Apocalypse Days: I Rule with Foresight and a Powerful Son

The snow was relentless, a swirling mass of white that layered the already thick blanket of ice covering the ground. Kit stood just ahead of them, his gloved hands brushing clumps of it away with the same stubborn energy he always carried. The air was frigid, biting at their cheeks as Zara crouched beside him. "What is it?" Zara asked, her voice a low murmur.

"I think it’s... here," Kit said, excitement bubbling under his breathless words. His hand froze mid-motion as he glanced back at Mia, who stood a few paces behind, her arms tightly folded around herself. "I saw something metal."

Zara exchanged a glance with Mia, noting the girl’s furrowed brow and clenched jaw. Her guilt was etched into every feature. Zara refocused, brushing more snow aside until her fingers scraped something rough and cold—a grate, just as Kit had said.

"Good eye, Kit." Zara’s voice was light, but her tone carried an edge of disbelief. She glanced up at Mia again. "This could be it—the cache everyone’s been chasing. If it’s here, we’ll be set for weeks, maybe longer."

Mia’s eyes darted toward the grate, then back to the surrounding forest, unease creeping into her expression. "Or maybe it’s a trap."

Zara stilled, narrowing her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Mia didn’t answer immediately. Her gaze lingered on Kit, who had crouched by the grate again, beaming proudly. Zara could almost see the wheels turning in Mia’s mind, that guilt flaring to the surface.

She turned back to the grate. If Kit hadn’t spotted the faint outline of the grate earlier, they might have walked past it. But now, as they opened the grate, preparing to descend into the underground chamber, the stale, musty air was an almost welcome sign.

Zara sighed. "We’re wasting time standing here. We’ll go in together—"

"No." Mia’s voice cracked. She flinched at how sharp it sounded, then cleared her throat. "Kit and Leo can’t—no, I mean Kit stays with me."