Autumn in Liyue was beautiful and an eye-catcher for newlyweds, freshmen college students, or new families who wanted to start a new life. The city is a piece of the beauty in Liyue, especially near the harbor and its lovely view of the water along with the boats that floated on the gleaming water with the sky turning orange-purple. That picture of the sunset over the ocean was the same on Liyue University's brochure along with the silly outline of a Dragon on the corner of it. The college had six different buildings, not including the dorms, four different buildings, and not counting any fraternities. The semester usually started with some barbecue and people chatting up one another or heading into the city for a drink or shop or even getting a head start on studying.

The following Monday was hell since the first week of class; some students were late finding their classes, some arguing with others for stupid reasons, and others were breezing by either high out of their minds already or juniors in their year. [M/N] had been packed with slightly nice and comfortable clothes before leaving the dorm. He had shoulder-checked a few people who had gotten in his way and ignored their voices as he entered his two pm class in psychology.

A few minutes in, the teacher came in and began attendance when the door slammed open. Three infected burst in with hungry growls and loud shrieks, One launched at the teacher. People shouted in horror as the large splatter of blood flew across the whiteboard as people bolted out or attempted the low-level windows. [M/N] studies the human-like monster as they chewed onto the lower level he grasped his bag, zipping up his jacket. He felt people trying to scramble around him while yelling as his eyes followed the path he needed. The second the one eating the teacher latched onto another victim, he moved.

[M/N] moved down the stairs and breezed past a girl getting eaten from her stomach with her intestines hanging out the inflicted mouth. He heard his feet land in puddles of blood and the squishing of his heel onto human parts, their insides. He leaves through the door to find other infected were munching or loitering through the hallways.

He heard screams of people in closed doors as the monster pounded and clawed at the door. His eyes locked on the many different types that didn't look human anymore. Many humans were different, some had odd mutations on their bodies or visibly like extra limbs, teeth growing outside the mouth, and their legs looked buffer than the whole body which [M/N] hurried faster towards his dormitory. There were so many abnormalities in the buildings and the outside wasn't any better once he managed to leave the Jade building.

[M/N] headed towards the dorms as there were more horrific screams and more infected crawling over the campus. He saw one with extra legs and moved like some spider creature who leaped onto a couple who cried out for help despite the spider-infected snapping its jaw around the man's neck. He kept moving towards the dorm when loud honking and the hairs at the back of his head began to rise and he turned to see a car swerving around and nearly knocked into him. He moved forward, twisting his body until he was back right up as the car smashed into a group of humans then into a pillar as the infected finally got through the window. Blood splatters and gargles against the interior as [M/N] pulled out his keycard to the dorm main door as he saw many cars drive out of the parking lot.

He slammed the door behind him as he rushed to his dorm, locking it up behind him with his dresser against the door as he took deep breaths and exhaled. [M/N] dropped his bag onto his bed as he heard muffled screams throughout the walls and groans. The best he could think is that he had food and drinks, including the sink and shower water, only for a few weeks and at best it would be four weeks.

++++

He had enough for a month when he rationed and ate when he was getting starved. The only reason [M/N] left was because one of the infected found their way through the vent and one liked to do four in the morning zoomies along with trying to enter through the vent in the dorm. The thin parts of his desk weren't holding the vent closed with the metal lock on it but he had planned where he was going.

Mondstadt; home of the free and land of the wine.

When the power was still running through the building, and radio stations weren't static, there was a shelter within Mondstadt walls and everyone was welcome under the protection of the knights. [M/N] rather have that chance before spots are taken. Then it hits when only the selected few get to stay there while others are kicked to the curb due to overpopulation or little to no food. He had his roommate's keys to his bike and a bag filled up with the necessities for the journey.

[M/N] left during the night as the college was overrun with the infected roaming around and one nearly catching him. It looked very mutated, not human at all, as big as a damn fire truck that made bangs with each step it took. Thankfully it seems blind as a bat. [M/N] found the bike on its side with the rest of his roommate next to it, half of him at least, and the clear bullet wound on his forehead. The bottom half of him is laid out on the ground and [M/N] frowns as he steps in it to pick up the bike.

