LOGINPriya:We were all awake now. Liam was still asleep, and all our eyes were fixed on the mall.“So Ali saw Fallon?” Nathan asked.“I saw her too,” I agreed, lifting my finger.Holly nodded as well.“Yeah, she was still wearing her black dress, and there were some other women with her. We saw her go inside and run toward one of the rooms,” I added to the lie, watching Nathan’s eyes light up.“Well then, take hold of the bus. I’ll go quickly, grab them, and bring them here.”Nathan was so quick to jump into a zombie-infested area that it shocked me.If he had shown this much love and protectiveness before, maybe things would never have reached the point where she was out there alone while he drove around looking for her.But people like him, cheaters like him, only seemed to realize what they had once they lost it.They only understood the value of a gem after losing it and watching it become someone else’s.“No, you shouldn’t go,” Ali added, exchanging a glance with me.“Why? Why should
Priya:“Okay, one of you is going to take over now,” Ali hissed, slowing down in the middle of the road.The night had still not passed.The full moon hung in the sky, and I could feel this anxiety building inside me.My body had been feeling extremely weird.Whenever I looked at Ali, my heart would start beating loudly.But whenever I turned toward Liam, my mark would start itching.It was like I needed to do this. I needed to do it on this full moon. I couldn’t wait any longer.“Why would we drive? You’re the driver,” Nathan complained, shaking his head in refusal.However, Ali, who was already enraged by their behavior earlier, stopped the car and got up from his seat.“Hey, what the fuck are you doing?”Now that they realized Ali could go completely crazy, Nathan jumped to his feet.“I’m not driving anymore. I told you,” Ali said, walking over to our seat and standing behind Holly and me.Nathan shot him a harsh glance before looking around and noticing movement in the woods.He h
Priya:I could just laugh at the situation we were in. We were all trapped on the same bus.Several times, Ali tried to stop so we could let more survivors inside, but every time, Nathan and Liam started shouting and slammed the doors shut before anyone could get on."Do you two even realize what you've done?" Ali yelled.He had been furious ever since we left the shelter far behind.Because he was driving, he couldn't physically move them out of the way and let people in.I had tried once, but Nathan had been so aggressive that he shoved me aside."We barely have enough food and water as it is. Do you understand that?" Nathan shouted at Ali."Yeah, I grabbed whatever I could," Liam snapped."Wait. How did you two know something was going to happen?" I asked.Nathan rolled his eyes while Liam clenched his jaw."I didn't know," Liam replied sharply. "I was already planning to leave this place. I was sick of it, and I didn't trust anyone here. I figured they could tell me to leave at an
Fallon:We had climbed aboard one of the military buses, and several other people had joined us.There was a woman with her child, a few couples, an old man, and a few others.As the bus filled up, we all had the same fear: what if one of us was infected?But this wasn't the time to inspect everyone.Even if someone had been bitten, they weren't going to turn that quickly."Okay, we can't wait anymore," Cage called from the driver's seat.We were all still looking around, desperately searching for our loved ones."Our parents must have gotten on one of the other military buses, right?" Miguel asked.His words made my heart pound.I stared outside as well, searching desperately for any familiar face."Come on, Cage. Enough. If we don't leave now, we might not get out at all," Ace announced in a painfully sad voice.I had seated Dahlia beside me, putting her in the corner by the window.I didn't want anyone taunting her or giving her a hard time.With everything happening around us, thi
Nathan:I was running like a crazy man, terrified that the zombies would catch me at any moment.At this point, the warriors and everyone else were no longer my problem.The zombies scared me far more.I began to hear a struggle somewhere behind me.I raced around the building, searching for a way inside so I could help my sister, but getting in seemed almost impossible.My anxiety was getting worse by the second.Then I turned and saw them.Zombies were appearing everywhere, moving straight toward that worn-down building.I glanced at the building, then at the warriors surrounding it, and finally back at the approaching zombies.My sister would be safe as long as she stayed down there, locked inside.Once the coast was clear, I would come back for her, I told myself as I sprinted past the building.Deep down, I felt incredibly guilty, but what else could I do?If I stayed, I would be killed too. Besides, zombies couldn't open basement doors.My sister would definitely be safer inside
Fallon:I held Rome’s gaze as he told me everything.“I’m the one who has to reject you,” he said, a single tear slipping down his cheek. “So tell me, what did I do wrong? How is any of this my fault?”His voice was so quiet that I could only stare at him for a moment.“I think this is unfair to you,” I finally admitted.Before Rome could respond, someone suddenly rushed onto the rooftop.She appeared with such urgency that Rome and I immediately moved shoulder to shoulder as we faced her.“Something’s going on,” Dahlia blurted, pointing toward the area below.“Dahlia, are you okay?” I asked, moving toward her and reaching out to rub her back.She looked panicked.“No. I saw Nathan.” Her breathing was uneven. “He was running away from the wall. The one that hadn’t been repaired. It looked like he had done something.”A chill ran through me.I immediately turned to Rome.Our eyes met.Without a word, he pulled the bag over his shoulder and gave me a firm nod.“Okay, listen to me,” I to
Fallon:“I’m not going down there,” I shot back before any of them could try talking me into it.All four of them mirrored each other, planting their hands on their waists as they lined up in front of me.Men, especially, always went after weakness the moment they sensed it.Cage lifted a brow, look
Fallon:Flashback:I sat on the floor beside the bed, curled into myself with my arms wrapped tightly around my body.My stare remained locked on the ground, as if my dignity had been left there with the rest of me.“Don’t make such a big deal out of it.”Nathan stepped out of the bathroom with a to
Fallon:The instant it lunged at me, I stumbled back and slammed my foot against the door.The heavy door crashed into its face and knocked it backward.I did not waste the opportunity.I rushed inside with the piece of broken glass in my hand.The room was too cramped for a proper fight.Every move
Fallon:I slowly pushed myself off the road and brushed the dirt from my clothes, scanning my surroundings with panic building inside me.I didn’t know if the world had always been this terrifying.Maybe I had just never noticed it before. Back when my biggest concern was surviving another day as a







