Echoes Of The Undying

Chapter 15: The Final Stand (Continued Part II)

The atmosphere in the main hall was thick with desperation. The Horizon Shadow Class had managed to regroup and form a defensive line, but the relentless pressure from the zombies threatened to break them at any moment. The sounds of combat-groans, screams, and the sickening thud of weapons hitting flesh-filled the air.

Affendy was fighting near the front lines, his face a mask of determination. He swung a metal rod with all his might, striking down one zombie after another. But the endless wave of undead was wearing him down, each swing feeling heavier than the last. "We can't keep this up forever!" he shouted, his voice hoarse from the exertion.

"Just a bit longer!" Shamir called back, his voice strained but resolute. "We're almost through this!"

The words were meant to encourage, but Affendy knew the situation was growing dire. He glanced around and saw Angeline, a few meters away, desperately trying to fend off a group of zombies that had broken through a weak point in the barricade. She was alone, her back pressed against the wall, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

"Angeline!" Affendy called out, panic flaring in his chest. He fought his way toward her, his heart pounding as he saw the terror in her eyes.

Angeline swung her weapon-a broken chair leg-wildly, trying to keep the zombies at bay, but she was growing tired. One of the undead grabbed her arm, its cold, clammy fingers digging into her flesh. "Get off me!" she screamed, using her free hand to smash its skull, but another zombie immediately took its place.

"I'm coming!" Affendy yelled, adrenaline giving him a burst of speed as he raced to reach her.

But just as he was about to pull her to safety, a zombie lunged from the side, knocking him off balance. He stumbled, falling to the ground as the creature pinned him down. Affendy struggled, trying to shove the rotting corpse away, but the weight of the zombie pressed down on him, its teeth gnashing inches from his face.

"Help! Somebody help!" Affendy cried out, his voice filled with fear as more zombies closed in on him

"Affendy!" Angeline screamed, tears streaming down her face as she tried to fight her way toward him. But the zombies were closing in on her too, their rotting hands grabbing at her clothes, pulling her down.

From across the hall, Shenny saw what was happening and yelled, "We need to get to them! Now!" But the sheer number of zombies made it impossible to reach them in time.

Affendy felt the cold, slimy hands of the undead pulling him down, their weight crushing the breath out of him. He thrashed and kicked, trying to break free, but it was no use. The first bite came with a searing pain, the zombie's teeth sinking into his shoulder. He screamed, a sound of pure agony and terror, as more of the undead piled on top of him.

Angeline's screams echoed through the hall as the zombies overpowered her. She swung her weapon frantically, trying to keep them at bay, but there were too many. One of the zombies grabbed her arm, pulling her down to the ground. She kicked and fought, but the horde overwhelmed her. The first bite was followed by another, and another, as the zombies tore into her flesh.

"No! Angeline!" Shamir's voice broke as he saw her go down. He tried to fight his way through the wall of undead, but it was too late.

The sounds of their screams, the wet, tearing noises of flesh being ripped apart, filled the hall, sending chills down the spines of everyone still fighting. The horror of it all was overwhelming, the reality of the situation hitting them like a physical blow.

"Affendy! Angeline!" Mary's voice was filled with despair as she watched her friends being consumed. Tears blurred her vision, but she couldn't stop fighting. She had to keep going, for them.

Nigel, fighting nearby, felt a cold numbness wash over him. He had seen so much horror since this nightmare began, but nothing had prepared him for this. "We have to move!" he shouted, his voice cracking with emotion. "We can't let their sacrifice be in vain!"

The remaining students rallied, fighting with a renewed fury born from grief and desperation. They pushed the zombies back, reclaiming the ground they had lost, but the cost had been devastating.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the last of the zombies either killed or driven back, and the doors to the main hall were finally barricaded. The surviving students, bloodied and battered, collapsed against the walls and each other, breathing heavily. The air was thick with the smell of death, blood, and the metallic tang of sweat.

Mary slumped against a wall, her chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath. She looked around the room, seeing the hollow, haunted expressions on her classmates' faces. The loss of Affendy and Angeline weighed heavily on everyone, a painful reminder of the cost of survival in this hellish new world.

"They're gone..." Shenny whispered, her voice barely audible over the eerie silence that had settled over the hall. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, smearing dirt and tears across her face.

"We couldn't save them," Nigel said, his voice filled with anguish and guilt. He stared at the spot where Affendy and Angeline had fallen, the floor now stained with their blood. "They were right there, and we couldn't do anything."

"Stop," Shamir said, his voice firm but laden with pain. "We can't think like that. We did everything we could. They knew the risks… we all do." But even as he spoke, he couldn't shake the image of Angeline’s terrified face as she was pulled down by the horde. It would haunt him forever.

Vivie, her hands trembling, knelt down and gently picked up Angeline’s discarded chair leg. The blood on it had barely dried. "We can't leave them like this," she said quietly, her voice breaking. "They deserve better."

"We’ll give them a proper burial," Dayana said, her voice thick with tears. "As soon as we can. But right now, we need to take care of the living." She forced herself to stand, pushing aside her grief to focus on the others.

"She’s right," Faizah added, wiping away tears as she moved to help a wounded classmate. "We’re still in danger. We need to regroup, tend to the injured, and fortify our defenses. This isn't over."

As the students began to pull themselves together, Mary couldn't help but replay the horrific scene in her mind. She had seen Affendy and Angeline fight so bravely, only to be overwhelmed in the end. The thought of their final moments made her stomach churn with guilt and sorrow.

Intan, who had been fighting beside Affendy moments before he fell, was silent, staring at the ground with a hollow expression. She hadn’t moved since the battle ended, her body frozen in shock. "He was right there," she finally whispered, her voice barely audible. "I should have done more. I should have…"

"Intan, you did everything you could," Filbert said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Affendy would’ve wanted us to keep fighting, to survive."

"But why?" Intan said, her voice cracking as tears streamed down her face. "What’s the point if we just continue to live when one of us No two of us died" Lorenda who's been sitting next to Intan trying to calm her down "Calm down Intan,I know how you felt, everyone felt the same but please, atleast we continue their will to live, dont make their sacrifice go to vain"....

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