Surviving The Undead

You don't need to be told that the world is coming to an end. The news had already been filled with reports of a strange virus which was turning people into violent, zombie-like monsters. It started slowly—in one city, then another. In just a few days,the virus had spread like wildfire. The government had collapsed. People are left panicking. Shops were looted, roads were blocked, and trust between people was broken apart. Society was falling apart on its own, and no one knew what tomorrow would bring. Rushing home through the empty streets, my heart was pounding against my chest. I didn’t care about the sirens or the screaming which was buzzing in my ears. I only cared about one thing—my wife, Dilan. She needed to be safe before I rushed to save my parents. Reaching home, I saw the front door unlocked. That was strange to me. Dilan always locked the door, even when I stepped out for just a moment. I pushed the door open and rushed in with my eyes wild. What I saw stopped me cold, and left my feet frozen. Dilan was in the arms of my best friend, Baran. They were laughing… and kissing. Like nothing outside mattered. Like the world wasn’t ending. Like I didn’t exist. My world shattered. “D…Dilan, what’s going on?” My voice shook with pain and rage. They froze. Dilan's eyes went wide with fear as she jumped away from Baran. He looked shocked too, but not guilty—more annoyed than anything. “Ozil,” she stuttered. “I... I can explain. It's a misunderstanding. It's not what you think—” she stammered. She was about to say something when we heard a loud crash which echoed from the living room. It was the sound of breaking glass then followed by heavy footsteps. And then I saw it. A zombie. It had broken into the house. Its skin was grey and torn. One eye hung loose from its socket. It made a low, growling sound as it fixed its hungry eyes on me. “Oh my God!” Dilan screamed. But instead of running to help me… they pushed me towards the creature. “I'm sorry, Ozil! This is the only way!” Dilan cried. Baran yanked her arm. “Come on!” They ran toward the back door, leaving me behind. I was yet to believe it. After everything we’d been through—she betrayed me. With my best friend. And now she was willing to let me die? “Dilan, how could you?” I shouted. My voice cracked. “How could you do this to me? I gave you everything!” But there was no time for answers. The zombie lunged towards me. The zombie roared and jumped towards me. Panicked, I grabbed the closest thing which was next to me—a vase—and swung it at its head with a terrible hand. The vase shattered on impact. Pieces flew everywhere. The zombie stumbled, then came again. I crawled backward until I reached the kitchen. My hand found a knife. As the creature jumped at me again, I drove the knife into its chest. It didn’t stop. I stabbed again, this time in the head. With a final growl, the zombie collapsed, twitching. I lay there, breathing heavily. That’s when I saw it. Blood. On my arm. A scratch. My heart sank. The zombie had scratched me. Almost immediately, a burning sensation spread through my arm. It felt like fire was under my skin. My fingers trembled the more. My chest tightened harder. I knew what that meant. I was infected. “No… no, no, no…” I grabbed the towel nearby and wrapped it around my arm, trying to scream out louder. Grabbing them to stop the bleeding. But deep down, I knew it wouldn’t help, it couldn't stop the blood. The virus was already in me. And yet… something strange happened. My body began to glow. A soft blue light wrapped around me like smoke. It didn’t hurt. In fact, it felt warm. I sat up, confused, and suddenly—a space appeared around me. A floating cube, about 3 cubic meters, shimmered with energy. I stared at it, eyes wide. I could feel it. Like it was part of me. I reached out, and somehow, I knew—I could store things in it. I picked up a broken piece of the vase and focused. It disappeared into space. I could store things with my mind. Before I could explore it further, dizziness hit me hard. The infection was spreading. My skin burned. My head pounded. Then came something even stranger. Blades. Small glowing blades appeared around my hands, like energy daggers. I swiped one through the air—it sliced clean through the wooden chair beside me. I gasped. “What is happening to me?” The blades vanished, leaving my hands empty but tingling with power. I was infected, yes… but something was changing inside me. This wasn’t normal. Was I turning into a zombie… or something more? I didn’t have an answer. I staggered to my feet. I had to get out of here. I had to find answers. Maybe somewhere, someone knew what was going on. I stepped outside. The street was quiet. Smoke rose in the distance. A car burned at the corner. A distant scream echoed through the night. Then I heard a voice. “Ozil…” I turned quickly. It was Baran. But something was wrong. His eyes glowed red. His skin was pale, too pale. Veins pulsed under his face like black wires. And when he smiled… I saw sharp teeth. He was infected too. But he wasn’t like the zombie I had fought. He looked… aware. Alive. And strong. “Dilan told me everything,” he said, grinning. “She said you always held her back. You were too soft. Too weak. But now… you’re finally becoming something useful.” I clenched my fists. “Where is she?” He shrugged. “She ran. But don’t worry… you’ll see her again. If you survive.” My heart thudded. “What do you mean by that?” Baran stepped closer, those his red eyes were glowing brighter now than before. “You’re not turning into a zombie, Ozil. You’re evolving.” He tilted his head and spoke up. “Just like me.” Before I could even react, he had lunged at me—faster than any human should move. His fist came at my face like a straight bullet. I barely dodged it. The blades reappeared in my hands this time, it was glowing brighter than before. This was it. I wasn’t just infected. I was changing. And so was the world.