MAD MEET MAYHEM

steel gate

Dmitry’s steps were heavy—not just from exhaustion, but because every meter he advanced was a gamble with death itself. The road leading south appeared empty, marked only by the silhouettes of partially scorched buildings and the lingering stench of decay carried by the wind.

The first facility he’d targeted—the underground metro station—had turned into a nightmare. Twisted steel, shattered concrete, and dried pools of blackened blood made it clear that the Biters had ravaged it completely. Left with no other option, Dmitry pressed onward.

Now, in the distance, he spotted a towering steel wall—a military facility. From the outside, it seemed secure; the path he’d taken was eerily still, devoid of any signs of life. But that illusion of calm shattered the moment he reached the front gate.

Dozens of Biter corpses lay scattered across the ground, their bodies torn apart—some still twitching with ravenous hunger. Dmitry froze. One wrong move, and they’d swarm him.

One Biter, nearly split in half, dragged itself toward him. Dmitry slowly stepped back—but suddenly, their guttural snarls intensified. As if catching the scent of fresh blood, they began closing in.

“Get down!” A sharp voice cut through the air, followed by the c***k of gunfire. Bullets ripped through the Biters’ skulls, sending them collapsing lifelessly to the ground.

Dmitry turned. A soldier in mud-stained combat gear stood atop a watchtower, rifle still smoking. His gaze was sharp, scrutinizing Dmitry from head to toe.

“That was close,” the soldier said coolly.

“You’re not one of them… are you?”

Dmitry only nodded slowly, catching his breath.

“Alright. Follow me,” the soldier commanded, descending from the tower. He led Dmitry through a massive reinforced gate into the military compound.

Inside, other soldiers eyed him with suspicion. Dmitry was guided into an examination room under harsh fluorescent lights. Basic medical equipment covered a steel table.

“Sit,” ordered a medic. He checked Dmitry’s eyes, pulse, and pricked his finger to draw a blood sample. Five tense minutes later, the results came in.

“Negative. He’s clean.”

The soldier who’d rescued him nodded and motioned for Dmitry to follow again. As they walked down a cold concrete corridor, the soldier broke the silence.

“How did you survive more than a week since the Biters emerged?”

Dmitry frowned. “Huh? It’s only been three days since those things showed up.”

The soldier stopped walking and stared at him in disbelief. “Hey, have you been living under a rock? The Biters have been out there for over ten days! Where have you been?”

Dmitry shrugged. “Are you crazy, or am I? It’s clearly been three days!”

The soldier scratched his head. “Three days? You sure?”

“Yes, I even remember what I was doing right before all this… it feels like yesterday.”

The soldier snorted. “Okay… now I’m getting a headache. If you say it’s three days, fine. But the world outside tells a very different story.”

The conversation grew increasingly absurd from the soldier’s perspective. Dmitry stood firm in his version of events, while the soldier wondered if he was talking to someone who’d completely lost touch with reality.

Finally, the soldier sighed deeply. “Alright, we’ll talk more later. What matters now is you’re safe here… at least for the time being.”

Dmitry stared ahead silently. Behind the promise of safety, he felt a lingering unease—as though something far larger was waiting for him beyond these walls