"The least you could've done was to die neatly." He rolled his eyes as he began turning the key in the bike and it roared to life as the light fluttered to start. Without looking back, he began driving off campus and around empty cars as the sounds of infection scattered around him and into the dark but [M/N] ignored it all as he kept driving.

He didn't stop for nothing, even when people cried for help when he zoomed passed them and bursts of energy through the bike when he went forward passed possible close calls.

The bike was running on fumes as the sun came up and was just a few miles away from the gas station. He had taken a stop and turned the bike off with the key in the ignition as he pushed the bike. He was in the more forest wood area where it was nothing but woods and trees for miles but the sign he passed an hour ago said the next rest stop with a gas station was three miles away. Just pushing would do fine and he could stretch his legs too, [M/N] kept staring forward as he moved and passed around empty cars with old blood splattering around the area and one car flipped on its side too.

He did not want to be around for what flipped it over or the remains of the victims.

[M/N] walked straight as his stomach growled, using one hand to lead the bike he reached down into his pocket but felt the leftover wrapping of a candy wrapper from hours ago. He sighs as he keeps walking before stopping as he notices the bridge that went across a river and the many cars that were left abandoned including a few police cars. His eyes scan them before noticing a growling to his left and how the car wobbles with movement before seeing a regular infected backseat with the seatbelt across the infected monster. It had a police uniform on along with aged features of a beast that hadn't eaten in a month, then [M/N] noticed the reason why it was stuck. There was a SVU crashed into the car and it lodged the monster's leg against the police door.

[M/N] watched it hiss, groaning and hands reaching out to him as his [E/C] eyes watched with some amusement before going down and saw the prize right there in the driver seat; the officer's gun. He saw some officers or people who had been able to find weapons aimed at the monsters, usually they go down within the first rounds of shots but if you surprise them like a car or stabbing it in the head a good few times then they die. If he got the gun then it would be a good game changer after learning how to shoot first. [M/N] opened the door and it creaked open as the hisses and garbles came out of the monster's mouth as he leaned the bike against the car. He could see the monster hitting the cage that separated the front and back as he bent down slowly and pulled the gun. [M/N] unclicked the clip and looked at the bullets remaining there before sliding back into the gun then clicked the safety off.

Before he would exit the car he heard creaking across from him, his eyes snapped up to meet face to face with a large infected. The thing was hunched-over and lumps all over with juices spilling out, maybe dark blood or something that resembled it with a disfigured face. It made low moaning noises as it leaned on an empty car door to support its weight. Then [M/N] noticed the eyes, no eyes on its face as it clacked the teeth in its mouth, searching like echo-location as it's hands dragged across the car.

He watched before he glanced at the gun but the thing looked more shotgun worthy to kill with or the damn car. [M/N] leaned back as he slowed down his breathing as his eyes locked onto the beast before relaxing. The infected behind him still growling but he focused on the hunchback as it slowly walked over with one arm dragging behind it, lanky and stretched out to drag on the black top. [M/N] watched as he laid his head back on the headrest as the thing stumbled closer, making the car shift when the Hunchback leaned on it. The metal squeaking under its weight and the car moved back a bit, the infected in the back hissing and grabbing the metal wall that separated them.

The Hunchback snapped its teeth near [M/N]'s window, trying to locate food or whatever as the dead body beside [M/N] shifted, his eyes darted to the regular infected that looked almost human beside the bones poking out the body. It wakes up and [M/N] was quicker, his hand wrapped the seatbelt and moved it around the infected neck then arm that reached out to him before clicking it into the lock of the seatbelt. The boney infected growls and hissed, spitting near [M/N] but he ignored it as he watched the Hunchback stop to click its teeth around as he held his breath. Then suddenly the smell of burning leather assaulted his senses next to him and glanced only to see the leader of the police seat melt slowly and glanced to the boney infected that indeed had droplets of acid spilling down the corners of his mouth.

The Hunchback began walking again before it snapped its head towards the first before speed walking towards it with loud whining roars and hands still dragging on the floor as it marched into the forest. [M/N] watched from the reviews mirror before scooting back as another acid ball hit the door of his, melting the wheel this time and [M/N] opened his legs further into the dashboard. He watched the wheel melt and it's pieces falling to the bottom near the gas and brake pedals.

