And in a moment, everything changed.A powerful shell exploded among them. Adam looked stunned, not understanding what was happening… but he realized one thing: there was hope.
The Organized in front of him were burning. He rushed back to the cabin, carried Zeif, and began to hear footsteps moving around the house. Looking out the window, he saw dozens of Organized moving toward the source of the explosion.
He seized the opportunity, grabbed his empty weapon, and started hitting the back window glass to break it. The window was about three meters above the ground, and he didn't know how he would get Zeif down without harming him.
Thinking quickly, he struggled to carry Zeif, stuck his head out the window, and held him by his healthy feet. Slowly, he lowered him until he got close to the ground… then let go. Zeif fell and coughed a little, but Adam didn't stop. He jumped down immediately, picked him up, and ran toward the depths of the forest.
As he entered among the trees, he heard a faint voice saying:"From here, Adam!"
He quickly turned and found Lina hiding behind the bushes, carrying a weapon. Hope appeared on his face as he ran to her.
"Hurry! Where's your bike? Take Zeif, he needs treatment immediately, he's injured."
Lina's expression changed when she understood, and she began to tremble. When Adam reached her, she couldn't carry him and asked in a shaky voice:"What happened?"
Adam lowered his head and said sadly:"When we ran… he got injured."
Then he raised his head with urgency:"Please, tell me you have a bike! Zeif is bleeding…"
She replied, trying to control her panic:"Yes, it's at the back, follow me!"
They ran together through the trees and mud, breaking branches under their feet, with the moon being the only thing lighting the path.
After minutes of running, they arrived at a black motorcycle parked behind the bushes. Lina rushed to it."How will we all ride?" she asked.
Adam calmly replied, placing Zeif at the front of the bike:"You drive. Try to secure him well, and take him to a place where he can be treated."
Lina asked worriedly:"And you? What will you do?"
Seriousness appeared on Adam's face:"I'll stay here. After you take care of Zeif, you'll find me in the same place."
He paused for a moment, then added:"Do you have a backup weapon? And when you get close here, fire only one shot… so I know you've returned."
Lina was anxious and afraid for her brother, but she didn't like the idea of leaving Adam alone. Still, after his insistence, she took out a pistol and handed it to him."I promise, I'll come back… but don't die, understood?"
When the sound of the motorcycle finally faded into the distance, Adam realized he was in serious trouble.
Behind him was a huge tree; he approached it and sat leaning against its trunk, silently contemplating the sky. The hoot of a passing owl and the scattered stars around the moon gave a strange feeling of calm, as if he could forget all his worries… even for a moment.
What exactly is happening? How did I get here? Why did everything turn out like this? Has this world really ended? And is there even a way to restore human consciousness?
And who are these "Organized"? Who controls them? And why are they doing all this?
These questions piled up in Adam's exhausted mind, but he forced himself to get up. He needed a safe place to hide.
He looked behind him, marked his current location by the giant tree, then headed toward the nearby forest, hoping Lina would return later. Moving cautiously through the tall grass, he kept scanning his surroundings, afraid one of the Organized might appear.
He walked for more than half an hour. As sunrise approached, he spotted movement among the trees.
Approaching carefully, he discovered it was just a chicken.
Despite his fear and exhaustion, hunger had reached its peak. He reached for his pistol, then stopped — shooting would be a stupid move, it would only attract the Organized.
Instead, he quietly approached. The chicken was drinking from a small water stream, like a narrow valley. Suddenly, Adam leaped and caught it despite its fierce resistance.
After slaughtering it, he carried it on his shoulder and began following the stream, hoping it would lead him to safety. The valley led him to an old drainage opening.
Looking around, he found the place suitable for temporary hiding. He lit a small fire outside, quickly roasted the chicken, then went inside. The darkness was deep, darker than the night outside, but he didn't care.
He lay down inside and soon fell into a deep sleep.
Meanwhile, Lina had already reached her destination. At the bottom of a hill was a hidden door between the rocks, almost invisible. She opened it and hurried inside a narrow underground passage, carrying Zeif.
She ran wildly, nearly falling down the stairs under his weight and the flood of emotions overwhelming her. Near the end of the stairs, Everett appeared, rushing toward her. As soon as he saw her, he snatched Zeif from her arms.
"What happened to him? And where is Adam? Did he stay with the Organized?!" Everett asked urgently.
Lina replied tensely:"Do you have an operations room here, commander?"
Without answering, Everett headed down to the lower floor."Yes, follow me quickly!"
The headquarters looked different now — no surveillance screens or advanced technology, just simple rooms and a small reception area with some weapons and equipment.
Everett opened a door and hurried inside, placing Zeif on a metal bed in a rudimentary infirmary. It had only basic medical supplies — not hospital level, but enough.
Zeif's face was pale… almost lifeless.
Everett left the room, knowing Lina had studied medicine and not wanting to disturb her. Sitting outside on a chair, he lowered his head, breathing slowly, and muttered in a sad, broken voice:"What happened to you, Adam? Didn't you escape from that cabin? Where are you now?"
On the other side… Adam was still asleep inside the drainage opening. Daylight began creeping in, gradually illuminating the place.
Slowly, his consciousness returned. His vision was blurry, his body heavy with sleep and exhaustion. Covering his eyes from the light, he tried to keep sleeping — but then he remembered… everything.
Suddenly, he sat up. Looking toward the exit, he saw the sun was about to set. His breathing quickened.
Something was wrong.
Turning his head to the left, without thinking… his eyes widened in deep shock. His body froze, his breathing grew rapid… then he violently vomited.
In the corner of the opening were human corpses, piled carelessly — some decomposed, others covered in blood and mud.
The scene was terrifying, ugly… yet just another shock in a world that never stopped tearing Adam apart.