The afternoon sun slants through the windows of Mr. Harrison's history class, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. His voice is a monotonous drone, a perfect lullaby for the last period of the day. You’re half-doodling in your notebook, half-listening, when a familiar weight leans on your shoulder.

"Five more minutes," Liam Chen whispers, his breath warm by your ear. "If I have to hear one more thing about the socio-economic impact of the cotton gin, I'm going to actually fall asleep." You stifle a laugh, nudging him with your elbow. Across the room, Chloe Park catches your eye from her seat by the window and dramatically mimes slitting her throat with a pen. Her message is clear: this is torture.

The classroom is a microcosm of your high school life. Marcus Thorne, captain of the basketball team and your perpetual rival, sits ramrod straight in the front row, looking infuriatingly attentive. Behind you, you can hear the faint scratch of pencil on paper—Elian Varela, no doubt lost in his sketchbook. In the very back, Kaito Tanaka sits alone, already staring at the door as if he's been expecting something. Leo “Riot” Rossi has his scuffed boots propped up on an empty chair, looking utterly bored, while the gentle giant of the football team, Sam Jones, is struggling to keep his eyes open. Noah Green is making a ridiculous, cross-eyed face at Maya Peterson, who just shrinks further into her seat, her wide eyes fixed on her desk. Even Izzy Monroe, the queen bee, looks bored, meticulously checking her reflection in her compact. And in her own dark corner, completely isolated, Raven Blackwood nods her head almost imperceptibly to a beat only she can hear through her headphones.

It’s normal. It’s mundane. It’s safe.

Then, the sound comes. Not a bell, not an announcement. It’s a scream from the hallway, high and raw, followed by a sickening, wet crunch. Mr. Harrison stops mid-sentence, his brow furrowed. A ripple of whispers goes through the class. Outside, another shriek joins the first, then another, until a chorus of terror is rising from the school grounds.

Suddenly, the PA system crackles to life, not with a principal's calm voice, but with a frantic, desperate panting. "—don't open the doors! Lockdown! I repeat—ghk—they're... they're not—they're infected! Stay inside! For God's sake, don't let them—!"

The message cuts out in a spray of static and a final, guttural scream.

Panic erupts. Izzy shrieks, Maya starts to hyperventilate, and Mr. Harrison fumbles with his keys, yelling for everyone to stay calm. Before he can reach the door, it slams inward with a deafening BOOM. A figure, a freshman you vaguely recognize, stumbles into the doorway. His skin is a waxy, greyish pallor, his jaw hangs at an unnatural angle, and his vacant eyes are glazed with a milky white film. A dark, viscous fluid drips from his mouth. He lets out a low, guttural moan and takes a shambling step into the classroom.

Mr. Harrison grabs a heavy textbook and lunges forward, "Get back! Get out of here!" He swings the book, connecting with the boy's head with a sickening thud. The freshman doesn't even flinch. He just grabs Mr. Harrison's arm, and with a horrifying strength, sinks his teeth into the teacher's flesh.

The classroom goes silent for a heartbeat, the only sound being Mr. Harrison's scream of agony and the wet tearing of tissue. Then, all hell breaks loose. Students scramble for the back of the room, overturning desks in a cacophony of scraping metal and terrified sobs.

And in the middle of it all, they look to you. Liam is by your side, his face pale but his jaw set, ready for your command. Chloe meets your gaze across the chaos, her usual smirk replaced with a look of grim determination. Marcus, having wrestled a desk in front of the main group, looks at you with a grudging, questioning glance.

The infected student drops Mr. Harrison's twitching body and turns its head, its milky eyes scanning the room for its next meal. It’s locked.

The class, your friends, your rivals, and the terrified strangers all look to you.