The next day dawned with a hazy red sky.
Vell and Maya packed their few belongings in silence, both still shaken from the previous night's encounter. The broken door of the convenience store offered little protection, and they knew staying was not an option.
"How many days do you think we have left?" Maya asked as she stuffed the last of their food supplies into her backpack.
He checked the yellow window that hovered in front of him.
[Tutorial Day: 5]
[Days Remaining: 9]
"Nine days," he said, zipping up his own bag. "Just over a week until the tutorial ends."
Maya nodded, her face serious. "And then what happens?"
"Then the towers open," he replied, though he had no idea what that actually meant. "And someone gets this Null System thing."
"Do you think we have a chance at that?" she asked.
He looked at her, considering whether to lie. "No," he said finally. "Not really. But that is not what matters. What matters is surviving."
She seemed to accept this, shouldering her pack with a determined expression. "Where are we heading?"
"Home," he said. "It is far, but we know the area. We will have a better chance there."
The word 'home' brought a small smile to her face. It felt like years since they had been in their apartment, though it had only been days since the world changed.
They left the store cautiously, Vell leading the way with a metal pipe gripped tightly in his hands.
The streets were eerily quiet. Bodies lay where they had fallen, some clearly dead from the initial tower impacts, others showing signs of infected attacks.
They moved quickly but carefully, staying close to buildings and avoiding open spaces. Twice they had to hide as groups of infected shambled past, their jerky movements and vacant eyes now familiar horrors.
By midday, they had made good progress, covering several miles without incident. The city was thinning out, giving way to suburbs that would eventually lead to their neighborhood on the outskirts.
"We should rest," he said, noticing Maya's tired steps. "Find somewhere safe for a few minutes."
They found a small gas station with its windows intact and doors secure. After checking that it was empty, they locked themselves inside and sat against the wall, hidden from view of the windows.
Maya took a long drink from her water bottle. "Do you think anyone else made it out? From our neighborhood?"
He shrugged. "Maybe. Some people are tough."
"Like Mrs. Keller?" she asked with a small smile.
Their elderly neighbor was notorious for chasing kids off her lawn with a broom.
"Especially Mrs. Keller," he agreed. "Those infected would take one look at her and run the other way."
Maya laughed, the sound strange in the silent store.
For a moment, things felt almost normal.
The moment ended when a yellow window appeared before them both.
[Warning: Danger Approaching]
Vell was on his feet instantly, pipe ready. "We need to move. Now."
They gathered their things quickly and moved to the back of the store, looking for another exit. They found a door that led to a small storage area and beyond that, an exit behind the building.
Just as they reached the storage room, they heard glass breaking at the front of the store.
"Someone is breaking in," Maya whispered.
He pushed her gently toward the back exit. "Go. I will be right behind you."
She hesitated, then nodded and slipped through the door. Vell followed, closing it quietly behind them.
They emerged into the alley and started moving away from the gas station.
They had gone only a few steps when Maya froze.
"Vell," she whispered, her voice tight with fear.
He followed her gaze and felt his blood turn cold.
At the end of the alley stood a creature unlike any infected they had seen before. It was massive, easily the size of a small car, with thick fur and powerful limbs. Its head was wolf-like but distorted, with a jaw that seemed too large for its skull and eyes that glowed a sickly yellow.
"What is that?" She breathed.
"I don't know," he replied, slowly pushing her behind him. "But it is not an infected. It's something else."
The wolf creature lowered its head, a deep growl rumbling from its throat. It took a step toward them, massive paws crushing the debris beneath them.
[New Enemy Detected: Alpha Dire Wolf]
[Danger Level: High]
The window's warning was clear, but the alley offered no escape route. Behind them, they could hear whoever had broken into the gas station moving around inside. They were trapped.
"What do we do?" Maya asked, her voice barely audible.
Vell gripped the pipe tighter. "I will distract it. When I do, run past it. It will focus on me."
"No way," she said immediately. "I am not leaving you."
"Maya—"
"No," she repeated firmly. "We stay together. Remember?"
The massive wolf lunged without warning, its eyes fixed on Maya.
He barely had time to shove her aside before the creature slammed into him, sending him crashing against the alley wall. Pain exploded across his back as brick crumbled behind him.
"Vell!" she screamed from somewhere to his left.
He rolled to his feet just as the wolf turned, saliva dripping from jaws large enough to crush his skull in a single bite. This was something else entirely—a beast the size of a small car with matted gray fur and muscles that rippled beneath its skin.
It wolf growled, the sound vibrating through Vell's chest. It pawed the ground once, twice, then charged again.
He barely managed to twist his body, the wolf's charge missing his head by inches.
The creature's claws scraped against his shoulder, tearing through his jacket and drawing a line of fire across his skin. He stumbled backward, raising the pipe to defend himself.
The metal connected with the wolf's snout, a dull thud that barely seemed to faze it. The creature shook its head, its eyes burning with rage.
It swiped at him again, faster this time.
He ducked under the attack, feeling the wind of its claws ruffle his hair. He swung the pipe at its legs, hoping to trip it, but the wolf simply leaped over the blow, landing gracefully on the other side of him.
Maya, meanwhile, hadn't run.
She stood frozen for a moment, then grabbed a heavy metal trash can lid from the alley floor. She hefted it awkwardly, her knuckles white.
"Hey!" she shouted, slamming the lid against the wolf's flank.
The sound echoed.