The first official week of the semester at a new school, in a new class, had passed—but not peacefully. A series of strange events had left Nam feeling exhausted and drained by the time the weekend arrived.


    Today, he allowed himself to lazily sprawl out on his bed, soaking in the fresh morning air. He focused on positive thoughts, trying to push away the horrifying images that had plagued his mind over the past few days.


    Forget it.


    Nam ordered his brain to comply.


    Forget the corpse of Hoang Anh Tuan.


    Forget Vuong’s cat-like pupils and his dangerous smile.


    And let Dzung the Nerd think whatever he wants.


    Oh, and Chi from 11C too—pretty girl, but those nails were terrifying.


    As for the angelic voice…


    That was different. That fever dream—the one filled with the intoxicating scent of lilies—was the only thing Nam didn’t want to forget. It had been a rare moment of comfort in his recent lonely and uneasy days.


    A sudden ambulance siren echoed from the distance, shattering the tranquility Nam had been enjoying. The wailing siren grew louder, closing in. It might even be heading toward his building.


    Nam’s rented room was on the rooftop of a seven-story mini apartment complex. It was affordable for his family, but not ideal for his health. The drastic temperature changes between freezing nights and blazing hot days were especially brutal up here.


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    The ambulance siren stopped right in front of Nam’s apartment complex. Curious, Nam pushed open his door and stepped onto the rooftop balcony, peering down at the scene below. Sure enough, an ambulance had parked directly in front of the building.


    Squinting, Nam tried to focus. His eyesight had worsened lately, probably from playing video games in the dark for too many nights.


    The back doors of the ambulance flung open, and a team of medical personnel in full-body protective suits—head to toe, CDC-style—jumped out.


    Their movements were swift and precise, more like special forces soldiers than typical paramedics.


    The urgency in their actions, combined with their extreme caution, reminded Nam of the COVID outbreak years ago. But COVID had long since been reduced to a seasonal flu. Patients could recover at home without needing forced quarantines or emergency extractions like this.


    So what the hell was happening here?


    Nam didn’t have to wonder for long. The medical team was ‘escorting’ a patient—though ‘escorting’ wasn’t the right word. It was more like they were forcibly capturing him.


    The “patient” was also wearing a protective suit, but his arms were tied behind his back, and he was being dragged toward the ambulance with brutal force.


    And he was not cooperating. The man thrashed violently, struggling to break free from the paramedics’ grip. His hands were restrained, but he still had one weapon left—his teeth. Like a rabid animal, he snapped his jaws wildly, trying to bite anyone who got too close.


    Then, suddenly, he froze. For a moment, Nam thought he had come to his senses, that he had decided to comply. But something was off. His entire body locked up, muscles rigid and stiff for a few unnerving seconds. Then, he doubled over, his body convulsing.


    He started coughing violently—and then, vomited a massive amount of blood.


    The dark red liquid splattered onto the nearest paramedic’s protective suit. The man collapsed, his entire body seizing uncontrollably in the puddle of his own blood.


    The medical team remained calm. They restrained him even tighter, strapping him down onto a stretcher before shoving it into the ambulance. The sirens wailed again as the vehicle sped away, disappearing from sight.


    Nam’s eyes widened. His breathing quickened. His stomach churned. His heartbeat pounded like a drum against his ribcage.


    What the hell was that?!