The delivery bay behind the supermarket was cold and quiet, the night air making everyone shiver. The group of survivors stood in silence, still trying to catch their breath after escaping the chaos inside. Some of them were crying. Others were staring at the ground, trying to make sense of what just happened.
Aiden leaned against the side of a metal dumpster, keeping his eyes on the alley ahead. His sword was back in its sheath, but his hand stayed near it. He didn't trust silence. Not in a world like this.
Jake, the tall teen who had tried to protect his group, walked over to Aiden. "You saved us back there. All of us. I thought we were done for."
Aiden didn't look at him. "You were."
Jake nodded slowly, his face pale. "What now? We don't have anywhere to go. We've been hiding out in the school, but it's not safe anymore. The infected found our place last night. We ran here hoping to find food."
Aiden glanced at the others. The girl he saved earlier was sitting on a crate, holding her leg. One of the younger boys had his head buried in his hands, shaking. They were scared, weak, and unprepared. He'd seen this before.
"You have weapons?" Aiden asked.
Jake shrugged. "Just my knife. A couple of bats. Nothing real."
Aiden sighed. "Then you're all just walking corpses."
Jake frowned. "We're not useless. We can learn. You could teach us."
Aiden turned and gave him a hard look. "Teaching takes time. Most people die before they learn anything."
"But we're alive," Jake said firmly. "And you're here. Isn't that something?"
Aiden didn't reply. He looked up at the sky. It was cloudy, no stars tonight. Just darkness.
"We should move," he said. "This place isn't safe for long. The noise probably attracted more of them."
Jake nodded and turned to the others. "Hey! Everyone, get ready. We're moving!"
The group slowly stood, some limping, some leaning on each other. Aiden stepped forward.
"We'll head to an apartment building a few blocks from here," he said. "It's secure. I've set up some supplies there. But if you slow me down, I'll leave you behind. Understand?"
No one argued. They just nodded.
They moved quietly through the streets, staying in the shadows. Aiden led the way, his eyes always scanning the darkness. Every broken window, every alley, every sound could be a threat. The group followed close behind, trying not to panic.
They passed a crashed police car. The front windshield was shattered, and the seats inside were covered in dried blood. Aiden didn't stop to check. He knew nothing useful would be left.
Halfway there, the girl tripped and fell with a yelp.
Aiden spun around, sword half-drawn. "Get up," he said quickly.
Jake ran over and helped her. "She's hurt. Her leg—"
"We all have problems," Aiden interrupted. "Keep moving."
The girl winced but nodded. She pushed forward with Jake supporting her.
They finally reached the apartment building. Aiden unlocked the front gate and motioned them inside. The place was quiet, dark, but safe for now.
"We stay on the second floor," he said. "Windows are barricaded. Only one entrance. Easy to defend."
The survivors filed in. For the first time in hours, they relaxed a little.
Jake looked around. "You really prepared all this?"
Aiden nodded. "I knew this would happen. Just didn't know it would be this soon."
Jake stared at him. "What do you mean?"
Aiden didn't answer right away. He walked to the window and looked out at the street below.
"Let's just say... I've been through this before."
Jake didn't push for more.
The group settled in. Aiden handed out a few cans of food and bottles of water. They ate in silence, grateful just to be alive.
As the night went on, Aiden sat near the door, sword across his lap. He didn't sleep. He didn't trust the quiet.
He watched them—Jake, the girl, the scared kids. He didn't want to care. But a part of him already did.