Echoes Of The Undying

Chapter 15: The Final Stand

The night was supposed to be calm, just like any other. But as the hours ticked by, an eerie stillness descended over Serenity Vale High School. The usual rustle of leaves and distant howls had been replaced by a low, ominous groaning that seemed to rise from the very ground itself. It wasn't long before the Horizon Shadow Class realized something was terribly wrong.

Max, standing watch on the second floor, felt a chill creep up his spine as the groaning grew louder. His hands tightened around his bat, and he rushed to the window, eyes widening in horror at what he saw. "Oh no... oh no no no," he muttered to himself. His breath quickened as the groans turned into a roar, echoing through the empty halls of the school.

He didn’t hesitate. "Everyone! Get ready! They’re here!" Max’s voice rang out, slicing through the tension.

Mary and Nicole, who were close by, sprinted toward the stairs, their hearts pounding in their chests. "What do you mean 'they're here'?" Nicole asked, her voice tight with fear as she caught up to Max.

Max pointed out the window. "See for yourself."

Mary’s breath hitched as she looked outside. "This… this isn’t like anything we’ve faced before."

The field surrounding the school was a sea of undead, their decayed bodies moving in unison like some grotesque tide. There were hundreds—no, thousands—of zombies, all converging on the school. "How are we going to hold them off?" Nicole whispered, her voice trembling.

"We’ll figure it out," Mary replied, though the quiver in her voice betrayed her fear. "We have to."

Across the school, Shenny and Lorenda were reinforcing barricades in one of the classrooms when they heard Max’s shout. "Did he say ‘too many’?" Lorenda asked, her hands shaking slightly as she pushed a heavy desk against the door.

"Stay focused," Shenny said, her tone sharp but not unkind. "We knew this was coming. We just have to hold out. Just like we always do."

Evagellina, overhearing their conversation, approached with a determined expression. "We can’t let them break through. We’ve come too far to lose now."

In the gym, Shamir was organizing the defense strategy with Nigel and Amirul. The atmosphere was tense, every movement deliberate. "We need to split up into groups," Shamir said, his voice steady but urgent. "Cover every possible entry point. Nigel, you take a group to the west side. Amirul, the back. I’ll take the front with whoever’s ready to fight."

Nigel nodded, already moving to gather his team. "On it. We’ll make sure none of them get through."

Amirul double-checked his weapon, trying to push down the knot of fear in his stomach. "Let’s show these zombies what we’re made of."

Shamir clenched his jaw, looking at the faces around him—his friends, his classmates. "We’ve got this. We’ve faced worse, and we’ve always made it through. Tonight’s no different."

As the groups dispersed, the air was thick with anxiety. The students armed themselves with whatever they could find—bats, crowbars, makeshift spears. The survivors who had taken refuge in the school joined in, adding to the numbers but also to the tension.

In the kitchen, Asnina, Fazirah, Dayana, and Famizah were preparing Molotov cocktails with shaking hands, their faces grim. "This is insane," Dayana muttered, trying to calm her racing heart as she stuffed rags into bottles.

"We don’t have a choice," Asnina replied, her voice steady despite the fear in her eyes. "It’s us or them."

Famizah’s hands trembled as she lit a match, passing it to Fazirah to set the first cocktail ablaze. "We’re going to get through this, right?"