The ice bed slowly floated back to ground level. It turned back into water once everyone got off, seeping back into the earth. There was a moment of silence as the group took in their devastated surroundings. Apart from the mangled bodies that littered the ground, the wall that used to surround the settlement was reduced to rubble. The main building however, remained mostly intact. William closed his eyes, feeling for the presence of every water body within the settlement. Thankfully, there were no more live zombies left and more than half of the settlement had survived, still huddling in their rooms. They were safe for now.
“Where are the guards?” Yuxia spat, grabbing Alexei by his shirt.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about-”
Yuxia slapped him, knocking him back to the ground. “Don’t lie to me, you little shit. I saw you call them away from their posts. And then the tanks came. That was no coincidence.”
Alexei laughed. “I simply called the guards away to protect them from turning into zombies.”
“So, where are they?” William asked calmly, driving the arrow further into his wound.
The man trashed and screamed, but William kept a firm grip on him. He breathed painfully when William stopped. “They… They are in a better place. Their bodies, unfortunately, have to remain in this hell hole.”
“Oh my god, you killed them. You freaking killed them!” Yuxia drew her dagger and raised her hand, but William stopped her.
“We’ll let Victor deal with him,” William muttered.
“Uhm… may I know what’s going on?” Masako asked in a timid voice.
“Right, right. You must be very confused,” William chuckled. “Yuxia, you wanna tell her what happened?”
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One day ago…
William fiddled with the glass of water at his bedside, allowing his mind to run free. The water sloshed about in its holder like a tiny ocean in a storm, creating shapes that dissipated as quickly as they were formed.
Helplessness. Regret. Guilt.
The medical bay was quiet, which only made the berating voices in his head louder. He turned his attention to the water beside him to tune them out, but it had once again solidified into an icy figurine of a woman. The hydrokinetic man sighed, turning the ice back to liquid.
“Trouble sleeping?”
William looked up at the albino girl leaning against the doors. Her reddish white arms contrasted with the dark green vest hanging loosely from her petite frame. A white jacket was wrapped around her waist, blending in with her similarly coloured pants.
“Didn’t think you’d still be here,” he mumbled. “What’s it to you?”
“Don’t be so rude.” She strolled over and sat on the empty bed beside him. “I’m here to thank you.”
“For what?”
Yuxia held up a small, clear piece of oval-shaped plastic. “For helping people like me.”
William stared at it for a while before the memories came back to him. He smiled slightly. “Ah, the contact lenses for people with albinism. That was a lifetime ago. I don’t have the biology knowledge to make more for you, if that’s what you’re going to ask for. It was your father who pioneered this project.”
Obviously to give his legally blind daughter 20/20 vision.
“No, no. Dad already left behind more than a lifetime’s supply for me. Just thought it’ll be polite to thank the man who manufactured them.” Yuxia’s expression darkened as she took out a voice recorder from her pocket. “But now that we’ve gotten the pleasantries aside, you guys are in for some trouble.”
A familiar voice played from it.
“-Sure he will be away during that time?”
“Yes, he will be all the way at Sector 163; he won’t come back on time.”
“Good. The mutates will commence the attack at six in the evening. Stay away if you want to live. A helicopter will be picking you up on the roof.”
“Y-you will guarantee my safety, right?”
“What do you think we have been doing for you all this time? Do not forget to take the transmitter with you, or we’ll send you right back to retrieve it by yourself.”
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
“With all due respect, Kareena, why do you need two transmitters? Didn’t your leader already-”
“You speak of matters you will not understand. Do as you’re told, and you will be rewarded.”
“Granting my safety within your ranks is reward enough for me. I can’t wait to see this place fall.”
A buzz of static emanated from the recorder. William blinked slowly, looking at Yuxia. She shared the same look of understanding. There was no mistaking the voice of Victor’s right hand man, even through a recording device.
“I overheard this outside Alexei’s room,” Yuxia added. “No prizes for guessing who he’s liaising with. The attack is happening tomorrow.”
“Why aren’t you warning everyone?”
“And cause a mass panic? You know how many people are in here; they’ll never escape in time,” Yuxia replied. “I’ve been getting pretty close with the guards; I’ve told them to shift dinner an hour earlier. We can’t save everyone, but we’ll at least minimise casualties that way.”
