Zombie Domination

Reimon raised his hand, the air humming around his fingertips as a circular portal, shimmering with distorted space, opened behind them. "Everyone through. Now."

They stepped into the warp gate, leaving the nest, the dead, and the sky-whale behind. It wasn't escape, it was a temporary retreat.

A blink later, they re-emerged onto cracked concrete, surrounded by rows of mismatched buildings held together by makeshift repairs and reinforced metal plates. People watched from windows and alleyways, gaunt faces lit by flickering streetlights powered by unstable energy cores.

Kevin looked around, catching his breath. "This is… Meltdown City?"

Reimon nodded. "Yeah. Welcome back to one places still standing."

Kevin's eyes lit with familiarity. "Then we should head to the city leader. I know him, he might help."

But Julian stepped forward, his voice firm and cold. "No. This is where we part ways."

Kevin blinked. "What? Why?"

Julian turned away. "Because I don't work with people who don't listen to me. Not anymore."

Kevin reached out, grabbing his shoulder. "Julian, please, don't be like this. We still have enemies out there. That thing, that child, she's still out there."

Julian jerked away from his touch, scowling. "We? What makes you think we're still a team? I don't recall ever becoming your subordinate."

Kevin's voice cracked with urgency. "Just wait. I know I messed up, but we're dealing with a threat that could destroy everything. I just… I thought there was a way to save them."

Julian snapped.

"You thought?" His voice rose. "That's your problem, you keep thinking the world still works like it used to! This is the apocalypse, Kevin! There are no heroes. Just survivors. And you? You're going to get more people killed trying to play the messiah."

The tension between them reached a breaking point, until a calm, dignified voice cut through the air.

"You two are quite loud," the voice said, light but commanding. "Arguing in someone else's city, frightening the survivors."

All eyes turned toward the source.

An elderly man stood there, tall and slender, with long, flowing white hair and pointed ears that hinted at something not quite human. His eyes were a deep, endless black, reflecting wisdom, and danger.

Beside him stood a younger man, maybe in his twenties, with slick black hair, round glasses, and the quiet sharpness of a corporate assassin.

Kevin's eyes widened. "Mr. Glain!"

The old man smiled faintly. "Still as impulsive as ever, Kevin. You haven't changed."

Then he looked toward Julian's group, his gaze settling on Julian with a subtle intensity. "Welcome to Meltdown. Why don't we continue this conversation somewhere more… private?"

Julian narrowed his eyes. "I don't have time for this. I have work to do."

Glain chuckled. "You may leave if you wish. But give me five minutes. Listen to what I have to say, and then decide."

Julian looked at the man and thought to himself, Maybe there's no harm in hearing what he has to say.

"…Fine. Five minutes."

"Excellent choice," Glain said with a smile. "This way."

They followed Glain through the winding alleyways and reinforced corridors of Meltdown City. The further they walked, the more apparent it became, this city was different. It wasn't just surviving. It was thriving.

They finally entered a large structure, once a city hall, now reinforced with steel beams and solar panels. The inside was well-lit and surprisingly warm, with a long wooden table at its center surrounded by mismatched chairs. It had the air of a war room, and a sanctuary.

Kevin looked around, then turned to the old man beside him. "How did you know I was here, Mr. Glain?"

Glain gave a small, knowing smile. "Have you forgotten? I remember the energy of every living soul I've encountered. Yours still burns like wildfire."

Kevin blinked. "Even so, we just arrived. You got to us fast."

The old man chuckled. "Because my legs haven't slowed down yet. My run may not look it, but it's still swift."

Emma, taking in the room, looked to the cityscape beyond the windows. "This city… it's massive. As big as my father's shelter."

Then Glain turned to Emma and asked, "Oh? Is your father also a city leader?"

Emma nodded proudly. "Yes, he is! My father is an amazing man."

Glain smiled. "Maybe I'll visit your city someday. If you don't mind me asking... is it far from here?"

Emma replied, "It's really far from here."

Glain gave a thoughtful nod. "Alright then."

Then Glain said, "Do you guys really think my city is that great?"

