247 DAYS AFTER BLOODBORNE OUTBREAK...

The city, once buzzing with life, lay in eerie stillness, frozen and decaying under a dull, lifeless sky. Empty cars clogged the streets in rusting lines, some doors left wide open, like their passengers had vanished mid-escape. Shattered glass littered the sidewalks from buildings with broken windows, now hollow eyes staring out at nothing. Faint wisps of smoke curled from small, smoldering fires, their low crackle blending with the faint whistling of a chill breeze that slipped through the abandoned streets, carrying an unsettling quiet. A handful of zombies loitered on the cracked pavement, their movements slow, as if lost in some half-lucid trance, waiting for something—or someone—to stir up the silence.

Down the sidewalk, a lone figure moved, backpack filled with keychains slunged over her shoulders, her steps careful yet casual, skirting attention from the nearby undead. Evelyn was no stranger to this routine; she knew the streets and their dangers well. Today’s goal, like most days, was simple: scavenge what she could before dusk.

She slipped through the shattered window of a convenience store, stepping lightly into the dim, looted interior. Shelves were picked bare, rows of empty racks casting long shadows across the floor.

"Great,"

She muttered under her breath, eyes scanning the aisles.

"Looks like someone beat me to it."

As she moved toward the cashier counter, a faint rustling sounded from behind it. Her heart skipped. Instinctively, she drew her TEC-9, steadying it as she aimed toward the counter’s edge. If it were a zombie, it would’ve already lunged, but the eerie quiet from behind the counter set her on edge.

"Alright, whoever’s back there, show yourself!"

She called, voice just above a whisper, cautious not to draw the attention of the zombies outside.

"Look, I’m not here to rob you,"

She continued, tone measured but firm.

"But if you’re up for it, sharing supplies wouldn’t hurt."