Chapter 3: No joke
Zed awoke with a start in a hospital room.
Honestly, the feeling of that dream was actually good after all, he has forgotten when was the last time he dreamed like this.
Human lived in a world like that do not have a good reason for dream, unless they want to die right ahead.
Now, the smell of disinfectant filled the air, while the cold, relentless light cast an eerie glow on everything.
A tray of lunch sat on the bedside table, covered in plastic: chicken, two cup of tea, two carton of orange juice, and a bowl of gravy.
The rhythmic beeping of the heart rate monitor served as a constant reminder of his fragile state.
"You're awake," a soft female voice said.
Clutching a book in her hands, she wore a floral dress. Her golden hair framed her beautiful face, and her slender fingers grasped the book's spine.
"Lucy…"
Zed choked out her name, his voice thick with pain,"I missed you…"
"You missed me?"
Lucy teased, showing him her phone screen.
"You were only out for two hours, you know."
She tried to make light of the situation, but Zed could hear the cautious undertone in her voice.
They hadn't experienced anything significant together, nothing terrible or extraordinary.
Yet...
Secretly, Zed wished it could stay like that forever.
He hastily sat up, dislodging the heart rate sensor from his chest.
"Hey! Take it easy!"
Lucy joked, "If you pass out again, I might get a little extra break. Well...doubt the manager will pay me overtime."
"Wait? That f...the manager sent you here?"
Zed asked, switching on the small television screen on the wall and pressing the call button.
"Yeah." Lucy sighed, nodding.
"Tell me, Lucy," Zed inquired. "How much time we have until Saturday?"
The girl looks confused.
"Saturday? Three hours, why?"
Zed's eyes were fixed on the NEWS report about mass animal deaths at the local zoo. His grip on the edge of the bed tightened involuntarily.
"We need to leave now." His voice was firm, unwavering.
He pull out the needles from his arm, some blood dripping from the tube, and Zed unconsciously licked his lips.
"Hey! Be careful!" Lucy cautioned.
"The doctor said you're just anemic, probably from an iron deficiency. It'll take twenty minutes to get another bag of blood——"
"Lucy, listen to me!"
Zed didn't bother with explanations. He climbed out of bed, gathered his belongings, and said, "Something terrible is about to happen. Think of it as a...kind of war. I need you to get some cans, instant noodles and water...then use the company car! deliver them to my place. I remember you can drive, right?"
"I can... but——"
"Trust me!"
Zed's eyes burned with determination as he muttered:
"We'll make it in time. We have to make it this time."
These creatures only knew killing, parasitizing and got an arm or leg from other beings when needed.
The last time, Lucy had died on the first night of the catastrophe, torn apart by monsters right in front of his eyes. Turned into one of them.
It would be different this time.
Zed checked the message on his phone: "Your order has been delivered." What he need now is try not overthinking and figure out a good beginning for Lucy and him.
"About vampire..."
Zed desperately longed to unleash the power he had experienced in his dreams. He imagined that if he possessed such incredible strength, surviving would no longer be a problem. Yet, the harsh reality was that he was only struggle with anemia.
"Do all vampires suffer from anemia?"
Zed thought. He was familiar with the tale surrounding vampires - these night creatures feared sunlight, lived eternally, and possessed an insatiable hunger that could never be satisfied. While Zed thinking, he could almost hear the gnawing emptiness that echoed within him.
"Better also grab some garlic, please!"
Zed muttered, determined to eliminate any factors that could potentially driven the situation out of control.
"OK. Zed sir, if you don't mind, you could tell me what do you want for dinner."
Lucy held her phone, grinned and asked in casual.
Zed took it seriously.
He thought for an entire minute, then gave a smile with an unexpected answer.
"Uh...how about nun?"
"Nun?'
"Yeah, nun."
At that moment, a nurse pulled back the curtain and entered the room.
"Everthing is ok? Are you in pain?" As the nurse asked, she saw the needle and sensor on the floor, she checked Zed's name tag, then asked again:
"Sir, are you sure everthings is fine, you don't need a CT scan for your head? Our doctor is a pro with——"
"No need!"
Zed handed the blood bag to the shocked nurse, put on his coat.
Once he left the room, he murmuring to himself, "Run, run while you still can…"
For some reason, Zed had a feeling of disgust just want to leave the hospital as soon as possible.
