The manor groaned with every gust of wind. Rain hammered the broken windows, leaking through the gaps and streaking down the cracked wallpaper.

Rolen’s grunts and heavy breathing mixing with the noise of a old wardrobe screeching on the rotting wooden floorboards echoed through the hallway as he moved the furniture infront of the door that led deeper into the old Manor.

The sounds of the infected on the other side coming closer until eventually the engineer flinched away from blocked foor, their bodies clawed and slammed, each hit rattling through the rotten wood like a heartbeat that wasn’t his.

He glanced back, breath ragged. Nathan lay on the floor where he’d dropped, His chest rose and fell too evenly now, as if the fever had never been there at all. His expression seemed peaceful.. despite it all.

Rolen fumbled with his dragon pendant as he went down on his knees next to the others resting form, the Goth reached out and with trembling hands slowly unwrapped Nathan's bandaged hand.

“You better not wake up going savage on me…” he muttered under his breath, just as the last bit of the bloody bandages now falling onto the floor.

It was hard to see through the darkness of the room but, it looked like the wound had already closed, leaving nothing but a thick scar.

A low groan cut through the storm and this time not from the door but From Nathan.

Rolen froze, his head whipping towards the soldiers face.

Nathan’s eyes fluttered open, glowing faintly in the gloom like the moon when the earths shadow casts it in a red glow.

“Shit,” Rolen breathed, The young engineer immediately got on his feet, backing away until his back hit the wall, his hands trembling and his heart pounding in his chest as he took the gun from his waist and raised it at Nathan, his bright blue eyes never once leaving the other while Nathan pushed himself to his feet with a predator’s grace.

The banging and scraping on the blocked door became stronger, the rotten wood of the door chipping away bit by bit while the tension in the room grew.

Nathan looked down at his arms and hands, at how his wound nearly fully healed, with his other hand he traced over the scarring, confusion evident on his face. He touched his chest, his still sweat soked shirt hugging his muscles tightly, it felt like his muscles seem to bulge out just a little bit more.. the soldier sighed softly, running a hand over his hear as he cleared his thoughts.

That was until his red gaze moved over to Rolen, watching the kid point a gun at him with shaking hands and a terrified expression made Nathan confused, can't Rolen see that he wasn't a threat to him?

Nathan went to take a step towards Rolen, causing the engineer to raise the gun higher now and more desperate.

"“Don’t make me—don’t fucking make me!”" He chocked, the fear evident in his voice.
"I will fucking use this...!"

“Easy. The last thing I want is to hurt you.." the soldier stated, his voice was rougher than he remembered but it still held that gentle tone as he slowly held his hands up, showing the goth that it was okay.

More of the doorframe chipped away from the infected, a hole now visible as the planks get ripped to splinters. Both of them whipped their head as the hole slowly got bigger until it was enough for a head to poke through.

A snarling head immediately tried to force its way through, it was a old man, his hair was grey and he seemed to be in his late 70s, eyes glowing a fierce red as it tried to bite them from afar. Yet something was wrong... his skin.. it seemed to be moving on its own.. his wrinkles seem to disappear, his skin rejuvenating before their very eyes.

Rolen stumbled back, muttering under his breath. “What the fuck…” before backing up into the corner some more.

"Ah yes, exactly what I ordered, more red eyes and teeth" Rolen said with a nervous laugh, the sarcasm dropping from his still bruisend lips while he moved away from the door and from Nathan, the gun still in his hands.

The goth felt a soft throbbing in his head, that feeling.. the buzzing under his skin, that white noise in the back of his mind, the static that clouded his vison, what was it? It was driving him nuts.

As for the soldier. He glared at the infected old man, the combat medic wasn't sure to be amazed or worried with what he was looking at, but just as more hands clawed bits and pieces from the door he moved.

In seemingly one large motion, Nathan walked over and without even blinking took one of the broken wooden planks from the wardrobes surface and jammed it into the old man's skull, it's body falling backwards back into the room only for an old woman to take its place.  Probably the man's wife before they got infected.

For a moment The combat medic made fists before realising his own strength, feeling how his body felt differently now, more agile, stronger, the realization making his red eyes glow just a bit brighter before the snarling woman reached through the hole and started clawing at him.

With annoyed growl Nathan grabbed the woman's hair and with a single movement yanked at her head, the skin around her neck tore off, the sounds of flesh tearing echoing through the room followed by the drop of another body.

Rolen stared in shock and horror, as he watched Nathan throw the woman's head back through the hole, his hands covered in thick blackish blood as a thick silence fell over them. Only the sound of the storm outside and both of their heavy breathing tearing through the tension yet doing nothing to ease it.

"Yeah.. Yeah. The place really needed more color..." The engineer mumbled only for Nathan to turn and look at Rolen, his expression seemed te be.. remorseful..

The goth lowered his hands yet clutched the gun a bit tighter now, still not really trusting that Nathan won't attack him.

"Jezus Fuck..." Rolen breathed out. "Nathan, what the hell happened?"

"I dont know.." The combat medics tone was soft, carrying that gentlenes from before but wirh uncertainty like he hadn't just ripped the head off a body mere seconds ago.
"I don’t feel disoriented anymore. My head’s… clear..." Nathan continued taking a step closer to the other with caution.  "But next time someone is infected, don't wait around to be bitten, you shoot them, understand?"

Rolen frowned, the static had faded ever so slightly yet his focus was on his companion. "“You seem… okay. Apart from the red eyes and the freakish strength.” His grip tightened on the gun. “How the hell did you beat it?" He asked ignoring Nathan's demand almost entirely.

The soldier sighed, looking away from just a moment. "I.. don't know.." He said and glanced down at his blood stained hands. "All I know is that I feel stronger than before.... I am in control "

Rolen didn't say anything, The manor fell quiet again. Only the storm outside. Only their breathing, as if he didn't know how to respond to that. Then he opened his mouth, wanting to say something before something no someone cut him off before a word left his lips.

"Hello?! Is anyone there?!"

Both their heads snapped into the direction of the broken door, the voice was muffled yet definitely female, someone other than the infected was clearly hiding in the old Manor.

Another survivor..