Last Of Us: Outbreak Day Novels & Stories

When the Program told me I could return, I felt no joy. Only emptiness. The next time I opened my eyes, I was staring at a white hospital ceiling. Machines beeped beside me, and my throat burned as if I had been asleep for years. A nurse saw me wake and rushed over. “You’re safe,” she said. “You were caught in a dockside explosion. Sophia Lane didn’t survive.” My fingers tightened against the sheet. Sophia was dead. Before I could speak, the nurse added, “There was another survivor. A young man named Luca. He woke up this morning.”

In the dead of the night, the streets were completely silent, with the moonlight casting a silver glow across the ground. Having been closed for an entire day, the gate to the Lancaster residence finally creaked open, and under the cover of the night, the trio emerged, each holding a small bundle and peering out surreptitiously.

Flames climbed the ancient stone walls. Father Thomas stood outside, desperately trying to open the chapel doors. Harold was beside him. Trapped inside… Was Olivia. The live timer in the corner of the screen read: 05:00 TO STRUCTURAL COLLAPSE Olivia’s face turned white. “I… I was just there.” Henry looked at the screen in horror. August’s voice echoed one final time. “You cannot save everyone, Keeper.” The transmission ended. The countdown continued. 04:57

The Paladins stared at my data-deck in sheer disbelief. "When Neo-Angeles ascends, the mantle will rupture. The western hemisphere will format itself in a sea of magma. You fought valiantly for the Open World, anomalies. But you will only have seventy-two hours to enjoy it before it burns. End transmission." The audio file clicked off, replaced by the soft hiss of static. I looked up at Dax. My hands were shaking. We hadn't just saved the city; we had backed a cornered animal into executing a scorched-earth protocol.

This time their eyes remained open. Completely black. Then all of them spoke together. “RETURN THE SUCCESSOR.” Daniel’s patience finally snapped. “We’re not giving you anything.” The synchronized civilians smiled wider. “The city belongs to us now.” Then every single television across nearby buildings suddenly activated at once. Massive outdoor billboards flickered violently before displaying emergency broadcasts from around the city. People freezing in traffic. Entire hospitals shutting down. Crowds collapsing simultaneously inside train stations. Military convoys moving through blocked highways. The synchronization outbreak was spreading fast.

"You'd better get lost if you're going to play possum! You're just dragging us down with you!" Joseph Jensen, my boyfriend and drill instructor for the outdoor orientation boot camp, bellowed. I jerked my eyes open only to see Wanda Lawson, the tycoon's daughter, lying on the ground, her face pale as her body curled and went into spasms. I looked at the scene from my past life and instantly realized that I had been reborn. "It's funny how she's usually fine until it's time for the outdoor orientation boot camp. If you're going to slack off, at least be subtle about it!

"Y-Yvonne, I…" Yves was breathing heavily, and he couldn't even make a complete sentence, but his eyes gleamed with excitement. "I knew… I knew you'd wait for me." It was a miracle the guy managed to make the journey from eastside to the landing strip. His stamina barely existed. A long sigh of relief escaped Yvonne's lips, and a smile carved itself on her face. But then, a deafening explosion thundered in the distance. The zombie swarm broke through the last line of defense.

I noticed the name on her screen, and I smiled. "Get to work. We're not in a hurry to arrange the wedding." Lauren left the office, but as a token of apology, she turned around. Solemnly, she promised, "I'll see you at the old home tomorrow." She did not. I was on the couch at the old home, scrolling through my phone. … T-minus, 12 hours. My news app showed me some local news. Felix showed himself at a new project, and Lauren was standing right behind him.

“This is his punishment. Not fire or chains. Just…endless days.” One night, while she lay stiff next to him, he took her hand in his, and he softly said. “Camela, I know you’re still in there. You can fight this.” Her fingers curled slightly as if they were almost human. For a brief moment, he saw tears glimmer behind her mask. Then she whispered the same phrase as always. “Good night, Vincent.” His heart sank at the response. On what felt like the thirteenth day—or maybe the thirtieth; he couldn’t tell—Vincent noticed something new.

Miranda automatically begged. "I said enough." Asher warned for the third time. "No! Get me out of here!" Miranda cried. She turned to the window and began tapping on the glass. "Help! Somebody help me! Please!" The human screamed over and over again. Joshua looked between the two creatures. Asher's breathing began to accelerate, and Miranda screamed and cried endlessly. Seeing that this could escalate into a literal nuclear war, Joshua stepped in. "Hey, hey." Joshua tapped Miranda's shoulder.