Kael Voss and Scout Finch submerged themselves into the water, their eyes barely visible above the surface as they quietly paddled toward the dark entrance of the tunnel. When they neared, their hearts lifted — it was indeed the entrance to the staff passage.
With hope igniting within them, the two immediately swam inside, turning a sharp corner. But as they emerged into the next section, their joy turned to ice.
The narrow tunnel, less than three meters wide, was filled with zombies, floating in dense clusters that completely blocked their path.
Before they could react, a loud splash echoed from behind them. The sound was unmistakable — either crocodiles or sharks were following them into the passage.
That moment confirmed it — as the saying goes, "between the devil and the deep blue sea," they were truly doomed.
The sound of splashing grew louder, and Kael quickly glanced over his shoulder. Two crocodiles had followed them into the staff passage, heading straight toward him and Scout.
He immediately pressed Scout's head down, and both of them dove underwater, hoping to evade the two predators.
The water was pitch black. The flashlight illuminated barely two meters ahead. As they submerged, Kael saw a dark shape rapidly approaching. It was another crocodile, quickly joining the chase underwater.
The crocodile's eyes gleamed with malice as it opened its massive jaws and lunged toward Kael, clearly intent on a meal.
"Damn it!"
In the face of imminent danger, Kael had no time to think. He raised his crossbow, released the safety, and fired a steel ball directly into the crocodile's open mouth.
Though the power of the shot was diminished underwater, it still caused the beast immense pain. The crocodile thrashed its tail, breaking the surface with a splash.
But before Kael could breathe a sigh of relief, the second crocodile dove into the water. Kael cursed under his breath — these two vicious creatures were even worse than zombies!
Seeing the second crocodile closing in, Kael's mind was made up. He was about to draw his bow again and send the last steel ball to the second predator when he felt his clothes tugged from behind.
Turning around, Kael saw Scout pointing excitedly at something nearby. Her face lit up with joy.
Following her gaze, Kael's heart leapt in his chest. There, on the left wall, was a metal security door — wide open.
Without wasting another second, Kael and Scout pushed their way toward the door, swimming with all their might. As they reached the threshold, they quickly turned around, attempting to slam the door shut to keep the crocodiles out.
But the crocodile, now desperate, surged forward, its tail swishing with power. Despite their best efforts, the reptile was swift in the water, and in no time, it reached the door.
Kael and Scout combined their strength to hold the door in place, but their footing was unstable in the water. The crocodile was relentless — it shoved its massive head through the crack between the door and the frame.
If the crocodile managed to get inside, both of them would be finished. In a split-second decision, Kael released his grip on the crossbow and punched the crocodile in the right eye.
As with most animals, the eyes were its most vulnerable spot. The crocodile recoiled in pain, and instinctively, it pulled back.
Quickly, Kael and Scout pushed with all their might, and with a satisfying click, the door slammed shut and locked.
Now that the immediate threat was dealt with, Kael and Scout surfaced, gasping for air. Kael glanced around, his flashlight illuminating a large room. The water was calm, and no zombies were visible.
"Whew..." Kael muttered, wiping his face. "Looks like we're safe... for now."
Scout, still catching her breath, looked at him. "Kael, what do we do now? Should we just stay here? How do we get out?"
Kael scanned the room. There were no visible exits. After a moment of thought, he replied, "We'll stay here for now. Those two crocodiles won't stick around forever. They'll swim off eventually, and then we can leave."
"But... but there are still a lot of zombies outside..." Scout hesitated, recalling the horrifying scene they had witnessed earlier.
Kael shook his head. "Don't worry. Zombies can't swim like crocodiles. We'll dive under the water and avoid them. That should give us a chance."
The two of them exchanged a few more words before realizing that the water in the room was at least three meters deep. They were treading water, but the walls were smooth and offered no support. The longer they stayed like this, the more exhausted they would become.
Kael took a deep breath and dove back down, reaching for his crossbow, which had fallen to the bottom. As he sank, he spotted another door on the opposite side of the room.
Breaking the surface, Kael called out to Scout, "Scout, there's another door over there. Let's swim over and check it out. It might be better than staying here."
They submerged again, swimming toward the new door. As they surfaced in the next room, they found themselves in a much larger space. The water was filled with debris — tables, chairs, and various other objects floating about.
They climbed onto a large table, checking the surface for any zombies. After a brief moment of rest, Kael noticed that Scout's expression had shifted. Her fear seemed to have subsided, replaced by determination.
Kael couldn't help but admire her strength. After everything they had just endured, most people would have been traumatized. But here she was, holding it together.
He gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Scout. There's always a way out. We won't die here."
Scout looked at him, a flicker of hope in her eyes. "Kael, I'm not scared anymore. I was afraid earlier, but now... I've come to terms with it. Death is inevitable, right? We're all going to die one day."
Kael chuckled softly. He hadn't expected such a mature comment from her. He casually replied, "Scout, I didn't know you were so philosophical. By the way, you're a pretty good swimmer."
Scout puffed out her chest proudly. "Of course! I was on the school swim team."
Then, as if remembering something, she sighed wistfully. "School feels like it was just yesterday. Now everything feels like a dream... or maybe a nightmare."
Kael's thoughts were drawn back to his own past. He couldn't help but feel a pang of melancholy. The two of them fell silent for a while before Scout spoke again, her voice soft.
"Kael, I miss my mom."
Kael's heart softened at her words. He sighed deeply, feeling a sense of sorrow for her. "Once we get out of here, we'll go to Monkey Mountain to grab the supplies. After that, we can head to the Henglong Tower. Maybe your mom's there. By the way, what does she look like?"
Scout immediately pulled a photo from her jacket and handed it to Kael. "Kael, here's a photo of my mom. I've carried it with me since I was little."
Kael took the photo, illuminated by his flashlight. The plastic cover protected it from the water, and he saw a woman with a ponytail, her features gentle and youthful. He was surprised. "Wow, your mom looks so young."
Scout smiled faintly. "That photo was taken ten years ago. Back then, she looked like that. Now... she's probably not as young anymore."
She paused for a moment, then murmured softly, "I wish my mom could stay that young forever."
Kael chuckled, feeling both amused and a little sad. "If people could stay young forever, the world would be in chaos. Can you imagine? The Earth would probably explode from overpopulation."