.

...

She got bit.

"No..."

"No! No! No!"

Her stomach is sinking into a deeper pit of despair, deeper than when this all started.

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Suddenly, there's too much noise. She can hear everything: the screams, the guns. the groans. She can't hear herself think. She can't think.

"I can't turn into them! I don't want to!" But there's not denial at the bite mark staring at her, and there's nothing she can do. She's already going to become one—Bam!

"Wha—!?" The door to the office suddenly opens, and her eyes shift immediately to the man.

"Dr. Carter!" Erna grits out, rage filling her eyes. After all, he's one of the reasons this has happened: why those people have been turned.

A man, dressed in tattered lab clothes and injuries, walks over to her calmly. Too calm. Despite his serious injuries, there was still that infuriating smirk on his face. 

"I'm surprised how none of those zombies or even those hired guns managed to hear you from all your screaming," he towers over her.

"Shut up!" She growls out, "You! You—you did this! To all of us!" With a curious gaze, he looks at her ankle, specifically the bite mark, and then looks back at her.

"Oh? People turning into zombies; not my intention," he eventually shrugs.

"But you had a hand in making that virus."

"Am I going to hear a speech about how wrong I am? Because that sounds awfully cliché, and I don't exactly have the time to listen." Erna could only glare back at him.

"Why are you here then?" She eventually asks. For some reason, he didn't respond. Only a thoughtful look is on his face. Her eyes shoots wide as he's suddenly kneeling right beside her.

"Wha—!" He cuts her off, "I have a bit of a theory or hypothesis. Something that Dr. Melladen and I have a huge disagreement with, and I'm thinking that you could help end this little debate."

"What makes you think I'll help you!?"

He chuckles at that, "Oh, no, you've misunderstood. You're part of the experiment to prove which one of our theories is correct."

"Ack!" A stinging pain came over her neck and immediately feels the sensation of a needle being pulled out. Frantically, she palms over her neck where the needle pricked her.

"What did you do!?" 

"You'll find out, Dr. Riese." That was his only reply before he starts getting up to leave, not bothering to give her a single glance back.

"Wai—! Ah!" Pain starts flaring from her neck and immediately spreads out.

Erna can only feel herself scream as white hot pain burns throughout her body.