The next morning arrived quietly, the storm clouds thinning just enough for the pale sunlight to pierce through. The ground was still damp from last night's rain, and a faint mist clung to the air. Birds were nowhere to be seen; the world was still too broken for such signs of peace.
I was the first to wake, naturally. Old habits. I kicked dirt over the remains of the campfire, stretching my shoulders and rolling my neck until it cracked. Behind me, Shalltear stood near the bike, brushing dust off her crimson armor with the air of someone who believed even the apocalypse should respect her sense of elegance. Kate stirred a few minutes later, rubbing her eyes and sitting up groggily.
"Morning," I said simply, checking the sky. "We should move soon. The weather's still unstable, and we've got a long way to Ohio."
She gave a sleepy nod, still half lost in thought, before her eyes caught on the sleek black cruiser waiting beside me. Her brow furrowed. "Uh… where am I supposed to sit?"
I blinked at her question, then glanced at Shalltear, who was already perched behind me with the confidence of someone who'd claimed her territory. The vampire's arms were folded across her chest, her crimson eyes narrowing slightly at Kate—as if daring her to question her place.
Kate crossed her arms. "Don't look at me like that. I just asked a question."
Shalltear tilted her head, feigning innocence. "You don't expect my lord to make you run behind the bike, do you?"
Kate rolled her eyes. "No, but unless one of us has a pocket dimension for seating, there's no space for three."
I sighed softly, scratching the back of my neck. She wasn't wrong. "She has a point, Shalltear."
The vampire huffed, clearly not pleased with the situation. After a moment, she snapped her fingers, and her battle attire shimmered away, replaced by a more practical outfit—tight black pants, boots, and a simple long coat that still somehow managed to look refined.
"Happy now?" she asked, sounding faintly annoyed but also proud that she'd adapted so quickly.
Kate smirked. "You actually look… normal. It's weirdly unsettling."
"Wait, You can use magic." Kate asked.
Shalltear sniffed, pretending not to hear.
But even with her change of clothes, the problem remained—the bike wasn't built for three. I glanced at Kate, who was now examining the cracked highway stretching ahead. "Then what do you suggest?" I asked.
"Simple," she said, gesturing toward the ruined cityscape in the distance. "We look for a car. There's always one that still works. Might take a few tries, but it's better than cramming all of us on that thing."
Shalltear frowned. "A car? You wish for my lord to travel in such a mundane contraption?"
Kate shot her a look. "Unless you can summon a royal carriage, vampire lady, I think we'll make do with a car."
I chuckled quietly, enjoying the back-and-forth. "All right, all right. Let's find a car then. The sooner we move, the better."
We walked down the cracked asphalt road, the ruins of once-bustling buildings looming on either side. Burned-out vehicles lay scattered across the streets—some flipped, others fused into the road by intense heat. The silence was unnerving, broken only by the crunch of gravel beneath our boots.
Kate moved with a practiced ease, scanning each vehicle like she'd done this before. "Most of these are fried," she muttered, peering into a rusted pickup. "EMP blasts must've taken out the electronics."
Shalltear, clearly unimpressed by the scavenging, walked beside me, her eyes darting toward every sound or movement. "This world truly has fallen into decay," she murmured, her tone a mix of disdain and curiosity. "It reeks of weakness."
Kate didn't turn around. "Yeah, well, not everyone comes with super strength and magic."
After several minutes of searching, we finally spotted an SUV—an old, dark green model that somehow still looked intact. The windows were dusty but unbroken, and when I pulled the handle, the door opened with a rusty creak.
Kate leaned over my shoulder, her eyes bright with cautious optimism. "Looks promising. Keys?"
I checked the ignition. "Still here."
"Perfect," she said, climbing into the driver's seat before Shalltear could protest. "Let's see if this baby's still got life."
The engine coughed violently when she turned the key—once, twice, three times—before sputtering to silence.
Shalltear crossed her arms with an unimpressed sigh. "Truly a masterpiece of mortal engineering."
Kate glared at her. "You got a better idea?"
I leaned in slightly. "Try again. Press the pedal halfway down before you turn it."
She did, and this time the SUV roared to life with a deep, uneven growl. The dashboard lights flickered weakly, but it ran. Kate grinned, tapping the steering wheel in triumph. "Told you we'd find one."
I smiled faintly. "Good work."
~~~
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