Koen fell heavily onto the cracked asphalt on the safe side as the crack finished opening with a fierce roar.
When the dust cleared, they realized the disaster.
The huge fissure had divided them. Arika and Reize were on one side; Koen and Ethan on the other.
—Arika! Are you okay? —Koen shouted, jumping to his feet, his face contorted.
—We're fine! —Arika replied, putting a hand to her chest, trying to calm her ragged breathing.
The crack was deep and wide. Impossible to cross on foot. And they didn't know if it would continue to widen.
Ethan clenched his teeth, quickly assessing the situation.
—We have to find a way around it! —he shouted, looking for a connection between the two sides.
—I think the fissure is too wide... we'll have to move separately —said Reize.
—You're right... that will be best. Besides, with all this noise, those things won't be long in appearing. We have to move.
Koen was surprised by what they were saying. He stared at the crack as if he could close it with his will alone. His body trembled with frustration. He didn't want to leave them alone, especially Arika.
—I can't... —he murmured, shaking his head—. I don't want to leave them.
Reize, seeing the desperate expression on his face, moved a little closer to the edge and shouted from the other side.
—We'll be fine, Koen —she said with a gentle smile, trying to reassure him—. Arika is strong. She's already proven that to you, hasn't she?
Koen looked up, clenching his fists. It wasn't enough. Not for him.
Arika, sensing the conflict in his eyes, took a step forward. She smiled with a calmness that only she knew how to convey.
—I'll be fine, Koen. —her voice was firm, confident—. I promise we'll be reunited.
Koen looked at her silently for a few seconds. Then he nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. He had no choice but to trust her.
Meanwhile, Ethan, who had also picked up on the tension, approached the edge, holding Reize.
—Take care of yourselves —he said, looking at her seriously.
Reize nodded quickly.
—You too.
They quickly came to an agreement. There was no time to waste.
—We'll meet at the cherry blossom park — Ethan said—. The one a few blocks from here. The fissure shouldn't reach that far.
—Understood —Arika replied, determined.
They knew the noise had attracted those things. They couldn't stay still any longer.
Without another word, both groups began to move in opposite directions, skirting the crack, with the promise in their hearts to meet again.
The wind carried the echo of distant explosions. And something else... footsteps, growls, the warning that the real danger was approaching.
They had to hurry.
Arika and Reize moved quickly, following the cracked streets and dodging the debris. They couldn't afford to stop. The sound of growls was becoming clearer behind them.
—This way? —asked Reize, pointing to a side street.
—Yes, it'll be a quicker shortcut —replied Arika without hesitation.
They turned the corner and ran a few meters... but just then, three of those creatures emerged from the ruins of a collapsed building. They stared at them with empty eyes, twisted with hunger.
Reize took a step back, her face pale.
—Arika...
Arika, on the other hand, took a step forward. Her breathing was steady. She quickly took off her backpack, pulling out the gun Ethan had given her hours earlier. With confident movements, she loaded it.
—Trust me.
Reize nodded, clenching her fists to keep from shaking.
The creatures roared and lunged toward them.
—Get down! —Arika shouted.
Reize obeyed immediately, falling to the ground as Arika raised the gun and fired. The first shot hit the head of the nearest creature, causing it to fall heavily. Arika didn't stop. She fired again, aiming precisely at the next one, while the third managed to get dangerously close.
A savage growl sounded inches from her. Arika didn't have time to fire again, so she swung the gun hard and hit the monster in the face, causing it to stagger. She took the opportunity to fire at point-blank range.
Everything fell silent. Only the sound of their heavy breathing filled the air.
Arika slowly lowered her gun. Reize stared at her with wide eyes.
—You... you really know how to use it...
Arika smiled slightly, even though her hands were shaking slightly. Not from fear, but from adrenaline.
—I told you it would be okay.
Reize got up and went to her side.
—I didn't know you were so incredible...
—It's no big deal —said Arika, though her gaze hardened as she looked toward the road —. We have to keep going. We don't know how many more are coming.
