"Where were you this whole time, Akash? How and why are you here?" Anirudh's voice was fraught with urgency as he confronted his friend.

"My memory is all fuzzed out. I just woke up in my room today," Akash replied, his tone bewildered.

"I can't remember anything significant either," Avyan chimed in, his brow furrowed in concentration.

Their collective confusion hung heavy in the air. None of them could recall anything from the past few days.

"We need answers," Pratyush exclaimed, breaking the uneasy silence.

"What were you warning us about, Anirudh?" Avyan pressed, his eyes searching for clarity.

Anirudh hesitated, his mind flickering with fragmented images. "Chaos," he finally managed, his voice tinged with fear. "Chains, people running, blood. My instincts are screaming at me to hide and never move."

"Wait, now that he mentions it, I vaguely remember something similar," Akash added, his own memories stirring reluctantly.

"Me too," Avyan murmured.

"Me too."

"Me too."

The realization hit them like a wave. Their minds were a jumbled mess of inexplicable fragments.

"We should head back to the dorm and figure this out," Ishan suggested, his voice a blend of concern and determination.

The walk back should have been routine, but tension crackled in the air. Adrenaline coursed through their veins, heightened senses on high alert.

"What's that sound?" Akash suddenly interrupted, his ears pricking up.

Avyan listened intently. "It's coming from inside the common hall."

Anirudh cautiously pushed open the door to their dorm's common room.

"Dau ji?"

The sight that greeted them was beyond belief. Their beloved hostel warden, Dau ji, was bound in chains, his wounds bleeding profusely. His mouth gagged with socks, preventing him from speaking.

Ishan and Anirudh swiftly moved to free him with a nearby hammer, their actions urgent and precise.

"God bless you boys," Dau ji gasped in relief as the chains fell away. "I would've been dead if not for you."

"Who did this to you?" Ishan demanded, his voice raw with emotion.

"I think it's time for me to go back to my family," Akash declared, turning to leave.

"You have no family," Dau ji's words stopped him in his tracks, shock etched on his face.

The group gathered around Dau ji, bombarding him with questions.

"You need answers," Dau ji said calmly, gesturing for them to sit down. "Let me tend to these wounds and make some tea."

The room fell into a heavy silence as Dau ji began to speak, "There are creatures roaming outside, creatures that are not something created by God. This all started over a month ago when people started losing their minds, and started attacking others frantically. The correct reason is unknown to man. However, what I know is those who are bit or in direct contact of the diseased blood, will turn into those creatures. From the past few weeks, I was the one catering all the hostellers, we were united over here. We went to look for food, build defenses, artillery and stayed in a group. However, I don't know what happened to some of the boys in the hostel, you had a disagreement and then you five just left. Before I got a hold of the news, we got raided by a rebellious group. They took all the remaining boys and most of our food supplies and left me here to die. This was over 3 days ago."

Avyan interrupted, his voice trembling. "Creatures? Like zombies?"

"Yes, exactly," Pratyush confirmed, his mind racing with disbelief.

"But there was nothing outside," Ishan argued.

"They come out at night, burn in the sun, hide during the day," Dau ji continued, his tone grim. 

As Dau ji left to prepare tea, the boys exchanged worried glances.

(barking)Oreo comes in from the main gate. Oreo is a stray dog that has been staying within the campus from a long time. It is no less than a family member to the boys. They used to feed it, pet it, play with it.

"Oh, I missed you Oreo, come down here", Akash said excitedly, "You look like you're hungry, let's feed you", he leaves with Oreo for the kitchen to ask Dau ji for a little treat for the good boy.

"I propose staying close with dau ji at a moment like this. He is an asset we cannot even dare to lose at a time like this", Anirudh puts forward his opinion 

"This is messed up. It all seems so familiar but why can't I remember any of this? It seems like a block of memory is missing", Ishan says 

"Yesterday I was happy, going to college, playing RDR 2 and chilling and today I am in hell", Pratyush says 

Everyone agrees with Anirudh. Also, no one could deny the fact that they were tired; So, as instructed, the boys head up to their rooms. 

"I wonder where the rest of the hostellers went. Aadit, Soham, Sankalp, Akshunn, Aryan, I miss them.", Akash thinks by himself.

Hours later, Avyan awoke and found Dau ji deep in thought downstairs, dinner ready on the table.

"You've done quite a job here," Avyan remarked, joining him.

Dau ji smiled wearily. "I did what I could. I made this with some supplies I hid carefully. We'll have to scavenge for supplies soon."

Avyan asks calmly, "Do you mind if I join you?"

"Mind? I would love that.", Dauji replies, passing a sweet smile

Avyan hesitated, then asked about the raiders. "I understand looting for supplies but why kidnap the others?"

"Hunger changes people," Dau ji explained sadly, "Things have not been well for humanity ever since this all started. People are dynamic kid. Hunger has brought up the worst in man. Hunting is not for the city and growing your own vegetables is a long shot. They have resented to other means of food.", dau ji's eyes fill up with dew

"I could have saved the kids. It was all my fault. I should have been more careful. I took measures but I did not know they were not enough", Dau ji continues

"Don't put this on yourself. None of this is your fault. We are going to get through this. We always have. We always find a way.", Avyan reassure him

"The smell of food is tempting," Akash announced as he descended.

"Call the other kids and continue eating; I need some rest", Dau ji stands up and leaves for the dungeon.

On the topmost, fourth floor, was where dau ji resided. The boys did not have access to this floor in general. It was designed as a store which was later converted to fit in Dau ji. The floor was off limits due to which the hostel boys started referring to it as 'The dungeon'.

They had dinner which was cooked to perfection as always.

""It's dark out," Avyan observed uneasily, "but I feel safer with Dau ji here."

"In times like these, experience counts," Pratyush agreed.

"I see something outside," Akash suddenly exclaimed, peering out the window.

The others rushed to look. "Look out of the window, just behind the car there, about 100 meters away", Akash says in a frightened tone

"Shit."

"Shit."

"Shit."