I quickly ran down the stairs, jumping down three steps at a time.

From the rapid footsteps behind me, it seemed like Neil and Laura were as well.

"What the hell was that?!" Laura's voice called out, furious.

"Don't think about it and just run!" I shouted back and kept running.

That unintelligible roar echoed from up above before something slammed through the doorway. A chunk of the metal elevator door.

Neil glanced back and said, "Holy hell! What'd we do to piss off a monster like that?!"

I wanted to know too. But there wasn't time to think about it.

The second floor. First floor. Landing at the bottom of the stairs, I opened the door to the first floor-

"GRAGH!"

-And was promptly faced with a charging zombie.

My eyes widened and I stepped back, ducking beneath the stairway.

The zombie slammed into the wall, gouging a chunk out of the concrete.

"Alan!" Neil shouted and then jumped, swinging his bat down. "Hah!"

The zombie vanished in a *splat*, turned into a smear on the ground. But we didn't have the luxury to wait around.

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!"

The Dreadnought jumped onto the stairs, causing chunks of the stone steps to shudder.

"Whoa!" Laura staggered, barely clinging onto the rail.

I glanced up at the Dreadnought, now that it was in full view.

Like that one game where the zombie apocalypse happened with the special zombies. A 'Tank.' That was the best way to describe what the Dreadnought was. Only, instead of masses of gray muscles, it was an ominous dark hue, like obsidian, with crimson veins.

A monster from the night instead of a real zombie.

Thankfully, it seemed to have troubles maneuvering around corners.

Then-

"Alan! Watch out!"

Neil's voice.

I flinched and instinctively jumped forward. When I did, Neil grabbed me and tossed me into the open doorway.

Before I could even start to wonder why he did that, a giant crimson laser beam shot through where I had just been standing.

I landed on the floor, rolling as my body bounced off of it. At the same time, my bag burst open, sending my flashlight, knives and other items clattering against the ground.

"GRAGH!"

An ominous chorus of zombies.

In the corner of my eyes, I could see a bunch of them charge forward, like a swarm of locusts.

I grit my teeth and then rolled into a room nearby. At the same time, I shouted. "Neil!"

"Got it! Laura, behind me!"

"Don't have to tell me twice!"

The siblings rushed into the hallway, Neil taking the lead. Winding up his bat, he swung it at the horde of zombies, crushing half of them and sending the other half staggering back.

"Hah!"

Laura charged as well and then whipped the shower rod I handed her earlier like a javelin.

Was it because she enhanced it? Because she reinforced her body? Or both?

The silver rod flashed through the night and then ripped through the crowd of zombies, cleaving it in half and opening a path.

It was great. It seemed like the right choice to get those two to do their awakening as well. But...

What was the Dreadnought doing?

For some reason, things were going too easy...

Neil ran in and grabbed my hand. "What are you doing, Alan? There's no time to be lying around." With that, he pulled me back to my feet.

Laura picked up one of my dropped knives and then waved from the doorway. "Come on! The exit's just right there!"

Right.

The main entrance was only a few rooms down. If we hurried, this would be over just like that.

I glanced in the corner of my vision at the timer.

A little under twenty minutes. Plenty of time.

But...

What was this feeling that I had?

I didn't know, but I shook it off. "Right. Let's go."

I ran out of the room, followed by Neil.

I picked up one of the knives as well as the flashlight and clicked it on, lighting the way.

Zombies were milling around up ahead, but they were stunned, rattling from Neil's attack as well as Laura's.

There wasn't a need to worry.

Escape. That was the only thing we had to do.

Since that was the case, we just had to advance.

*ba-dump*

A faint heartbeat. No, my heartbeat increasing.

Was it because the objective was so close? Or was it because I was tired of having to run away from those guys?

A zombie spun towards me, opening its mouth to roar.

I stepped forward and slashed with my knife, splitting its head in half.

It quickly fell to the ground, but as it did, I kicked it towards the next zombie in front of me, knocking it over.

"GRAGH!"

A strange headache. Again, information pounding into my head.

Step left there. Stab right there.

As if being propelled forward by someone else- No, something else. My body was being moved for me and I was just along for the ride.

"I knew it!" Neil called out from behind in an excited voice.

"Shut up and fight, Neil! We're almost there!" Laura scolded her brother and then dashed ahead, quickly catching up with me. "And I expect a full explanation! You promised!"

"I know." I nodded and said, "I'll tell everything I know."

"Good."

A comfortable silence.

Was it because she didn't want to get outshined by me? Spinning the knife around in her hand, she sped up, cutting down the zombies up ahead- No, just slashing at their limbs. Not wasting the time to kill them, but just to get them out of the way.

Neil hurried up from behind and said, "Don't do anything stupid, Laura! Don't get too far ahead!"

"I know, I know!" Laura glanced back with a cheeky smile. "But they're just normal zombies. What's the worst that could-"

"Don't!" Neil quickly spoke up. "Bad Sis! Tempting fate's no good!"

Laura came to a stop at the front door and stuck out her tongue.

"Wait!" Neil called out to her, running past me, panic on his face. "Laura! Horror movies!"

"Huh?" She tilted her head.

Neil shook his head and ran faster, smashing the zombies in front of him. "The moment the blonde girl is alone, she dies!"

Laura scoffed. "You need to get a life, Neil. Anyway, I'm going out first." Saying that, she pushed opened the door.

*ba-dump*

My heart throbbed. At the same time, I got a headache. Deja vu.

"WAIT!" I called out, trying to stop her. But before I could-

"Huh?"

A soft exclamation of surprise. Then-

"LAURA!"

-Neil screamed.

And Laura's body slumped to the floor, blood pooling beneath her.