MIRAI

Chapter 5. The Healing Zombie

"She is a zombie that heals, she even heals herself." Lui answered.

"Heal as in heal? That's a good news then! She can heal everyone." Kirk jumped out of the bed excitedly. "How can she heal people back?"

"She only heals the zombies that bit her."

Tafu NX. A teammate that's crafty. She fixes cos-play clothes and wigs for commissions. She usually can bring junks back to life that can be used as cos-play props again. When she turned, she became someone who can bring back a zombie that bit her. The cons are: the parts that were bitten from her will remain bitten; those zombies who's flesh are badly damaged can never be heal, they'll die immediately; and she could die if she healed too many.

Lui explained what kind of evolved Tafu was, while still looking at the window.

"I can't imagine Tafu to be that powerful" Kirk happily said. "I know the group will be happy to let Tafu stay if they know what kind of evolved zombie Tafu was!"

"I'm not too sure about that." Lui responded.

"What? Why?" Kirk was about to go near Lui, when Lui closed the curtains and glanced at Kirk.

"Let's just... rest for now."

* * *

"I don't believe you!" Cier shouted, while Nowa and Chione were trying to calm her.

She was shouting in front of the crying Tsuki, while Ren was comforting her.

That was the scene Lui and Kirk witnessed when they went out their room the next day to have a discussion with the group.

"What's the fuss about?" Kirk asked Von and Hana watching on the sideline.

"Tsuki said Tafu turned and almost bit her" Hana responded.

"What?!" Kirk was at lost for a moment, then he turned to Lui. Lui looked back at him. He stared for a moment too long, as if his eyes was telling a different story than what they were hearing. Does he know this will happen? - Kirk asked to himself.

"They said Tafu ran off herself after that." Hana continued.

"That's impossible." Kirk mumbled.

Kirk was about to tell what he knew about Tafu when Lui stopped him.

"Right, I saw Tafu. She run off yesterday night" He said.

"You saw?" Tsuki asked stuttering.

Indeed, Lui saw Tafu running off but it was because Tsuki chased her out; But he wasn't gonna tell anyone because the least thing he want was another dispute to come. He knew if he tell everyone, Cier would be the most affected, she might attack Tsuki all of a sudden.

"So it's true then?" Chione said as if disappointed that another one of their own turned.

"I, I can't believe it" Cier dropped herself to the floor.

Kirk looked at Lui wanting to know what he's thinking, why he said that and why did he not tell everyone about Tafu being a healing zombie?

"Bring Cier upstairs, she needed a mental cool down. Let her rest." Mei said as she walked down the stairs with Beru, Ain and Yunsa following her.

Everyone looked at them.

"The rest of you, we have a serious subject to discuss."

"Tafu just turned and you want me to move on easily?" Cier rebutted.

"Hikaru..." Nowa holding Cier as if to calm her down.

"She already turned, and us... we need to live!" Ren answered her.

"Tiana turned and we moved on. We didn't even had time to process that Tiana's gone. We moved on, but did anyone asked how Chione felt? She's having a mental breakdown every now and then but did anyone noticed?!" Cier snapped. "Now we also lost Tafu, and you want me to rest and act like nothing happened? Is there a more serious subject that needs discussion than this?!"

"Yes." Mei answered.

"What?" Cier blurted. "I didn't know you could be this heartless" Cier responded.

"Someone took all of our food supplies." Mei continued, regardless of what Cier said.

Everyone murmured.

"I know Tafu mattered. She still does. But it's already done, she's gone. And we both know hunger and thirst can kill too, maybe not today, but soon. What if Nowa's next, not because of a bite, but because she's starving? Or Chione? Or all of them? That's why we have to act now, before it's too late."

After the words fell, a heavy silence took over. No one spoke. Everyone just stared, the fear and reality sinking in. The room felt colder, and time seemed to slow as they all waited, unsure of what to say next.

"So what's the plan?" Arth broke the silence.

"Th-there's a convenience store around here. We can go and..." Kirk said but got interrupted by Lui. "You're staying."

"What? But I..."

"Lui's right, you know the future, we need you to survive so you have to stay safe here." Tsuki agreed.

