"Gramps"

In a dimly lit underground lab cluttered with glass vials and surgical tools, the scent of chemicals and rot hung thick in the air. A flickering monitor beeped softly as Dr. V. Noire laughed, leaning back in his leather chair like a man who’d just escaped death with a smirk.

“Nice one there, pretty boy~. Saved me just in time!” Dr. V chuckled, waving lazily at the man beside him.

Standing in the shadows, his assistant crossed his arms, clearly unimpressed. His face was half-lit by the dim glow of a broken ceiling light.

“Sir, this is the last time I’m saving your ass,” he said coldly. “No more using my powers to teleport you from place to place.”

Dr. V twirled a scalpel between his fingers, chuckling again. “That’s alright. I’ll manage. Oh, but I’ll certainly play with them again~.”



Back in Bezkon’s hometown…

Smoke rose faintly from the streets. The fountain still trickled quietly behind them as Shin’ō rushed to the others, heart pounding. “Guys! Are you okay?” he called out.

Helwin brushed the dust from his sleeves and gave a short nod. “We’re alright. Go check on Bezkon.”

Shin’ō dropped to his knees beside Bezkon, who lay bruised but breathing. He placed a glowing hand over his chest, soft light blooming between his fingers.

“Bro, wake up! I’m healing you.” Bezkon stirred, groaning. His eyelids fluttered open as he gritted his teeth. “Tch… he ran away, didn’t he?”

Shin’ō smiled slightly. “Yeah. But not for long.”

With everyone treated and steady on their feet, the group made their way back to Bezkon’s home. But something immediately felt off.

Bezkon scanning the side of the house. “Guys... the window’s broken...”
Without a second thought, they rushed inside.

But instead of a monster—they found chaos of another kind.

In the middle of the living room, Jovino was locked in a bizarre fight with an old man, dodging thrown pieces of tile and hurling cushions back in return.

Jovino ducked behind a chair, popping out with a shout. “I said stay back, old man!”

The man laughed heartily, side-stepping with a monk’s grace. “Too slow, boy!”

Bezkon blinked. “Yo—stop! This is my house!”

The old man paused mid-step, tilting his head. A grin stretched across his weathered face. “Oh man! My boy is back! How have you been? Where were you all this time?”

Bezkon crossed his arms, unimpressed. “Guys... this is my—uh... I don’t fucking know how he’s related to me. Gramps, these are my friends: Helwin, Audaxor, Shin’ō, and the punching bag you were fighting is Jovino.”

The old man’s eyes sparkled with delight. “Oh yeah, this boy’s got talent. I’ll make him my student.”

Jovino blinked. “Wait what?! What are you even gonna teach me!?”

Bezkon sighed. “He says he was a monk. Ran away after graduating from some temple in Tibet or something.”

Shin’ō stepped forward, his expression more serious. “Sir, do you know what happened to the other townspeople?”

The old man’s smile faded slightly as he stroked his beard. “The day the sky cracked... everyone came out at night to see the glow. Then, a strange dark wind blew through the town. It took everyone. Everyone except me—I was sleeping!”

Audaxor’s eyes narrowed. “So this happened the night of the Balance...”

Helwin spoke next, arms folded. “We need a plan. That mad doctor is still out there.”

Jovino, now seated on the couch, raised a hand. “What’s his name?”

Helwin replied coldly. “Dr. V. Noire.”

At the mention of the name, the old man raised an eyebrow. “Oh? That reminds me of someone...”
Bezkon stepped forward eagerly. “Who? Tell us!”
The old man leaned back. “There was a doctor with the same name from a village not far from here. It was found that he conducted... unholy experiments on his patients. Got kicked out. Never seen again.”

Shin’ō clenched his fist. “That’s him. He turned the entire village into zombies.”

The group sat together as the old man listened intently, while they explained everything—the transformation, the attack, Dr. V’s powers.

They spoke until their words became slurred, and one by one, they drifted off to sleep.



Early morning…

A soft breeze passed through the cracks of the window.

Shin’ō stirred awake, rubbing his eyes. His phone glowed softly in the dark room.

4:45 AM.

Outside, birds chirped softly. From the kitchen came the sounds of clinking pots and the gentle rhythm of a knife against a chopping board.

Shin’ō walked in, yawning slightly.

The old man looked up with a smile. “Oh, Shin’ō! You’re awake. Sleep well?”

Shin’ō nodded and rolled up his sleeves. “Yeah. Let me help you with breakfast.”

Together, they moved around the small kitchen—cutting, stirring, tasting—until the smell of fresh food filled the house.

Shin’ō clapped his hands together. “Alright! Time to wake those idiots up.”

He kicked open the door to the main room. “Hey! Bitches! Wake up!”

Bezkon groaned. Audaxor cursed under his breath. Jovino rolled off the couch.

The gang awake—but their minds were already set.

The plan was simple.

Shin’ō, Helwin, and Bezkon would head out and try to find Dr. V’s lab—a base, a lair, something.

Meanwhile, Jovino would be trained under the monk, despite his protests, and Audaxor would stay behind, scouring the town for clues about the zombification virus.

The group split, with hearts full of purpose and a single thought echoing between them all—

The next time they met Dr. V... it wouldn’t be a game.

To be continued...