CHAPTER LXXIII
I sat in the back seat of a dusty old car, the windows smudged with ash and blood. The road to California was littered with remnants of a war no one had truly won. My fingers clutched my knees, knuckles white, while beside me August sat in silence—her eyes filled with questions she didn't dare voice. She kept glancing at me, like she was waiting for me to speak, waiting for me to explain the ghosts that clung to my shoulders like a second skin.
But how could I?
How could I tell her that I wasn't the hero everyone thought I was—that I never had been?
That my past was soaked in guilt, betrayal, and blood?
I looked out the cracked window and whispered to myself, "I was never the good one. Just the one who survived. Again and again. Even when I didn't want to."
People call me unlucky. Maybe they're right. All I ever wanted in this life was love—a little peace, a place to belong. But all I ever got in return… was loss.
Before the zombies came, life was bearable. Difficult, yes—but still colored with moments of warmth. Now, those moments are ashes in my hands, slipping through my fingers every time I try to hold on. It's not the monsters outside that haunt me the most—it's the wounds of my own past. The ones I gave myself.
As we reached the outskirts of the California army camp, chaos unfolded like a nightmare. Smoke curled through the air, rising from fires that devoured whatever was left of order. People were running, screaming, trampling over each other just to survive. They weren't just running from zombies—they were running from the truth, from pain, from everything they had become.
I stepped out of the car with heavy boots and a heavier heart. My parents were supposed to be inside that camp. But danger had already caught up with them—Amayra's father had set his sights on them, and if I didn't reach them in time, they would die. Again, my past was threatening to burn my present to the ground.
I pushed through the chaos, only to be stopped in my tracks.
A harsh grip yanked me back.
It was Alex.
Without warning, he struck me hard across the face with a wooden stick. The impact made my vision blur and my cheek burned with pain. Blood welled in my mouth, but I didn't fall. I wouldn't give him that satisfaction. I stood tall, even as pain seared through me.
Then they appeared—Evelyn, Aliyana, Alex.
They formed a wall in front of me, their eyes full of rage.
August tried to step forward, but Evelyn raised a hand.
"This isn't your fight, August. Leave."
August hesitated. For a moment, I saw conflict in her eyes. Then she turned… and walked away with Aurora.
Another person gone.
Alex looked at me and said coldly, "Do you remember me?"
I smirked through the pain. "I've remembered all three of you for a long time now. Alex and Evelyn—Rechard's siblings."
Before I could say more, Evelyn punched me straight in the jaw.
Her voice trembled with rage. "Do you even realize what you did to my brother?! You left the hospital, walked straight into the police station, and handed Rechard over to D-Rax. You threw him to the wolves!"
I stared back, eyes dark but honest. "Yes. I did."
She looked stunned.
I continued, "I handed him over because I wanted him to pay for everything he did. I thought he'd be locked up, interrogated, punished. I didn't know D would escape. I didn't know he'd inject him with the zombie virus."
My voice faltered for a moment, but I didn't break.
"I don't regret what I did to Rechard. What I regret is the aftermath. The pain his infection caused, the spread of the virus… the innocent lives lost. That… I carry."
Evelyn's face twisted in pain.
She said, "When our brother returned… as a zombie… we tried to kill D. But before dying, he told us you were the one behind it all. We searched for you, and then Rechard disappeared. The next time we heard of him—Germany was burning, overrun with infection. We fled to America… and started tracking you."
Alex stepped forward. "And now we have you. The one who ruined everything."
I didn't flinch.
I looked past them and stared directly at Aliyana.
"You're Hannah's sister," I said. "Your hatred makes sense. But tell me something, Aliyana—what about you? When your sister begged you to attend her wedding, where were you? When she needed you the most, you rejected her."
Aliyana's face crumbled.
I continued, my voice sharp and unwavering, "If you had shown up that day, if she hadn't been alone… maybe Ashfak wouldn't have killed her. Maybe she'd still be alive."
I stepped forward, blood still dripping down my chin, pain pulsing with every heartbeat, but I didn't stop.
"We've all made mistakes. We've all failed someone. Don't place it all on me just because I'm the one still standing."
I paused. My voice dropped, more solemn now.