"That's more the reason I need to join you guys, I can tell where that store is and if there is a shortcut, I would know." Kirk responded.

Lui shoot him a 'we-both-know-that-is-a-lie' look, and said "You're still staying. We need you here."

Lui knew that Mei would totally volunteer too, and it would be easier for him to babysit only one person than two. Since he could talk sense to Kirk, he preferred to have Kirk stay instead.

"Can we perhaps find a pharmacy as well? I saw Yunsa struggling with her inhaler last night." Chione added.

"I found a pharmacy near the village last time, maybe we could go there!" Arth responded. "Was that along the way, Kirk?"

"Uh..." Kirk stuttered and looked at Lui. Lui silently shook his head when he noticed.

"N-nope. That would be on the opposite direction." Kirk answered, stammering.

"Then, let's just form a group." Arth replied.

"No guys, I'm okay. Let's focus on the food instead." Yunsa butted in as if it is her conscience when someone got hurt while getting an inhaler for her.

"We will be needing medicines anyway." Mei tapped Yunsa's shoulder. "I agree with Arth, let's form a group."

The plan was already made, two groups, two targets. The convenience store to the east. The pharmacy to the west. Both risky. Both necessary.

"We have no weapons meaning we must not fight, just grab whatever and go." Beru warned everybody.

A few nodded, others hesitated. No one liked the idea of walking into danger with nothing but empty hands.

"Group One takes the store. Prioritize food, clean water, batteries if there are any." Beru looked at the map Kirk, Lui and Arth draw with two spots circled.

"Group Two hits the pharmacy. Medicine, bandages, whatever's left." She continued

"Who will be the group one and two?" Ain nervously asked, hoping she's not one of them.

"Who wanted to volunteer?" Beru looked at everyone.

"I'll go!" Mei made her decision already. She'll go no matter what.

"I'll go with Mei, we'll take the convenience store." Lui added.

"Then I should too." Beru said but Lui responded. "I think you should stay here. We will need someone who could lead the group if no one makes it back"

"Hey! That's scary!" Hana yelled.

No one answered after that. The silence said enough.

"Then I'll go with Mei and Lui too." Cier volunteered.

"Hey, aren't you unstable enough to join?" Nowa whispered.

"I need to bring my mind back to the present, and this is what I think would be the solution" Cier answered softly.

"Then I volunteer too!" Nowa said clinging to Cier.

"You can use another man to bring some goods, I'll go too" Von said.

And with that, the group one was formed --- Mei, Lui, Von, Cier, and Nowa.

"I'll go to the pharmacy!" Yunsa volunteered.

"No, you have an asthma, you could ran out of breath even before you reach the pharmacy." Chione remarked. "I know what your inhaler looks like, I'll go and get a bunch for you."

"Then I'll go too." said Arth.

"What?" Saishuu shouted in a whisper.

"I know where the pharmacy was. They need my help." Arth muttered.

"If you go, then I will too." Saishuu firmly answered regardless of what Arth has to say more.

"I will go too. I could look for some detox pill to avoid bloated tummy." Tsuki said.

"Me too, no reason, I just wanted to." Ren volunteered.

And the group two was formed --- Chione, Arth, Saishuu, Ren, and Tsuki.

"Okay, we meet back here. No noise. No panic. We move fast, and we don't stop unless we have to." Lui said to the group.

Tension hung heavy, but the decision was made. Now all that was left was to move.

The groups prepared themselves, bringing knives and pipes to protect themselves in case needed. They prepared bagpacks to store their loots. They were conditioning themselves to whatever thing they might face on the run. Until it's time to go.

The two groups slipped quietly away from the villa where they were staying, hearts pounding in their chests.

One team moved east, weaving through broken sidewalks and shattered windows toward the convenience store. Their footsteps were light, eyes darting for any sign of movement.

The other group headed west, creeping between abandoned cars and overgrown alleyways toward the pharmacy. Every creak and distant sound made them freeze, breath caught in their throats.

Neither group spoke. No words, just quick glances and silent signals. They knew they had minutes, maybe less, before danger could find them.

