Liam didn't sleep.
The city didn't either.
Every hour or so, he'd hear something dragging across the concrete below. Groans. Wet thumps. Distant screams. The echo of horror never quite rested.
Maya slept with her back to the wall, knife clutched in her hand even in her dreams. She didn't move much, but once—just once—she whimpered. A quiet, strangled sound like a choked sob. Then silence.
Liam looked away.
His hands still smelled like blood.
At some point, he opened his System interface again.
[Status – Liam Carter]
> System Integration: 12%
Bonded Targets: 1
Traits: Adaptive Resilience, Shared Awareness (Maya)
XP: 425
Unspent Stat Points: 2
Active Quest Chains: Apocalypse Protocol (Tier 1)
A new alert blinked.
[SIDE QUEST UNLOCKED – "THE FLESH TITHE"]
> The system demands your spiritual cohesion. Bonding delays infection. But you must act swiftly to maintain host-body stability.
Goal: Deepen the bond with Maya within 48 hours.
Penalty: Infection rate increases by 5% per day without bonding progress.
Reward: +1 Affection Level, Unlock Emotional Link Skill Tree
Note: "Bonding" can occur via emotional vulnerability, physical interaction, or shared trauma.
Liam sat still.
So that was the price of staying alive. Getting closer. Not just surviving, but feeling. Trusting.
Or pretending to.
He glanced at Maya again.
She was pretty, sure. Strong. Mysterious. But more than that—she was alive. Real. The first person he'd touched, spoken to, or heard in what felt like eternity.
But forcing a connection under threat? It felt wrong.
Even if the alternative was worse.
By morning, they were moving again.
The sky was clouded, blood-orange. A sick sun tried to rise through the haze.
"Where now?" Liam asked, tightening the makeshift strap on his pipe weapon.
Maya adjusted the satchel on her hip. "There's an evac point marked on the old military broadcast. North end of the city. If it's real, it'll be fortified. If not—might still have supplies."
"And if it's a trap?"
"Then we die trying," she said flatly.
They moved in silence through the corpse-riddled streets. Bodies hung from light poles. Spray-painted messages littered walls:
NO CURE. NO GOD. NO ESCAPE.
TRUST NO ONE.
THEY SCREAM IN YOUR SLEEP.
At one point, they passed what looked like a family: a man, woman, and two small children. All dead. All neatly arranged on a blanket. Like they'd gone to sleep forever.
Maya didn't flinch.
Liam did.
They reached a half-burned apartment complex by noon. From the rooftop, they'd be able to scout the evac site.
Inside, it was quiet.
Too quiet.
The walls were blackened from fire, furniture charred. Blood smeared in long handprints up the stairwell.
Maya signaled for silence.
They climbed slowly. Liam's hand gripped his pipe so tight it hurt.
Third floor—clear.
Fourth—clear.
Fifth—
A groan.
Not from outside.
From a doorway.
Maya pressed her back against the wall, blade ready. Liam nodded.
She kicked open the door.
Inside was a girl—barely older than Liam—crouched in the corner of the room, surrounded by bloodied sheets. Her face was pale, her hair tangled and wild.
She held a kitchen knife like a child holding a teddy bear.
"Stay back!" she screamed.
Maya raised her blade. "Are you bitten?"
"No! No, I—I'm not! I swear!"
Liam stepped between them. "Easy. We're not here to hurt you."
The girl sobbed. "They came last night. My brother—he… he turned. I locked myself in."
Maya lowered her weapon, reluctantly.
Liam crouched in front of the girl. "What's your name?"
"Lila."
A soft chime echoed in his head.
[Candidate Detected – Lila]
> Emotional instability high. Trauma bonding possible.
Bonding Level: 0
Compatible Traits: Empathy, Protector, Nurturer
Maya shot Liam a look.
He ignored the notification.
"Come with us," he said gently. "We're headed to a safe zone. We'll protect you."
Lila blinked, lips trembling. "Okay."
She clutched his sleeve like a lifeline.
By the time they reached the rooftop, the sun was dipping low again.
Through Maya's binoculars, they saw it—a walled checkpoint on the northern edge. Smoke rising. Vehicles. Possibly soldiers.
And then—they saw them.
Zombies. Hundreds. Swarming the gates like ants over sugar.
Liam grimaced. "No way we get close."
"Not tonight," Maya agreed.
Then Lila screamed.
They turned.
A half-burned zombie had crawled from a vent, its limbs twisted, eyes glowing faint red. It leapt at Lila.
Liam moved without thinking.
He tackled the creature mid-air, slamming it against the wall.
It shrieked—unlike the others. Almost… conscious.
"Kill it!" Maya shouted.
Liam raised his pipe and swung.
One. Two. Three strikes. Skull caved.
Blood sprayed his arm.
[Enemy Eliminated: Aberrant-E Class]
> Warning: This strain is not standard. Evolution suspected.
XP: +60 | Affection Proximity Bonus: +5
Lila sobbed. "T-Thank you…"
She threw her arms around him, shaking.
Liam stiffened—then hugged her back.
It wasn't romantic.
It was survival.
[Bond Initiated: Lila – Rank 0]
> Passive Unlocked: Fragile Protection Aura – Nearby bonded females gain minor resistance when Liam is near.
Maya didn't say anything.
But her jaw tightened.
That night, as they camped in the old manager's office on the roof, Maya sat apart from them, sharpening her blade.
Liam approached slowly.
"You okay?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"You tell me."
Maya looked up, eyes cool. "You bonded with her."
"I didn't plan to—"
"You didn't say no either."
Liam exhaled. "I'm not trying to collect people, Maya."
"Aren't you?"
He sat beside her. Close, but not too close. "You think I asked for this system? For these quests? I don't even know what it wants from me."
"Maybe it wants to see if you'll betray who you are," she said. "One bond at a time."
He looked down. "You want me to stop?"
Maya looked away. "I want to trust you."
Liam's hand hovered near hers. Not quite touching. But close.
"You can."
Silence.
Then—her fingers curled over his.
Warm. Human.
[Bond Level Increased: Maya – Rank 2]
> Emotional Pathway Strengthened
Skill Tree Unlocked: Emotional Link Tier 1
New Passive: [Battle Pair] – When Maya and Liam fight together, both gain +5% damage resistance.
Maya pulled her hand away, but not coldly.
"Sleep," she murmured. "We move before dawn."
As Liam lay down, the system pulsed one more time.
[UPDATE: THE FLESH TITHE – STAGE 1 COMPLETE]
> Bond Progress: Acceptable
Infection Delay Reset: +48 Hours
Next Tithe Approaching: 2nd Bond Must Deepen Soon. Prepare for Jealousy Protocols.
Liam closed his eyes.
The apocalypse didn't just want his soul.
It wanted his heart.
And it wouldn't let him survive unless he gave it—all of him.