Both continued forward, now more cautiously. They knew they couldn't let their guard down.
Far away, in another part of the city, Koen and Ethan were also rushing forward, but Koen kept looking back, as if his heart was still with them.
Both ran through the empty streets, their footsteps echoing among the destroyed buildings. The sky turned a duller, heavier gray, as if another storm were about to break at any moment.
—Are you okay? —Ethan asked, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye.
Koen didn't answer right away. His gaze was fixed on the road, but his mind... his mind was still with Arika.
—I'll be better when I see them again —he finally murmured.
Ethan let out a soft laugh.
—You've got someone important there, huh?
Koen clenched his teeth, not wanting to talk about it now. He had to focus.
They ran a couple more blocks until a loud sound caught their attention. Ethan raised his hand to stop Koen. They both quickly hid behind an overturned car.
Across the street, a wrecked military patrol vehicle moved slowly, creaking, driven not by men... but by creatures. Deformed beings, like a mixture of humans and rusty metal, pushed the vehicle as if it were a trophy of war.
Koen frowned.
—What the hell are those things...?
Ethan shook his head slowly.
—I don't know. But we can't take them on right now.
The patrol stopped. One of the monsters raised its head, sniffing the air.
Koen held his breath.
One second... two... the creature let out a low growl, but didn't detect them. Slowly, the group of creatures continued on their way, moving down the street.
Only when the noise disappeared completely did Ethan let out a sigh.
—That was close.
—Too close —said Koen, standing up.
They kept moving, but now faster. The encounter had made one thing clear: they couldn't trust that the city was empty. It wasn't just the "normal" monsters lurking around. Now there was something else... something worse.
As they ran, Ethan looked at Koen.
—We'll make it to the park. They will too. I know it.
Koen nodded, his gaze hardening.
—Yes, they will. Arika promised me.
And he intended to hold on to that promise with everything he had.
Arika and Reize moved cautiously through the deserted streets, the sound of their footsteps barely audible in the thick morning air. Things were going relatively well until, suddenly, as they turned a corner, the sight of a mob of infected blocked their path.
—Shit! —Arika whispered, her heart racing as she watched the mass of disfigured creatures approaching.
Although Arika was not weak, the number of infected was such that, even with her ability to fight them, the situation was desperate. Her gaze met Reize's, who did not hesitate for a second.
—We have to take shelter, now. —Reize suggested calmly, maintaining control of the situation.
Arika nodded, looking for the nearest exit. After a few seconds, she pointed to an abandoned restaurant a little further ahead.
—Let's go there, we'll stay until they leave.
They both quickly entered the restaurant, carefully closing the door behind them. They stood by a broken window, watching the infected as they passed by, some of them barely registering their presence.
Meanwhile, Koen and Ethan weren't having an easy time either. The collapses in the city forced them to go around roads and take detours, but every time they did, the distance to the park, their meeting point, grew even longer.
—We're not going to make it on time if we keep this up —Ethan said, seeing the exhaustion in Koen's eyes.
Koen didn't respond, but his face showed a resignation that Ethan knew well. After several failed attempts to move forward, Ethan suggested:
—We'd better take shelter. We can't keep going like this. We're exhausted, and every time we fight, we use up more energy.
Koen sighed, looking at the horizon filled with dust and ruins.
—All right —he finally replied in a low voice. —But don't get used to this.
They took refuge in a furniture store they found nearby. Although it wasn't ideal, it was the only thing they could do at the moment.
The afternoon slowly drew to a close, and both groups prepared to try to communicate. Ethan took out his radio, trying to contact the girls, but the signal was poor, interrupted by static. Finally, as the sun began to set, they managed to establish a weak connection, and Reize's voice could be heard through the speakers.
—Guys, do you copy me?
—Yes, we copy you... are you okay? —said Ethan.
—We're fine —said Reize, sounding somewhat relieved—. And you?
Koen, more relaxed upon hearing her voice, replied quickly.
