In the cold, unforgiving void of the Milky Way galaxy, Sector Orion burned. The relentless Pox Legions, vile servants of the demon lord Pestis, crawled through the stars like an unstoppable contagion. With each world conquered, thriving civilizations were reduced to rotting husks, their populations twisted into shambling horrors—puppets of pestilence. No one knew from which dark abyss these horrors had crawled; they only knew that when Pestis' legion arrived, hope itself became diseased.
As the Empire of Man marshaled its mighty battle fleets in desperate defense, the peaceful agricultural world of Achios now found itself squarely in the path of the encroaching nightmare.
Yet, amid the looming dread, for four-year-old Lili, a fair-skinned child with bright blonde hair and eyes like deep blue oceans, the universe seemed wonderfully small and beautifully innocent. Her existence revolved around the shimmering white fields of flowers that encircled Mikri Poli—her home. The city was an architectural jewel, a spherical metropolis wrapped around an immense central park, surrounded by delicate ribbons of smaller parks dotted along its perimeter. Here, amidst playgrounds shaded by lush trees, she spent her carefree days laughing, running, and playing games with her friends under the watchful eyes of her loving parents.
Even now, Lili sat quietly on a polished wooden bench, her small legs swinging idly as she inhaled the sweet fragrance of the white flowers gathered in her tiny hands. Her parents sat beside her, speaking softly in hushed, gentle tones. Warm sunlight filtered gently through the crystal-clear dome above, creating dancing patterns of gold upon the paved walkways and verdant lawns. Occasionally, towering skyscrapers of shimmering glass and pristine white metal briefly interrupted the sun's embrace, casting their shadows across the landscape. The gentle hum of electric cars whispered quietly along nearby streets, mingling with the distant chatter of city folk—a comforting symphony of daily life, unnoticed by a child who knew nothing else.
Then, in one terrible heartbeat, the serenity shattered.
A sharp, insistent ping echoed simultaneously from every mobile device across Mikri Poli, ringing out with a cold urgency. The pleasant murmur of the city vanished in an instant, replaced by an eerie silence as people froze in place, eyes widening in shock, fixed upon their glowing screens. Vehicles halted abruptly, suspended mid-road, their occupants staring in mounting dread at the messages flashing across their devices.
Lili felt the sudden shift in her mother's voice—a tremor of unease that pierced through the childlike peace she'd always known. She turned anxiously, seeing her mother's eyes cloud with panic as she reached out and touched her father's arm.
"What's going on?" her mother asked softly, her voice strained.
Father didn't respond. His face drained of color, eyes fixed in disbelief upon the darkening sky.
Lili followed his gaze, and her innocent heart shuddered. A vast, unnatural green cloud was spreading ominously, like a sickness blotting out the warmth and brilliance of the sun. It cascaded from the heavens, descending with a sinister, deliberate slowness, consuming the sunlight as it crept downward.
Then the world itself shuddered beneath their feet. A deep, bone-rattling tremor surged through the ground, shaking the very foundation of Mikri Poli. Loud air-raid sirens screamed their dreadful warnings as, in a dramatic display of Imperial ingenuity and desperation, the earth around the city split open like a wound. Great white walls of polished metal erupted from the depths, surging upward to form a formidable double-layered fortress encircling the city. The outer walls, lower yet still immense, bristled with menacing anti-aircraft batteries and heavy cannons, awaiting crews of Imperial planetary guardsmen who emerged from concealed bunkers beneath the streets.
The soldiers appeared like faceless ghosts from hidden depths, their movements precise and synchronized, an eerie dance of military discipline. Clad in imposing green flak armor with gleaming metallic greaves encasing their legs, they moved with mechanical efficiency. Their heads hidden behind featureless gas masks with tinted visors, they appeared devoid of humanity, emotionless sentinels gripping their lasrifles with unwavering resolve. To Lili's frightened eyes, they seemed like giant, ominous dolls—silent, imposing, alien.
Moments later, the city itself transformed into a fortress. Towering skyscrapers sealed themselves behind thick metal plating, their gleaming glass surfaces vanishing beneath sheets of reinforced armor. Rooftops slid open to reveal massive cannon emplacements, immediately unleashing torrents of firepower toward the heavens. The city shook violently with each thunderous volley, the roar echoing through the streets like a storm unleashed.
