3. Chapter 3.

Adrian checked his watch, then looked up at the road ahead.

“We have ten hours before the Red Hour,” he said, his voice clipped. “We have to find a Red Shelter nearby before then.”

I stared at him, my eyebrows knitting together in confusion. “What’s a Red Shelter?”

Noah nodded beside me, looking equally bewildered.

“It’s a place the Red Ones can’t enter,” Adrian explained, his expression turning grim. “No matter what they do, they can’t get inside. They can see the people through the barriers, but they can’t cross them. But...”

“But what?” I pressed.

“These shelters have masters,” Adrian said, looking down toward the direction of our destroyed tunnel home. “If you don’t bring things to appease them, they won’t let you in. We have to forage for supplies before we go.”

“What happened back there?” Noah asked softly, sensing the heavy worry radiating from Adrian.

“Your tunnel must have had an old seal or safe lock,” Adrian said, turning to me with a look of genuine pity. “That’s why you two were protected for so long. But without a master to maintain it, the Red Ones were eventually able to breach it.”

My stomach dropped, but I forced the panic down. My mother is alive somewhere. She has to be.

Adrian took my hand in his, and together we turned back toward the center of town.

“Where is the nearest Red Shelter?” I asked.

Adrian sighed, glancing at his watch once more. “A reinforced warehouse two blocks down. Every district has one.”

We slipped inside another abandoned convenience store. Working quickly, we packed non-perishable food, water, and basic medical supplies to treat Noah’s leg. I looked over at my brother chatting quietly with Adrian, a rare flicker of light returning to his face, and I couldn't help but smile despite our dire situation.

Once our backpacks were filled to capacity, we began trekking toward the warehouse. But as we walked, curiosity got the better of me.

“Adrian... is there any way to fight the Red Ones?” I asked.

He offered a faint, humorless smile. “None that I know of. But I’ve heard rumors that there’s a way out of this city altogether, though I don't know if I believe it.”

“I see,” I murmured. “But why did they appear in the first place? Why are they killing everyone?”

“I don't know, little girl,” Adrian said with a heavy sigh. “All I know is that they are pure evil, and they can’t be fought.”

“But we can escape, right?” Noah chimed in, his eyes brightening. “I had a dream about a world with cars moving down clean streets, green grass, and cool air... and we were all standing there together, smiling.”

I chuckled softly, reaching over to ruffle his hair. I didn't know if I could ever give Noah the world from his dream, but as I tightened my grip on his hand, I swore I would protect him with my life.

“It’s five hours until the Red Hour,” Adrian announced, his forehead creasing with renewed tension.

The journey to the warehouse proved far longer than I expected, our pace slowed by walking on foot and carrying heavy packs.

“We have to run,” Adrian urged. I nodded, my breathing growing shallow as fear of the approaching Red Hour settled over me again.

As we sprinted down the avenues, other desperate scavengers emerged from the ruins, all rushing in the same direction.

So there are still people left, I thought, a sudden surge of hope warming my chest. If we reached the warehouse, maybe someone inside had seen my mother. Though a dark, quiet voice in the back of my mind whispered that she was already gone.

When we finally arrived at the heavily barricaded warehouse, the shelter’s master stepped out to inspect us.

It was a woman. Unlike the rest of us, who were caked in dust and grime, her skin was smooth and plump, her hair neatly styled and glowing with health. She looked as though the apocalypse hadn't touched her at all.

“What did you bring?” the woman demanded, looking down at Adrian with cold eyes.

“I brought supplies, Madam Rosella,” Adrian said, his voice straining to stay polite. “Including the face cream you asked for last time.”

Madam Rosella scoffed, turning her back on us to attend to other refugees. She moved with infuriating slowness, and my skin itched with the urge to shove past her into the safety of the building.

“How much time do we have left?” I whispered, my feet tapping nervously on the pavement.

“One hour,” Adrian replied, sweat glistening on his forehead.

“Madam Rosella, please, for the sake of the children,” Adrian pleaded, his words tumbling out in a rush. “I brought enough supplies to sustain you for six days!”

“Are you trying to rush me?” Rosella sneered, glaring at him. “Didn't you leave here claiming you could survive on your own? I don't care what you brought, Adrian. You and these brats can rot outside for all I care.”

Panic seized my throat. “Madam Rosella! Adrian was the one who left, not my brother and me! Please, just let us inside! We brought food and medical supplies!”

Rosella grinned, a cruel spark in her eyes. “Tell you what. If you want in, you have to go back out and fetch me a specific cosmetic cream from the medical supply depot. I’ll hold the little boy here. But if you don't return before the Red Hour, I’ll throw him straight out to the Red Ones.”

My mother’s warnings echoed in my head: ‘The world outside is wicked. Everyone only cares about themselves.’

“I’ll go,” Adrian stated firmly. “But you let both kids inside right now.”

Rosella smirked. “Are you sure, Adrian? Or are you just looking for an excuse to die?”

She gave a curt nod and motioned for Adrian to hand Noah over. Reluctantly, Adrian set Noah down beside me. Rosella shoved us into the forward holding area, but before Adrian could turn, she snatched the supply bags right out of his hands.

“Go!” she snapped.

Adrian turned and sprinted back down the street toward the commercial district. My heart sank as I watched him disappear. I remembered him saying he wanted to die, what if he never came back? If the Red Hour hit, we were dead.

“Thirty minutes to the Red Hour, little ones,” Rosella announced casually, glancing at her watch. “Honestly, you’re going to die out here anyway. But tell you what, little girl...” She pointed toward a group of rough, heavy-set men lounging near the back wall. “If you go over there and entertain my friends, maybe I’ll let you and your brother stay.”

Horror ran cold through my veins. I didn't trust Adrian completely, but I was not going to let these men touch me. Yet if Adrian didn't return in time, Rosella would throw us to the creatures. All I could do was pray he was safe.

“Will Adrian be okay?” Noah whimpered, tears spilling down his dirty cheeks as his breathing hitched. “What if he dies trying to save us?”

“He’ll be b….”

Thud... thud...

The rhythmic, ground-shaking thrum of the Red Ones echoed down the boulevard. Tears slipped down my face as Noah’s grip on my hand tightened to a crush.

Rosella’s face hardened. “Time’s up. Throw the boy outside, and do whatever you want with the girl. Let everyone see what happens when you defy me!”

As the men stepped forward, grinning, I shoved Noah behind my back and braced myself.

“Nobody touches my brother!” I screamed.

Noah buried his face in my back, clinging to my waist.

“Is that so?” Rosella scoffed.

The men lunged, grabbing my arms and dragging me forward, attempting to rip me away from Noah. I kicked and fought with everything I had, refusing to let go of my brother’s hand.

Adrian, please... where are you?!