Apocalypse: King of Zombies

People were murmuring among themselves, voices low and anxious.

But just then, the golden light dimmed, slowly fading away. Everything fell silent.

Click.

The lock on the door ahead gave a soft, crisp sound.

Everyone tensed, like a string had been plucked inside them. Eyes wide, they stared at the door, holding their breath without even realizing it.

A moment later—

The door creaked open.

A girl stepped out slowly. Her long hair flowed smoothly down her back, her skin pale and flawless, and her features were so delicate they looked almost unreal.

Mia stretched her arms above her head, yawning like she’d just woken from a deep sleep.

Her bright eyes scanned the crowd, the same familiar look of irritation on her face—like she was already tired of the world.

”What the hell are you all staring at?”

”Mia! You’re back!” Chris’s eyes lit up with emotion, tears welling up as he choked back a sob.

The others around him broke into cheers, some even crying outright.

”Oh my god, Mia! You’re finally okay!”

”Do you remember what happened?”

”You got hurt in the last fight, and Ethan… he turned you into a zombie.”

”Yeah, it was bad…”

Everyone was talking over each other, voices full of excitement and disbelief.

But deep down, they were all wondering the same thing—

How the hell did she recover?

Just then, Brandon came rushing over from the lab, flanked by Dr. Morgan and several high-ranking members of the shelter.

”We just picked up a signal,” Brandon said, breathless. ”It came from off-world. Just one sentence… ’We’re back.’”

”What?!”

The crowd gasped, stunned. At that moment, a single image flashed through everyone’s mind—

A man in white, with a face too handsome to forget, and a presence that radiated power.

They remembered him vividly.

Then, a thunderous boom echoed across the sky. Space itself seemed to ripple, golden light pouring down like a divine curtain from the heavens.

The light bathed the earth, and within it, several figures began to take shape—growing clearer, more solid with each passing second.

At the front stood a tall, commanding figure who stepped forward slowly.

Ethan.

He appeared before the world once more.

Behind him stood Bulldozer, Laura, and the rest of the Zombie Kings—each one exuding a powerful, awe-inspiring presence.

Bulldozer, in particular, looked almost comically out of place—his massive frame squeezed into a white suit, adjusting his bowtie with thick fingers like he was heading to a wedding instead of a battlefield.

The crowd stared in stunned silence, a tidal wave of emotion crashing through them.

They… they really came back.

But something was different now. The aura around the Zombie Kings had changed—evolved. No one could tell just how far they’d gone.

”Wait… are they still zombies?” someone whispered.

The question hung in the air.

Only Mia remained calm, her eyes cool as she tilted her head, studying them. Of course she remembered everything.

Her crystal core had been shattered. She’d been infected with Ethan’s blood.

”They’re back, huh?” she said quietly.

Ethan nodded. ”Yeah.”

She paused, thinking. ”Was the trip smooth?”

”More or less,” Ethan said with a small smile. ”Had a few bumps.”

”Figures.” Mia turned her gaze away, her tone casual. ”At least you’re not completely irresponsible.”

”…”

Behind the Zombie Kings, Ricky and Aria stood side by side, scanning the crowd, trying not to draw attention.

”So this is the boss’s home planet,” Ricky said, eyes wide with curiosity.

”Seriously?” Aria shot him a look. ”That’s what you’re focused on? Not the girl who just got her memories back?”

”Why would I care about her?”

”Because she might end up being your boss’s wife, genius.”

”Shhh!” Ricky hissed, throwing up a hand. ”Don’t say stuff like that out loud!”

Not far away, another young man stood watching the crowd, his sharp eyes gleaming, his handsome face twisted in mild annoyance.

”I just woke up too,” he muttered. ”How come no one’s asking if I’m okay? Is this what inequality looks like?”

”Robert, hey! You really doing alright?” a high-pitched voice called out.

Robert turned to see Griffin—Brandon’s so-called ”close friend.”

”Uh… yeah, I’m fine. Totally fine. No need to worry about me… heh.”

”…”

When Ethan returned to Earth, the first place he touched down was the Los Angeles shelter. Naturally, it didn’t take long before he ran into another childhood friend—Sean.

