The dead escalators groaned under my weight as I carefully made my way toward the seventh floor. The usual hum of activity was gone, replaced by the sounds of distant chaos from the other side of the shopping center. I could hear screams, the clash of weapons, and the unmistakable shrieks of monsters echoing down the long corridor, but here, on my side of the building, it was unnervingly quiet.

  My footsteps echoed through the emptiness, the air thick with the scent of smoke. I kept my eyes scanning every corner, every shadow, aware that the stillness might be more dangerous than the noise.

  The fourth floor was empty. There was no fighting, no creatures roaming around. Just abandoned storefronts with their windows shattered and doors left wide open. The fighting had somehow not reached this side of the building, though I could still hear the unmistakable thwump of something being cast nearby.

  By the time I reached the fifth floor, the air felt heavier. The lights flickered again, casting long shadows across the hallway. That’s when I saw it. A grotesque figure, its limbs twisted and unnatural, crawling across the floor on its hands and feet. Its face was a contorted mess of teeth and dripping saliva. The creature seemed almost human, but its movements were jerky and unnatural.

  It hissed as it rushed at me, claws swiping through the air with unnatural speed. I barely managed to twist out of the way, the creature’s claws scraping across the floor where I had been standing. My heart raced as I fired, hitting it right in the chest but the arrow had no effect. It came at me again, faster this time, claws extended like jagged blades ready to rip into flesh.

  I dodged and fired again, sending the arrow straight through its eye, bursting it, black goo squirting out. It stumbled but didn’t fall. My arrow had barely slowed it down. The thing’s gaping mouth opened wide, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth as it lunged again, this time faster. I dodged, raising my bow instinctively, and fired again, but the arrow barely seemed to register. I was running out of options, and this thing wouldn’t stop. My heart pounded as I barely dodged another swipe. Fuck. I had to end this quickly.

  I quickly glanced at my inventory and retrieved a new arrow I’d picked up at the 7-Eleven, the [Buzzsaw Arrow]. I drew it out and nocked it to the bow. The tip began to hum with energy as the sharp, metallic edge began to spin, transforming into a whirling saw blade.

  The creature was almost on me. I didn’t wait any longer. I released the arrow, and it shot forward with a high-pitched whirr. The saw tip tore through the air with terrifying precision, slamming into the creature’s head. It sliced straight through its skull with a sickening crunch, the blade cutting clean through the bone and embedding itself in the nape of the neck. Blood, brain fragments, and tissue scattered as the saw continued its violent rotation. The thing’s body jerked and convulsed, then collapsed to the floor with a final, rattling breath.

  I watched it twitch once before going still, the spinning blade finally grinding to a halt.

  I exhaled sharply, wiping the sweat from my brow. That was one trick arrow I’d definitely need to stock up on.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  I had to hurry this up. I moved on, gingerly stepping past the dead body.

  The sixth floor was a grim reminder of the violence that had overtaken the mall. The ground was littered with dead creatures and fallen survivors. I knelt beside the body of a female in plain robes, my fingers brushing against the cold skin. Her chest was still. I forced myself to check for a pulse, knowing full well there wouldn’t be one. I wanted to scream, to lash out. Another life snuffed out, another person lost to this fucking nightmare. I clenched my fists, forcing back the anger threatening to consume me. There were so many dead. And for what purpose? A simulation? A test bed? We’d been reduced to ones and zeroes.

  The seventh floor doorway was sealed with rusted metal shutters, their edges chipped and uneven. They creaked and groaned as I pushed them up, the sound echoing through the empty floor like a warning. The resistance was minimal, but it felt wrong. I had expected more resistance, but this... this was too easy. I entered silently, my eyes scanning the darkness beyond.

  The food court was eerily quiet. Overturned tables and scattered chairs, half-eaten meals forgotten, painted a picture of a place frozen in time, still haunted by the echoes of people who used to rush to catch a meal between screenings. I walked toward the multiplex at the far end of the floor only to find entrance to the cinema was dark.

  As I approached the multiplex entrance, the large doorway that led to the theatres, a faint light flickered from somewhere beyond, casting shadows that shifted unnaturally. It wasn’t just the light; there was a static charge in the air, something that made my skin crawl. I instinctively nocked another arrow. Something was waiting for me in those theaters. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to face it, but there was no turning back now.

  I walked into the carpeted corridor, methodically clearing each theater one by one. There were seven screens in this multiplex. I moved quickly through theaters one to six, finding nothing but empty seats and stale air. Each room felt colder than the last, and a deep unease began to settle in my chest. I pushed down the rising emotions that threatened to overwhelm me as I moved through each theater. I’d been in every single one of these rooms before, watching movies with my wife. We would surprise each other with tickets to our favorite films, spending the night munching on popcorn, wrapped up in each other’s arms, lost in the stories on screen. The memories hit me harder with every step, but I couldn’t afford to dwell on them. Not now.

  The last door at the end of the hallway stood open, a faint light spilling out from the darkened interior. I spotted the source of the flickering light I had seen from outside, a neon sign beside the theater door, flickering weakly. It read, "Theater 7." The silence that greeted me as I stepped inside was suffocating. I squinted in the dim light, my eyes slowly adjusting.

  At the center of the theater, in one of the middle seats, sat a lone figure. A man, his back turned toward me, sat upright in the seat. I could see his shoulders and the back of his head. His right shoulder twitched, and I was about to fire an arrow at him when I stopped. I recognized the back-and-forth motion and the sound that accompanied it. He was eating popcorn.

  Fucking hell…

  A movie was playing on the screen, but there was no sound in the theater. It was like we were at a silent movie screening. On screen, some teenagers were goofing off in a cabin in the woods. The scene quickly cut to an external view of the cabin and then back inside. I didn’t recognize the movie, but it seemed to be a typical cabin-in-the-woods setup.

  I hesitantly took a step forward, only to be greeted by the man in the middle.

  The man’s head turned slowly, his features swallowed by the shadows. Only his smile was visible, revealing a warm smile. ‘Welcome, Chris,’ he said, his voice low and unnervingly calm.

  I froze.

  “Come, join me,” he continued, patting the seat next to him, his voice low but friendly. “I’ve been waiting for you.”