In an instant, her father scooped her into his strong arms, holding her close as he urgently rushed toward the distant spaceport, desperate to reach safety. Her mother followed closely behind, her face twisted with fear—a fear so profound it seeped into Lili's heart, chilling her young soul with an overwhelming dread she could scarcely comprehend.
Lili didn't know what was happening—she only knew it was something terrible. Clinging tightly to her father's warmth, she pressed the delicate white flowers close to her chest, their fragrance offering a fleeting, fragile comfort against the encroaching darkness.
High above, the nightmare cloud continued to descend, carrying with it horrors she had yet to imagine.
Soon tears filled Lili's eyes, blurring her vision as she stared at the roads that had transformed into rivers of panic—a mass of terrified humanity surging desperately toward salvation. Her father's strong hands lifted her gently onto his shoulders, and she instinctively gripped his thick hair, seeking comfort in his familiar warmth as they navigated the chaotic crowd.
Through the haze of her tears, Lili's senses sharpened remarkably, attuned to the distant tremors of fear emanating from the frantic civilians around her. Her extraordinary eyes, unnaturally perceptive, turned upward toward the heavens, and she saw clearly the source of everyone's dread.
Far above, beyond the atmosphere, an epic battle unfolded in terrifying clarity, each fiery exchange visible to her keen sight. The sky burned with violent brilliance, a tempest of distant fury painted in bursts of gold and crimson. Each flash represented a desperate fight, a ship annihilated, a life lost to the merciless void.
High above Mikri Poli's gleaming spires, Achios' planetary defense fleet valiantly clashed with the monstrous invaders. The proud Imperial vessels maneuvered in perfect harmony, their disciplined formations a stark contrast against the chaotic darkness. Their sleek, armored hulls gleamed defiantly, etched with sacred sigils of the Empire, even as enemy fire battered their resilient forms.
But facing them, stark and nightmarish, were the ships of Lord Pestis. These were no ordinary vessels—they pulsed grotesquely, sickly green and organic, defying every law of sanity and nature. Bone, sinew, and necrotic flesh composed their hulls, riddled with open sores weeping vile fluids into space, trailing disease in their wake. They were horrors, manifestations of corrupted life, and their hunger was endless.
Lili watched, mesmerized and horrified, as the Imperial fleet struck first. Long, brilliant lances of energy pierced the blackness, and volleys of macro-cannon fire and torpedoes flared brightly upon impact. Explosions tore apart the plague-ships, sending gruesome showers of bone shards and viscous ichor drifting through the void. Yet, relentlessly, the enemy pressed onward, regenerating their wounds with unnatural ease.
Then, with terrifying speed, the largest plague-ship surged forward, its grotesque prow a gaping maw of sharpened bone. It collided brutally with an Imperial cruiser, piercing its heavy armor as if it were paper. Thick, sickly tendrils erupted from the plague-vessel, burrowing into the cruiser, releasing floods of squirming parasites and decay within its corridors.
Lili's enhanced hearing picked up faint, desperate cries from within the wounded ship. She felt their fear and bravery, heard the muffled bursts of emergency gunfire and detonations, and then sensed a final, heroic resolve. A brilliant explosion followed—a last act of defiance to deny the enemy its prize. Golden embers scattered into the abyss, fragments of sacrifice burning out in the void.
But the monstrous vessel remained intact, its foul tendrils reaching greedily toward more Imperial ships. Brave frigates weaved through enemy fire, their precise lance strikes revealing twisted interiors of corrupted vessels, yet the enemy advanced without hesitation.
More plague-ships rammed into Imperial battleships, their corrupted forms bleeding diseased fluid into the proud vessels, spreading corruption and horror within. Lili's heart froze as she perceived the bodies—hundreds of them drifting lifelessly or twitching grotesquely in vacuum, their faces twisted into ghastly grins. They laughed soundlessly, mouths locked open in eternal screams.
Overwhelmed, Lili clamped her small hands over her eyes, desperately trying to block out the unspeakable horrors, yet even through her fingers, her heightened senses betrayed her. Still, she could feel the distant pain and suffering, the silent screams and pleading eyes.
