The rain had not stopped for three days.
It fell like the sky itself had cracked open, washing the world in a gray, endless curtain. Streets drowned. Buildings stood like silent ghosts. And beneath that rain… the dead walked.
No one knew exactly when it began. Some said it was a virus. Others whispered about experiments gone wrong. But for twelve-year-old Lin Yu, none of that mattered anymore.
All that mattered was surviving.
He stood barefoot at the edge of a broken rooftop, his small figure drenched, his dark hair clinging to his face. Below him, the street was filled with zombies—slow, twitching, hungry. Their hollow eyes stared at nothing, yet somehow felt like they could see everything.
Lin Yu clenched his fists.
His stomach growled. It had been two days since he last ate.
"I can't stay here anymore…"
His voice was soft, but determined.
Behind him, the rooftop door hung half-open, creaking in the wind. Inside that building, there was nothing left—no food, no water, no hope.
He had to move.
But the moment he stepped closer to the edge, a low growl rose from below.
One of them had noticed.
The zombie lifted its head, its jaw hanging unnaturally loose. Then another turned. And another.
In seconds, dozens of pale faces tilted upward.
They saw him.
Lin Yu's heart pounded wildly.
"Damn it…"
He stumbled back, breathing fast.
Running wasn't an option. Climbing down meant certain death. And jumping… he glanced at the distance to the next building.
Too far.
For a moment, fear swallowed him.
Then—
A strange sensation spread through his body.
Cold.
Not the cold of fear… but something deeper. Something flowing beneath his skin.
The rain around him began to slow.
No… it didn't slow.
It responded.
Lin Yu froze.
Drops of water hovered in the air before him, trembling slightly, as if waiting for a command.
"What… is this…?"
He lifted his hand instinctively.
And the water moved.
It swirled together, forming a thin stream that danced around his fingers like a living snake.
His eyes widened.
"I… can control water?"
Below, the zombies began to slam against the building, their rotting hands reaching upward, their bodies piling over one another.
There was no time to think.
Lin Yu gritted his teeth.
"Then… I'll use it!"
He thrust his hand forward.
The rain responded instantly.
A massive surge of water gathered in the air, forming a heavy wave above the street.
Then—
CRASH!
The wave slammed down.
Zombies were thrown back like broken dolls, their bodies smashing into walls and cars. Some were crushed instantly, their skulls shattered by the sheer force.
Lin Yu stared in shock.
He had done that.
He had killed them.
For a moment, silence returned to the street.
But only for a moment.
Because more were coming.
From every direction, figures emerged through the rain. Dozens… then hundreds.
Lin Yu's expression hardened.
"I can't stay here…"
He turned, sprinting toward the edge again. This time, his eyes were different.
Focused.
Determined.
Water gathered beneath his feet.
"Let's try…"
He jumped.
For a split second, his body hung in the air.
Then—
A burst of water exploded beneath him, pushing him forward like a cannon.
He flew.
Not far. Not gracefully.
But enough.
He crashed onto the next rooftop, rolling painfully before coming to a stop.
"Ow…"
He groaned, but quickly pushed himself up.
Behind him, the zombies continued to swarm, but they couldn't reach him now.
For the first time in days…
He smiled.
"I survived…"
But deep down, he knew.
This was only the beginning.
—
Days passed.
Lin Yu learned quickly.
Too quickly for someone his age.
He learned how to gather water from the air, even without rain. How to shape it into blades, shields, and bursts of force. How to conserve energy. How to move silently.
And most importantly—
How to kill.
The first time he crushed a zombie's head deliberately, he threw up afterward.
The tenth time, he didn't feel anything.
The world had changed.
And so had he.
—
One night, he sat alone in an abandoned convenience store.
A small bottle of water floated in front of him, slowly spinning.
He stared at it quietly.
"Mom… Dad…"
There was no answer.
There would never be one.
He lowered his head.
"I'll survive."
His voice trembled slightly, but his eyes were steady.
"I'll survive… no matter what."
Outside, thunder roared.
And in the darkness beyond the broken windows…
Something watched him.
Not a normal zombie.
It stood taller. Its body more intact. Its eyes… aware.
It tilted its head, as if curious.
Then it smiled.
—
Inside the store, Lin Yu suddenly froze.
The water around him trembled.
His instincts screamed.
Something dangerous was near.
Very dangerous.
Slowly, he stood up.
His small figure looked fragile.
But the water around him began to rise.
Swirling.
Gathering.
Waiting.
His eyes turned cold.
"Whatever you are…"
He whispered.
"I won't die."
Outside, the creature took a step forward.
And the real story—
Had only just begun.