Lin Jing, hiding in the small storage area beneath the staircase, heard his name being called again and again. In his dazed state, he blinked several times, unsure whether he was really hearing his brother or simply imagining it. He wanted to call out, but fear kept his voice trapped in his throat. Trembling, he silently crawled out of his hiding spot and carefully made his way up the stairs.
Inside the house, he could hear things being thrown around and breaking. The sharp crashes made him flinch, and he froze near the door before slowly peeking through the narrow gap.
A white-haired man stood in the middle of the room, dressed in a loose T-shirt and pants. He looked completely out of place in the familiar house. As if sensing the small gaze watching him, the man suddenly turned his head toward the door.
His ruby-red eyes glowed.
Lin Jing gasped and immediately took off.
"Zixin! He is here!" Bao called out, running after him. He quickly caught up and grabbed the frightened child before he could get far.
"Let go! Let go of me! Don't kill me… ahhh! Don't kill me!" Lin Jing screamed, struggling wildly in Bao's arms. He kicked and twisted desperately, his eyes squeezed tightly shut as he tried to escape.
"Lin Jing!"
Zixin rushed out of the room the moment he heard the screaming. Seeing his younger brother, he immediately pulled him into his embrace.
"Oh my god… oh my god. You're okay. You're okay…" he whispered, his voice shaking with relief as he hurriedly checked Lin Jing's arms, legs, neck, and face for any wounds.
Lin Jing finally began to calm down when he recognized his brother's face. Tears welled up in his eyes almost instantly.
"Brother~ Mommy… Mommy hurt Daddy, and she wanted to hurt me…" he wailed, clutching tightly onto Zixin. "I hid, but she broke the door."
"Shh, shh…" Zixin pulled him closer, gently patting his trembling back. His heart ached hearing the fear in the child's voice, but he forced himself to stay calm.
"It's okay. I'm here. Brother's here, okay?" he whispered, holding Lin Jing securely against him. "I'll protect you."
Crying, the young boy clung to Zixin like a lifeline, gripping his clothes tightly as though letting go would make everything fall apart. "I was so scared… I was so scared, Ge…"
"I know, I know…" Zixin murmured, gently patting his back as he held him close.
Lin Jing slowly opened his eyes, only to catch sight of their father's bloody corpse lying on the floor. The moment he saw it, his face crumpled and he began sobbing even harder.
"Why did this happen…? Why did Mom hurt Daddy? They love each other. Why…?"
Zixin cupped his little brother's face and gently kissed his brow. "It wasn't Mother, Lin. It wasn't her… It was someone else."
"No. She looked like her."
"No…" Zixin shook his head, his voice soft but firm as he peered into Lin Jing's tear-filled eyes. "Mother is dead. That wasn't her."
"Zixin…"
Bao's quiet voice came from nearby. He had walked over to the window and was staring outside, his brows drawn into a deep frown. The strange pinkish glow coming through the window coated his pale face, making his already unusual appearance look almost demonic.
"Who is he, Zin Ge?" Lin Jing asked hesitantly. "Is he a monster too?"
"No, no. That's Ge's friend. His name is Bao." Zixin reassured him, gently pulling the boy closer against his chest.
"Zixin!"
Bao's voice suddenly cut through them, urgent enough to make Zixin look up.
"You need to get ready. Find any food that's left here. Find anything else you can use as a weapon. Anything." Bao hurried around the room, picking up a broken chair leg before checking the kitchen. He grabbed several knives and shoved them into his belt, his movements quick and tense.
"What is going on now? There aren't many zombies out there. They're all Level One," Zixin casually muttered as he carefully covered Lin Jing's ears with his hands, trying to keep the boy from hearing too much.
"You don't understand!" Bao snapped. "It's going to happen again! The red lights you saw!"
Zixin's expression immediately darkened. He rushed toward the window and looked outside at the strange red-pink glow spreading across the sky.
The red aurora-like lights had been the main cause of the zombies' evolution before. If they were appearing again, then that could only mean one thing.
It was happening again.
"What will happen this time?" Zixin asked, his voice turning serious. "Will the zombies evolve to an even higher grade?"
"I can't say!" Bao gritted his teeth, frustration evident on his face. "There's a higher power stopping me, Zixin, but I can tell you this much. It's going to be bad. Very bad. Worse than this."
His eyes turned toward the strange sky again.
"So you need to prepare right now!"