Haa... ouch…” the young man groaned as he tried to stand. His legs wobbled, but before he could get fully upright, he felt something cold press against his forehead.

  He slowly looked up.

  A rifle. A soldier was pointing it straight at his head.

  “Whoa, whoa, chill! Chill!” he said, forcing a smile. He was trying to act calm, but anyone saying he wasn’t nervous would be lying.

  A man in his fifties, dressed in a decorated military uniform, stepped forward. The other soldiers around him immediately saluted. The young man didn’t need to guess—this guy was clearly the commander.

  “Hello, sir!” the young man said smilingly, keeping up his cool act. “Mind telling your guy to lower the gun? It’s kinda hard to think with it on my face.”

  “Commander, he’s the one who came in with Dr. Wang,” the soldier with the gun said, still not lowering his aim.

  “Check him for bite marks,” the commander ordered.

  One of the other soldiers stepped forward and began examining the Young man. “No bite or claw marks, sir. Just a cut on the palm and a large tattoo on his arm.”

  “A cut mark?” the commander repeated sharply, raising an eyebrow.

  He gave a silent signal. The soldier with the gun tensed.

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  “Wait! Hey, wait—listen!” the young man said quickly. “I cut myself on purpose. It was part of the plan—to distract the zombies. Ask Dr. Wang!”

  "Mr.Wang, help me!" The young man shouted. But Mr. Wang who was in car show his middle finger.

  But luck wasn’t on his side.

  Another soldier, who had been staring at him with a puzzled expression, suddenly lit up in recognition. “I remember now! I know you!”

  Everyone turned toward him.

  “You’re the bastard who knocked me out!” he yelled. “Commander, he’s the one who kidnapped Dr. Wang last night!”

  The soldier’s face turned red with anger. “Because of you, I got suspended and transferred to this hellhole of a post!”

  He kept shouting—until he realized the soldiers from the watchtowers were glaring down at him with icy stares. He instantly quieted down.

  What's your name? The commander asked. "Brooke.. Brooke Orrinel, sir" The young man replied.

  The commander turned back to the MC. “So you’re the reason for all the chaos. Do you have any idea how much trouble you’ve caused?”

  He waved his hand. “Arrest him. Lock him up.”

  “Commander, permission to speak?” one of the soldiers said. “Isn’t locking him up a waste of food and space? Why not throw him to the zombies?”

  The brooke shot a glare at the man. “You better hope I don’t get out. I will remember that.”

  The commander gave a short laugh. “That’s a waste too. Just toss him in the cell. We can use him as a test subject later if needed.”

  “Yes, sir,” the soldier responded, saluting.

  They cuffed his hands behind his back and began dragging him toward the military base. As they passed, the soldier who had recognized him gave a smug grin and made a throat-slitting gesture with his finger.

  The brooke returned the soldier’s smug grin with a smirk of his own.

  “Hey, soldier,” he said casually to the one walking beside him. “What time is it?”

  The soldier snorted. “You’re headed somewhere time doesn’t matter. But if you really want to know—it’s 7:00.”

  “I mean the exact time,” the Brooke pressed.

  The soldier rolled his eyes but checked his watch. “It’s 7:29 and… 57 seconds.”

  The Brooke laughed, low and satisfied. “Perfect.”

  He raised his voice slightly. “I’ve got something to say. For everyone here. Especially for the commander.”

  The commander, already a few steps away, turned slightly and gave him a half-curious glance over his shoulder.

  The Brooke locked eyes with him. “Goodbye, motherf**ker.”

  And then—he vanished.

  Right there in front of them, in a blink.

  His clothes, handcuffs, and boots dropped to the ground with a soft thud, the only thing left behind.

  For a few seconds, no one moved. The soldiers stood frozen, eyes wide.

  The commander’s jaw clenched, his expression darkening as he stared at the empty space where the prisoner had been.

  “What… the hell just happened?” one soldier finally whispered.

  But no one had an answer.