—We're fine too. We couldn't get much further, but we're safe. What about Arika?
—She's fine— Reize confirmed— just a little tired, like everyone else. What about you, Koen? Are you okay?
Koen took a deep breath before answering, not wanting to reveal how much he was thinking about her.
—Yeah, everything's fine... we'll meet up soon.
The communication was abruptly cut off by poor signal, leaving everyone in an uncomfortable silence.
That night, as they ate what little they had found in the furniture store, Koen couldn't stop thinking about Arika. Something in him had changed since they parted, and his mind kept imagining how she might be. His gaze was lost in the void, and it was Ethan who noticed it first.
—I've never seen you like this, Koen —Ethan commented, curious—. Are you really that worried about her?
Koen didn't answer right away, and when he did, his voice was a little lower than usual.
—It's not just that —he said with a mixture of irritation and exhaustion—. It's complicated, Ethan. I don't want to think about it.
Ethan frowned, recognizing a tone in Koen's voice that he couldn't ignore. There was something more than concern, something deeper. But, as always, he chose not to ask too many questions.
In the end, they both fell exhausted onto the floor of the furniture store, the accumulated fatigue of the past few days winning the battle.
In the other shelter, Arika couldn't sleep either. She stared at the ceiling in the dim light, fragments of memories and dreams racing through her mind. Something didn't fit. Ethan's memories, the feeling that everything had happened before... she couldn't get that idea out of her head.
Reize, seeing that Arika was still awake, slowly got up from her place.
—Arika? —she whispered, concerned.
Arika turned her head, meeting Reize's bright eyes in the darkness.
—I can't sleep —Arika admitted, her voice tired.
—If something is bothering you, you know you can tell me... I'll be here for you. —Reize said softly, placing her hand on Arika's shoulder.
Arika looked at her for a moment, hesitating, but then spoke:
—A few days ago, before all this started, I began having strange dreams. Some were nightmares, but others... others were pleasant dreams, as if I had already experienced them.
Reize looked at her, confused, and Arika continued, her voice now more tremulous.
—When I touched Ethan today... I saw something. The boy I told you about, the one I met in my dreams... it was Ethan. His greeting, his words, everything. It was as if I had already experienced it before. And then... a flash, like a memory of something that happened.
Reize tried to process what Arika was saying, but she found it difficult.
—So... you think those dreams are... visions of the future? —she asked, surprised by her friend's theory.
Arika nodded slowly, a feeling of unease weighing on her.
—Yes... it may sound crazy, but I don't think this is a coincidence, Reize. Something strange is going on.
Reize couldn't say anything else. Silence filled the air between them, and although everything seemed calm, they both knew that something much bigger and more terrifying was brewing.
Reize looked at Arika, trying to understand the burden she seemed to be carrying on her shoulders. After a long silence, she tried to ease the tension a little.
—It could be coincidence, Arika. Sometimes the mind plays tricks, especially in times like these. It's best if you get some rest. Whatever happens, we can deal with it when morning comes.
Arika looked at her with a mixture of gratitude and doubt. Sometimes, Reize had the ability to reassure her with just a few words. Even so, the feeling that something was wrong would not leave her.
Finally, Arika nodded, as if allowing herself to be carried away by her friend's calmness. A heavy sigh escaped her lips, and the weight on her chest, though lighter for a moment, was still there. She decided, for both their sakes, to rest.
—You're right —Arika replied, trying to convince herself that it was okay —. Better to rest.
They settled down on the ground, covering themselves with what little they had, and closed their eyes, even though unease still lurked in the back of their minds.
In the end, exhaustion got the better of them. Their bodies demanded a break, and the distant sounds of the darkness surrounding them became a kind of lullaby that lulled them into a deep sleep. It wasn't a peaceful sleep for Arika, but at least her mind was quiet for a while, leaving the answers for the next day.
At dawn, the first rays of sunlight filtered through the cracks in the restaurant, gently waking them. Despite the apparent calm, they both knew that the future ahead of them would not be easy. But for now, they could only move forward.