"You almost got my boots, did you know how many pairs I had to try on to find these?" [M/N] sniffed with an annoyed grunt as he held the gun, his fingers on the trigger before lining it up under the boney infected chin. He waited as the infected hissed and he closed his eyes for a moment as he pulled it, the ring was loud and the bullet went straight through. The infected groans as the one behind them snarls and hisses louder, it's finger tugging at the metal separator.

The brain splatter around [M/N] and he grumbled as he wiped his face before opening the door. Hopefully the Hunchback didn't hear him, he pockets the gun into his waistband before hearing meowing. His eyes narrow before glancing around for a cat. It was low but high pitched like a cat or kitten. Maybe that was what the Hunchback was looking for. He shrugs as he pulled the bike onto its wheel again before pushing it further on the bridge. Every step he took the meowing was getting louder and more urgent as he pushed his bike.

[M/N] always wanted a pet cat, and had befriended strays when he was younger. His mother was assisting a gentlemanly guest on "taxes" in her bedroom as [M/N] was kicked out of the apartment. They were behind the complex and always in groups but the one that he liked was this one orange kitten, with pretty brown eyes and missing its tail. [M/N] had found a bright green string, a bit thicker but still as long to tie around its neck with a toy bell he found at school. [M/N] loved that cat more than anything, and affectionately named it after a color he learned that wasn't exactly pink-white or indigo.

His stomach grumbled unhappily for food that was in his bag but he couldn't dine now. The sun was up now and they were halfway across the bridge when he noticed a car was halfway off the bridge and close to tipping down into the water. The tires were clinging onto the bridge as the back side was aimed towards the water, any breeze of wind would knock the car over into the water. [M/N] scooted the bike around the car that was tipping slowly when he heard the needy high-pitched whine again.

[M/N] glanced at the car before seeing movement but it was small, covered by gloves. His eyes fixed on them before getting up after placing the bike on its stop and moving to the door, slowly as his hand grasped the handle before pulling it. The door creaked and the car was tipped back and then forward again as [M/N] noticed the setup in the car. His eyes glanced at the car seat and slowly pulled the blanket down. His eyes met dark purple ones as the baby sneezed before seeing him.

She had a white onesie and seemed to be around four to five months old, but she smelled bad and even looked a bit skinny. She had a few tuffs of brown hair with a little bow in her little strains of hair. [M/N] looked at her and then at the empty seats in the car, some dry blood on the floor, and a broken window.

Her eyes were filled with tears and they clung to her lashes as her hands reached up [M/N] looked down at her and then to the tag around her wrist. I could leave her, she wouldn't know what happens. Maybe I could push the car into the water. She won't survive this world as it is now. No one will see me.

Those thoughts were true, she would never know pain or starve or be hunted by these infected monsters. He wouldn't suffer and play a role he wasn't meant to play, [M/N] could just inch the car into the water and pretend nothing happened.

"Don't look at me like that, I can end your suffering...you wouldn't know true pain." [M/N] scolded the baby who whimpered a bit as tears rolled down her chubby cheeks and something in his chest hurt. His eyes looked over her before the loud sound of metal scraping against stone. His hands moved before he could stop himself as the car finally began tipping backward. [M/N] undo the buckle and her blanket as the car falls into the river. It was loud as it splashed into the water, sinking in as the baby clung to his chest.

[M/N] exhaled as the baby touched his chin and he felt how small she was, she was probably starving. He looked down at her as her crying had stopped and was just innocently touching his chin.

Looked like he couldn't do what he thought to do, he could but he would probably feel bad later down the road. Maybe.

[M/N]'s cat went missing, his poor Periwinkle had left one day and never showed up for the next few days. That worried him which his brothers found amusing, especially teasing him that he was a worried hen, a worried mother looking for her chick. That had annoyed him for days until Friday and his mother mysteriously found money for a roast. It was very tasteful and very good, she spiced it up well and added something to it. He ate it whole, loving it until he was throwing his napkin and soda into the trash. There is it at the very top like he was meant to find a small string with a bell on it with orange fur clung to it.

[M/N] then puked into the trash with his heart pounding in his ears, muffling the laughter of his brothers and scolding yell of his mother for wasting food.

"...I suppose you can come with me...just don't...be annoying...Periwinkle."