When he leave, nurse looks confused while she cleaned a table of fresh food.
...
On the outskirts of Luzmell, in a dimly lit interrogation room, a man's wild voice echoed through the speakers.
"Yippie ki-yayyyyy!"
Startled by the sudden outburst, a young soldier put down his coffee mug and zoomed in on the surveillance feed.
"Zoom in," the officer beside him ordered in cold voice.
"Yes, Mundo, sir," the young man replied.
The screen displayed a massive image of a humanoid silhouette moving frantically about the room, performing push-ups and sit-ups in a chaotic manner. It was reminiscent of a long-time prisoner, sharing his fitness tips.
"Why is he like this? Is he supposed to live as a shadow?"
Mundo remained looking thoughtfully at the screen for a minute.
"I don't know, sir, It's probably his own ability...or," the young man chuckled, "I guess we haven't unlocked this character yet…"
He reached for his coffee mug at same time.
Suddenly, Mundo's face visibly changed, was less affable.
He firmly gripped the young man's wrist.
"NO JOKES, especially during a mission."
The soldier's arm reddened, and the coffee mug dropped onto the table, spilling its contents over the equipment.
"I-I...understand it now...sir," the young man groaned in pain.
After a minute, Mundo released his grip and asked:
"How many Awaken we had today?"
Learning from previous, the young soldier dutifully brought up the records: "There were twelve Awakened in city today, sir. Ten have been contained, and two are still at large."
Ten grayscale images and two colored ones popped up on the large screen. The fugitives, a girl and a boy, seemed like polar opposites; she had golden hair and appeared frail and helpless, while he had a determined gaze and a hint of handsomeness.
"Take the boy first!"
Mundo ordered before turning to leave. As he approached the door, he added, "Check on the eggs room later."
"But, sir—"
"This is an order, not a joke," Mundo cut him off.
As his footsteps faded away, the young man shook his own head, downed the remaining coffee, and grimaced at the newfound bitterness.
He walked towards a massive steel door, larger than a bank vault, and entered a code.
The sophisticated machinery whirred to life, and the metallic clanking of the door's mechanisms sounded like the footsteps of Death approaching.
"It's okay, there's only a 1% chance that something will hatch," he reassured himself, grabbing a nearby shotgun. He inspected the chamber, magazine, and barrel, ensuring the weapon was ready for use.
As the door opened, he swallowed hard, aiming at the entrance.
"Please, God."
"Please, God."
"Please... OM fking G—"
He realized something was wrong when he heard a faint rustling sound from behind the door. But when he saw the scene in front of him, he was dumbstruck and even forgot to use the weapon.
Not that it would have mattered.
The entire room was filled with hatched eggs.
In detail, the entire room was a chilling sight, filled to the brim with hatched eggs.
The floor and walls were swarmed with bizarre insects of various shapes and sizes, their exoskeletons glistening under the dim light. They crawled over one another in a macabre dance, their spindly legs clicking and clacking as they moved.
In some corners, the insects engaged in grotesque acts of mating, their bodies entwined in unnatural positions, while in others, they fought viciously, tearing limbs from each other's wriggling bodies. The air was filled with a cacophony of screeches and hisses, creating an unsettling soundtrack to this waking nightmare.
The room was a hellish panorama of writhing creatures, each more terrifying than the last. The sight was enough to make one's skin crawl and send shivers down the spine, as if icy fingers were brushing against the soul shitting on itself.
As the door creaked open, the creatures momentarily ceased their gruesome activities, turning their attention towards the young man who had dared to intrude upon their unholy sanctuary. Countless beady eyes, glistening with malevolence, locked onto him, sizing him up as potential prey.
And then, in a unified, horrifying movement, the creatures surged forward.
Like a torrential river of nightmares, they rushed towards the young man, an unstoppable wave of terror intent on consuming him whole. The air filled with the sound of their chittering and scuttling as they closed in, threatening to drown him in a sea of horror.
"Shit."
As panic surged through his veins, he pivoted on his heels, desperate to flee from the impending doom that loomed over him like a ravenous predator.
A fleeting thought crossed his mind – perhaps remaining and succumbing to a swift, brutal end would be a more merciful release.
The sound of his own heartbeat roared in his ears, drowning out the whispers of doubt and fear that threatened to consume him.
"No."
He steadied his grip on the gun, the cold metal a stark reminder of the reality.
*Bang*
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone