[Receptionist table; located in the middle of the hallway of the third floor…]“No… That can’t be…” Samantha said as she slumped against the receptionist's table.“Unfortunately, that’s the reality of his fate,” Louis replied solemnly.“Where…” Samantha hesitated, “Where did you see him?”“At the first floor.”“Why was he there? How…” Samantha trailed off.“It was strange, to be honest. There were a couple of dozen people on the first floor despite it being closing hours for the facility. Most of the people were visitors, and a few were orderlies. There were even several patients there.”“What? How can that be?! Even during normal visiting hours, no patient is allowed to be on the first floor unless they’re being discharged! As far as I know, no one is scheduled to be discharged anytime soon!” Samantha retorted. “Look. I’m merely relaying to you what I saw. You can ask Jared to confirm the facts if you don’t believe me.”Jared nodded wordlessly when Samantha turned to meet his gaze.

Warning:This chapter contains disturbing descriptions of violence and gore that might be uncomfortable for certain readers. Please read at your own discretion.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*Beep* ...*Beeep* ...*Beeeep*“Mm…” Jared groaned as he reached out from under the covers to switch off the alarm clock.However, before he could tap the off switch, the alarm clock slipped out of his grasp and fell onto the carpeted floor. His hand felt around the carpet but could not locate the alarm clock which was getting irritatingly loud with each passing beep.“Hah…” Jared sighed and sat up in bed. He shivered slightly as the cold morning air touched his skin. It was morning yet the Sun was barely seen behind the darkened clouds.‘It feels great to be home. I-’ Jared’s eyes widen and his han

[Earlier in the year, before the incident occurred--- 29th May 2021, Saturday…]“Hello everyone and welcome to the stream!” Jared greeted.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[[Super chat]] [Hey, Jared!][Hello! I’m so glad I managed to catch your stream today!][Hi, Jared! Is the gang playing today?]------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------“Haha~ Yes, both Omar and Nic will join for a special 6 hours challenge!” Jared answered before continuing, “We’ll be playing World Crafter, and the challenge is to see how much we can do within the allotted time. So, we’ll definitely have to go to the End and slay the dragon. But, we’ll try to build as much as possible after that.”----------------------------------------------

[A few days later--- 2 October 2021, Saturday][12.40 pm]Birds chirped from treetops as leaves rustled upon the cool autumn breeze. A distant, muffled howl was heard as the wind blew through the emptied hallways from the lower floors. Then everything returned to being still and muted- as if the breeze had stolen away all life and the very creation of sound itself. Despite the calm tranquility, it was nonetheless eerie. Jared could not help but feel a chill go up his spine.‘Being up high on the rooftop is both scary and lonely… It’s as if the zombies are lurking within every shadowed corner, and we’re the only ones left…’ Jared shook his head at that thought and proceeded to hang up some freshly washed clothes on the clothesline.A low whistle brought Jared back to the present. It was Adam who had just finished hanging his pile of clothes. The boy, who looked to be close to Jared’s age, stood a couple of feet from the edge and was gazing at the grounds below.“It would seem that we’

Warning:This chapter contains slightly disturbing descriptions of gore that might be uncomfortable for certain readers. Please read at your own discretion.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------As Jared and Louis walked along the hallway of the third floor, the sound of their footsteps echoed loudly. Despite having the lockdown for weeks, Jared could never shake the feeling of anxiety and isolation whenever he walked the hallways of the facility. Not another soul in sight- be it a doctor, orderly, or patient. ‘Speaking of patients…’“Louis,” Jared turned and called out to his friend.Instead of answering, Louis merely clicked his tongue in annoyance and stared silently at Jared.‘Uh… I know that look…’Jared sighed.“Lou-”“Yes? How can I help you, Jared?” Louis asked in a sing-song manner to which Ja