Yet hope was not entirely lost. From deep within Achios itself, a sudden, thunderous roar surged forth as planetary defenses activated. Immense cannons embedded in fortified bastions unleashed torrents of plasma and explosive shells skyward, their impacts momentarily burning away the enemy's sickly green glow. The city trembled, sending waves of energy surging through Lili's small body.
Then from the city's sprawling spaceport and others across Achios, Imperial fighters soared into the sky like shining blades of defiance. Squadrons of sleek craft surged upward in disciplined formations, engines screaming with resolve. Lili's breath caught at their courage, her heart swelling with pride even amidst terror.
She watched closely as the first squadrons engaged the enemy, weaving between enormous warships and releasing precise volleys into swollen cysts and bloated hulls. Explosions erupted, spraying decay into space and toward the planet below. Still, the enemy persisted, absorbing or deflecting many strikes and retaliating mercilessly.
Bright streaks of green energy sliced through fighter squadrons, vaporizing them instantly. Lili felt each loss deeply, her heart echoing with their bravery. She winced as pilots ejected, only to be seized by monstrous tendrils, twisted by corrupting disease.
Yet despite the horror, she clenched her tiny fists, a spark of defiance flaring within the warm, healing core deep inside her chest. With eyes shimmering with determination and tears, she whispered softly, her voice strong despite its quietness, "For the Imperium."
Her father, sensing her courage, squeezed her gently and reassuringly, even as he pushed desperately forward through the chaos, holding his brave little girl close against the tide of darkness descending upon their world.
But then, Lili's sharp eyes shifted upward, locked onto the grotesque, swirling cloud descending relentlessly from the heavens. This wasn't mere mist or vapor—she could sense its malicious intent, feel the malevolent life pulsing within it. It moved slowly, methodically, devouring the sky with unnatural grace, blotting out stars and leaving only darkness beneath. From the cloud, fiery remnants of shattered warships cascaded like burning meteors, illuminating its sickly green hue with haunting bursts of crimson and gold.
Her delicate hand reached out instinctively as flakes of this sickly green mist fell gently from above, floating gracefully like tainted snowflakes. When they touched her skin, they melted instantly, sinking beneath the surface with painful urgency. An intense, feverish heat surged through her hand, rapidly spreading into her arm, accompanied by an unbearable itch that clawed viciously at her nerves.
She writhed in discomfort, rubbing furiously at her palm. But then, from deep within her chest, a calming pulse radiated outward—a warmth she had always known yet never understood. It was gentle, a core of light and strength that flowed soothingly through her veins, washing away the infection before it could take hold. The corruption recoiled, sizzling away into nothingness, repelled by the mysterious power nestled within her heart.
Yet, as Lili gazed around with growing horror, it became clear that those around her did not share this miraculous protection. Her father rounded the corner towards the vast, towering spaceport, and Lili immediately sensed the heavy weight of dread hanging over the massed crowd. Tens of thousands shuffled forward, fear thickening the air, turning desperate escape into an agonizing crawl toward hope.
The gleaming skyscrapers that once symbolized Imperial pride and strength now stood as oppressive walls of a cage. Ahead lay salvation—the enormous metal ramp of the spaceport—but it seemed impossibly distant. From below, countless others emerged from the Metro tunnels, pouring into already crowded streets, intensifying the confusion and despair. Her heightened senses identified only a few pockets of potential safety—isolated buildings to the side, and the sprawling food market, its neon signs flickering dimly in the chaos.
Desperately, she clung tighter to her father's shoulders, tiny fingers gripping his coat with fierce determination. The oppressive noise of the crowd pressed upon her ears—the shuffling feet, the anxious murmurs, the distant, continuous thunder of planetary defenses still firing defiantly overhead.
Then, Lili's keen eyes noticed a terrible change—the strange green snow intensified, drifting gently yet inexorably downward. Each flake was alive, insidious, and soon it found its mark. On the back of her father's neck, skin turned blotchy and inflamed. A swelling pustule appeared rapidly, pulsing grotesquely as though something sinister lurked beneath.
"Father, no!" Lili gasped, horrified, as his hand reached absently to scratch at it. With a sickening pop, the pustule ruptured, splattering vile green ichor onto her small hand and dress.
"No, Father, stop it!" she cried again, but her father's eyes were already vacant, lost to an unseen force.
