TRAIN TO BRISBANE

*6:00 AM. Train to Brisbane.*

The train shook. Not bad. Just enough to remind you it was moving.

Ethan sat by the window. Outside was nothing but gray. Burned fields. Broken houses. And far in the distance, smoke.

Melbourne was 4 hours behind them now.

Lily was asleep on the seat across from him, head on Selena’s lap. Selena was awake. Cleaning her broken katana with a rag. The blade would never be the same but it would cut.

The train had 4 cars. First car: engine and 2 soldiers. Second car: them. Third and fourth: empty. Sealed.

"How long?" Ethan asked.

Selena checked her watch. "14 hours. If the tracks are clear."

Ethan nodded. He hadn’t slept well. Every sound made him reach for his knife.

The radio on the table crackled. Captain’s voice.

"Team Alpha, report."

Ethan picked it up. "We’re 200km out of Melbourne. No problems."

"Good. Brisbane is quiet. Too quiet. Our people there lost contact 2 days ago."

Selena stopped cleaning. "Lost contact?"

"Last message said: ‘The Moon is rising again. Not the black one. The red one.’ Then nothing." Captain paused. "Be careful."

The radio went dead.

Ethan put it down. "Red moon?"

Selena frowned. "There was only one Black Moon. What’s a red moon?"

"I don’t know." Ethan said. "But I don’t like it."

Lily stirred. "Are we there yet?"

"Not even close, kid." Selena ruffled her hair. "Go back to sleep."

Lily groaned but closed her eyes.

Ethan stood. "I’m gonna check the other cars."

"I’ll come." Selena stood too.

They walked through the connecting door into car 3.

It was dark. Emergency lights only. Dust on the seats. Like no one had been here in weeks.

At the end of the car was another door. Locked.

Ethan tried the handle. "Sealed."

"From the other side too." Selena said. "Soldiers said they locked it before we left."

Ethan knocked. Nothing. "Probably empty."

They went back to their car.

2 hours passed. Nothing but the sound of wheels on track.

Then the train slowed.

Ethan looked out. "Why are we stopping?"

Outside the window: a small town. Or what was left of it. Houses burned. Cars abandoned. And in the middle of the tracks...

A tree. Massive. Fallen across the rails.

One of the soldiers came back. "We have to clear it. 20 minutes."

Ethan and Selena exchanged a look.

"Stay here." Ethan told Lily. "Don’t open the door for anyone but us."

"Okay bro."

They followed the soldier outside.

The air smelled like ash and rot. The sun was weak through the clouds.

4 of them. 2 soldiers, Ethan, Selena. Chainsaws in hand.

They started cutting.

That’s when Ethan heard it.

A sound. Like dragging. From the houses.

He looked up.

On the roof of the nearest building was a figure. Human shaped. But wrong. Too thin. Skin gray. Eyes black.

An Infected.

"Contact!" Ethan yelled.

The Infected jumped. Landed in the street. Then another. Then 5 more.

They weren’t like the ones in Melbourne. These were faster. Leaner. And they were watching. Waiting.

`[INFECTION WAVE]`

Selena drew her broken blade. "They’re organized."

The soldiers opened fire. Bullets dropped 2.

The rest charged.

Ethan met the first one with his knife. Cut its throat.

Selena stabbed another through the eye.

The soldiers handled the rest.

30 seconds. It was over.

But more were coming. From the houses. From the alleys.

"Back to the train!" The soldier yelled.

They ran.

Inside car 2, Lily was already at the door. "Bro there’s more!"

Ethan slammed the door shut and locked it. "Soldier! Move the train!"

The soldier in the engine room hit the controls.

The train jerked. Started moving. Slowly at first.

Outside, Infected were climbing onto the train. Banging on the windows.

One broke through the glass of car 3.

Selena threw her knife. It went through its skull. It fell.

The train picked up speed.

The Infected fell off. One by one.

When they were clear, Ethan collapsed into a seat. Breathing hard.

"That was new." He said.

Selena nodded. "They’re evolving. Without the Moon controlling them, they’re getting smarter."

Lily crawled into Ethan’s lap. "I’m scared."

"I know, Lil." Ethan hugged her. "But we’re okay."

