Author's Note: hello. This is my first author's note ever. I want to apologise for the consistent pauses between chapters. I have been extremely busy with college. I understand the pause is frustrating and I hope to get more consistency in late April. Yet again, I apologise. Thank you for your patience.

 

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A small plume of smoke wafted from the mountains, where the forests stretched beyond sight. Suddenly, a gunshot shattered the tranquility, sending birds scattering into the sky.

 

As the echoes of the shot faded, Hayden perched atop a tree, rifle in hand, his hair tangled and grimy. Descending from his perch, he approached the fallen prey.

 

A deer lay wounded on the ground, its pitiful cries filling the air. Hayden whistled, summoning Knox, who appeared, relatively cleaner than his brother.

 

"Looks like dinner's served," Hayden remarked, a grin spreading across his face. "Can you end its suffering, please?" Knox asked, casting a glance at Hayden.

 

Hayden nodded solemnly. "For you, brother." Without hesitation, he took aim and put the deer out of its misery with a single shot.

 

Afterward, Hayden hoisted the deer onto his shoulders, grunting with effort as he carried it back to their makeshift camp. "Help me," he grunted, and Knox hurried over to assist in dragging the deer.

 

Soon, the crackling of a fire could be heard in the distance. Hayden laid the deer on a makeshift table and declared, "I'll skin it. Knox, head to the nearby creek and fetch some water for boiling."

 

Knox wasted no time, grabbing a bucket and darting down the hillside. The trees provided ample shade from the sun's rays, though the air was growing cooler with evening's approach.

 

At the creek, Knox filled the bucket with clear, sparkling water, humming to himself until a twig snapped nearby. Startled, he froze, straining to hear any other sounds. A growl pierced the air, and Knox's eyes widened.

 

"It's been a month since I last saw a biter," Knox murmured, observing the approaching figure, a boy around his own age. Despite his frail appearance, the boy didn't appear to be infected by a bite.

 

Approaching cautiously, Knox addressed the biter, "I'm sorry this happened to you. You seem like someone I could've been friends with." With a heavy heart, he closed his eyes, his claws emerging as he struck out, ending the biter's suffering with a decisive blow.

Knox gazed at the frail boy, his sunken cheekbones and gray eyes fixed on the canopy above. "You starved to death," Knox murmured, kneeling down to gently close the boy's eyes.

 

"I bet you were terrified before you—" He stopped himself, unable to finish the thought. "I'm sorry," Knox whispered, a hint of tears welling in his eyes, overwhelmed by the harsh reality of their world. "You got lost too, I assume?" He sniffled, then lifted the boy's body, their pale, skinny arms hanging limply at their sides, black blood seeping from Knox's claw marks.

 

With determined steps, Knox headed toward a tree overlooking the clear lake, its waters reflecting the distant snowy mountain. There, he began to dig with his bare hands, his sniffles mingling with the rustle of leaves.

 

In the city, shrouded in darkness, Riot trembled as he faced the figure, their pained groans mingling with the encroaching growls of biters. Riot glanced at his knuckles, stained with the man's blood, sweat beading on his forehead.

 

Doro, stunned like the rest, stepped forward, aiming his gun at the figure and delivering a fatal shot to their head. "We'll have to proceed on foot," Doro declared, his tone heavy with resignation.

 

Suddenly, Storm's anguished cries pierced the night. "No... no..." he choked out as he cradled Viper, whose lifeless eyes stared blankly at the dark sky, the fatal wound too much to bear. Frost's wide-eyed gaze shifted to the scene as he slowly removed his helmet.

 

Riot approached Storm, kneeling beside Viper's peaceful form, a tug at his heart. "We need to move," he muttered, but Storm shook his head defiantly.

 

"I-I'm not leaving my brother!" Storm's voice cracked as he wiped his forehead with bloodied hands, smearing Viper's blood across his face inadvertently.

 

Riot couldn't bear to watch, his gaze averted. Doro's expression hardened as he assessed the situation. "He's going to turn," he stated matter-of-factly, advancing with a knife in hand.

 

Storm recoiled, clutching Viper's body protectively, but Doro's resolve was unyielding. With a swift motion, he wrested Viper's body from Storm's grasp, despite the desperate struggle.

 

 "NO!" Storm screamed, but it was futile. Doro swiftly ended Viper's life with a brutal blow, preventing him from turning.

 

Red blood trickled from Viper's forehead as Doro withdrew the blade, casting a solemn glance at Storm. "I'm sorry about your brother. But the biters are closing in, and we need to move," Doro explained tersely, wiping the blood on his pants as Storm stared at Viper's lifeless form.

 

"Storm, we have to go, buddy," Frost urged, attempting to coax him into action, but Storm remained frozen, the growls of approaching biters growing louder by the moment. "Fine. Suit yourself," Doro sighed and took off running.

 

Frost eyed the encroaching biters. "Damn it," he muttered, drawing his knife. Riot turned to Storm and knelt beside him. "Storm, focus on my voice," he spoke softly but urgently.

 

"We need to leave. We can't handle the biters properly in this darkness," Riot insisted, casting a glance at the approaching silhouettes of the undead.

 

With a slow, hesitant movement, Storm rose to his feet and pushed Riot away. "You two are so blind," he choked out, tears welling in his eyes.

 

Riot tilted his head, puzzled, as Storm grabbed him by the shoulders, his grip tightening. "There are murderers among us, and we're powerless," Storm's voice trembled with emotion.

 

A biter emerged, seizing Frost's arm. Frost grunted and swiftly elbowed the creature, sending it staggering back before delivering a fatal stab to its head. "Let's go! No time for debates!" he shouted, fending off another biter.

 

"Who?" Riot demanded, his gaze searching Storm's face for answers. "So many of them. All I see are corpses in that town... all those innocent kids," Storm's voice cracked with anguish.

 

"I should have taken out my team. But instead..." Storm's hand shook as he raised his gun, then pushed Riot aside. "Instead, I stood by and watched," he confessed, tears streaming down his cheeks as he pressed the gun to his temple.

 

Riot's eyes widened in horror. "NO! NO!" he screamed, lunging towards Storm, but it was too late. The trigger was pulled, and a deafening gunshot shattered the darkness, echoing into the night.