As the ferris wheel tumbled toward the murky waters below, Guts made a split-second decision. With a firm grasp, he clutched Cody, propelling them both out of the falling structure and into the chilly water below. The shock of the cold and the sheer force of their plunge momentarily knocked Cody unconscious, his world dissolving into darkness.

  When Cody's eyes fluttered open, a sharp, searing pain shot through his leg. He squinted down through the dim light to see a wound on his leg; it looked like a bullet graze. Confusion set in as he scanned the chaotic debris floating around him—not remnants of a ferris wheel, but rather an odd assortment of household items: chunks of wood, broken furniture, and disturbingly, several human bodies bobbing in the gentle sway of the water.

  Struggling against the pain and the pull of the water, Cody spotted a wooden pnk a short distance away. He began a borious swim towards it under the ominous cover of a stormy sky. Just as he was about to reach the makeshift raft, the silhouette of a soldier appeared, kneeling on the pnk and extending a hand towards him.

  Desperate, Cody reached out, but before their hands could meet, a sudden force yanked at his uninjured foot. Turning in horror, he saw a biter tched onto him, its teeth sinking into his flesh. Panic surged through him as he inadvertently swallowed water, his vision blurring with pain and fear.

  At that moment, a surreal silence enveloped him, punctuated only by a muffled, thunderous crash above. Cody’s heart raced as he looked up to see a car spiraling down from the stormy sky, heading straight for him. Then, everything faded to bck once more.

  “CODY!” The urgency in Guts’ voice ripped through the silence. Cody’s eyes snapped open to find himself coughing up water, back on the safety of the shore. “Good to see you alive!” a warmly familiar voice chimed in. Cody turned to see Spike, his tail wagging vigorously, offering a helping hand.

  “I was beginning to think we were the only ones left,” Cody spoke, relieved as Guts yelled. “THE FUCK ARE THESE BITERS?” Guts swung his bde at the biter but their head was covered in molten metal, and there were sharp spikes around the head.

  Bandy grabbed the biter by the torso and tried to keep it still as another one of those biters limping from behind him.

  Suddenly, the bushes exploded with movement as Mr. Peterson surged forth, sprinting fiercely towards the biter. He swiftly delivered a powerful kick to its legs, forcing the undead creature to crumble awkwardly onto the ground. Without hesitation, he shoved the barrel of his shotgun roughly into the biter's mouth, a fierce glint in his eyes.

  "Enjoy the taste of gunpowder, freak!" he shouted fiercely, squeezing the trigger. The shotgun bst roared thunderously, instantly obliterating the biter’s head and sending bck blood spttering across the ground.

  Cody quickly reached out, grasping Spike's hand as the loyal companion hauled him upright with surprising strength. "Where is Aya?" Spike asked urgently, his voice heavy with concern and desperation.

  "She's back over there," Cody responded, pointing towards the town, now silhouetted ominously against a fiery backdrop. The amusement park had become an inferno, fmes licking aggressively into the sky and filling the air with thick, choking smoke.

  "These fmes didn’t just get our attention," Mr. Peterson said gravely, his voice tense with apprehension. "It’ll get the military on us as well."

  Nearby, Bandy wrestled another biter to the ground, swiftly plunging his bde upward through its jaw and into its skull, silencing it forever. He stood up, panting slightly as he gnced around cautiously.

  Cody’s mind fshed back to the dream he had just experienced, the terrifying realism of it clinging to him like a persistent shadow. He felt the phantom pain lingering in his limbs, the fear still gripping his chest. Yet, he had little time to process it as suddenly, a vibrant red fre shot upwards from the dense forest near the edge of town.

  "That's them!" Bandy shouted urgently, pointing towards the fre’s luminous glow. "We need to get to the others, now!"

  Without a second thought, Cody unched himself forward, sprinting headlong through the dense foliage, weaving between trees and underbrush. Guts, Mr. Peterson, Spike, and Bandy followed close behind, adrenaline fueling their desperate dash to reunite with their comrades.

  Back near the town, Aya stared anxiously at the growing swarm of biters when distant gunshots rang out. Relief flickered briefly in her eyes. "They must be okay," she muttered softly, turning to look reassuringly at Lucifer and Mars.

  Suddenly, another shot pierced the air with chilling precision. Aya's leg buckled beneath her as searing pain erupted in her thigh, a spray of blood spttering onto the pavement. Her scream echoed loudly, drawing the attention of the biters, their hollow eyes now fixated on her as they began their slow, relentless shuffle forward.

