Chapter 86: The World of Safety (?)
The reinforced sedan rolled into the outskirts of City H as the first light of dawn spilled over the cracked skyline. Zara and winter sat in front with winter manning the wheels this time. They had settled in a rotation to make it easier for them all to get rest.
The streets were eerily quiet, with the remnants of once-bustling city life now only visible in the ruin. Zara gazed out the window at the devastation—Burnt-out cars lined the roads, some half-buried beneath rubble, others overturned, their metal frames twisted in unnatural angles. There were also overturned trash cans, crumbled buildings like decayed skeletons of a past life.
A low, haunting wind picked up dust as the group moves slowly through the desolate streets. The road was cracked, filled with debris, and covered with strange stains—dark red streaks against the dull concrete, likely blood, but the origin remains unclear.
It didn’t look like a safe spot. It was no different than the city they had just left behind.
Inside the sedan, the atmosphere was equally somber. Zara cradled Leo’s sleeping form against her chest, her fingers gently brushing through his hair. Her eyes darted from one crumbling building to the next, scanning for any sign of life—or danger.
What’s going on here?
Zara’s fingers tightened around Leo’s small form, her thumb tracing circles over his back in a subconscious attempt to soothe them both.
Winter, driving at the front, noticed her anxiety. The silence in the car spoke volumes about everyone’s thoughts—Zara’s tight grip on Leo, her shoulders slightly hunched in a defensive posture. Her eyes flicker from the wreckage to the boy in her arms.
Winter’s eyes flickered to her hand as it gripped Leo, and without thinking, he reached over, his fingers brushing lightly against hers before shifting to her knee, giving it a gentle, comforting squeeze; the small gesture was enough to ground her, reminding her they were still a team, as she looked at him for a moment, eyes wide with unsaid words.
But he understood.
He was worried as well.