Chapter One – Kai Rowen"No Door, No Staff… No Escape."
Years. That's how long I've been searching.
For a job. For a chance. For a life that didn't feel like I was wasting it.
And for all that time?
Nothing. No callbacks, no interviews, not even a rejection email.
The only thing I've ever been remotely good at?
Video games.
One in particular: Level Underground: Zombie Edition.
Now I'm 28, still living in my mom's apartment.
She calls me a waste.
My ex called me a joke, then left me for someone with a six-figure salary and a yacht.
Whatever. At least I had good KD in games .
Then came the message.
"Congratulations. You've been selected by The Z-aited Corporation. Welcome aboard."
No explanation.
One online interview. Five minutes. No camera.
Just a single sentence confirmation and a time.
9:00 AM sharp.
Today.
I showed up twenty minutes early.
The building in front of me looked like something ripped from a sci-fi game — tall, sleek, and intimidating.
Jet black glass panels. Cold steel frame. The kind of architecture that made you feel small just looking at it.
But something felt... off.
There was no entrance.
No sliding doors.
No revolving glass.
Not even a damn handle.
I walked around the building twice.
Nothing.
No signs. No buzzers.
Just smooth walls and tinted windows — all of them on the upper floors, as if the ground level didn't even exist to them.
I was circling a third time when I spotted her.
She looked just as lost as me.
Petite, with long, slightly wavy brown hair that framed her face, and big, wide eyes that darted nervously around.
She had this casual cuteness to her — the kind you don't notice right away, but once you do, it sticks.
She noticed me and offered a small smile.
"Hey. You work here too?" Her voice was polite, but on edge. "Where's the door, please?"
I shook my head. "First day. Been looking for it myself."
She gave a nervous laugh. "Same. Weird place, huh? I'm Stella."
I nodded. "Kai."
We stood in awkward silence for a second, both looking at the building like it owed us an explanation.
Then a loud voice cut through the morning.
"HEY! You two! Where the f*** is the door?!"
We turned.
Walking toward us was a guy who looked like he belonged on the cover of a Greek mythology calendar.
Tall, broad shoulders, sun-bleached blond hair, muscles for days.
He stormed up, already annoyed.
Stella folded her arms. "Try asking nicely first."
He rolled his eyes. "Fine. Where's the door, please?"
"We've been looking," I said before things got stupid.
"Great," he grumbled, then jerked his thumb at his chest. "Loke."
"I'm kai nice to meet you " i said .
Stella didn't say a word. I gestured toward her. "and That's Stella."
He looked at the building, hands on his hips. "So... what now?"
Before I could answer, two more people approached.
One was a tall, lanky guy with messy brown hair and glasses. He looked like he lived on caffeine and late-night coding.
The other was a girl — striking in a quiet way.
Jet black hair in a neat bob, almond-shaped eyes, and a calm energy that made her feel a little out of place in the chaos.
"Hey!" the guy said, waving. "You guys work here?"
"First day," the three of us answered together.
He grinned. "Nice. I'm Evan."
The girl gave a shy nod. "Yeri."
I gestured between us. "Kai. Loke. Stella."
Evan frowned. "Any of you find a door yet?"
I pulled my phone out. "Was about to call the company."
"No point," Evan said. "I already tried. The number? Doesn't exist anymore."
That hit harder than it should've.
Loke frowned. "What do you mean, doesn't exist?"
"I mean gone. Like it was never real."
The silence after that was sharp.
Then — a hum.
Mechanical. Metallic.
We turned toward the building as a soft ding echoed through the quiet.
An elevator — inside the black glass wall — lit up and began descending.
The panel above it ticked down:
100...98... 97... 96...
The numbers blurred downward until it stopped at 1.
Then the glass parted, revealing the elevator.
Loke didn't hesitate.
He stepped forward like he'd been waiting for it all his life and entered.
"Seriously?" Stella said, staring at him like he'd lost his mind. "You're just gonna walk into a random elevator? In a building with no door?"
"It's our workplace, sweetie," he said over his shoulder. "What's the worst that could happen nothing calm down ?"
She looked like she wanted to throw her shoe at him.
Evan scratched his head. "Honestly... might as well check it out. We can always leave when we want."
Yeri hesitated, then stepped in behind him.
I looked at Stella. "Coming?"
Her eyes narrowed. "I have a bad feeling about this."
"Princess is scared already?" Loke mocked from inside.
I gave him a sharp look. "Don't start."
Stella's jaw clenched. "I'm not scared. I just don't ignore my gut."
She stepped into the elevator without another word.
The doors slid shut behind us.
A soft, cheerful melody began to play.
It was oddly relaxing. Too relaxing. Like elevator music in a hospital — meant to distract you from the fear.
I said nothing.
I could feel it — a chill crawling up my spine.
Something about this wasn't right.
Ding.
FLOOR 100
The doors opened.
We stepped out.
The office was spotless.
Modern desks. Coffee machines. Computers. Big windows with a view of the city skyline. It looked... perfect.
Too perfect.
"Where is everyone?" Stella asked, voice low.
"Maybe they're on break?" Yeri offered.
Loke chuckled. "Maybe they're throwing us a welcome party."
Evan didn't laugh. "I doubt it."
He moved ahead with Yeri, checking the hallway . Me and Stella walked slower, eyes scanning everything inside the room .
"All the floor empty? At 8:30 AM?" Stella said. "This only Makes sense... if this is a ghost company."
Then we heard it.
Scraping.
A soft, wet dragging noise — like something being pulled across the floor.
"Someone's coming," Loke said, already smiling. "Told you, Stella."
We all turned.
At the far end of the hallway, a figure appeared.
He staggered — one leg twisted inward, the other dragging.
One arm swung loosely, like it wasn't attached properly.
His head jerked to the side.
Then slowly, painfully, turned toward us.
His eyes — white. Clouded.
Skin: gray and sagging, with chunks missing from his face and neck.
Blood crusted his shirt, his mouth... and the space where half his jaw used to be.
He let out a shriek.
And then he sprinted.
Fast. Inhuman.
I froze.
Loke stepped forward. "Hey! Sir—?"
The thing lunged.
Evan grabbed Loke by the collar and yanked him back. The door slammed shut.
Lock.
Silence.
Yeri backed inside the room , hand over her mouth. Her whole body shook.
Stella's face was pale. "Was that... was that a zombie?"
I stared at the door, heartbeat pounding in my ears.
"…I think it was."