"I'm not asking for your forgiveness. I'm not asking for your help. Because I don't beg. I don't kneel. I've lived with my guilt, and I'll carry it till the end. But don't pretend you're the only ones who lost something. I lost myself long before any of you ever knew my name."
Silence fell.
Even the chaos outside seemed to dim under the weight of those words.
I turned away—not because I was afraid, but because I had said everything I needed to say. I wasn't here to defend my past. I was here to protect my present. My parents. The few people I had left.
Let them hate me.
Let them try to kill me.
But I would survive. Like I always had.
Because that's who I am.
Sam.
Broken, bloodied, but never beaten.
I looked around and asked, "Is there anyone else who wants to say something, or can I go now?"
Aliyana didn't seem satisfied with my words, her eyes still blazing with unspoken pain. Yet, she softened for a moment and said quietly, "Sam… I don't want you to end up like me. I've already lost my mother… I can't bear to watch someone else lose their family too. Please… just go. Save them. And after that, I promise, I'll bring you to the place where my sister Hannah and his brother Rechard are."
I let out a cold, bitter laugh.
"You know something, Aliyana?" I said, my voice steady but hollow. "You never wanted to see the truth. Not then, and not now. Years ago, when your mom needed you, you chose your father instead. You ran away from the truth, and now you're trying to kill me just to quiet your guilt. But I won't beg you to let me live. I won't plead for mercy… because I no longer crave life. I'm not afraid of death anymore."
And with those words, I turned and bolted toward the Safe Zone.
Zombies had spread across the area like a plague, infecting everything in their path. I fought my way through the bloodthirsty chaos, cutting down the creatures one after another. My body ached, my breath came in sharp gasps — but I didn't stop. I couldn't. My parents were in danger.
When I finally reached the safe room, my heart stopped.
The door had been broken down.
Inside, I saw Mon fighting Amayra's father — now a grotesque zombie — desperately trying to protect my parents. Her eyes were wild with fear and determination, her body shaking from exhaustion. Without hesitation, I lunged forward, grabbing Amayra's father and hurling him far away from Mon with every ounce of strength I had.
"Mon!" I shouted, pulling her into my arms.
She held me tightly and sobbed, "Sam… please forgive me. For what I said to August… I only did it because if I hadn't, Alex and Evelyn wouldn't have let Mahi, Aarvi, and me come here with them. I didn't mean to hurt her, or you. I swear."
I looked into her tear-filled eyes. "Mon, I know… I understand now. You came all this way to find me. But fate trapped you in this nightmare, and when we finally met again, you already knew I had lost half of my memories. You loved me still… despite everything. And that's a gift I don't deserve."
Mon cupped my face gently. "Don't say that. You do deserve love, Sam. We can still build a new world together — just you and me. We just need to survive this night. Just one more sunrise…"
I leaned my forehead against hers. "Mon… it's already too late."
Before she could respond, Alex, Evelyn, and Aliyana arrived, faces flushed with urgency. Evelyn stepped forward. "Mon — we've discovered something. Mahi's body has developed immunity to the virus. Her blood can create an antidote. She can save everyone."
Mon's eyes widened with joy. "We can save the world…" she whispered, and I saw hope flicker across her face for the first time.
Suddenly, a blaring announcement echoed through the air:
> "Attention all survivors: Proceed immediately to the underground safe rooms. This facility will be destroyed in five minutes. The upper levels are collapsing. This is your final warning."
The ground trembled beneath us. Panic rippled through the crowd.
I rushed to my parents, wrapped them in a tight embrace. I could barely speak, overcome by the thought that this might be our last goodbye. Then, taking charge, I began guiding everyone into the underground safe room, one by one.
People stumbled in, some crying, some praying, some silent in terror. But I held it together. I had to.
Then Mon turned to me and reached out. "Sam! Come on, we have to go! It's not safe here!"
I didn't move.
Instead, I slowly rolled up my sleeve and revealed a gruesome bite mark on my arm — raw, red, and unmistakably infected.
Mon froze. Her face drained of color.
"No…" she whispered, shaking her head in disbelief. "No, no, Sam, this can't be happening…"
I smiled faintly, the pain burning through me like acid. "It already has."
To be continue....