Kade charged.
It wasn't smart. It wasn't planned.
But fear had teeth, and fury had feet.
He sprinted down the stone hallway, flashlight jerking in his grip, heart screaming louder than his mouth.
The creature didn't flinch.
Then—like a curtain snapping in the wind—it lifted one rotted arm and slapped him across the face.
CRACK.
A blur of motion.
Kade's vision snapped sideways as a cold, heavy backhand slammed into his chest. The air left his lungs in a rush—he was airborne—then slammed into the wall with a crunch of bone and stone.
Before he could even cry out, the sword came down.
SLASH!
Steel met skin.
Darkness swallowed everything.
--The world snapped.
Light vanished.
Air vanished.
Sound vanished.
The void welcomed him like an old friend.
He didn't even have time to fall.
> Game Over
>Try Again
>Saved Files
He clenched his jaw. The phantom sting still burned across his cheek.
Kade groaned as he sat up, clutching his head.
"Slap… then slash," he hissed. "Right. It's not just strong—it chains attacks."
His thumb moved without hesitation.
Try Again.
Back.
Again
The ruins greeted him like an abusive ex.
Cold. Damp. Unwelcoming.
Kade sucked in air through his teeth and stood up.
Pulled out the phone. Flashlight on.
Battery: 54%.
Of course.
He saw the hallway. The skull. The creeping dark.
And, at the edge of the light—him.
Mr. Rusty Blade and Neck Tilt.
Kade squinted at him. "I could play it smart…"
The figure didn't move.
"...Or," he whispered, crouching like a deranged linebacker, "I could try just a little faster this time."
He sprinted.
Full speed.
Yelling like a lunatic.
The thing didn't even flinch.
Then—
SLAP.
Right across the face. Again. Perfectly timed.
His head snapped sideways like a bobblehead in an earthquake.
"AGAIN—?!" Kade managed to shout.
SHHHRACK!
Down came the sword.
He exploded into the void mid-swear.
> Game Over
>Try Again
>Saved Files
Kade was already muttering before the words appeared.
"Alright, maybe—just maybe—speed isn't the answer."
Beat.
"…but third time's the charm?"
Thumb: Try Again.
Let's go again?
SHHHRACK!
The rusted blade came down like a guillotine.
There was no time to scream this time. No dramatic exit. Just—
Black.
…
…
…
> Game Over
>Try Again
>Saved Files
Kade appeared mid-air in the void again, landing with a thud on the invisible floor like someone yanked his soul out by the hoodie.
He groaned into the darkness.
Face flat on the groundles void, he muttered, "Okay. Slap. Then sword. Got it."
He pushed himself up, swayed a little, then glared at the glowing options.
"You'd think I'd learn," he mumbled.
Back in the ruins. Cold. Damp. Creepy. He was already halfway back to the same spot when inspiration struck.
"Okay, what if—" he muttered, raising his voice as the dim hallway narrowed. His flashlight trembled in his hand.
The figure came into view again. Still. Watching. That same twisted angle of the neck. That same rusty blade.
Kade raised his free hand.
"Oy! Sir! You and me! Fist to—"
SKREEEEECH!!
The thing charged.
Not a shuffle. Not a lurch. Full-on sprint, like a linebacker that hadn't stretched in 300 years.
"Aw crap I forgot—!"
Too late.
WHAM.
Void.
…
…
…
> Game Over
>Try Agaig
>Saved Files
Kade reappeared upside down.
"Right," he muttered, limbs sprawled over the invisible floor. "Undead. Reactive to noise. No talking. Got it."
He tapped Try Again without even flipping over.
Kade raised his phone.
The figure was already there.
Same spot.
Same stance.
Same soul-sucking stare.
They locked eyes.
(Well, eye sockets. Semantics.)
Kade raised his fists, just in case. Took a breath. One foot forward.
The thing shifted.
Kade's survival instincts screamed louder than his pride.
"NOPE!"
He turned on his heel and sprinted the other way, pajama pants flapping, flashlight bouncing wildly.
Behind him came the unmistakable SKRRRRTCH of rusted steel on stone.
He ran harder.
"Not today, Zombo! I'm not even warmed up!"
He dove behind a pillar near the stairs and held his breath.
Silence.
Then—nothing.
Just air.
The undead hadn't followed him all the way.
Kade peeked around the edge, panting.
"Okay. Cool. New plan: throw rock, bait slash, punch in ghost kidneys."
He stood back up.
Then accidentally shined his flashlight directly into his own eyes.
Blinded for two solid seconds.
And.
SHHHRACK
>Game over
>Try again
>Saved files
"...I miss tutorial levels."
Kade blinked at the "Game Over" screen, the words still glowing in his vision.
"Right. No flashlight in the eyes. Noted." He shook his head and hit "Try Again."
He reappeared in the ruins.
Cold. Damp. As usual.
The air was thick with a stillness.The only sound was his shallow breaths.
His flashlight flickered as it clicked on.
The beam cast jagged shadows along the stone walls.
He stood still for a moment.Gathering his thoughts.
"Alright, let's think this through."He raised
his hands to stretch.
Cracked his neck.
"Slap. Then slash."
The pattern's always the same.
First the slap.Then the sword.
"But that thing is… fast."He glanced down at the floor.Looking for any other clues or tools.
Nothing.
No rocks. No debris.
Just the old skull and stone tiles.
Slick with age and dampness.
The figure appeared at the edge of his flashlight's reach.
Standing still.
Watching.
The figure stood there.
Still.
Neck tilted.
Blade hanging loose in one hand.
They stared at each other.
Silent.
Tense.
Kade didn't move.Neither did the undead.
Just that awful, crooked angle.That silent threat.
Then—
SKREEEEECH!
It lunged.
Steel dragging on stone.
Faster than it had any right to be.
Perfect. Here's the next round—Kade tries a new tactic with the flashlight, but things still go horribly wrong:
---
> Try Again
Kade gasped awake on the cold stone.
Again.
The ruins greeted him like a disappointed parent.
He sat up, groaning. "Alright. Let's get creative."
Flashlight on.
Battery: 53%.
He crept forward.
Same hallway.
Same shadows.
There it was—
The figure.Twisted neck.
Rusted blade.
But this time…
Kade held the phone up, flashlight aimed like a weapon.
"Smile for the camera, ugly."
Click.
FLASH!
The bright burst hit the creature's face dead-on.
It staggered—
Groaned—
Recoiled like it'd been hit with holy water.
Kade blinked in surprise. "That actually—"
The thing looked up.
Its face was worse than he imagined.
Rotten.
Split.
Maggots where eyes should've been.
Kade froze.
"…Oh gods—"
Too late.
It had regained balance.
SLASH!
The blade tore down through his chest.
Cold.
Void.
> Game Over
> Try Again
> Saved Files