The winding streets of Düsseldorf brought me to Burgplatz, a spot I knew well from the few joyful memories I still had.

As I ran my fingers over the dusty timber framing of a traditional house in ruins, I could almost hear the sounds of laughter and chatter from the students who would come to hang out after lessons.

Now, they all stood mute, aged by time and neglect.

My pace slowed as I neared our old home, a small house just like any other in the row of buildings. Dust and decay had taken their toll on the half-timbered walls, muting the colors of dark wood against white plaster.

The only portions of the house that survived the Cataclysm were the living room and kitchen, which were separate from the building's main framework. The rest had toppled over my parents' bodies, killing them without a moment of hesitation.

The familiar scent of the surrounding linden trees, combined with the mustiness of aged wood, stirred a whirlpool of emotions within me.

"It has been a long time."

My unsteady hand reached for the door. The wood, worn and weather-beaten from years of facing the elements, seemed to hesitate under my touch.

Take a breath in. Breathe out.

I gently pushed the door open.

The sight unfolding before my eyes brought me to a standstill. There, in the dim light of the living room, were my sister, Lucas, Mia and Erwin. The last two were bickering about music and their preferences, like they often did. As for Lucas and Zoe, they looked relieved to have found a refuge, but there was also a hint of concern they couldn't hide.

The creaking sound of the door hinges caused their weary faces to turn towards me.

"Aiden!" Zoe cried out, rushing forward with glistening drops of water in her eyes.

The impact of her embrace was a balm to my weary soul. Her warmth, her presence, was all I needed to feel at peace.

I buried my head on her shoulder and let the tears flow freely across my cheeks.

At this moment, all those days of suffering seemed worth it.

"I can't believe it's you," she said, her voice choked with relief.

Lucas clapped me on the shoulder with a grin spread across his face.

"You're a tough one to kill, aren't you?"

"Yeah, somehow."

Mia laughed, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "We were so worried. We thought we lost you."

"Don't be silly, Mia. You know how much of a cockroach I am."

My gaze shifted to Erwin, who stood slightly apart with a sheepish smile on his face.

"Glad to see you made it, Aiden."

His eyes briefly met Zoe's before darting away. The air was thick with unspoken words.

We gathered around the old dining table. The surface was dusty, but still sturdy enough for us to use.

"I never thought I'd see this place again," I said while looking around at the familiar walls.

"Neither did I. But I had to come back, to see if... if you'd made it."

Her hand found mine under the table. It had been a long time since she was this kind to her older brother.

I wish this moment would last fore-

"Uhm uhm."

Erwin cleared his throat, his gaze lingering on Zoe.

"You know, I always liked this old house. It's got character."

"It does, doesn't it? Thank you, Erwin."

He blushed with a foolish grin on his lips.

Well, young people fall in love at this age, I guess.

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My hand crushed one of the table legs, and Erwin flinched as if a beast was staring at him.

I could see the glances between Erwin and Zoe. It was clear that Erwin harbored feelings for her, but he was afraid of being rejected.

"Aiden, what happened to you after we got separated? We heard the horde, and we feared the worst."

I met Zoe's gaze, a practiced smile masking my turmoil.

"Oh, you know, the usual."

"The usual?"

"Yeah, a bit of running, some hiding, and a lot of luck. I managed to find a safe spot until they passed."

"That's our Aiden, always the survivor," Lucas chuckled.

Mia nodded, her expression softening. "We're just glad you're safe."

But Zoe's eyes lingered on me, searching.

She knew me too well, could always sense when I was holding back. I could tell she caught the edge in my voice, the slight strain behind my smile. Yet, she said nothing, offering me a silent nod that spoke volumes of her understanding and worry.

"Well, next time, try not to give us such a scare, will you?" Erwin chimed in with his usual humor, completely oblivious to the tension between us.

We all laughed.

Yet, as the laughter died down, Zoe's gaze was still fixed on me.

We soon found ourselves sharing with each other funny and embarrassing anecdotes from our past. Or more precisely, we were making fun of an ashamed Erwin about his childish delusions five years ago.

"Okay, okay, enough about my so-called 'dreams of grandeur.' Mia, remember that time you were convinced you could become a famous singer overnight? Sang at the top of your lungs in the middle of the street?"

Mia's face turned a delightful shade of red as Lucas burst into laughter.

"Oh, I remember! The whole block heard you. You had dreams of stardom but ended up getting a noise complaint instead!"