Then she heard it—a chorus of wet, grotesque popping erupted from the surrounding crowd. People groaned in agony, clawing desperately at their flesh. Skin tore, pustules burst, and the contagion spread rapidly. Lili watched in helpless terror as the crowd fell into confusion and panic, scratching, writhing, and then losing themselves completely.
"Who… who are you?" Her mother murmured, staring blankly at her husband. Her voice carried a note of fearful bewilderment.
"I… I don't know," Father replied, eyes wide and frantic. "Who am I?"
All around them, similar cries of confusion erupted. People questioned their identities, their purpose, their very existence slipping away like grains of sand. A nobleman, his fine robes damp with sweat and corruption, staggered forward, pleading for priority passage before suddenly collapsing into confusion, unable to recall his own name.
In an instant, tens of thousands fell simultaneously as if strings had been cut—collapsing to the ground, convulsing silently. Lili herself toppled from her father's limp grasp, landing hard against an elderly woman's chest, her hands touching clammy fabric soaked in green ichor.
Lili froze, eyes wide in shock as she saw foam bubbling from the woman's lips, her eyes rolled back. Around her, a low, guttural groan rose from the fallen mass, a horrifying prelude to a new nightmare.
Then the transformations began.
Her father's body twisted unnaturally, darkening further, veins bulging grotesquely beneath his skin. Bones shifted visibly beneath his flesh, pushing outward into brutal spikes. His hands elongated into monstrous, clawed talons.
Her mother, once gentle and beautiful, transformed horrifically—her fingers fused into spear-like appendages, her lips dissolving away to reveal a permanent, skeletal grin of madness. Everywhere Lili looked, humanity was lost to monstrosity, bodies shifting and breaking, reforming into twisted parodies of life.
The Imperial soldiers, protected by their masks, watched frozen at the edges of the nightmare, horror palpable in their rigid stances. Slowly, deliberately, the clicking sound of a rifle safety disengaging echoed ominously. Weapons raised, they prepared to face the unspeakable horror now rising to meet them.
Lili saw one soldier hesitate, his lasrifle aimed shakily at the twisting, grotesque bodies before him. His hands trembled visibly, and his muffled voice quivered behind the emotionless mask.
"Sir… what do we do? Do we shoot?"
His commander, a towering figure in a peaked cap, stood frozen for a heartbeat that felt endless.
Then came the grim, resolute reply: "Yes."
A flash of lasrifle fire pierced the oppressive silence, ripping through corrupted flesh. The first shot struck a transformed man squarely in the chest, burning through the unnatural growth—but the creature barely reacted, its twisted limbs still spasming as though untouched.
Then, as if awakened by an unseen command, the infected surged forward, their movements chaotic, spasmodic, and utterly unnatural. They didn't walk—they lurched forward violently, limbs snapping grotesquely, bodies convulsing with horrifying speed and unpredictability. Their eyes, tortured yet horribly aware, stared out from beneath rotting flesh, gleaming with a twisted understanding.
And they laughed.
It was a ghastly cacophony of shrieks and wails, laughter that mocked sanity itself. Lili had never heard anything so chilling, so fundamentally wrong.
The soldiers unleashed a torrent of fire, their disciplined shots tearing through the abominations. But the infected pressed relentlessly onward, their bodies reforming and regenerating despite grievous injuries. A soldier screamed as a clawed hand shattered his visor, dragging him into the seething mass of corruption. His rifle vanished into the swarm.
Driven by instinct deeper and more primal than thought, Lili ran.
Her small feet moved swiftly, carrying her lightly across the writhing, convulsing bodies littering the streets. She wove past falling soldiers, past towering buildings, her breath sharp and quick, her heart hammering within her chest.
Away.
Away from her parents, now twisted beyond recognition.
Away from the screaming laughter and nightmarish grins.
Away from the madness that had swallowed her world whole.
She ran without pause, without thought, her small frame propelled by sheer instinctive terror. Behind her, the sounds of gunfire and desperate shouts filled the air, a futile effort to contain the spreading horror. The city echoed with chaos, the towering white spires now mere shadows looming over scenes of unspeakable devastation.
Yet it wasn't enough. The infection spread unchecked.
Lili's enhanced senses picked up the anguished cries, saw the woman's desperate eyes clearly, pleading for help even as her skin erupted into blistering pustules. But then—her expression twisted into that same horrible smile. Her laughter echoed, sharp and haunting, as her gaze followed Lili's desperate sprint.
