"Wow, I actually got taller," Leon muttered, looking at his reflection in the mirror, marveling at his sudden increase in height. He was now at least six feet tall. His black hair was still a little damp with sweat, falling in uneven strands across his forehead. Blue eyes met his own gaze — sharp, and still carrying that familiar playful glint.
His skin had begun to darken, but it was barely noticeable — so much so that he wouldn't have known if Leah hadn't pointed it out earlier.
He wasn't bulky, not really. His build sat somewhere between lean and strong, and his muscles weren't very visible — well, at least that used to be the case. Now, though, he looked like a pro athlete. Was this a result of his evolution? Probably. But it's not like he was complaining.
"Umm... excuse me," a female voice called from behind, pulling him out of his thoughts. He turned, setting his sights on Miss Claire.
Her purple hair, tied into a ponytail, dangled behind her — disheveled, much like the rest of her. The white and blue tracksuit she wore hugged her curves tightly, stained with streaks of red and black. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, and there was a faint tremor in her fingers as she exhaled. Whatever she'd been through, it hadn't been kind.
She fidgeted under Leon's gaze, like there were needles on the seat; she was so nervous she almost forgot why she'd called him.
Leon was now sitting between Livia and Leah on one of the collapsed chairs in the storage room, while Lara sat on the other side of the room, talking with the other girls from Basketball Team 1. Her big-sister personality was on full display — and these girls really needed it.
Even though they were all about the same age as Lara.
The air in the changing room was heavy, thick with the scent of sweat, dust, and faint traces of blood. Torn uniforms lay scattered across the benches, and someone had dragged a few mats to block the door. It was clear they'd been hiding here for a while.
Miss Claire's voice trembled slightly as she spoke, though she tried to hold it together. "We… we thought we were the only ones left." She glanced at Leon, at Livia, and at Lara — who was dozing off on his shoulder. A small, barely noticeable smile graced her face; she didn't even realize it herself. "It's good to know that there are other survivors."
One of the girls sitting with Lara, still in her torn basketball jersey, suddenly spoke. "What even are those things? They came out of nowhere, they... just... just…" The tears took over before she could finish.
Everyone fell silent. For a moment, the sound of soft sobbing was the only thing that echoed through the room. Leon glanced down at Leah. Her head rested gently against his shoulder.
"She... Leah really saved us. She's such a brave girl," Miss Claire said, trying to change the subject.
"I know," Leon replied dryly, his hand coming to rest on Leah's cheek as he leaned closer. He was simply happy to have found her alive and well.
"Anyway," Livia started, "we can't stay here."
"So you want us to go out there with the monsters?" one of the girls retorted, tears still visible as faint streaks on her face. Going outside was a crazy idea.
"Us? What makes you think we'd leave this place carrying dead weight like you around?"
The girls shuddered. Livia's presence was suffocating — they could feel her annoyance like heat, the temperature in the room rising with it.
"Livia, what do you think you're doing?" Lara's voice resounded. She didn't turn around; she didn't need to. Her tone alone was enough for Livia to understand.
"Tch." Livia cursed under her breath before turning toward Leon and hugging him tightly.
"Miss Claire," Leon called.
Miss Claire's breaths were ragged, like she'd just run a marathon. She, in particular, was extremely affected by Livia's aura. She looked up at Leon, barely able to nod in response.
"Why don't you all get some sleep? It's already past ten," he said. It was clear none of them had rested in a long time. "Don't worry — we'll keep watch."
His calm tone was enough to prompt her to start arranging a sleeping area without further complaint. Lara and the rest of the girls joined her, and soon they were done.
---
All of the girls from the basketball team had fallen asleep — including Leah, who lay in the middle of Leon's legs, her head resting on his chest as he leaned against the wall.
Lara and Livia were on either side of him. They weren't asleep, just lying there, quietly enjoying his presence.
Leon suddenly felt a gaze on him. He turned his head toward it — and unsurprisingly, it was Miss Claire.
The moment she realized he'd seen her, she turned away.
