Chapter 3

A year had passed since the outbreak of the virus ravaged Kyoto. Once a bustling city filled with vibrant life, it now stood as a haunting reminder of humanity's fragility.

The "Yomigaeri Virus" spread like wildfire, wiping out entire communities and left only waste in its wake. This new and deadly sickness was named after its victims, who became known as "Yomigaeri." The Yomigaeri, who were once ordinary people, are now soulless beings motivated solely by an insatiable need for human flesh. The pandemic worsened by the day, threatening to engulf all of Japan in a cyclone of death and sorrow.

The city was no longer a place filled with people and activity, heavy silence hung in the air like a thick fog. Overturned cars and broken storefronts were left behind, abandoned like remains of a past life.

Nature, always resilient, was starting to creep back into the city, with vines creeping through the cracks and weeds sprouting up through the pavement. The city was becoming a shadow of its former self.

A group of survivors navigated the streets in search of supplies. The scavenging group proceeded slowly and deliberately, paying close attention to every step and noise to avoid disturbing the deadly creatures lurking in the shadows.

Kazuo broke the silence. "I used to keep a journal, trying to make sense of everything. But I stopped when it all fell apart."

"It's like the world is holding its breath, waiting for something to change. But we all know nothing will ever be the same again." Kanoe responded, her expression grim

"The hardest part is the silence. The silence is what gets to me. Shiro whispered.

"I've heard rumors that the military is calling them 'Yomigaeri'. The Revived. As if they've come back from the dead." Kazuo continued

"It's like a sick joke. Whatever they are, they're not human anymore." Kanoe replied.

Shiro nodded, his eyes scanning the empty storefronts. He sighed, "I remember when these streets were full of life. "Now, it's just a graveyard," Shiro said, his voice heavy with sorrow.

Kai, who had been silently studying the surroundings, eventually spoke. "There is no point in dwelling on the past. Keep moving. We don't have much time" His voice was flat and emotionless, in stark contrast to the chaos he had previously survived.

Kai's demeanour was as chilly as a winter night, and his icy stare scanned the group as they talked. His face was engraved with severe lines of detachment, revealing nothing about his thoughts or feelings. Every step he took was slow and precise, like a lone wolf in the wilderness, not afraid of the threats hiding in the shadows. He had converted himself into a creature of pure survival instinct, leaving no room for empathy or compassion.

Kai stood tall, his body chiselled and honed from a life of hardship. His dark hair was swept back, showing his steely determination. His slate-colored eyes showed a soul that had seen more than its fair share of darkness. Scars ran over his body like a map of wars won and losses incurred, each a reminder of a past he had long forgotten.

The others looked at him with a mix of understanding and sympathy. They knew not to question the cold demeanour he had acquired since the outbreak.

Things weren't always like this. Kai's transformation began on the night of the outbreak, a memory that still haunted him.

Barely 17, Kai had been out with his friends celebrating the Obon festival when the yomigaeri virus struck. The joyous atmosphere turned into chaos in an instant catching everyone off guard.

Kai was able to navigate himself through the chaos to get home but when he returned home, he was met with a horrifying sight: his parents, once loving and protective were feasting on his younger sister.

They were both tore into her flesh with animalistic fervor. She laid in the floor nothing but a heap of viscera, eyes dead and lifeless.

The moment stretched like an eternity, the silence broken only by the rapid pounding of Kai's heart. He knew he had to move, but his body was frozen in fear and disbelief.

Then, a strangled cry escaped his lips, shattering the silence. It was like a switch had been flipped; the creatures that had once been his parents snapped their heads towards him, their feral eyes alight with hunger.

Kai turned and ran, the clatter of his feet on the broken pavement echoing down the empty street. The howls of the Yomigaeri followed him, but he didn't look back.

As Kai ran, he felt adrenaline pouring through his veins, giving him a desperate surge of speed. The streets were an obstacle course, littered with abandoned cars and rubble, but he leaped over them with desperation-fueled agility. The sound of the Yomigaeri pursuing him became more audible, and he realised it was only a matter of time before they caught up.

Kai, panting and gasping for oxygen, turned a corner, only to find himself at a dead end. He could hear howls in the distance, getting closer. His heart fell, and for a moment, he felt a wave of despair wash over him.

"Then he heard nails scratching against concrete." He turned around and witnessed a horrifying sight: his mother, or what used to be her, limping towards him. The Yomigaeri's eyes remained blank.

Kai's cheeks were streaming with tears. 'Mom, please, it's me, Kai,' he cried, his voice shaking with pain and terror.

However, the creature's look was filled with hunger rather than recognition. As it surged, he braced himself for the inevitable outcome."

Kai screamed in agony as the Yomigaeri's claws dug into his abdomen, its jaws snarling in an attempt to devour his flesh.

But just as Kai's life was about to be torn from him, a heavy boot slammed into the creature's jaw, sending it sprawling backward.

Kazuo and Shiro appeared, brandishing improvised weapons- a metal pipe and a wood plank. "Move!" Kazuo shouted, urgency in his voice as they helped Kai to his feet, supporting him as they tried to sort out an escape route.

As Kazuo and Shiro dragged Kai across the alley, he felt his life force dwindle with every step. Every breath became a fight, and his eyesight blurred. His dying moments of consciousness were defined by the terrifying countenance of his parents, once loving and protective but now transformed into feral animals, their eyes filled with homicidal hunger.

His sister's screams replayed in his head, along with the Yomigaeri's growls. The blackness swallowed him, and he had no idea what happened.

Kai's eyelids flickered open, and the first thing he saw was Shiro's soft, concerned face. Shiro leaned over, placed a soothing hand on his shoulder, and whispered, "He's awake."

A buzz of movement swept through the room, and Kai found himself encircled by a small gathering of strangers, their looks moving from anxiety to relief.

But Kai's muddled mind was not prepared for such a crowd, and his consciousness faded away as swiftly as it had returned.