She pushed past countless more: noblemen forgetting their names mid-plea, others clawing at their faces with bloodied fingers, eyes wide with terrified confusion beneath grins frozen by madness.
Finally, the enormous glass doors of the food market loomed ahead, a beacon of fragile sanctuary amid the chaos. With all her strength, she hurled herself inside, small fingers fumbling desperately at the manual locks. The heavy doors groaned in protest, but mercifully they held fast.
She spun around, gasping for breath—and nearly screamed in renewed terror.
Beyond the glass, the infected rose once more, their broken bodies cracking audibly as twisted bones snapped back into position. Limbs hung grotesquely before jerking upright, heads rolling back before snapping forward, grinning horribly, unendingly. Their eyes glistened with pitiful tears, revealing the tormented souls trapped within their own deformed flesh—begging silently for release.
The silk-clad woman approached slowly, her clawed fingers trembling as they scraped gently against the glass. Her eyes met Lili's, filled with a tragic, pleading humanity. But then the horror returned—her lips curled into that sickening grin as laughter poured out, harsh and discordant.
Others joined her, their monstrous voices merging into an unbearable chorus. Lili's heart froze in fear, her breath hitching painfully in her throat.
RUN.
The command resonated powerfully through her mind, shattering the paralyzing dread. Propelled by sheer instinct, she turned sharply, sprinting deeper into the cavernous darkness of the food market, leaving the haunting laughter far behind.
Rows of shelves stretched endlessly ahead of her, towering aisles lined with countless products, the ceiling arching high above like the skeletal ribs of an immense creature. Overhead lights flickered erratically, casting shifting, jagged shadows that danced across the polished floors like phantom shapes.
Lili didn't pause.
Didn't dare look back.
With swift, silent movements, she darted into the produce section, her small body slipping easily between towering shelves stacked high with fresh fruits and vegetables. The scent of ripe produce filled her nostrils—a cruelly sharp contrast to the nightmare that pursued her from outside.
In a moment of desperate instinct, she flung herself into a large mound of strawberries, burying herself deeply beneath their soft, cool surfaces. The fruit pressed gently against her trembling skin, providing a small, fleeting comfort against the horror beyond.
Then, she waited.
Her breath came in shallow, quiet gasps, her heart hammering painfully in her chest. Her tiny fingers clung desperately to the delicate white flowers she'd carried all this way, petals now trembling along with her small, frightened frame.
Outside—beyond the aisles, beyond the thin barrier of glass—the infected laughter rose again, merging into a sinister, nightmarish chorus. Just as the terrible singing reached its peak, explosions shattered the air, and the sharp crackle of lasrifle fire echoed harshly, signaling the desperate counterattack of Imperial soldiers.
Even buried deep beneath the strawberries, Lili's heightened senses caught every sound of the brutal fight outside. The heavy thunder of artillery shook the building's foundations, mingling with frantic bursts of gunfire and urgent shouts from soldiers desperately calling for reinforcements. Beneath it all was the constant, unrelenting laughter—a sickening, twisted lullaby.
"Join our song, sing along. Celebrate our sickness…"
Their voices contorted unnaturally, some high-pitched shrieks, others deep guttural growls, still others wet, choking gurgles as they sang through blood-clogged throats.
"Through our bile, we will smile. One and all bear witness—"
Then—BOOM.
An immense shockwave rattled the market, making the shelves tremble violently. Lili flinched, pressing deeper into the soft fruit, as something enormous began to move just outside. The mechanical roar of a massive engine filled the air, accompanied by the heavy grinding of metal treads crushing everything beneath.
It wasn't just rolling along the street—it was crushing the infected beneath its unstoppable advance. Sickening sounds of bodies breaking, flesh tearing, and bones snapping echoed grotesquely into the market. But the infected, twisted in their madness, only laughed harder, their screams of pain mixed chillingly with glee.
"More, more! Crush us!" one cried gleefully.
"Yes! Yes! We'll smile for you—"
Another explosion blasted through the air, shaking the building violently. Glass shattered, raining down from the market's broken skylights, cold wind rushing inward along with sounds of distant evacuations and frantic combat.
The spaceport was still fighting, soldiers still holding bravely.
But for how long?
