Chapter 115:
A dim yellow light flickered overhead, barely illuminating the room. Around a scratched wooden table sat five officers, their uniforms crisp and fitted. The air was thick with tension, but it was the man with piercing green eyes who held the most presence.
Dressed in a well-fitted military camouflage uniform, his demeanour was that of a man who thrived in uncertainty. The ghost of a smirk played at his lips as he leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping idly against the armrest. His name was Colonel Darren Wolfe, a man as cunning as he was dangerous.
He had more important things to do than waste time with these fools but he also enjoyed the benefits of being a top officer so he had no choice but to stay. He really wanted to search for his new toys.
"Let’s start with the mist," a broad-shouldered man, Captain Roderick Bale, spoke first. His voice was gruff, steady. "It’s getting thicker. Last night, patrols reported visibility dropping to nearly zero at some points."
"And the horde?" Darren asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That’s the thing," Major Evelyn Carter, a woman with sharp features and tired eyes, leaned forward. "They come and go. One hour they’re closing in, the next, they vanish into the mist like they were never there."
"That’s not normal," muttered Lieutenant Hayden Park, the youngest at the table but one of the brightest minds. "Zombies don’t just appear and disappear. And they were more aggressive than before—coordinated, almost. It’s like they knew when to push forward and when to retreat."
"Coordinated?" Darren let out a low whistle. "What are you suggesting, Lieutenant? That someone’s controlling them?"
"I’m suggesting," Hayden said carefully, "that we don’t understand enough about them yet."
Darren chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, that’s no help, is it?"Evelyn shot him a glare but didn’t rise to the bait. "We need to prepare for the worst. If the mist keeps spreading and we can’t track the horde properly, we’re sitting ducks."
"Agreed," Bale nodded. "We should allocate more resources to defense. Maybe pull some of our ability users to—"