Zombie Domination-Chapter 69- Playing God

Rayden exhaled deeply, wiping sweat from his brow. "Damn... what a fight..."

Julian approached slowly, his steps heavy but composed. He glanced at both Aya and Rayden, giving them a firm nod. "How much longer for the antibody?"

Aya checked the device strapped to her arm, her expression tense. "Around two more minutes... if everything stays stable."

But then, footsteps. Dozens of them.

Heavy. Steady. And suffocating.

A wave of soldiers began emerging from the smoke, moving in formation like a tide of steel. Their armor reflected the dying light of dusk, and at the center of it all walked a man whose presence alone could freeze the battlefield.

His eyes were sharp, his expression carved from stone. Intimidating, unreadable.

"I didn’t expect all three of my enhanced skill users to fall at your hands," he said, voice calm but cold. "You’ve become quite a nuisance."

Rayden’s face twisted in exhaustion and disbelief. "Oi oi oi... you’ve gotta be kidding me. Can’t I get just one damn break?"

Julian stepped slightly forward, subtly shielding Aya behind him. His voice was calm. "Aya. Stay behind me."

The man, clearly a general, smiled thinly. "You’re wasting your potential, all of you. Join me. Help me build a kingdom in this new world. I’ll guarantee your safety... and your place at the top."

Rayden clenched his fists, rage boiling over. "What the hell are you talking about, General?! We were deployed to protect civilians, to survive, not to become monsters! Why would you do something so twisted?!"

The general narrowed his eyes. "Twisted? No. This is evolution. Order must be created through power. People crave someone to follow. I simply became that someone."

Julian gave a half-smile, dry and laced with sarcasm. "So your answer to saving the world is playing god, huh? That’s cute. But the only thing you’re building is a kingdom of corpses."

The general finally turned his full attention to Julian. "So... you’re Julian Deaw. The dual-skill user with elite combat instincts." His gaze sharpened. "I want you. Under my control. You would be... invaluable."

Julian didn’t flinch. Instead, he leaned closer to Aya and whispered, "Can we launch the gas disperser now?"

Aya whispered back, "Not yet... they need coordinates from all four gates to aim it correctly."

Rayden let out a low breath. "So we have to split up and get to all four gates..."

Julian looked at both of them, his expression resolute. "When the antibody’s ready, escape with Mr. Elien and Clint. Find the others. I’ll stay here and keep this bastard busy."

"No!" Aya stepped forward, her voice cracking. "Julian, don’t.. don’t say that. We’re escaping together."

Julian shook his head, voice quiet but firm. "We won’t make it if we all stay. I’ll buy you time."

Rayden lowered his head, frustrated. "Damn it... always giving you the toughest job, huh.. Sorry, partner."

Julian did something rare, he smiled. A real one.

"Trust me, partner."

Then he turned to Aya. Her eyes were glistening. Tears threatened to fall.

He reached out gently, brushing her shoulder. "Tell the others not to worry about me. Fight with everything you’ve got. I’ll come back."

"Julian..." she whispered, shaking her head. "Please..."

But Rayden nodded at Julian, understanding. He grabbed Aya’s arm. "Come on. We have to go."

"No! Let go of me!" she struggled, tears now falling. "Julian—!"

Rayden didn’t stop. He dragged her away. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Then he remembered something, he pulled a small glass vial from his belt and tossed it to Julian. The liquid inside shimmered gold.

"It’s a revival potion. You’ll get back up instantly if you fall... but it’ll eat away at your life force. Only use it if you have to."

Julian caught it and gave a small nod. "Got it."

He summoned his shadows, letting them bloom around the hallway like smoke, blocking the path, buying time.

Then he looked at the general again with a twisted grin. "How generous of you... letting them escape."

The general’s expression didn’t change. "They won’t get far. My men are already waiting outside. They’ll be captured eventually."

Julian’s smile faded into something colder.

"Then you’ve already made your first mistake."

After that, Aya and Rayden burst into the lab room where Mr. Elien and Clint were still working, the hum of machinery and flickering lights surrounding them. The two of them were hunched over a panel, fine-tuning a glowing, serum-filled cartridge.

Rayden stepped forward, breathless. "How’s the antibody?!"

Mr. Elien didn’t look up. "Almost done. Just a few more seconds."

