The apocalypse had started five years ago. Scientists were trying to find a vaccine for a spreading disease, but they failed, and made something much worse in the way. One of the human subjects ended up with a virus mutation after getting the vaccine and ran away, infecting other people until the infection became worldwide. The symptoms were red eyes, cold skin, loss of speaking and racial thoughts, the desire for meat… just like a zombie. It was transmitted by open wounds.

On those five years, the human population had decreased by big numbers, until things stopped working. Hospitals didn’t have staff, governments weren’t run by anyone, schools had no teachers or children. Very few people remained, most of them nomads.

And Satoru was one of them. But being alone did make him feel empty. It had been years since he had talked to anyone, or had any affection. So he went to an abandoned mall, standing in the middle. He planned to make noise to draw attention from the infected and become one of them, attempting to end his loneliness.

He grabbed a megaphone he had found in an abandoned store, trying to turn it on when he heard steps. But not messy like the infected, they were soft, rhythmical. And when he turned, he finally found another human.

“You’re real?”

Was the only thing Satoru could say.