NecroSync

Without waiting for Jake to recover from the shock, Nathan moved quickly toward the living room to grab his phone. With trembling hands, he dialed his parents' number over and over, tapping the screen with growing desperation. His breathing was shallow, and his fingers were starting to sweat, making it even harder to type. Each unanswered ring felt like a noose tightening around him, as if the air in the apartment was becoming heavier by the second.

He tried again, this time sending frantic messages.

"Are you okay?"

"Where are you?"

"Please answer."

But no matter how many times he tried, no one replied.

With each passing second, the knot in his stomach tightened, rising up into his chest, which now felt like a dam ready to burst. Slowly, the stress began to consume him. His mind, flooded with dark thoughts, couldn't stop imagining the worst.

"What if they're trapped? What if someone attacked them? What if…?"

Nathan closed his eyes and clenched his teeth, trying to steady himself. But the questions wouldn't stop tormenting him. The uncertainty was like an unbearable weight pressing down on his shoulders, crushing any attempt to think clearly.

So lost was he in his frustration that he didn't notice Jake had returned to the living room. His friend was in a similar state: phone in hand, brow furrowed, and jaw clenched. Jake was typing and dialing furiously, but the lack of response on his screen only made his frustration more evident.

The sound of buttons being pressed broke the silence of the apartment, accompanied by Jake's heavy sighs. With each passing second of no contact, his shoulders slumped further, as if the weight of the situation was draining his strength.

Suddenly, a piercing sound erupted in the room, its shrill echo filling the apartment. An alarm. Sharp, grating, impossible to ignore.

Both friends froze for a moment, the noise commanding all their attention. Their eyes met briefly, reflecting the same unspoken question:

"Now what?"

In unison, they turned their heads toward the television. The news program had been interrupted, replaced by an emergency broadcast accompanied by the relentless alarm that continued to blare in their ears.

On the screen, bold red letters flashed aggressively. A pre-recorded message began to play, repeating in an endless loop:

"Alert, alert, alert. This is a message to all citizens: the city is currently under attack. Please remain in your homes and do not leave under any circumstances. Avoid contact with strangers and reinforce all possible entry points to prevent tragedy."

The message continued:

"Repeat: this is not a drill. An attack is currently underway in the city. All citizens are advised to seek shelter in secure locations. Please remai—"

The audio cut off briefly, leaving a moment of uncomfortable silence before starting over from the beginning. The words on the screen pulsed in time with the alarm, making the entire room seem to vibrate with the intensity of the warning.

The atmosphere in the apartment, already heavy with tension, became suffocating. The message was clear, but what it conveyed was far more terrifying. This was no longer just a series of isolated incidents. This was a catastrophe.

Nathan and Jake stood frozen, unable to tear their eyes away from the screen. The blaring alarm seemed to amplify the vulnerability they both felt. For the first time, Nathan felt with absolute clarity that the world they knew was crumbling before their eyes.

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Nathan and Jake stood frozen, staring at the screen as if in a trance. The flashing red letters and the deafening sound of the alarm seemed to etch themselves into their minds, impossible to ignore. Each word felt like a crushing weight, and both of them shuddered as a chill ran down their spines, leaving their skin crawling. This was far more serious than either of them had imagined.

Finally, Nathan broke the silence. His voice, trembling and heavy with worry, barely managed to cut through the relentless noise:

"Jake... I can't reach my parents."

Jake tore his eyes away from the screen to look at his friend. He still clutched his phone tightly in his hand, his fingers gripping it as if sheer force could will it to work.

"I know… I can't reach my girlfriend either," he admitted in a subdued tone, his eyes filled with frustration. "I think the lines are down… and the internet's failing too."

Even though he'd already suspected it, saying it out loud made it feel more real, more desperate. He tried checking his phone again, as if repeating the action could somehow change the outcome, but the screen remained blank, no messages, no answers.

Nathan let out a long, heavy sigh. He lowered his gaze to the floor, and for a few seconds, the silence between them only made the tension in the room more unbearable. The very air seemed heavier, thick with an invisible pressure that pressed down on their chests.

The apartment, which was usually a cozy refuge, now felt cold and empty. Not even the words of the emergency message, repeated endlessly on the screen, offered them any comfort. Instead, the phrases kept piling up in their minds, reinforcing the idea that they were trapped in a situation they couldn't understand and couldn't control.

The alarm continued blaring, its piercing tone drilling into their thoughts. It wasn't just coming from the television anymore—it seemed to echo from the streets outside, blending with the distant sounds of screams and the chaos that filtered in through the windows. A second alarm, farther away but just as grating, began to rise in the background, as if the danger outside was multiplying.

Nathan clenched his fists, trying to hold back the wave of anxiety threatening to overwhelm him. His thoughts swirled in a storm of unanswered questions:

"What's happening out there? Where are my parents? What if…?"

He shook his head, as if the motion could dispel the terrifying images forming in his mind. But he couldn't escape them—not even when he closed his eyes. His chest felt heavy, as if the fear itself was rooting deep inside him.

Jake, standing beside him, wasn't faring much better. While his posture still seemed steady, his eyes gave him away. They reflected a mix of uncertainty and fear that he couldn't hide. He had always been the confident one, the leader when things got tough, but even he seemed to be struggling to keep it together.

Finally, Nathan spoke again, his voice steadier this time, though the tension was still evident in every word:

"We have to do something... We can't just stay here."

Jake looked at him, narrowing his eyes as he considered his friend's words. His expression hardened, but when he finally responded, his voice was a low whisper, heavy with doubt.

"Do what? Out there is a goddamn nightmare. We don't know what's happening, or what's waiting for us."

Nathan held his gaze, his eyes still betraying traces of fear but now flickering with a spark of determination.

"I don't know… but I can't just sit here and do nothing."

Jake exhaled deeply, running a hand over his face and rubbing his eyes in a gesture of exhaustion.

"I know, man… I know."

The echo of the alarm continued to reverberate around them, bouncing off the walls like a cruel reminder of their indecision. They both knew, even if they didn't say it out loud, that sooner or later, they would have to make a choice. Staying there wasn't an option, but going outside was a risk they couldn't yet measure.