“How do you have the authority to do that? Isn’t that Victor’s job?”
“The guards are actually the ones who decide the administrative timings. You’ll be amazed at how flexible the rules are here. And besides, Victor isn’t even here to begin with; I couldn’t inform him even if I wanted to.”
“Good job.” William closed his eyes and turned over to sleep again.
“Ahem, we still have the tiny problem of catching the traitor. Will you help me?”
William did not stir.
“Will you help me, please- Dammit, what’s wrong with you?” Yuxia kicked his bed in frustration. “Ugh, didn’t think you’d turn out to be just another lazy bum. I don’t know what my father saw in you-”
“I just lost my wife and my best friend!” William yelled back, sitting up angrily. “So pray forgive me if I’m not in the mood to be your damn deputy sheriff right now!”
Yuxia pursed her lips, looking piercingly at William. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the bed, emotions raging in his mind. She wouldn’t understand the pain; no one does. The heavy sense of regret weaved into his every thought. The numbing sense of frustration at his helplessness to change the past. The piercing guilt that painted every possible future in bleak darkness. What person could possibly understand-
“I understand how you feel, Doctor Toh. News spread fast here,” Yuxia said in a sombre tone, as though she read his mind. “I won’t pretend it doesn’t hurt like hell to lose a loved one, but you can’t let that be the end of the world.”
“A man once told me, to walk the path of hope is to wade ever forward in a sea of blood.” She pulled out a red insignia from her pocket. “That has always been the spirit of the Red Clover corps.”
“Never heard of it.”
“Of course not. It’s a covert operations group aimed at stamping out domestic terrorism, and the only military division that actively recruits child soldiers. I was twelve when I joined, and I’m the sole survivor. My overly patriotic father saw it fit to send me there so that I could give back to society despite my condition.”
Yuxia kept her insignia. “But I digress. Take it from someone who has lost all her comrades and family. People die. Maybe it’s your fault; maybe it isn’t, but that doesn’t matter. Their blood was shed for a reason, and sometimes it just isn’t within our paygrade to know why. But you can either use their sacrifice to build your path, or let it all be in vain. Your choice.”
William looked at her silently.
“Perhaps I’m being unreasonable to expect a civilian to heal so quickly.” Yuxia stood up to leave. “But I hope you don’t wallow in self pity forever; there are still others out there who need you.”
William exhaled deeply. He had lost everything, failed to save his wife, and caused his friend’s death. Why should he bother about anything else? This world can go to hell for all he cares; it’s nothing compared to the pain he was feeling right now.
And yet…
There are others who were harbouring much more pain, suffering much more loss than him; those who still cling onto hope amidst this cruel, blood-washed world. These were innocent people whom he still had the power to save from tyrannical men.
But how could he trust himself with someone else’s life if he could not even keep his own loved ones alive?
“I’ll fix this world for us.” His final promise to his wife echoed in his mind, as if to taunt him for not fulfilling it-
No.
This was not what they would’ve wanted. This is not how his path will end. Not until the world is fixed; not as long as blood still flows through his veins. The burden lifted from his heart as new found resolve energised his body once more. William’s eyes hardened with determination. It is time to move on.
“What’s your plan?”
Yuxia stopped in her tracks for a moment, before turning back with an uncharacteristically warm smile on her face. “Simple. Sneak onto the helicopter and hitch a ride. It’s going to lead me straight to Firdaus’ base, then I can finally kill the man who murdered my father.”
William almost laughed at her naive plan. “You make it sound so easy. But I guess you aren’t a Red Clover for nothing.”
“That’s because I won’t be going alone. I could use someone with your intellect and ability, doctor. Meet me on the roof tomorrow.”
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“And so we immediately ran for the roof when the attack began, only to find out that you guys reached there before us,” William finished the recap for Yuxia. “By the way, you’re the chief hunter, right?” he asked, gesturing at Brett.
“Brett Furnsby, at your service. I gotta say, what an honour it is to be talking to a celebrity. I watched all your streams, Doctor Toh. You’re really entertaining.”
William shifted awkwardly; it certainly was not the ideal circumstance to meet a fan. And to make matters worse, a certain leader had just arrived. The group turned back at the sound of a loud thud from behind. The figure that had landed with one knee to the ground, got up and walked briskly to them.
“What the hell just happened?” Victor asked.