The moment Sean saw him, he broke down in tears, sobbing uncontrollably, barely able to get his words out as he poured out years of longing and emotion.

The three kids from the orphanage… finally reunited.

They hugged each other tightly, crying like they were kids again. Even the nearby survivors couldn’t help but get choked up, their eyes misting over.

But it wasn’t just L.A.

All across the planet, golden light rained down from the sky, space itself rippling as the once-scattered Zombie Horde returned to their respective territories.

Only now… something was different.

Their bodies had changed—subtly, but unmistakably.

And with that change came a question that began to stir in the hearts of everyone watching:

The Zombie Kings are back. They seem… sane. In control. So what are they now? Still zombies? Or something else entirely?

And more importantly—was the apocalyptic ”Endgame” that once nearly destroyed the world… truly over?

In the heart of Los Angeles, on a deserted street, there stood a supermarket—one of the few buildings still mostly intact.

Behind it loomed a tall skyscraper.

A flock of crows suddenly burst into the sky, cawing wildly as they circled the tower, their black wings slicing through the golden light.

Inside one of the upper rooms, spotless and meticulously clean, a girl leaned against the window, watching the sky with wide eyes.

”Wait… is the boss really back?”

Nina’s eyes sparkled with disbelief. She could hardly trust what she was seeing.

But then, the door creaked open.

Ethan stepped inside.

After visiting the shelter, of course he had to come home.

Nina froze where she stood, staring at him in stunned silence. Her mind was racing, and one random thought popped up: Since when does the boss use the front door?

They stood there, facing each other, eyes locked.

Ethan’s gaze swept over her from head to toe. Standing in front of him was a very round girl—easily pushing 220 pounds.

”Huh. Not bad,” Ethan said with a nod. ”Looks like you didn’t waste a single bite of the food I left you.”

”Uh… boss, you’re joking, right?” Nina gave a nervous laugh.

”You should think about losing some weight,” Ethan said casually. ”Start planning for the future. The apocalypse… it’s over.”

”What? The apocalypse is over?” Nina blinked, stunned.

”…”

But while everyone was still riding the high of joy and relief, no one noticed the faint flicker of dark red that flashed deep within the golden light still lingering in the sky.

No one realized that, at that very moment, something unprecedented was quietly beginning to stir.

A ripple—subtle, invisible—spread outward from Earth, echoing into the far reaches of the universe.

On the outskirts of Los Angeles, the Genesis Biotech facility was buzzing with activity.

Inside his office, Nathan was lounging around, playing poker with a group of coworkers, living his usual laid-back, post-apocalypse life. With the zombie threat gone, Genesis had stopped making weapons and pivoted to manufacturing farming equipment for the shelters.

Agriculture was the new frontier.

But then, a male assistant burst into the room, panting.

”Mr… Mr. Nathan! Sophia’s freaking out—crying, screaming. It’s like… she got her human memories back!”

”What?!” Nathan’s face went pale, the cards slipping from his hands and scattering across the floor.

Sophia had been locked up in the Genesis facility ever since she was captured. He never imagined she’d actually recover her memories.

Before he could react, another staff member rushed in.

”Mr. Nathan! The zombies in L.A.—they’re back too!”

”Uh…” Nathan blinked, stunned. He’d been about to go check on Sophia, but now? Plans changed.

”Quick! Get me to the tower district!”

”…”

Ever since Ethan returned to Earth, things had been shifting—quietly, but unmistakably. The world was beginning to move according to a new rhythm.

Some called it fate. Others called it divine will.

But whether human or zombie, everything was falling into place.

And just like that, a year passed.

In the frozen northern tundra, a sharp, newborn cry pierced the silence, echoing from a small wooden cabin.

Inside, Logan’s hands trembled as he gently lifted the baby, his eyes filled with emotion.

Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a warm glow on the infant’s tiny, delicate face.

That soft, insistent cry… it sounded like hope.

This child would be known as the first of the ”New Humans.”

And with that, a brand-new era officially began.

In the days that followed, Ethan’s life remained remarkably calm.

Which, truth be told, had always been his goal.

No more chaos. No more interruptions. Just peace.

And to make that happen, he’d conquered the entire planet of Originis.