"You have something to ask, don't you?" Leon said.
She slowly turned back to him before nodding shyly.
To be honest, she didn't just have one question — she had a lot of them, like:
"What's going on outside?"
"How did you get here?"
"What's your relationship with Leah and her sisters?"
But what she really wanted to know was: "Why are you helping us?"
It was obvious they had come in search of Leah, so after finding her, why not just leave?
Strength wasn't the issue — she herself was awakened, and she could feel how strong they were. Overwhelmingly so. So why stay?
"Who knows," Leon answered, brushing a hand through Leah's bob as she mumbled sweet nonsense in her sleep.
Miss Claire was a bit shocked by the answer. Did Leon really decide to stay for no reason at all?
"Just go to sleep and don't bother yourself with that," he said, waving her off.
She chuckled, then let out a quiet breath and nodded. "Alright…" she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. She turned away and walked to the opposite side of the room, lying down beside the others. It didn't take long before her breathing steadied — exhaustion claiming her completely.
Leon's gaze lingered on her for a moment, then drifted across the room. The faint moonlight that slipped through the cracks in the broken windows painted the walls in pale silver lines. Dust floated lazily in the air, and for the first time in what felt like forever, everything was quiet.
Leah shifted in her sleep, mumbling his name softly, her hand clutching at his shirt. Leon smiled faintly and brushed a strand of hair from her face. Her breathing was slow, peaceful. He could almost pretend that everything outside — the monsters, the blood, the chaos — didn't exist.
Almost.
He tilted his head slightly toward Livia and Lara. They weren't asleep either. Livia's eyes — finally back to their natural purple — reflected the dim light, calm now but still sharp.
"You should get some rest too," Leon murmured.
Livia opened one eye and smirked. "And why would we do that?"
Lara chuckled softly, her voice low so as not to wake the others. "We'll sleep once you do."
He sighed, shaking his head. "You two really don't make things easy."
"Neither do you," Livia shot back playfully. But her expression softened when she looked at Leah sleeping on his chest. "She really missed you, you know."
"I know," Leon replied quietly. His gaze drifted upward toward the ceiling. "I missed her too."
For a while, silence returned — gentle and warm this time.
Then Lara spoke, her tone thoughtful. "Leon… what are we going to do about them?" She lifted her gaze toward Miss Claire and the other girls.
"Let's leave them," Livia's voice cut through the quiet like a knife — low and cold. Her eyes lingered on the sleeping forms across the room. "They're not our responsibility. The more people we drag around, the slower we move. You know that."
Leon didn't answer right away. His gaze stayed on Leah, his fingers idly brushing her hair. "They've been through enough," he said finally, his voice quiet but firm.
Livia's expression twisted — irritation mixed with something softer that she didn't want to admit. "And what about us? What if they slow us down when things get bad again? What if they get in your way?"
"Livia…" Lara's tone carried warning, but Livia didn't back down.
"No, she's right," Lara admitted after a pause. "They won't survive out there for long if they follow us. But—" her eyes softened as she looked at Miss Claire, "they deserve a chance. If we can at least get them to a safe zone…"
Livia scoffed. "You're too soft."
"And you're too jealous," Lara shot back, her words sharp but calm.
Livia's glare flicked toward her, a faint crackle of heat rising in the air. "You saying you're not?"
Lara's lips curved into a tired smile. "Of course I am. But that doesn't mean I've stopped being human."
He sighed, leaning his head back against the wall. "Enough, both of you." His voice wasn't loud, but it carried weight, cutting clean through the tension. "We'll take them as far as the next safe zone. After that, they're on their own."
Livia frowned but didn't argue. Her hand slid up his arm possessively as she leaned closer, resting her head against his shoulder. "Fine. But the moment they slow us down…"
"They won't," Leon said simply.
He shifted slightly, careful not to wake Leah. "We'll leave at dawn," he said.
Livia hummed in agreement. Lara nodded.
And as the moonlight dimmed behind drifting clouds, Leon closed his eyes — just for a moment — knowing sleep wouldn't come easily.