***
“Hey, Lucy, want some chips?” Lucas offered, handing her a bag.
“Nah, I'm good for now,” Lucy declined with a contented sigh. They'd spent the day battling zombies, mostly relying on their physical skills and items. Their unique abilities had remained dormant, only coming into play when absolutely necessary.
Lucas checked his watch. “It's already 8:04 p.m. We've been staying in this building for two days now, only going out in the mornings to deal with zombies and find tougher adversaries.”
“Yeah,” Lucy agreed. “Our meals have become pretty basic, too. Canned food and children's snacks, quite a change from the beef jerky we ran out of yesterday.”
In the soft glow of candlelight, they sat on the floor, enjoying their modest meal. Despite spending so much time together, they knew little about each other's pasts, sharing fragments of their lives here and there.
Lucy leaned in; her curiosity piqued. “Lucas, what was life like for you before all this craziness?”
Lucas chuckled. “My life was pretty ordinary, to be honest. I didn't have any close friends or family ties in the village. And no, not even a pet. I kind of liked the quiet, and having a pet would've been a handful.”
Lucy nodded, taking in this snippet of information. “What about you, Lucy?” Lucas asked. “What were you up to before all of this?”
Lucy thought for a moment before answering. “I was mostly into my studies, and I hung out with a group of friends occasionally. We weren't super tight since we all started school together just last December. We didn't have much time to form strong bonds.”
Lucas found this interesting. “So, you've probably spent more time with me than with those friends.”
Lucy grinned. “Yeah, well... even though we weren't super close, the idea of them being gone is still pretty unsettling.”
Sipping her water, Lucy leaned back, reminiscing about her time with her friends. She realized that most of their interactions had centered around cafe outings and movie nights, leaving little room for deeper conversations.
***
February 03, 2029
“Hey, you know what? We might want to think about changing our location tomorrow,” Lucas casually suggested. “The water in this place is running low, and it would be smart to save some for our morning shower.”
Amidst the grim surroundings, they couldn't help but feel like they were among the cleanest people in the area, considering the horde of rotting corpses littering the streets. If the infection could spread through the air, they'd probably be in big trouble by now.
Lucas used the last of their water to clean his hands and glanced at Lucy, who was taking a breather by the bedside. They were both just 16 years old, and Lucas couldn't help but wonder if they'd even have made it this far if they were any younger.
“Lucy, you feeling tired?” Lucas asked, idly fiddling with an emblem featuring a phoenix and a dragon in his hand. He strolled over to the window and peered outside, noticing the eerie silence that had replaced the usual zombie groans. It felt like a scene straight out of a horror movie.
“It’s like our lives have turned into a real-life horror flick,” Lucy replied with a wry grin.
“True,” Lucas agreed, turning his head to watch as Lucy approached him. Having a companion in these trying times was a comfort, and he continued to twirl the emblem between his fingers as he spoke to her.
“I wonder what Sarah and the others are up to right now,” he mused.
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“They're probably just hanging out with Lily, I guess. Considering the low zombie activity on that side, as long as they stay sharp while hunting, they should be okay,” Lucy ventured.
“Lucy, have you ever thought about how many people live in our city?” Lucas asked.
Lucy took a moment to ponder. “Maybe around ten thousand?”
“Nope, it's way more than that. In 2025, there was a report saying our city had a population of four hundred thousand. And that's just our relatively small city. The capital city in the Country of Sakura has around 50 million folks in the same year.”
Lucy seemed taken aback. “That many?”
“Yeah, and that's just an estimate from four years ago. We often don't realize the sheer number of people we come across every day. With such a massive population, they probably never had the luxury of relaxation like we do.”
Lucas tucked the emblem away into his pouch, pondering its symbolism as he continued. “Lucy, that's one of the reasons why we need to get stronger. Those who can't keep up or are weak get left behind by the stronger ones. It's survival of the fittest, just like the laws of the jungle.”
Lucy nodded in understanding. “It's all about survival, isn't it, Lucas? It's a bit like how ancient rulers or those in power could decide what's right or wrong based on their strength and control over others' lives.”
“Exactly,” Lucas agreed. “If this apocalypse drags on for a few more months, we might see things like modern-day slavery become disturbingly common. Humans can be pretty complex and adaptable creatures,” he remarked, acknowledging the darker aspects of human nature that were emerging in the face of the crisis.
Lucas couldn't shake the memories of those hunger-filled days following his parents' abandonment. In the early days, he scraped by for every bit of food he could find. Even the neighbors who once helped had turned their backs, leaving him to fend for himself with limited knowledge and resources. He even resorted to eating raw fish and spoiled food in his desperate quest for survival.
“When life gets tough, people can go to extreme lengths to survive, like eating rotten or uncooked food. It's amazing how human behavior can get so complex,” Lucas mused.
Lucy, who had discussed these matters with Lucas on numerous occasions, understood where he was coming from. She saw it from the perspective of a young orphan who had never experienced close companionship. Lucas often struggled to comprehend why people would engage in such disturbing behaviors when they had the option of living ordinary lives.
“Lucas, it often boils down to human selfishness and greed. Even with the ability to progress and make the world better, humans tend to prioritize their own interests,” Lucy added.
“It's weird how some folks choose to live differently from the norm,” Lucas continued with a chuckle. “They want to elevate themselves or do things that are unsettling. Sorry for getting all philosophical on you. I didn't mean to make things even gloomier.
Lucy laughed in response, her hand resting on the window as she stared at the familiar night sky. Through the window, she could see the inner city in the distance. They had chosen the safer path, slowly building their strength as they navigated the dangerous world instead of rushing into the city on the day of the outbreak.
The moon, a constant presence, hung above them. Lucy glanced at Lucas, noting his unassuming appearance. Despite not being a standout in terms of looks, their growing friendship had turned him into a true companion. For Lucy, spending time with boys often meant dealing with judgments about her appearance, but with Lucas, it was different. She cherished the ease and camaraderie they shared, free from the usual critiques that came with interactions with the opposite gender.
As their shared memories filled the air, a comfortable silence settled in, broken only by Lucas's occasional forced chuckle—a sign that he was trying to lighten the mood. The distant sounds of zombies, once a source of anxiety, had now become a constant background noise, no longer an immediate concern during these nighttime hours they had rarely ventured into for hunting.
“The moon is quite something, isn't it?” Lucas remarked, his eyes fixed on the celestial orb shining brightly above, untouched by the chaos below. He had come to appreciate this sight as a symbol of peace amid the turmoil.
“Yeah, it's beautiful,” Lucy agreed. “But you know what I find even more enchanting? The stars.” She noted Lucas's surprised expression as he shifted his gaze to the darkened skyline, a stark contrast to the once-vibrant city it used to be.
Lucy had a desire to learn more about Lucas's past, but she hesitated to pry, fearing it might be intrusive given their perilous journey ahead.
Lucas nodded, breaking away from the cityscape. “The stars do have their own charm,” he admitted. “I think we're both pretty tired. Let's get some rest. The atmosphere feels a bit heavy tonight.”
Lucy agreed with a nod and settled onto the bed, making herself comfortable. Despite their efforts to clear the nearby zombies, a hint of caution lingered. The chance of an unexpected intrusion by a zombie was slim, around 5%, but not impossible. Still, their newfound strength had boosted their confidence in dealing with any threat, be it the creaking wooden doors or the groaning undead beyond.
“Goodnight, Lucas,” Lucy whispered, her voice a soft murmur in the stillness.
“Night,” Lucas replied softly, his words a gentle punctuation to the tranquility of the night.