But his hands paused when he noticed Aya. She stood there, trembling, her eyes red, tears still flowing down her cheeks.

"Aya?" Elien asked softly, stepping closer. "What happened?"

He gently pulled her into a comforting embrace, trying to ease the storm in her chest.

Rayden looked away, his voice tight with guilt. "We... we left Julian behind."

"What...?" Elien’s voice grew alarmed. "You what? Why?!"

"There’s a general," Rayden said, fists clenched. "And a whole damn army. He stayed to buy us time."

Elien’s eyes widened in horror. "That’s suicide! We have to go back, we need to help him, now!"

"No!" Rayden snapped. "We have a job to finish! If we turn back now, we’ll all get caught. Everything Julian did... would be for nothing."

Elien’s eyes narrowed. "So that’s it? We just abandon him?"

Rayden’s glare flared. His voice shook, not with anger, but something deeper. "You think I want to leave my friend behind second time? You think this is easy for me?!" His voice cracked. "I already lost my squad once... I’m not doing it again. But if we screw up now, Julian dies for nothing."

Tension rippled through the room like lightning ready to strike.

Then Clint slammed a metal tray onto the table. "Enough! Both of you!"

The room fell silent.

Clint looked up, his voice firm. "I’ve finished the antibody. It’s ready. We just need to load it into the gas disperser and upload the coordinate chips to the four gates."

He looked at all of them, his gaze hard. "We’re racing against time. So pull yourselves together and remember the damn mission."

Elien exhaled shakily and turned back to Aya. His voice was softer now. "I’m sorry, Aya... but we have to believe in Julian."

Aya wiped her tears, nodding slowly, even though her heart still ached.

They made their way toward the exit, but as they turned the corner, dozens of enemy soldiers blocked their path, rifles raised.

Rayden cursed under his breath. "Figures... they’re already here."

"Good thing I know a secret way out of here."

Without wasting time, he led them through a narrow corridor, ducking into a barely visible maintenance hatch tucked behind rusted panels. They ran through winding tunnels and back alleys, heartbeats thundering, until finally, light broke through at the end of the passage.

They emerged into a hidden section of the city outskirts, and after sprinting for several minutes through ruined streets, they reached the rebel hideout. The doors creaked open, and the group inside gasped when they saw them.

"You’re back!" one of the guards shouted.

Everyone rushed over, Lucia at the front. "Is it ready? Did you manage to...?"

Clint gave a firm nod, lifting the case that held the antibody and gas disperser. "It’s ready."

He and Elien immediately got to work, setting up the launcher on the central platform. The group let out a collective breath of relief, finally, a step forward in this hellish war.

But then Clarissa asked the question no one wanted to hear.

"Where’s Julian?"

Silence fell like a hammer.

Aya lowered her head, her body still trembling. Tears welled up in her eyes.

Rayden stepped forward, voice low. "Julian... stayed behind. He bought us time so we could reach the four gates and release the antibodies."

Emma, glanced at Aya and saw her crying in his father arms. Her voice broke. "You’re joking... right?"

Then Veronica stepped forward, eyes sharp with fury. "Wait... what the hell are you saying? You left Julian? Alone? In the enemy’s stronghold?! Are you out of your goddamn mind?!"

Clarissa tried to calm her down. "Veronica, please—"

"No!" Veronica shouted. "Do you even understand how much he’s done for all of you?! And now you just leave him behind like it’s nothing?!"

Rayden didn’t say anything. He couldn’t. Every word from Veronica stabbed deeper into the guilt already crushing his chest.

Celestia approached, her voice calm but firm. "That’s enough, Veronica. We need to think clearly—"

"Think clearly?!" Veronica snapped, eyes brimming with tears. "He’s out there alone, fighting for us, and you want me to stay calm? I only joined this fight because he asked me to!"

"Enough!" Emma shouted, surprising everyone. Her hands trembled, but her voice was steady. "We’re all worried. But yelling and tearing into each other won’t bring him back faster. We need to believe in him... and finish the job he entrusted to us. Then we’ll go back for him. Together."

Rayden nodded slowly, swallowing his guilt. "She’s right. I’m sorry if my decision was wrong... but we don’t have time to waste. The faster we release the antibodies, the faster we can return to Julian."

Veronica wiped her tears roughly, her voice still shaky with anger and pain. "Aghhh!! fine! But this better work. Let’s believe in him...."