Inside the school, though, it was just another ordinary day. The students sat through their lessons, completely unaware that, just beyond the walls, their city was collapsing. The first scream shattered the illusion of normalcy. It came from somewhere near the front gates—someone shouting in terror before being drowned out by an inhuman snarl. Then, chaos erupted. A teacher ran into the hallway, only to be tackled by a student whose skin had turned sickly pale, their mouth smeared with something dark. Another student, breathless and shaking, burst into a classroom, screaming that people were attacking each other. And just like that, panic spread like wildfire. Some ran for the exits, only to find the doors blocked—by what, they couldn’t tell, only that there were too many bodies outside, pressing, pushing, clawing to get in. Others scrambled to hide, locking themselves in classrooms, storage rooms, anywhere they could. Mizuki Akiyama had never intended to come to school that day. He rarely did. But for some reason, today was different. And now, trapped inside a nightmare he never signed up for, he did the only thing that made sense—he ran, heart pounding, slipping into the nearest restroom and locking the door behind him. He pressed his back against the cold tiles, breath shallow, trying to ignore the distant, echoing screams. He didn't know how long he would have to stay there. But right now, the only thing that mattered was staying quiet. Staying hidden and praying that the door would hold.

Mizuki sat in the corner of the restroom, knees pulled close to his chest, his body trembling uncontrollably. The cold tile pressed against his back, but it did little to stop the shivers running through him. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the sounds from the hallway.

“I should’ve stayed home… I should’ve stayed home…”

It was the only thing he could repeat to himself, trying to hold onto the tiniest bit of control.