"Hey! At least I had the courage to chase my dreams, even if they were a bit... out loud. And what about you, Lucas? Weren't you the one who thought he could invent a new type of renewable energy using nothing but leftover food and a broken microwave?"

Lucas and I chuckled, shaking our heads in disbelief at the memory. I had somehow agreed to help him, and we ended up blowing up the microwave.

"Guilty as charged. But let's be honest, we all had our wild dreams back then."

"True, but some dreams were louder and messier than others. At least we've all grown a bit since then... I think." Erwin stared at the shortest member of our group, Mia, with a smirk dancing on his lips.

"Are you making another dig at me?"

I witnessed their argument and rolled my eyes.

They are like dogs and cats.

As the evening progressed, I watched as Erwin stole glances at my sister, his expression betraying a mixture of admiration and hesitation.

I could understand the hesitation. My sister had inherited all of my parents' good genes: her smooth dark brown hair and deep black eyes had always made her popular at school; especially in Germany, where blondes were more common.

In comparison, Erwin was like a softer version of Bob Marley, which was not a compliment in any way.

Zoe, for her part, seemed to sense Erwin's attention, offering him small smiles that encouraged yet didn't overstep.

It was a delicate exchange of hidden feelings, a gentle push and pull that added a layer of warmth to the gathering.

As the evening wore on, the darkness again took control of the city, drowning us all in its inescapable shadow.

❆ ❆ ❆

In the silence of the night, the specters of my nightmares came back to haunt me. The voices followed me wherever I went, calling me a liar and a weakling, a selfish bastard who relied on no one.

I woke with a start, gasping for air. My heart was pounding against my ribcage, as if trying to escape the grip of the dream that held me.

At least I managed not to scream...

I glanced around the dimly lit room, finding Mia curled up next to the window, her knees drawn to her small chest as she gazed out at the moon. It was a bit strange to see her with her black hair down when she usually kept it in a ponytail.

Approaching her quietly, I noticed the tremble in her shoulders.

"Mia?" My voice was barely a whisper.

She looked up, her eyes shimmering green pools in the moonlight.

"A bad dream?"

My body stiffened.

"Yeah," I managed to say. "Don't worry about it."

For some reason, I felt like her eyes could see straight through my lies.

"You can't sleep?"

Her limbs began shaking in response to my question. Mia showed me a sickly smile that resembled the silent screams from my nightmares.

"I-I..."

I remained silent, experiencing a headache every time her face overlapped with those of my parents. She was Mia, my comrade and friend. She was alive right now, unlike them.

"I'm just... scared, Aiden."

Her fragile voice made my heart wrench painfully.

It wasn't only me who was hurting.

Mia had a gentle nature that did not fit in this world of death and pain. In an alternate scenario, she could have become a kind teacher with a family and children, leading a happy life.

I once again realized how self-centered I was. Despite telling myself that I would protect my friends from the infected, I never bothered asking them how they felt during those three long years.

So much for being a leader, idiot...

Mia grabbed her chest tightly, her knuckles going white.

"I'm scared of being alone, scared of the silence. It feels like the ground could just swallow us whole and no one would even notice."

The vulnerability in her words struck a chord deep within me. I sat down beside her, offering my presence as support. For some reason, I was not able to say a single word.

"My parents are dead. My big brother is dead. My baby sister is dead. Ms. Hartmann, who used to babysit me when I was a child, is dead."

The sorrow in her words suffocated me; it crawled all over the pores in my skin.

"Why am I even alive?"

A single tear escaped Mia's eye, tracing a path down her cheek as she leaned her head against my shoulder, her body shaking with the effort of suppressed sobs.

The weight of her head on my shoulder, the warmth of her against me in the cold, dark room—it all seemed so comfortable, yet I couldn't feel a single sliver of happiness.

I wrapped an arm around her and held her close while she cried.

"It will be okay."

Mia's watery eyes met mine, searching for the truth in my words. Slowly, her sobs subsided, giving way to the quiet rhythm of sleep.

I stood up and pulled her scarred body into my arms. Gently, I laid her down on the sofa and covered her with a blanket.

It is quite ironic. The one who fears loneliness the most carries the gift of pushing others away.

I felt a lump on my throat, and my head throbbed more intensely than ever before.

The ghost of my doppelganger stared at me from the fractured mirror, his eyes too hollow to be mine.

You are a liar, Aiden.