The forest had grown quieter over the past two days, but it was not the kind of silence that brought peace. It pressed against the senses, heavy and suffocating, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
Ruth leaned weakly against the rough trunk of a tree, her fingers trembling as they pressed against the side of her abdomen. The fabric of her shirt clung to her skin, stiff with dried blood that had seeped through again. The wound she had been enduring in silence had worsened, the pain no longer something she could suppress with sheer will.
It burned.
Not just pain, but heat, deep and spreading, making her vision blur and her thoughts slow into something sluggish and unreliable.
She clenched her jaw, forcing herself to stay conscious. Sleep was dangerous. Sleep meant losing awareness. And losing awareness in this world meant never waking up again.
"I can still move…" she whispered, though her legs had already betrayed her more than once.
When she tried to push herself upright, her knees buckled immediately. She dropped back against the tree with a strained breath, frustration flashing briefly across her pale face.
"Damn it…"
The forest around her stretched endlessly, shadows shifting between trees as the wind stirred the branches above. Somewhere in the distance, a low, broken sound echoed, uneven, dragging.
Infected.
Ruth stilled, her breathing slowing despite the pain. Panic would only make things worse. Noise would bring them closer. She had survived this long by staying controlled, even when everything in her body was screaming to give in.
Her hand tightened weakly around the knife at her side.
But deep down, she knew the truth.
In her condition… she wouldn't win.
Her thoughts drifted back to the explosion, the fire, the screams, the chaos that followed. She hadn't needed to see it. The sounds alone had told her everything.
A faint, bitter smile formed on her lips.
"Serves you right…"
Her voice was dry, barely more than breath.
Felix's men had followed blindly. Trusted blindly. And in the end, they paid for it. Just like everyone else who believed in something that didn't deserve trust.
Ruth had learned that lesson early in life.
Her gaze shifted faintly toward the direction of the bunker.
"They're different…"
She had watched them carefully. Their movements, their restraint, their decisions. They didn't act without reason. They didn't rush. They survived.
Her fingers pressed harder into the bark behind her.
"I made the right choice…"
But doubt crept in anyway.
What if they didn't come?
What if they chose to ignore her?
What if she had misjudged them?
Her breathing hitched slightly, not just from pain this time, but from uncertainty.
For the first time in a long while… Ruth wasn't sure.
---
Inside the bunker, the atmosphere was quiet but not relaxed.
Mia stood in front of the surveillance monitors, her arms crossed tightly as her eyes scanned the forest feeds again. The white cloth tied to the branch still moved gently with the wind, untouched.
Two days.
No movement.
No sign of the woman.
"She hasn't come back," Mia said quietly, though her gaze never left the screen.
Beside her, Luis Ray leaned slightly forward, studying the same feed with focused attention.
"Or she can't," he replied.
Mia glanced at him, her expression sharpening.
"You think she's still out there?"
Luis exhaled slowly, his eyes narrowing slightly as he observed the surrounding terrain.
"If she was lying, she would've made a move already. Tried to get closer. Tested us."
Mia didn't respond immediately, her thoughts already turning through possibilities.
"She said she needed help," Luis added.
"That doesn't mean we give it," Mia said, though her voice was quieter than before.
Luis noticed the hesitation.
"She respected distance," he said. "Didn't force contact. That means she understands risk."
"Or she's patient," Mia countered.
Luis gave a small nod. "Like us."
The room fell into silence again, the weight of the decision lingering between them.
Footsteps approached behind them.
Michael Alps entered the room, his expression calm but thoughtful. Beside him was Federick Ray, his posture firm, eyes already scanning the monitors.
Michael looked at the screen for a moment before speaking.
"It's been two days."
Mia turned toward him slightly. "Yes."
Michael crossed his arms, his gaze steady.
"To be sure… we should check outside."
Luis straightened slightly.
"You think she's still there?"
Michael nodded once. "If she is, and she's injured… she won't last much longer."
Federick exhaled slowly, then looked at Luis.
"We go together," he said. "Fully armed."
Luis didn't hesitate. "I'm ready."
Mia stepped forward slightly, concern flashing in her eyes.
"Be careful."
Luis met her gaze, his expression softening just slightly.
"Always."
---
The bunker door opened with a controlled mechanical sound, revealing the quiet forest outside. The air was cool, still, carrying that same unnatural silence.
Luis stepped out first, weapon raised but steady, his movements controlled. Behind him, Michael and Federick followed, each covering different angles instinctively.
The forest looked unchanged.
But something about it felt heavier.
Luis crouched slightly, his eyes scanning the ground.
"Tracks," he said quietly.
Federick stepped closer. "Recent?"
Luis nodded. "Not more than a day old."
Michael's gaze shifted to broken branches nearby.
"She didn't go far."
They moved forward carefully, each step measured, avoiding unnecessary sound. The deeper they went, the more signs appeared faint blood stains, disturbed ground, subtle indicators of someone struggling to move.
"She's injured," Luis said, his voice tightening slightly.
Federick's expression hardened. "Then we don't have much time."
A low sound suddenly broke through the silence.
All three men froze.
Another sound followed.
Closer.
A guttural growl.
"Infected," Luis muttered.
Michael nodded slightly. "Stay sharp."
They moved faster now, urgency overtaking caution.
Then,
A faint struggle.
Uneven breathing.
Luis's head snapped toward the sound.
"There."
Through the trees, a figure staggered backward, weak, barely able to stand.
Ruth.
Her face was pale, her body trembling, blood staining her side. In front of her, an infected lurched forward, drawn by the scent.
Ruth raised her knife, but her arm shook violently.
Too slow.
Too weak.
The infected lunged.
A gunshot shattered the silence.
The infected collapsed instantly.
Ruth blinked, disoriented, her vision blurring as she tried to process what had just happened.
Footsteps approached.
Steady.
Controlled.
Her gaze lifted weakly,
And she saw him.
Luis.
For a brief moment, everything seemed to quiet. The pain, the fear, the exhaustion, all faded into the background.
Her eyes focused on him.
Calm expression.
Weapon steady.
Grey eyes.
Clear.
Unshaken.
"…You…" she whispered faintly.
Her fingers loosened around the knife.
The strength she had forced herself to hold onto finally gave out.
Her body collapsed forward.
Luis moved instantly, catching her before she hit the ground.
"She's burning up," he said, his voice low but urgent.
Michael stepped closer, examining the wound quickly.
"Infection is setting in."
Federick scanned the surroundings once more before speaking firmly.
"We're taking her inside the bunker."
Luis nodded without hesitation.
"She won't survive out here."
Ruth's eyes fluttered weakly, barely open.
Her gaze lingered on Luis for a brief second longer, something unreadable flickering in her expression.
Then everything went dark.
---
Luis adjusted his hold carefully, lifting her without delay. Her weight was light, too lightand her breathing uneven.
Michael turned toward the direction of the bunker.
"Move."
Federick took the lead, his pace steady but urgent.
They didn't look back.
The forest swallowed the sound of their footsteps as they disappeared into the trees.
And for the first time in days,
Ruth was no longer alone.
Inside the bunker, everything was about to change.