Now, with the apocalypse behind them, Ethan would occasionally take his zombie crew—along with Mia, Sean, and the others—on trips through shattered space, exploring distant star systems and even venturing beyond the known universe.

At this moment, Ethan stood atop a skyscraper, tall and composed, dressed in flowing white. Black crows circled around him, their wings slicing through the air like shadows.

Behind him stood Mia, Sean, Chris, Brandon, and the rest of the core group.

Below, the streets and rooftops of Los Angeles were packed with millions of zombies, standing in perfect formation. Among them were the Zombie Kings—Bulldozer, Laura, PhD, Little Shadow, Sprout—all present and accounted for.

Even the Overlord Squad—Big Ears, Shrimpy, and the other two—stood at attention, eyes gleaming with anticipation.

They were ready.

Ready to leave Earth behind and see what else the universe had to offer.

Ethan’s gaze swept across the sea of undead.

”We’re leaving,” he said calmly. ”Is everyone ready?”

”ROOOAAARRR—!”

The collective roar of the horde exploded into the sky, shaking the very air.

And in that moment, time seemed to freeze.

The image of Ethan standing tall, his army behind him, the world at peace—was etched into eternity.

…

Far above the void, beyond the reach of time and space, there existed a mysterious hall that overlooked all of creation.

At its center, countless massive screens floated in the air, each one displaying the rise and fall of a different universe.

On the largest screen in the middle, the scene from Earth played out in real time: Ethan’s declaration, the cheers of the people, and that strange flicker of red light that had briefly flashed in the sky.

”Well, I’ll be damned. The kid actually pulled it off.”

Lounging on a couch in front of the screen was a scruffy middle-aged man in a Hawaiian shirt and baggy shorts. One hand held a cold beer, the other a fistful of popcorn. He looked like he hadn’t moved in days.

This was God.

He stretched with a loud yawn and muttered, ”Spent all that effort setting up an apocalypse game, and Ethan just steamrolled through it. Even smashed the damn Cosmic Core while he was at it… Tch. Gotta admit, kid’s got skills.”

Though his tone sounded like he was complaining, the smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth said otherwise. He was impressed.

God took a sip of beer and continued talking to himself. ”Still, I’ve never quite forgiven you for siding with the zombie faction, kid…”

He chuckled, remembering the moment Ethan had been reborn and made his choice. He’d been so pissed, he’d shattered his coffee mug.

On the screen, Ethan waved goodbye to the crowd, preparing to lead his army off-world.

God raised an eyebrow and pointed a finger at the screen.

With a flick, the image split in two.

The left side continued showing the original world—Ethan, the zombies, Earth post-apocalypse.

But on the right, a new screen came to life.

A vast, star-filled cosmos appeared, and within it, a familiar blue planet—Earth.

Only this Earth was different.

There was no apocalypse. No zombies. No destruction.

Just a peaceful, functioning society.

In the bottom corner, glowing text read: Universe B

God grinned. ”Heh. Now this should be fun.”

He downed the rest of his beer and conjured a fresh one with a snap of his fingers.

Then, with a lazy flick, he summoned a glowing menu in midair:

[Confirm cancellation of ”Zombie Faction” option?]

Two buttons appeared beneath it—one red, one green: [YES] and [NO]

God snorted. ”You’re asking me? I am the rules.”

With a wave of his hand, he slammed the green [YES] button.

Instantly, the right screen flared with light, zooming in on a bustling city on Earth.

The streets were alive with people and traffic. Skyscrapers lit up the skyline. It was a world untouched by apocalypse—vibrant, modern, and full of life.

God shifted on the couch, eyes gleaming with curiosity. ”Alright… let’s see what you’ve got this time.”

Then, the camera panned in.

And there he was.

Ethan Cole.

But not the all-powerful Zombie King.

This Ethan was younger, dressed in a simple hoodie and jeans, pedaling a bicycle through a college campus. His face was fresh, his smile unguarded—just a regular student in a peaceful world.

God’s grin widened.

”Well, well, well. No zombie powers. No undead army. No cosmic cheat codes. Just you, kid.”

He raised his beer toward the screen in a mock toast.

”Let’s see what kind of chaos you stir up this time… in the human camp.”

And with that—

A brand-new story began.

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