  Mars spun sharply at the sudden chaos, eyes widening as he caught sight of a squadron of soldiers swiftly approaching, guns raised threateningly. He clenched his jaw, noticing the red fre high in the sky above them. Anger surged through him as he recognized the grim reality. "You fucks," he hissed bitterly, his hand moving instinctively to the grip of his rifle.

  A woman stepped confidently forward from the line of soldiers, her dark curly hair framing a face marred by a distinctive scar slicing diagonally across intense orange eyes. She wore a cold, amused expression as she casually gnced at Aya's injured form.

  "You wouldn’t want to do that, Mars. It's just the two of you, honey," she mocked with a cruel smile.

  Lucifer stared in stunned horror at Aya’s wounded leg, then turned her enraged gaze towards the woman. "Hora sent me to terminate all of you," the woman continued coolly. "I finally tracked you down; it took long enough. I know where some of you are, but they're at… better, more secure pces. They got lucky for now."

  "You know her?" Lucifer asked sharply, eyes locked on Mars. Mars didn’t look away, his expression grim. "Yeah," he admitted reluctantly. "Her name’s Cyrus, one of Hora’s best commanders."

  Aya gritted her teeth, fury overcoming her pain as adrenaline surged through her veins. With trembling hands, she raised her gun defiantly. "You bitch!" she screamed with rage, pulling the trigger.

  With impressive reflexes, Cyrus quickly sidestepped, but not swiftly enough—the bullet grazed her cheek sharply, continuing its deadly path into a soldier standing behind her, killing him instantly. Cyrus touched her face briefly, eyes narrowing in pure fury.

  "That was stupid of you," she snarled venomously, raising her pistol again, aiming squarely at Aya. "I’m about to shoot you—again."

  Without hesitation, Lucifer lunged in front of Aya protectively, eyes bzing defiantly as the sharp report of gunfire cracked through the air once more.

  This time, however, it was Cyrus who cried out in pain, her gun tumbling from her grasp onto the pavement. Blood spurted from her hand as two severed fingers dropped grotesquely to the ground. She stared in shock and rage at the bushes nearby.

  From the shadows emerged Stalker, rifle raised steadily, his face set in cold determination. "I heard enough," he decred sternly, aiming straight at Cyrus.

  Cyrus quickly recovered, eyes widening as she darted swiftly behind nearby cars for cover. The soldiers accompanying her immediately shifted focus.

  Dogface lunged from behind the cover, his movements swift and determined as he grabbed Cyrus, smming her against a nearby car. "You, Doro, and Hora will pay for this!" he snarled. Cyrus, not easily subdued, kicked Dogface sharply, knocking him back as she turned to flee into the forest's dense cover.

  Dogface, undeterred, drew his gun and fired several shots in rapid succession, but his target was already disappearing into the woods, each bullet missing its mark by inches. On the other side of the road, Cody burst from the underbrush, his eyes wide with the adrenaline of battle. At his side, Mr. Peterson leveled his shotgun, bsting a soldier's legs with a ferocious shot that severed a limb and sent the soldier crashing to the ground in a scream of agony.

  Raven and Ed joined the fray, their guns roaring as they methodically took down the remaining soldiers. The air was thick with the acrid smell of gunpowder and the sharp tang of spilled blood. As the gunfire finally ceased, Lucifer, with fierce determination, fended off advancing biters and scooped Aya into her arms, making a dash for safety.

  "We need to move—now, before the swarm overtakes us!" Lucifer called out, her voice cutting through the chaos. Cody, his concern etched deep on his face, rushed to Aya's side. "Aya! Thank God you're okay," he breathed out, relief momentarily washing over him.

  "Did she get shot?!" he asked, gncing from Lucifer to his sister, who managed a weak smile in response. Stalker approached, his expression grave. "We need to head back immediately. We have a doctor who can help," he stated, urging the group forward.

  "Let's leave before nightfall," Stalker added, leading the way back into the forest. The group quickly fell in line, with Cody staying close to Aya and Lucifer, his gun held ready, alert to any further threats.

  "We thought we'd lost everyone," Raven remarked, cpping Guts and Mars on the back. "We're tough as nails, boss," Guts replied, though his eyes were clouded with concern for Aya.

  "Did you guys see Rose and the others? Ted?" Cody inquired, his voice ced with worry. Stalker shook his head. "We've been searching during our supply runs. We saw the fire, and thankfully, we ran into Mr. Peterson, who found Bandy and Spike. And now, here we are," he expined, his gaze sweeping over the group as they moved swiftly through the dwindling light, each step taking them further from the chaos but deeper into uncertainty.