Kel's world had always been made of numbers and patterns. A 21-year-old, ordinary guy, Kel lived in a small room in Bangalore. He liked writing code, and his biggest worry was fixing a computer glitch — not fighting or survival.
Tonight was no different. Light rain tapped outside the window. Kel sat in front of his computer, green lines of code scrolling on the screen. He was finishing up a project — a program that analyzed the effects of climate changes. He believed in logic and numbers.
He glanced at the clock — 2:17 AM. Sleep tugged at him, but the task wasn't finished. He took a deep breath, placed his fingers on the keyboard, and then—
It happened all at once. No sound, no warning. Just a blinding white light that stabbed his eyes—so intense he couldn't even blink. A strange cracking sound followed, and his stomach twisted unnaturally. It wasn't pain—it was just… wrong. One moment, he was in his chair. The next, he was suspended in air, falling into nothingness. Pure, uncontrollable void.
For a split second, it felt like he was being erased—like a computer suddenly shutting down.
Then, just as suddenly as it came, the light vanished. Kel slammed into a rough, hard surface.
---
A World Drenched in Crimson
When the light faded… Kel found himself in a place beyond imagination. The ground he'd landed on felt like cracked leather and shattered bones. Red dust stung his eyes. Coughing, he opened them. The sky wasn't blue or gray — it was a horrifying, blood-red hue, like an open wound dripping endlessly. In that crimson light, everything looked twisted — crooked trees, crumbled buildings, the landscape resembled an abattoir. The air reeked of metal—like blood and rust mixed.
His ears, still ringing from the 'explosion', started catching sounds—horrific, gut-wrenching screams. Dozens—maybe hundreds—of people were around him, terrified, running aimlessly, falling, crying, vomiting. Some stood frozen, fear carved into their expressions.
"What... what's happening?" a boy asked, voice shaking.
"Where are we?" a middle-aged woman whispered in shock.
Kel's heart pounded, but his engineering mind focused quickly. He looked at his wrist. Every person—including himself—had a sleek, black digital band. Not a normal watch. No buttons, just a smooth surface. It pulsed faintly with energy. This was the Core Watch.
As soon as he noticed it, a soft voice echoed—not in his ears, but directly in his mind, like a program booting up.
The screen lit up with green text:
[ ZOMBIE PLANET TRIAL - INITIATED ]
Kel's eyes widened. "Zombie Planet Trial?" His own voice sounded strange.
Then came a second message that made people panic even more:
[ ROUND 1 COMMENCING IN: 60 SECONDS ]
[ OBJECTIVE: FIND SHELTER ]
Below that, a countdown started ticking:
[ 00:00:59 ]
A cold shiver ran through Kel's body. Sixty seconds. Shelter. That meant danger was coming.
This wasn't some game or simulation. It was survival. Real.
Screams grew louder. Panic erupted.
"Sixty seconds? For what?" a fat man wheezed.
"Zombies!" a skinny girl cried, tears in her eyes. "They're coming! I saw them!"
"RUN! We need to hide!" someone screamed.
People bolted toward broken buildings, their movements wild and desperate. Every step was driven by pure fear.
Kel stood up. His legs were wobbly, but his mind was working fast. Sixty seconds. Zombies. Shelter. He had to think. Where?
He scanned his surroundings. Jagged trees. Scattered rubble. Then—an old, partially collapsed building with some walls still standing and a dark interior. Not perfect. But it was better than being out in the open.
[ 00:00:25 ]
Time was running fast. Kel sprinted, dodging through the chaotic crowd. Everyone ran for their lives, shoving each other. "No more space here!" someone shouted, pushing Kel aside.
He ignored them. His focus was on that narrow gap in the wall.
Then—movement. From behind the trees and ruined structures—dark shapes emerged. Shambling, growling… approaching.
They weren't your typical zombies. These were grotesque versions of humans — their skin pulled tight over bones, eyes glowing with hunger, limbs twisted at unnatural angles. Their growls filled the air—a mix of rattles and guttural snarls. A terrifying warning.
"Oh no! They're here!" someone screamed.
Kel's lungs burned. He ran harder. The gap in the wall was close now. Others were also trying to get in. A woman was stuck, sobbing. "Help me! Please!"
[ 00:00:10 ]
He didn't have time. Cruel as it was, it was about survival. He slipped past her, leapt, and shoved himself through the crack. His body scraped against the wall, pain flaring, but he made it. Inside, he curled up, coughing, covered in dust.
Screams continued outside. The zombies were here. Their snarls now just feet away.
Kel's Core Watch flashed.
[ 00:00:00 ]
[ ROUND 1 COMMENCING ]
[ OBJECTIVE: SURVIVE FOR 7 DAYS ]
A new countdown began:
[ 06 Days : 23 Hours : 59 Minutes : 58 Seconds ]
---
Terror Within Shelter
Inside the shelter, twenty to thirty people huddled in fear. Dim red light filtered through cracks in the broken walls. Some cried. Some whispered prayers. A boy sat in the corner, biting his fingers, trembling.
Kel found no comfort in the group. More people meant more noise and fewer resources. He sat by the wall, catching his breath.
Zombies scratched outside. Their sounds were closer, circling the building.
Kel tapped his Core Watch. The screen changed: a blank inventory and basic stats:
[ HEALTH: 100% ] [ STAMINA: 100% ]
No weapons. No food. Just him, his mind, and this strange device.
He started analyzing. "Inventory… stats… I need to find something. But what?"
Then—a scream. Sharp. Then silence.
Everyone inside froze, terrified.
Through a hole in the broken wall, Kel saw the horror. A man, who had been running just like him, was now on the ground. Two zombies tore into him, ripping his flesh. It was so horrifying, Kel wanted to look away—but couldn't.
The man's body disintegrated into a cloud of red dust. No core appeared. Cores only came when zombies were killed.
Then he noticed something else—a large zombie fell to a man's pipe strike. The man, wounded and shaking, watched the zombie collapse. A glowing core emerged from its body. Trembling, the man touched it.