She emerged from the shadows like a ghost wrapped in sunlight.
The first thing they noticed wasn't her face or her voice. It was the glint of metal. A sniper rifle, slung across her back, caught the faint orange light of the setting sun. It didn't swing awkwardly. It rested there, like it belonged. Like it had always been there.
Her braid shimmered like molten copper, catching the light each time she moved. It swung softly, trailing behind her like a banner.
Dust rose around her boots with every step, but somehow, none of it clung. She moved without sound. No stumble, no panic. Only quiet, steady confidence.
She didn't look like a survivor.
Not in this world. Not now.
Too clean. Too calm. Too absurdly beautiful.
The apocalypse had a way of stripping people down. Hope, pride, health, it took it all. It left behind cracked lips, ash-covered skin, and eyes too tired to cry. But she looked untouched. Like a lie. A dream stitched into the middle of a nightmare.
Mira Zhao was the first to react. Her hands moved on instinct. Gun raised. Safety off. Breath sharp.
But Adrian lifted one arm in front of her. "Wait."
He didn't take his eyes off the woman.
The stranger didn't flinch. She didn't move. Didn't even reach for her own weapon.
Instead, she stopped at a safe distance, standing on the edge of the scorched pavement. Her expression didn't show fear, only quiet amusement. Her smile was soft, but it held warning.
"You're welcome," she said.
Her voice was low. Smooth. Steady like someone who'd seen too much to be scared anymore.
She brushed a piece of hair away from her face with one hand, like she had just stepped out of a café, not a rooftop execution of armed raiders.
"I'd suggest you move," she added. "This place won't stay quiet for long."
Nobody spoke.
Tom sat in the dirt, holding his leg. Blood stained his jeans. He stared at her with wide, stunned eyes.
Bryce, barely conscious, groaned.
Even Ellis, who never knew when to shut up, remained silent. His usual smirk was gone.
The woman dropped the heavy rucksack from her shoulder. It landed with a solid thump, kicking up a small cloud of dust. When the team opened it, the contents made them freeze.
Ration packs. Antibiotics. Gauze. Disinfectant. Real, factory-sealed meds. Enough for all of them.
Ellis blinked. "Where the hell did you get all this?"
The woman didn't answer right away. She simply looked at them, her gaze lingering just long enough on each face to make them feel seen, measured.
Then, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, she said, "I'll get you somewhere safe."
Adrian narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"
She tilted her head. Thought for a second. Then she smiled again.
Not a big smile. A small, tilted one. It didn't show teeth. But it felt... important.
"Call me Julyah."
The name landed like a pebble in still water. Ripples. Questions.
Adrian took a step forward. "Why are you here?"
Julyah shrugged lightly. "Just passing by."
Her words were light. Almost careless. But her eyes weren't. They stayed sharp, scanning the ruins, always alert. Her gaze flicked to rooftops, broken windows, trails of smoke. Always checking. Always thinking.
"We should go," she said, turning. "It's not safe here."
No one argued.
She led them through the wreckage, burned-out trucks, broken fences, blackened debris still warm from fire. They limped after her, wounded and dazed. The silence felt heavy, like they were all holding their breath.
She didn't look back.
She didn't need to.
After hours of slow walking, they left the worst of the city behind. Trees replaced metal. The air, while still sharp with ash, grew colder, cleaner.
Then the forest opened.
And they saw it.
A villa.
Stone walls covered in flowering vines, some still blooming despite the season. Solar panels stretched across the roof, angled just right. A thick metal fence surrounded the place, reinforced and laced with barbed wire and motion sensors. Someone had prepared this place carefully, before the world fell apart.
Mira gasped.
Bryce, leaning on Greer's shoulder, muttered, "No way."
Ellis whispered, "Is this a hallucination?"
Tom just dropped to the ground, staring up at the sky like he wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry.
Inside the villa, there was filtered air. Clean sheets. Cold water. Hot food. Showers. A working oven. Batteries. Lanterns. Books. Tools.
Everything they had forgotten to hope for.
And it was all real.
They sat in stunned silence inside the main room, unable to process what they were seeing. Outside, the wind howled through the trees. But in here, it felt like a different world.
A piece of the old life, frozen in time.
Adrian stood in the doorway. Watching her.
She stood by the window now, hands behind her back, looking out into the woods.
"You weren't passing by," he said quietly.
Julyah turned her head slightly. "No," she admitted. "I was waiting."
Adrian looked at her carefully, trying to read the things she wasn't saying. "For us?"
She didn't answer right away. Then she met his eyes.
"For you."