Cody wandered through the small, deserted town, his eyes darting nervously across the empty streets. The stillness was unnerving, the kind of silence that clung to the air like a bad omen. The cars lining the road appeared untouched, frozen in time, their dusty exteriors and intact windows a stark contrast to the chaos Cody had become accustomed to. His chest tightened with unease, and he gripped his crowbar more firmly, his knuckles whitening.

  Behind him, Guts trailed closely, his own gaze flickering between Cody and the abandoned vehicles. Concern etched into his features, he finally broke the silence, his voice soft but weighted with sincerity. “You know you can talk to me about what just happened, right?”

  Cody slowed his pace, gncing over at Guts before exhaling heavily, as if the weight of his confession had already taken its toll. “I spoke to someone on the radio,” he admitted, his voice low but steady. “He’s military. A soldier for Hora.”

  Guts froze mid-step, his eyes widening in shock. “You what?” he blurted out, his voice rising slightly, the tension in his shoulders unmistakable.

  Cody raised his hands defensively, shaking his head to calm the inevitable storm. “Rex. His name is Riot. He knows we’re the ones who got attacked, and he said he might go after Hora himself,” Cody expined quickly, his tone steady but firm, as if rehearsed.

  Guts’ tense expression softened slightly, though the disbelief lingered in his eyes. “Riot? You actually spoke to Riot?” he asked, his tone quieter but still incredulous. “I’ve heard of him. Never had the chance to meet the guy properly, but his name carried weight.”

  Cody nodded, his grip on the crowbar loosening just a bit. “Yeah. So, do we trust him?” he asked, his voice tentative but filled with a faint glimmer of hope.

  Guts let out a low chuckle, his lips curling into a faint grin. “Without a doubt,” he said after a moment of thought. “If Riot told you he’d go after Hora, he’s either a dead man or he’ll be haunted by it for the rest of his life. That guy doesn’t make empty promises.”

  Cody allowed himself the smallest of smiles as they continued down the eerily quiet street, their eyes scanning the surrounding buildings with a mix of caution and curiosity.

  Cody’s gaze drifted upwards, catching sight of a ferris wheel peeking out from above the trees in the distance. His lips curved into a surprised grin as he shook his head. “No way. This tiny town actually has a ferris wheel?” he said, almost in disbelief. His grin widened when they reached a rge, crumbling parking lot littered with trash, broken shoes, and the remnants of a life long forgotten.

  Guts stopped in his tracks, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the entrance to an amusement park. A set of heavy chains barred the gates, swaying slightly in the breeze. Faded graffiti covered the front, but the scrawled writing was too weathered to decipher.

  “Help me get this open,” Cody said, gripping the chains as he examined the lock. His fingers fidgeted for a moment before Guts smirked beside him.

  “Or... how about we just climb over the top?” Guts suggested, raising an eyebrow. Without waiting for an answer, he pced his hands on the bars and hoisted himself up. “Race ya,” he added with a cheeky grin as he began his ascent.

  Cody scoffed but quickly followed suit, leaping up and grabbing one of the higher bars. He grunted as he pulled himself up, stretching to reach the next bar but pausing briefly to gnce at Guts, who was already nearing the top with ease. Cody let out an exaggerated groan. “Show-off.”

  Moments ter, Guts swung his legs over the top of the gate and reached down, extending a hand. “I won,” he decred with a triumphant smirk.

  Cody rolled his eyes but accepted the offer, gripping Guts’ hand as he was pulled up. “Only because you’re a big, bald man with muscles,” Cody quipped, his tone dripping with pyful sarcasm.

  Guts raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “And since when does being bald have anything to do with winning, huh?” he asked, nudging Cody in the shoulder.

  Cody chuckled, his expression mock-serious. “Because the sun reflects off your shiny head, giving you extra energy. You’re basically sor-powered.”

  Guts paused, running a hand over his head as if considering Cody’s theory. “You know what? Maybe you’re onto something,” he said, his smirk returning.

  That sent Cody into a fit of ughter, the sound echoing faintly through the desote amusement park. He leapt down from the gate, nding with a solid thud and bending his knees to absorb the impact. Guts followed closely behind, his boots crunching against the debris-strewn ground as he nded beside Cody.

