The auditorium erupted into chaos. Many began screaming, hopping over chairs, aiming to make it over to the doors, to escape. Ethan, though, had long bolted out of the auditorium; he knew what was going to go down, and it wasn't pleasant.
He remembered those monsters from his hours of gaming. In the game, they were termed corrupted. They were an amalgamation of negative emotions given flesh; they lived only to seek human flesh, they reminded one of the generic zombie, only with a slight twist. They couldn't see they were blind, but they compensated for it with their astonishing speed, strength, and durability. Ethan knew he couldn't take one on as he was right now. And the worst part was that they never travelled alone.
He sprinted across the hallway, and the fluorescent lights that usually illuminated the corridors were turned off. Behind him, screams rung out, mixed with the groans of the corrupted. They are multiplying, he thought. He urged himself to go faster. He needed a weapon first, so he would be heading to the kitchen first, where he could arm himself.
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Meanwhile, across the world apocalypse ensued.
As the streets turned into hunting grounds for the corrupted—twisted, skinless monsters that moved in crazed packs, their jagged limbs scraping against asphalt as they chased down anything that dared make a sound—the world fell into anarchy. Abandoned cars and broken glass littered the roads like the remains of a slain civilization, and cities burned, their skies choked with smoke and the metallic tang of blood. A child, shuddering behind a café counter, whimpered—one stifled cry—and suddenly the creatures were on her, their twisted fingers ripping into soft flesh as her cries faded into gurgling, wet silence. A man nearby was holding a pistol with three rounds remaining, breathing heavily while he observed from a broken window, recognizing that it was not enough. Before they rushed forward and broke the glass, the corrupted turned as one, their hollow eyes locking onto him. Then there was only pain, the final sound before the world went dark. The gods were somewhere beyond the carnage, laughing as humanity was unmade, and the apocalypse had come.
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Meanwhile, Ethan continued to sprint towards the kitchen. He needed weapons. His lungs started to burn as his vision turned hazy, and he cursed his 2 stamina. Wishing he had been a more athletic person. Screams still could be heard all around the Campus. Fool's he thought, screaming or any sound attracted the monsters to them. In the game, this single event wiped out nearly 60% of humanity.
He turned a corner and froze. His eyes widened. In front of him, a corrupted sat on a girl feasting on her flesh, the crunch of bone and the plopping sounds of flesh made Ethan want to puke, but he couldn't; he would attract that thing towards himself. He locked eyes with the girl, her blue eyes rimmed with tears
"Hel…p…..me…ple….asee…." The girl muttered, blood gurgling through her mouth, choking on her blood.
Ethan covered his mouth. He had lost count of how many such scenes he had seen in the game, but reality was much worse, much, much worse. The creature perked up, and Ethan tensed. It raised its hands, which ended in 5 clawed fingers. With a swing, it decapitated the girl's head. It rolled right to Ethan's feet, the girl's expression locked into one of eternal pain.
The creature continued to feast on the body as if nothing had happened; it dug into her ribcage, prying it apart like opening a can of soda. It grabbed her heart, tearing it from the rest of her body, and it placed it above its head as if admiring it. Then dropped it into its mouth, swallowing it.
It stood up, its head snapping towards Ethan. Ethan placed his foot back. His face was locked in terror. It could hear him, his ragged breathing. It made clicking noises, spreading its arms apart. Then it charged.