" The Brace of Shadows"

CHAPTER 3: SURVIVE THE NIGHT.

As Alex crouched in the alley, his breathing came in shallow gasps as his hands still quivered while trying to steady himself, he began to try and calm down and get his thoughts together. From what I have seen during this time, that creature was more of a zombie than an actual beast. From what I noticed, he was most probably a firefighter before being transformed, due to the crowbar that was attached to his wrist.

For now, I have to press on as the last rays of the setting sun stretch long shadows across the abandoned street. As on his right wrist, the bracelet pulsed softly, its gentle humming a sharp contrast to what had just occurred.

He peered down at it, scowling. Sleek, metallic, and unlike anything he had ever seen, symbols shimmying across its surface, shifted until they formed readable text:

"USER: ALEX. SYSTEM ONLINE. UPGRADES AVAILABLE: AGILITY, INTELLIGENCE, DEXTERITY, STRENGTH. ACCESS INTERFACE?"

What the hell?" Alex whispered, staring at the glowing words. He did not remember putting the bracelet on, but it felt as if it had always been there, waiting for him. "Yes," he murmured, unsure what else to do.

The bracelet emitted a faint glow, and a translucent interface appeared above his wrist, listing the enhancements with their brief descriptions and instructions for activation: focus on the desired trait and think of it to activate.

Seeing this, he started to have a better chance of survival. He looked at his backpack and noticed a map. He took it out and unfolded it, looking at it and comparing the location where he was now. He noticed that within a few hundred meters, there is a zone marked as safe. Seeing this gave him confidence to get through it during the night.

But trying to get up, he heard

A low guttural moan echoed down empty streets. He froze, peering around the corner of the alley.

Dozens of zombies were making their way through the rubble, decayed forms silhouetted against the fading light. They went slowly, but their overwhelming number made up for speed. Worse, they stood squarely between him and what little he had earlier guessed would be his temporary safe zone-a cluster of reasonably whole buildings, walled round with wreckage and overgrowth.

He clenched his fists, his mind racing with thoughts. Without the sewer escape, there was little chance he'd outrun them in such a state of disarray. But this bracelet… could it actually aid him?

He swallowed his fear and focused on the word Agility.

"Activate," he whispered.

A sudden, sharp jolt ran through his wrist and radiated warmth and energy throughout his body. The weights of his muscles lifted, and his movements quickened and became more fluid. It was as if the world had slowed just enough for his senses to sharpen and react with accuracy.

Testing this new-found agility, Alex sprang onto the rusted frame of a nearby car and used it as a springboard to climb a crumbling fire escape. How easily he had done this shocked him, but there was no time to dwell on it.

From atop, he mapped out a safe route forward. The safe zone was still a number of blocks away, whereas most of the streets down below were already swaddled with the horde of zombies. The roofs were a safer route out, although there would be some gaps where precision in jumping would be needed.

Taking a deep breath, Alex moved. In a flash, he was racing across the rooftops, leaping from one building to the next with an ease that would have been impossible without the enhancement. Every jump sent streams of adrenaline coursing through his veins, but he could feel the energy ebbing.

Halfway across, disaster struck: the rooftop beneath him gave way with a deafening crash, sending him tumbling into a room full of debris. The air was filled with dust and rubble, and the immediate din of the collapse served only to attract the attention of the horde.

Alex coughed, scrambling to his feet. The moaning grew louder as the zombies turned toward the source of the commotion.

"Not now," he spat, his eyes flashing to the bracelet; the Agility enhancement was well on its way out, and he needed more than speed to survive.

Strength," he whispered, trembling, "activate.".

A wave of raw energy had swept through him, the muscles across his body writhing like a thousand snakes as new power washed over his arms and legs; then, grunting loudly, he pushed the hefty beam blocking his path aside, climbing out from the destruction.

The horde was closing in fast, moans echoing down the street. Alex spotted an overturned truck nearby and sprinted toward it, using his enhanced strength to leap onto its roof. The zombies swarmed below, their decaying hands clawing the air.

Alex scanned the area, his mind racing. His enhancements wouldn't last forever, and the safe zone was still a block away. He needed a distraction.

His eyes fell on a gas canister lying nearby to a broken car. With no further ado, he jumped down, grasped it, and flung the canister toward the other end of the street. Picking up with a lot of clatter as it fell to the ground, the horde's attention became riveted to it.

As the zombies lumbered toward the noise, Alex activated Dexterity.

"Activate."

From that point on, his movements became well-rounded and calculated. His balance and coordination had become perfect, darting through the rubble, slipping past the remaining zombies with an unnatural grace.

Finally, he reached the perimeter of the safe zone: a tall wall of rusted metal and debris. With his enhanced dexterity, Alex climbed this with ease; his fingers found perfect holds in the jagged surface. He dropped down on the other side, landing into the small clearing surrounded by dense overgrowth. For the first time in hours, the air was still, the only sounds his ragged breathing and the distant moan of the horde. He fell to the ground as it collapsed, the enhancements releasing their grip to leave him worn out but alive. He looked at the bracelet-the faint glow now dimming. What am I?" he whispered, turning it over in his hand. It had saved his life, yet it created more questions than it answered. Who made it? Why did he have it? As the night wore on, Alex knew he couldn't sleep for long. This so-called "safe zone" was only temporary. Beyond the barricades, the ruined city stretched endlessly, its dangers lurking in every shadow.