  “Stay close,” Guts muttered, his tone low and cautious as his eyes darted around the derelict amusement park. “This pce is chained up for a reason. Always remember—chains don’t just keep people out. Sometimes, they’re meant to keep something in.” He moved silently across the cracked pavement, his boots crunching faintly against stray bits of debris.

  Cody tightened his grip on the crowbar in his hands, his knuckles whitening. “They wanted to keep something in,” he echoed, his voice barely above a whisper. His gaze shifted uneasily to the abandoned attractions around them, his nerves prickling at the eerie silence.

  The entrance on the far side looked like a scene from a nightmare. Tables were overturned, concession stands were smeared with bloody handprints, and trash littered the area as though a storm had torn through the pce. The oppressive stillness only amplified the creeping dread.

  Cody stopped abruptly, his eyes locking onto a decayed skeleton lying near one of the stands. The bones had been stripped clean, flesh picked off long ago, and it seemed to glower back at him as if warning him to leave. “There has to be a ton of biters in here,” Cody murmured, his voice strained as his eyes scanned for movement.

  Guts wandered over to a concession stand, rifling through the remains of scattered supplies. His hand emerged triumphantly with a handful of dusty, forgotten candy. “Found some sweets,” he said with a grin, stuffing a few bars into his pockets. He turned and tossed a chocote bar to Cody. “Here, a little energy to keep up with my sor-powered bald head.”

  Cody caught the bar, a smirk creeping across his face as he tore the wrapper open and took a bite. His eyes widened. “Holy shit, it’s been forever since I had chocote,” he said through a mouthful, the brief pleasure easing his nerves as they moved deeper into the park.

  “And you’re right about the biters,” Guts said, his tone more serious now as his eyes scanned the desote surroundings. “Be careful. If we have to run, the only real exit is back at that gate. No mistakes.”

  As they approached a turn near the towering ferris wheel, a guttural growl broke the stillness, sending shivers down Cody’s spine. His eyes darted to the source of the sound, widening in arm. “Oh, fuck,” he gasped, quickly cmping a hand over his mouth.

  Emerging from the shadows, a horde of biters stumbled into view. They were dressed in torn suits and tattered wedding dresses, their rotting forms grotesquely mocking what must have once been a celebration. Cody froze. “I think we just crashed the whole damn wedding.”

  Guts backed up, his jaw tightening as he pulled his machete free. “Me and my big mouth,” Cody muttered under his breath, his heart racing. The undead shuffled closer, their ragged shoes scuffing the pavement—or in some cases, their bare, bloodied feet dragging behind them.

  Guts didn’t hesitate. With a swift motion, he swung the machete, decapitating the nearest biter in a spray of bckened blood. “Keep it together!” he barked.

  Cody spun around, his gut twisting as he saw another group, this one just as rge, emerging from behind them. At least two hundred more biters were closing in. “BEHIND US!” Cody yelled, pointing as panic seized his voice.

  “Shit,” Guts cursed, grabbing Cody’s arm. “Run!”

  The two bolted, weaving between concession stands as biters poured out from every corner. Guts gnced over his shoulder at the horde, his face grim. “Shit, shit, shit!” he growled, his mind racing for options. His eyes nded on a trash can. Without hesitation, he dumped its contents onto the ground and shoved it into pce. “Climb up! Now!”

  Cody scrambled onto the trash can, hoisting himself up toward the ledge of a nearby stand. Guts jumped, his fingers gripping the edge just as the nearest biters lunged at his legs. Cody reached down with one hand, grabbing Guts’ arm and pulling with all his might.

  The stand wobbled violently as the biters below cwed and snarled, their decayed hands scratching against the metal. Cody pulled his gun, aiming it at the closest ones. “Hold on!” he shouted, firing off several rounds in quick succession. The nearest biters colpsed in heaps, buying them precious seconds. Cody dropped the gun, using both hands to haul Guts the rest of the way up.

  Breathing heavily, the two sat atop the concession stand, the structure trembling beneath the relentless force of the undead horde. Cody’s chest heaved as he scanned the area, his mind racing. “This thing won’t hold forever,” he said, his voice shaky.

  Guts nodded grimly, wiping sweat from his brow. “We need a way out. Fast.”

  Below them, the biters scratched and snarled, their numbers growing as more poured into the area. Cody gnced at the ferris wheel looming in the distance, its rusted frame towering over the chaos.