Chapter 5 — First Blood
The clock was showing 6 a.m. when everyone arrived at the apartment. My parents, Isabela, Gabriel, Amanda, and two other close friends: Lucas and Rafaela. It was strange to see them together, but there was a mood in the air. Something dark, dense, that they still couldn't name — but I knew exactly what it was.
We were on the seventh floor, windows closed, supplies organized around the room: water, canned food, backpacks, knives, flashlights. It looked like a scene from a movie, but it was real. An echo of memories of a future that only I had experienced.
I looked each of them in the eye. I knew it would be difficult to convince them of what was to come. But I also knew I couldn't waste time.
"Thank you for coming," I began, trying to keep my tone calm. "I know everything seems strange, but you have to trust me. In the next few days, the world as we know it will... end."
Rafaela laughing nervously.
"End? What's all this talk?" You sound like a conspiracy theorist.
Lucas crossed his arms, suspicious.
"Are you talking about war? A terrorist attack?"
"No," I replied firmly. "I'm talking about the undead. Zombies. A virus is going to spread. Umbrella… a pharmaceutical company… is involved in this."
Silence. Just the ticking of the clock.
Amanda broke the ice:
"I... I don't know what's going on, but Dani has never said that. I think we should listen."
Gabriel nodded, despite his skepticism.
"Go on, explain. But if it's a prank…"
I took a deep breath. I couldn't reveal the system, at least not yet. But I could talk about the basics. The mutations, the first wave of infection, the collapse of the cities. Everything I witnessed before going back in time.
I showed photos, suspicious articles, records of disappearances. Each piece of information sowed doubt. Fear, little by little, took over the atmosphere.
My mother held my father's hand, her eyes brimming with tears.
"If that's true... what do we do?"
"We train," I replied. "And we wait. There are twelve days left. We can't go out, we can't attract attention. We need to be ready."
The First Trainings
I spent the next few hours teaching the basics: self-defense, survival techniques, enemy vulnerabilities. I used training knives, simulated attacks.
The system monitored everything, updating my stats in real time.
🎯 Updated Status:
Level: 4
XP: 20/200
Strength: 3
Speed: 3
Stamina: 4
Vitality: 12
Hand-to-Hand Combat: 20/100
Infection Resistance: 10/100
Point Distribution: 2
With each session, I felt stronger. More prepared. But I was also more restless. I knew that the chaos could start sooner than expected. And I started to prepare escape routes, supplies, hiding places.
First Blood
It was late that afternoon that everything fell apart.
The screams echoed from the hallway. Desperate knocks on the door.
I opened the door and saw the neighbor from the 8th floor, blood on her face, her eyes wide with pure terror.
"They... they're coming! They're... eating people!"
The entire building collapsed. Doors slamming, screaming, running.
The air became heavy, the smell of rot spreading.
And then I saw them: the first zombies. Torn clothes, whitened eyes, mouths open in grotesque snarls.
My mother screamed, Isabela froze, Gabriel took the knife I had given her.
"It's now," I said, feeling my heart race.
The first advanced zombie. I knocked him down with a well-aimed blow to the head. The sound of the skull cracking echoed in the hallway. Dark blood splattered.
🎯System Notification:
Common Zombie Eliminated
XP Gained: +15
Items Dropped: 1 Red Crystal
I picked up the crystal, a pulsating fragment of energy that the system absorbed.
Amanda was in shock, Lucas was backing away, Rafaela was crying. But there was no time for hesitation.
Another zombie came. Gabriel attacked, cutting off the creature's arm, but the monster kept going. I finished it off with a blow to the neck.
The system updated again:
🎯 Total XP: 50/200
🎯 Red Crystals: 2/100
I knew what that meant: I was progressing. Getting stronger.
But that was just the beginning.
— Everyone inside! Close the doors! Barricades!
We organized quickly. Furniture was moved, we secured the windows. Outside, all hell broke loose: cars crashing, screams, sirens.
My mother was crying, my father was trying to stay calm. Isabela was hiding in her room. Gabriel was panting, his face sweaty.
"It's real," Amanda whispered, her eyes wide. "My God… it's real."
I nodded, taking a deep breath.
"The first blood has been shed. But if we stick together, we have a chance."
Outside, the city was dying. And inside that apartment… resistance was born.
To be continued…