The rest of the trip was quiet.

No more stops. No more Infected.

Just the sound of the train and the gray outside.

---

*8:00 PM. Outside Brisbane.*

The train slowed again.

In the distance, Brisbane. Or the lights of it.

But something was wrong.

The sky above the city was red. Not sunset red. Deep. Bloody red. And in the center, a circle.

Not black. Red.

A red moon.

Ethan stood up. "Captain said red moon."

Selena went to the window. "It’s smaller than the black one was. But it’s there."

The radio crackled again.

This time it wasn’t Captain. It was a woman’s voice. Tired. Scared.

"If anyone can hear this... Brisbane is lost. The Cult got here first. They started the ritual 12 hours ago. The red moon... it’s calling them. Don’t come. Don’t—"

Static.

Then silence.

Ethan looked at Selena. "We’re too late."

"No." Selena said. "We’re right on time."

The train stopped at the edge of the city. The tracks were blocked by debris.

Soldiers opened the doors. "This is as far as we go."

Ethan, Selena, and Lily got off. Their bags on their backs.

In front of them: Brisbane.

The city was dark. No lights. Except for one place. In the center. A tower. And on top of the tower, the red light.

Pulsing. Like a heartbeat.

And around the city, moving in the streets... shapes. Dozens of them.

Infected.

But not attacking. Walking. In lines. Toward the tower.

"Like ants." Selena whispered. "They’re being called."

Ethan checked his knife. "Then we go to the tower."

Lily held both their hands. "What about the people?"

"We save who we can." Ethan said. "Same as always."

They started walking.

The streets were empty except for the Infected. They didn’t look at Ethan and his group. They just walked past, eyes glazed, heading to the tower.

It was creepier than fighting them.

Every few blocks they had to hide. Duck into buildings. Wait for a group to pass.

Once, they saw Cult members. Black robes. Leading the Infected like shepherds.

Selena’s hand tightened on her blade. "We’ll deal with them later."

They reached the base of the tower 2 hours later.

It was an old radio tower. 50 stories. And at the top, a platform.

On the platform: 3 figures in black robes. And between them, another Shard.

But this one was red.

And it was growing.

`[RITUAL: 60% COMPLETE]`

Ethan looked up. "Same plan as Melbourne?"

Selena nodded. "Get to the top. Break the Shard."

"But this time," Ethan said, "there are 3 of them."

He looked at Selena. "And I’m guessing it’s not a duel door this time."

Selena gave a small smile. "No. This time we fight together."

Lily looked up too. "I can help. I’m not useless."

Ethan crouched and looked her in the eyes. "You’re not useless, Lil. You’re the reason we’re doing this. You stay behind us. Okay?"

Lily nodded. "Okay."

Ethan stood. "Then let’s go."

They entered the tower.

The stairs were dark. The only light was red, coming from above.

With every floor they climbed, the air got hotter. The chanting got louder.

Floor 10. 20. 30.

On floor 40, they ran into Cult members. 10 of them.

This fight was fast. Brutal.

Ethan and Selena moved together. Back to back. Like they’d been doing it for years.

By the time they reached floor 50, they were both bleeding. But standing.

The door to the roof was open.

Red light poured out.

They stepped through.

The roof was a circle. Windy.

And in the center, the red Shard. 2 meters tall. Pulsing.

And around it, the 3 Cult leaders.

One woman with knives. One man with a staff. One old man with no eyes.

The old man spoke first. "The Bonded pair. And the child. We were wondering when you’d come."

Ethan stepped forward. "End this."

The woman with knives smiled. "Or what? You’ll break it? Like you did in Melbourne?"

The man with the staff laughed. "This one is different. This one is stronger."

The old man raised his hands. "Welcome to the beginning of the Red Moon."

The red light got brighter.

Ethan looked at Selena. Then at Lily behind him.

"Ready?" He asked.

Selena drew her broken blade. "Always."

Lily stood tall. "Ready."

The 3 Cult leaders spread out.

The fight was about to start.

But this time, it wasn’t 1v1.

This time, it was all of them. Together.

Ethan raised his knife.

"For Melbourne." He said.

"For everyone." Selena added.

And they charged.