At the same time, a ways away from where the ravager had stormed into the mall, Zane and Quin noticed the commotion.
That voice...
"Anna!"
Quin cried as he tried to rush forward, but Zane grabbed his arm and stopped him.
"And where do you think you're going?"
"To help them."
"And how do you suppose we do that?"
"If you run out there now, you'll only be adding another meaningless death."
Zane spoke harshly before letting go of Quin's arm.
"Meaningless death?" Quin snapped. "Are you implying their deaths would be meaningless?"
"No."
Zane corrected him coldly.
"I'm saying your intervention would be."
His voice softened slightly.
"I understand how you're feeling. But if you want to help her, this isn't the way."
"Then what should we do?"
Quin asked desperately.
Zane paused to think before glancing outside through a nearby window.
"...The roof."
He suddenly looked up.
"What?"
"We can lure it to the top floor."
He was already sprinting toward the stairwell.
"It's currently inside the building. If we make enough noise on the roof, it'll struggle to pinpoint exactly where we are."
The two of them raced upstairs, flying across flight after flight of stairs.
"What's so special about this building's roof?"
Quin asked.
"There isn't."
Zane replied.
"The ravager is simply in a disadvantageous position."
He remembered the chase earlier.
When Anna and I were running...
It never behaved like something capable of reasoning.
It simply charged toward the disturbance.
Like a homing missile.
"This is only a theory," Zane continued.
"If we draw its attention while it's trapped inside, I don't think it'll be smart enough to simply leave the building and climb up from the outside."
"It'll probably try smashing through each floor to reach us."
He glanced upward.
"At the very least, that should slow it down."
"I see..."
Quin finally understood.
"But... how are you so sure it's a ravager?"
"What else could make a noise like that?"
"...Fair point."
They finally reached the rooftop huffing and panting.
Quin inhaled, preparing to shout.
Just before he did, Zane suddenly clamped a hand over his mouth.
Something was moving outside.
Both of them turned toward it.
The ravager burst from the side of the building before charging away, as though it had already locked onto another target.
Zane narrowed his eyes.
Far beyond it, a large plume of dust rose into the air.
What could have caused that?
Quin didn't care.
The moment the path seemed clear, he sprinted back down the stairs.
"Anna!"
Zane abandoned his thoughts and followed after him.
They reached the ground floor to find a strange girl standing beside Anna, struggling to pull the refrigerator off her.
"Hey!"
Quin shouted.
"What are you doing to Anna?"
The girl looked over.
"So her name's Anna?"
She frowned.
"Can't you see I'm trying to the girl?"
She gestured toward the refrigerator.
"Instead of yelling, why don't you lend me a hand?"
Quin and Zane immediately rushed over.
Together they lifted the refrigerator while the girl pulled Anna free.
She quickly checked Anna's breathing before looking back at them.
"You guys her friends?"
"Yeah."
Quin answered.
Zane remained silent, studying her.
"Where were you when your friend was about to get flattened by that thing?"
She tilted her head.
"Hiding?"
"Not very friendly, are we?"
Quin lowered his head.
There was truth in her words.
"And who are you?"
Zane asked.
"Oh, me?"
She grinned.
"I'm just your friendly neighbourhood scavenger who happened to stumble across someone in trouble."
She placed her hands on her hips.
"The name's Sid."
For some reason, she glanced over her shoulder with an oddly proud smile.
Quin crouched beside Anna.
He checked her breathing.
Steady.
Relief washed over him.
He brushed a strand of hair away from her face before gently stroking her cheek.
Sid noticed and smiled knowingly.
"Thank you, Sid."
Quin said sincerely.
"No need."
She shrugged.
"I didn't do nothing too special."
"That's right."
Zane stepped forward.
"We still don't know what happened."
"When did you arrive?"
"And what exactly did you see?"
He looked around.
Where's Drew?
I could swear I heard his voice earlier.
Didn't he hear all that commotion?
Don't tell me he is still hiding?
some companion
Sid noticed the suspicion in his eyes.
A flash of irritation crossed her face before disappearing.
"I don't know much more than you."
"I was scavenging nearby when I heard all the noise."
"After things quieted down, I snuck inside."
"I found this girl trapped under the refrigerator..."
She glanced toward the entrance.
"...and that unlucky fellow over there."
Quin's eyes widened.
Don't tell me...
Zane slowly walked toward the entrance.
The moment he stepped into the hallway, he froze.
Drew's body had been smashed against the wall.
It looked less like a corpse...
and more like someone had swatted a fly.
He simply stared.
Speechless.
Quin hurried after him.
The instant he saw it, he doubled over and began vomiting.
Very little came out.
His stomach had long since been empty.
The sight alone was enough.
It truly was gruesome.
Fragments of bone formed a faint outline of what had once been a skeleton.
Blood, flesh and organs had been crushed into tangled strands that slowly slid down the wall before pooling beneath the body.
Silence lingered.
Finally...
Zane spoke.
"It seems..."
He lowered his eyes.
"...we've lost another."
After gathering their supplies, the group left the mall.
Quin carried the unconscious Anna on his back.
Sid walked beside them.
"So..."
She spoke casually.
"Where are you guys from?"
Zane baffled looked at her.
"We're out in the open."
He whispered.
"Keep your voice down."
She simply shrugged.
"Eh..."
"ahh don't worry about it, it ain't ever bothered me before."
He stopped walking.
"I'm serious."
His tone remained calm.
She matched his whisper.
"What's wrong?"
"You're being too loud."
"Don't you know it'll attract the monsters?"
"Oh."
She blinked.
"Ahh really?"
"Never been a problem for me before"
She thought for a moment before another question appeared.
"How'd you figure that out?"
"Did they teach you that at your base?"
Doesn't she know the most basic survival rules?
And why is she so calm?
She behaves as though there's no chance those monsters could ever reach her.
"And what about you?"
Zane continued.
"Where's your base?"
"I haven't heard of any survivors around here."
"My base..."
Sid's cheerful expression faded.
"...got wiped out."
"I've been alone for three months."
Quin's face fell.
she has fat thighs
For someone who had survived alone that long...
she looked surprisingly healthy.
Zane, however, remained unconvinced.
"So where have you been staying?"
"Everywhere."
She shrugged.
"I sleep wherever I happen to end up after scavenging."
She pointed ahead.
"My camp's actually not far from here."
"It's getting late."
"You guys can stay there tonight if you want."
"It's in a safe spot."
"And it should be able to fit four."
Quin immediately brightened.
"Really?"
"We'd appreciate that."
Zane nudged him sharply.
"No."
He whispered before pulling Quin aside.
"What are you thinking?"
"We don't know anything about her, she just appeared out of nowhere and many things are off about her story, she is an oddity"
"nobody would be entirely truthful in a place like this''
Quin glanced back at the unconscious Anna.
''We have Anna to think about."
"She still hasn't woken up."
He looked toward Sid.
"Besides..."
"She seems harmless."
"What's the worst she could possibly do?"
"What?"
Sid asked.
"Were you two talking about me?"
"We were just talking about how cute you are."
Quin answered with a grin.
Sid covered her face dramatically.
"You can't just say things like that to a lady~"
She laughed before straightening herself.
"So..."
"Are you coming?"
"...Yes."
Quin answered.
Zane remained silent, though he no longer objected.
"Great."
Sid spun around energetically before taking the lead.
"Then follow me."
Zane sighed.
"And please keep your voice down."
"I don't plan on dying anytime soon."
Sid merely waved a hand dismissively as the four of them disappeared into the silent streets, heading toward her camp.