After leaving the checkpoint where they had dropped their names and basic personal information, the military personnel directed the group to separate testing stations. Clara glanced around, noticing how the others were being led off in different directions, each to their own station. She was alone now, and that only heightened her nerves. “Step forward,” barked the medic at her station, motioning to the spot in front of him. Clara approached cautiously, keeping her expression calm despite the storm of thoughts racing through her mind. The medic adjusted his glasses and began explaining the procedure. “We’ll start with a temperature scan, followed by a quick blood draw. Standard protocol to check for any abnormalities,” he said, reaching for a handheld scanner. Alarm bells rang in Clara’s mind. 'Hell no.'Forcing a polite smile, she let her compulsion powers surge to life, their subtle influence weaving into the medic’s mind. Her thoughts pressed against his, implanting the sug

The night air was thick with tension as Briggs, Clara, Ian, and Erika pressed forward through the shadows, their every step calculated to avoid detection. They moved along the edges of abandoned vehicles and shattered barricades, the distant chaos of gunfire and screams serving as a grim reminder of their limited time. A sudden guttural growl stopped them in their tracks. From the corner of a dilapidated building, an infected stumbled into view, its lifeless eyes locking onto them. It hesitated for a fraction of a second before breaking into a sprint. "Down!" Clara hissed, pulling Ian to the ground as Briggs swung a metal pipe he had picked up earlier. The improvised weapon connected with a sickening crunch, sending the infected sprawling. Erika stepped forward, finishing it off with a swift strike from a crowbar she had scavenged. Ian stared at the corpse, his breathing ragged. "How...how are they moving so fast? Did they evolve or something?" "No time for a biology lesson," B