Then Emma replied, "Yes, your city is more warm and well-organized."

Clarissa nodded, her eyes scanning the signs of organized life, trade stalls, guards, electricity. "It's more prosperous too… and the people, there's more of them."

Glain, overhearing, puffed his chest out with pride. "That's because I work harder than I look."

Julian crossed his arms. "This city... how long has it been standing?"

The man beside Glain, Sebas, with neatly combed black hair and the look of someone who always had a plan, stepped forward.

"This city was founded two days after the outbreak began. Under Lord Glain's leadership, the scattered survivors were brought together. He organized food, medicine, patrols, and shelter. He gave them a reason to fight, not just for their lives, but for one another."

Glain waved a hand dismissively. "That's enough praise, Sebas. I merely gave them a few orders. They're the ones who bled for it."

Veronica looked genuinely impressed. "It's amazing… to have built all this in such a short time, especially in a dying world."

They arrived at the inner chamber, a room shielded by heavy metal doors and guarded by two silent sentries in powered armor. Inside, a large table awaited, and Glain gestured for them to sit.

"Your teams may rest," he said gently. "Only those needed for this discussion should remain."

Kevin looked to his crew. Most of them were exhausted, dark circles under their eyes, arms scraped and bruised. He gave a silent nod, and the others slowly stepped away to rest in the adjacent quarters, leaving Belle, Nia, Reimon, Kevin, and Julian's team.

Glain took his place at the head of the table, folding his hands.

"Now," he said, voice firm yet calm, "let's begin our conversation."

Kevin lowered his head slightly, the weight of guilt pressing on his shoulders. "Before anything else... I'm sorry. I may have released something into the world, something that could throw everything into chaos."

Glain's gaze sharpened. The jovial glint in his eyes dimmed, replaced with the focus of a seasoned leader. "Tell me everything. In detail."

Kevin recounted the events that led up to the incident, how his team had worked alongside Julian's group to infiltrate and destroy a nest. How they found survivors trapped inside grotesque cocoons. How one of them, a horned child, turned out to be a monstrous anomaly. How that child devoured mutated zombies effortlessly and vanished before their eyes.

As Kevin spoke, Glain listened in silence, fingers steepled under his chin. When Kevin finished, he added one last thing. "There's more. While we were recovering... we saw something else. A giant... whale. Swimming through the sky."

Glain's face didn't change. "A sky whale?"

Kevin nodded gravely. "It was real. Massive. Larger than an air carrier. Moving as if the sky itself were an ocean."

Glain leaned back slowly in his chair. "So it's true, then... I never thought I'd hear it confirmed."

Julian, leaning against the wall with arms crossed, narrowed his eyes. "You've heard of this before?"

Glain exhaled slowly. "A man once told me he'd seen a whale swimming across the heavens. He was drunk off his mind when he said it, so I dismissed it as nonsense."

Kevin leaned forward. "Do you know who he was?"

"I didn't catch a name," Glain admitted. "He was searching for someone. A lost friend, maybe. After that night, he disappeared."

"Then that whale's been up there… longer than we realized."

Belle, who had been quiet until now, spoke up hesitantly. "Is it possible… that it's not hostile? It didn't attack us. It just… swam."

Reimon shook his head. "I don't think so. When I first saw it, I thought it was a mirage, but I'm pretty sure I saw it fire something. A thin beam. From its mouth. Like a laser."

Veronica's brow furrowed. "A whale that fires lasers? That's... a terrifying combination."

Julian turned toward Reimon. "Do you remember the color of the laser?"

"Hm… red. But sometimes it flickered blue," Reimon said, eyes narrowing in concentration.

Julian's expression darkened. "Red... I've seen those colors before. From mutated humanoid zombies. The ones that developed bio-lasers. It's possible that thing,whatever it is, was exposed to the same virus, and mutated far beyond normal."

Glain stood and walked to the window, gazing out over the peaceful city. "If that's the case," he said, voice quiet but heavy, "then we're standing at the edge of something far worse than what we've faced. If that whale drifts over cities, its presence alone could spell disaster."

Silence fell over the room as the implication settled in.