The city was still, but beneath that silence lay a restless threat. They had to be faster, smarter, if they wanted to make it back.

* * *

Those who stayed in the villa decided to at least clean the house to relieve their restlessness.

"Kirk, you seem fidgety, what's the matter?" Hana noticed. She knew everyone was uneasy but Kirk been more obvious.

"Can you not tell anyone what I'm about to say?" Kirk said as he sat on the sofa, thinking hard if he should mention it or not.

"What is it?" Hana sat beside him.

"Tafu..."

Hana looked at him searching for clues with what did he meant with "Tafu".

"I didn't know why she'd run away" Kirk mumbled.

Hana stayed silent, eagerly listening to what Kirk had to say.

"She can heal someone who bit her. She's a healing zombie"

"What?"

"Guys, come here, I have an idea." Beru said from the second floor while peeking on the window.

Hana was left with a lot of question, but she followed Kirk along with Beru's statements.

They peeked at the window where Beru was looking and there, they saw a manhole.

"If things went south, we can use that manhole to escape" Beru said.

"But how are we going to go to that manhole?" Yunsa asked.

"We'll create a slide from the roof." Beru suggested. "I thought about it when Tia turned, but thinking about it now, we can still use that idea now."

"I saw ropes, plastic sheets, tarps and panels that we can use to make it work. Do you trust me?" Beru added, waiting for their reaction.

They didn't need to answer, the silence said enough. They had always trusted her.

Through every close call, every impossible decision, she'd been the one to lead, to choose, to carry the weight when no one else could. And they followed, not because she forced them, but because she never gave them a reason to doubt. Even before everything happened, they followed her, what more now that they needed another brain to survive.

And so they didn't waste time. Everyone had a job.

Hana and Beru scouted the rooftop for anything usable, pipes, tarps, broken panels. Yunsa and Ain started tying ropes into knots strong enough to hold weight. Kirk found an old rain gutter and began hammering it flat.

It wasn't much, but together, it started to take shape, a sloped passage from the edge of the roof down to the street below near the manhole. A makeshift slide. Not perfect, not pretty, but it would work.

They braced it against a low balcony, reinforced it with duct tape and scavenged boards. Someone tested it with a backpack full of bricks. It made it down in one piece.

They exchanged tired glances. No one said it out loud, but they were thinking the same thing: they pulled it off, together.

* * *

Group two was on their way to the pharmacy.

The street felt like a graveyard, quiet, but not empty. Every step was careful and measured, their eyes scanning every window, every shadow.

A bent street sign creaked in the wind, and all of them froze, breath caught in their throats. No one spoke. Even the sound of their footsteps seemed too loud and too risky.

Somewhere in the distance, something shifted, maybe an animal, maybe not. Tension rippled through the group. Hands gripped straps tighter, eyes wide, hearts pounding.

Still, they pushed on. The pharmacy was close. They could almost see the faded red cross on the crumbling building just ahead. Whatever waited inside, whatever risk, they had to take it.

* * *

"Kirk..." Hana went to Kirk again to satisfy her curiosity about what he told her earlier. "What do you mean Tafu is a healing zombie?"

* * *

The group two crouched low as they reached the corner of the building, backs pressed against the cool, cracked concrete.

Arth peeked around the edge. She saw the windows shattered and the front door hanging open, like someone had forced their way in long ago.

* * *

"If an undead bit her, they'll turn back to normal" Kirk answered.

"Then..." Hana paused.

* * *

Arth gave a silent signal, two fingers forward, go.

One by one, they slipped inside.

The air was stale, thick with dust and the faint chemical sting of spilled medicine. Shelves were overturned, bottles scattered across the floor. Whatever order the place once had was long gone.

Still, they moved with purpose. Arth covered the entrance. The rest spread out, eyes scanning for what little remained: painkillers, antibiotics, bandages, anything usable.

A bottle clattered to the floor.

Everyone froze.

Then came a sound from the back room, a faint scrape.

They weren't alone.

* * *

"Ram bit Tafu before fleeing..." Kirk added. "I was thinking, maybe he's alive now, somewhere."

* * *

"Everyone..."

"Ram?!"