Lili bit down hard on her trembling lip, her hands gripping the white flowers tightly against her chest, desperately trying to block out the horrifying sounds. Gunfire, laughter, screams—everything blurred together into an unbearable storm of terror.
Then, suddenly, a deafening roar—the tank outside fired its cannon, blasting open the market's facade. Glass, metal, and stone exploded inward as the massive war machine surged through, its powerful engine now a desperate cry against the overwhelming horde of infected. They swarmed over its hull instantly, tearing the metal apart with unnatural strength, their claws peeling back armor like paper.
Lili shut her eyes tightly as screams echoed from within the vehicle, swiftly silenced by gruesome, wet sounds. She felt their final defiance—the muted clicks of grenade pins pulled in a last heroic act. An immense explosion erupted as the ammunition ignited, engulfing the market in fiery devastation.
The force of the blast threw shelves crashing down, shattered windows, and triggered a chorus of wailing alarms. And then, abruptly, the chaos gave way to a terrifying silence.
But the silence was fleeting.
Footsteps echoed softly through the devastated market—slow, deliberate, unnaturally synchronized. The infected had breached the store.
Lili's breath caught painfully in her chest. She curled tighter, pressing her face deeper into the crushed strawberries, the sweet scent mixing sickeningly with the distant, unmistakable odor of decay and corruption.
Then the infected began their song again.
"Join our song, sing along. Celebrate our sickness. Through our bile, we will smile. One and all bear witness, to our unifying sickness."
Their words slid into her mind, wrapping like dark tendrils around her thoughts. Strangely comforting, almost gentle—like the lullabies her mother used to softly hum when stroking her hair at bedtime. But this was twisted, dangerous, wrong. This wasn't her mother's voice. This was poison.
Inside Lili, deep within her chest, something stirred defiantly. A tiny, resilient spark, a core of pure warmth and light resisted the dark allure of the cursed melody. Yet the song tugged persistently, coaxing, soothing, demanding.
Her lips parted involuntarily, almost forming the first whispered note—
No!
With a surge of determination, she clenched her small fists tighter around the delicate white flowers, crushing petals in desperate resolve. She would not surrender; she would not sing.
The infected drew closer. Their steps were punctuated by harsh, rasping chuckles and wheezing breaths, echoing ominously through the market aisles. They approached with inevitable certainty, closer, ever closer.
Lili squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself, every muscle in her small body rigid with dread. At any moment, those grotesque hands would reach through the strawberries, dragging her out to become one of them.
Suddenly, a deafening explosion ripped through the store, violently shaking the ground beneath her. The cacophony of battle surged once more as harsh shouts and relentless gunfire filled the air.
"For the Imperium! Die, mutant scum!" echoed a defiant voice from the center of the market. A fierce battle cry rose amid the roar of flamethrowers and the hissing crackle of lasguns. The infected shrieked in rage, their twisted lullaby shattered by the sudden assault.
Flashes of fiery light sliced through the darkness as Imperial soldiers surged forward from the metro entrance, swift and merciless, their gas-masked faces devoid of emotion but filled with grim purpose.
"Purge them! Hold the line!" a commanding voice shouted, distorted by the mask, chilling Lili to the bone.
The infected charged recklessly, tearing through the aisles in frenzied waves. A brutal, savage battle erupted—gunshots cracked, flames roared, and anguished screams mingled in a dreadful symphony. Lili stayed perfectly still, barely daring to breathe as explosions erupted above, raining down debris and charred remains.
Yet the infected kept coming, drawn like insects to the light and sound of violence. Soldiers fought valiantly, their weapons overheating as the enemy pressed in relentlessly. Lili's enhanced senses captured every terrifying moment—the desperate shouts, the wrenching sounds of infected flesh tearing, the crackling flames consuming all.
And then, inevitably, came the final desperate roar of a soldier. Explosions echoed, the store trembling violently as grenades detonated, toppling shelves and scattering infected bodies. Soldiers began falling back toward the metro entrance, fighting in desperate retreat.
Gradually, the sounds of conflict grew distant, fading into eerie quiet. Lili lay frozen, small face pressed into the strawberries, choking back sobs of helpless frustration. She was just a child, powerless, forced to endure silently as the echoes of battle retreated further away.
