Chapter 55: The World Unraveling
The cold outside City B was merciless, a biting force that seeped through every layer of clothing Zara wore. The barren landscape stretched endlessly in every direction, painted in a monochromatic blend of ash-gray and white. Snow coated the crumbling ruins of buildings, their jagged outlines reaching for a sky thick with iron clouds. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the crunch of her boots on the frozen ground, the faint sniffles from Leo, and the occasional distant groan of the undead.
Zara adjusted the straps of her backpack, her muscles screaming from the weight of the supplies and the three-year-old child strapped snugly against her chest. Every step through the piles up snow felt like dragging an anchor through molasses, her breath fogging the air in labored puffs.
It had been days since the chaos at the cache, but the images were seared into her mind. She could still see Mia’s face, the panic in her eyes as she shoved Zara away with trembling hands.
Kit’s wide, terrified eyes, and the scavengers storming in, weapons drawn. She had thought they could make it out together—all of them—but reality had torn through that fantasy like a blade.
Mia’s voice echoed in her thoughts. "You don’t understand!" She had hissed, her voice low. "We can’t leave here."
The betrayal had been a dagger to her heart, but Zara understood. She would have done the same for Leo. Kit was Mia’s everything, just as Leo was hers. But understanding didn’t dull the sting of being left alone, again.
Her throat tightened as she glanced down at Leo. His small arms were wrapped around her neck, his cheek resting against her chest. For now, he was quiet, but she knew the questions were coming.
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"Where are Mia and Kit, Mama?"
The words came softly, carried by the slight tremble of Leo’s voice. Zara’s heart clenched. She hesitated, her steps faltering as she searched for an answer.
"They’re..." She swallowed hard, the lump in her throat threatening to choke her. "They’re staying behind to keep us safe."