The apartment was quiet, almost deceptively so. Outside, the world was still fractured, a chaotic tangle of destruction and decay. But within the walls of a certain apartment unit, an odd sort of calm had settled.
The gray light filtering through the broken blinds painted soft lines across the floor, interrupted only by the scuffed movement of boots and the muted rustling of supplies.
Ren stood at the center of it all, bent over the table they had repurposed into a command post.
The map lay open before him, marked with grease-pencil lines, notes, and arrows. It was a makeshift strategy hub, every mark a decision that could mean life or death.
Claire hovered nearby, packing and repacking her med kit, her expression unreadable.
Brian, finally free of the restless sleep that had clung to him like a second skin, paced the length of the room, his energy barely contained.
They were three people inside a crumbling world, but something had shifted.
The bluff, Ren had spun the night before though not completely forgotten. Still remain in their memories, It was a reason that was completely unbelievable after all even as something even more impossible appeared like zombie, but there is still people that don't believe such a magical thing could be real.
Brian, for his part, seemed more focused than ever. His determination is even stronger than before, Which Ren hadn't seen in him before
"We need to move soon," Ren said without looking up. He traced a line on the map from their current location to a red X marked several blocks away. "We're running low on almost every supplies we had. If we stay here much longer, we'll be stuck."
Claire nodded. "I've inventoried what's left. We've got maybe two days of food, less if we keep burning calories the way we have.
I've rationed the antiseptic and bandages, but we're on fumes."
Brian stopped pacing and leaned over the map. "So what's the plan? We can't hit every place in the city. Too risky."
Ren tapped the X. "There's a grocery near the industrial sector. Claire mentioned it when she first joined us. It's not far, and from what she said, it's defensible. Steel structure, limited windows, rooftop access. If it's intact, it could be what we need, But mostly.. It had foods and supplies."
Claire crossed her arms and replied, "But, How about the zombies in it? Since it was a grocery, There's must be quite alot of zombie inside it."
Brian frowned. "Yeah and that's assuming that no one else got to it first."
"That's always the assumption and about the zombie. It was a bit in secluded spot, mostly people in that area was the one shop in it and zombie descended quite early. The grocery is still closed at that time." Ren replied. "But ee won't know until we check it."
Silence settled again, thick with thought. Claire shifted her weight.
"But we can't go in blind. If we're scouting, we'll need fallback points. Safe zones we can retreat to if things go sideways."
Ren nodded. "I've got three marked here." He pointed to nearby alleyways and parking garages. "Low visibility, some with upper-level access. They're not ideal, but they'll buy us time."
Brian leaned back, crossing his arms. "Alright. We scout the warehouse first. If it's good, we secure it. Then we sweep the depot. Sound about right?"
"Close," Ren said. "We don't all go at once. It was too risky. Brian and I will scout the grocery and you Claire, You be our monitor from outside."
Claire raised an eyebrow. "You sure you want to split us up again?"
"Just for recon. Once we've confirmed it's safe, we regroup and move together."
Brian cracked his knuckles. "When do we head out?"
Ren glanced at the dim light outside. "In two hours. That'll give us time to prep, eat, and rest."
Claire gave a nod and turned back to her pack. Brian disappeared into the other room to gather his gear. Ren stayed where he was, staring down at the map and thinking about their plans.
The lines on the paper felt like veins, fragile yet vital. Every path they chose could either lead to safety or their graves.
'I will survive this time, No.. I would surely survive.. with everyone.' As he recalled his past life with his comrades.
"Noah.. I'll find you, but i should go and find my family first. Noah lives is 3 city apart from city of winston.'
Soon, Two hours passed quickly. The group worked with quiet efficiency, a rhythm born from necessity.
Claire checked and rechecked the contents of her kit, laying out each item before packing it in precise order.
Brian strapped knives to his belt and secured a crowbar to his pack. Ren cleaned his sword in silence, every motion methodical.
They shared a sparse meal, canned beans, a few crackers, and water they'd boiled and filtered the day before.
No one spoke much during the meal. The air was too heavy with anticipation.
Soon.. They would be in life and death situation, It was unknown if all 3 of them could survived this. But they must..
They must survived.
It was their goal.
Soon enough, They are done and prepared as the trio stood in apartment's door as Ren's hand laid in the door handle.
With a twist, It opened..