Finally, the chaos subsided, leaving behind an oppressive, uneasy silence. The distant thunder of planetary defense guns still echoed faintly, a distant reminder that somewhere, resistance continued. But now the infected moved on, drawn away by other prey, leaving Lili alone, buried and trembling, hidden deep beneath her fragile sanctuary of strawberries.
Time passed slowly, unbearably, though Lili had no sense of how long she had lain hidden. The heavy silence settled around her, thickening as day slipped quietly into night. Finally, feeling stiff and aching from lying motionless for so long, she cautiously raised her head from the bed of crushed strawberries. Her muscles protested, her limbs heavy, yet something within her urged her onward.
Blinking rapidly, she strained her eyes to adjust to the oppressive gloom that filled the store. A few emergency lights flickered weakly, casting pale, erratic shadows along the aisles. The eerie, sickly green glow of the unnatural mist outside seeped through shattered windows, bathing the scene in an unsettling hue.
Slowly, she rubbed her face, smearing away dried tears and strawberry juice, her keen eyes beginning to pierce through the darkness more effectively than before. A subtle warmth stirred within her chest, radiating gently, sharpening her senses further. She could now distinguish faint outlines—the scattered shelves, toppled goods, and the silent chaos left in the wake of the violence.
Gathering her courage, Lili emerged carefully from her hiding place, her tiny hands trembling slightly. She paused briefly, noticing the store's owner was nowhere in sight. Everything around her was in disarray, evidence of the violent struggle unmistakable. Feeling an instinctive need to survive, she delicately gathered a handful of berries and greens, carefully placing them in her pockets. She took only what she felt she needed, mindful of her mother's teachings to remain good and honest, even in the face of overwhelming despair.
Her footsteps whispered softly against the cold, polished floor as she carefully navigated through the ruins of the market. As she moved toward the metro entrance, her sharp eyes reluctantly caught sight of the bodies scattered around her—twisted forms of the infected, each frozen in their grotesque, unnatural smiles. Even torn apart, destroyed beyond recognition, their maddened grins remained intact, forever haunting.
Lili's heart lurched painfully, forcing her gaze quickly away, her breath trembling as her eyes sought out the entrance to the metro. There, lying at the foot of the stairs, was the gruesome sight of a fallen soldier, blood splattered violently across walls and floor, the remains barely recognizable after the grenade blast. More infected lay twisted nearby, evidence of the devastating violence of their final confrontation.
Swallowing hard, Lili hesitated only briefly before beginning her descent into the shadowed depths of the metro tunnels. Each step felt heavier than the last, the darkness below seemingly infinite. At the bottom, the bodies of three soldiers lay in a final, desperate embrace, their sacrifice tragically evident. They had tried valiantly to collapse the tunnel, a desperate effort to prevent the infection from spreading further, but the blast had overtaken them as well.
The tunnel stretched ahead, a chaotic ruin of collapsed concrete, twisted metal, and scattered debris. Blood streaked the walls, the pungent scent of death hanging thickly in the stagnant air. Lili felt the crushing weight of despair pressing down upon her, threatening to overwhelm her. Her chest tightened painfully, a sob catching in her throat as she yearned desperately for her parents, for comfort, for safety—anything but this consuming darkness.
Yet, even as hopelessness threatened to consume her entirely, a spark ignited deep within her. She remembered her father's voice, firm and reassuring, reminding her to always be strong. Her mother's gentle eyes filled her memory, urging her forward. Clenching her tiny fists with renewed determination, she refused to succumb. She had promised to be brave, to endure. She would survive. She had to.
As if responding to her resolve, her small hand brushed against a stone lying amidst the debris—a stone that pulsed gently with a hidden warmth. Curious, she picked it up, watching in awe as the rough gray surface slowly transformed into a radiant crystal of pure, comforting light. It glowed softly in her palm, a tiny beacon of hope amid overwhelming darkness.
Empowered by the gentle glow, Lili moved forward with growing confidence, her steps becoming steadier as the tunnel gradually widened before her. A faint light appeared in the distance, accompanied by soft, distant whispers and the flickering glow of what seemed like lanterns.
Her heart quickened in her chest, a tentative hope blossoming within her. Could there be others? Had she found survivors?
Drawing strength from the warmth of the glowing crystal, Lili moved forward into the unknown, guided by the fragile yet determined hope that stirred once more within her young heart.