I have rewritten the prologue to make everything clearer and changed Dev's personality slightly. It should not be a far cleaner read!

I removed some unneeded parts, like Dev talking about their time together randomly in the middle of talking and about them making decisions, as I felt it was unnecessary.

As an example of things changed:

Before:

"Remember when Julia, Adaan, and I scouted the warehouse? Was it seven or eight days ago? It's hard to keep track of time now. Anyway, we thought we had cleared it out and removed our masks for a water break. Then, a child fell from the rafters above us, screaming and sobbing as she landed on top of us. We panicked and shot her three times... before... we came to our senses."

I shift uncomfortably. "It's heartbreaking to witness a life end so short—not that she had much time to live after catching the infection."

"I hope you never have to witness a child on the verge of death from CORS. It's terrifying. As you can guess, with our radiation-damaged immune systems, we had contracted the disease. That's why I kept my distance from you, always wearing my mask even as we split from the others. We were cowards, unable to tell you the truth.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

After:

I take a deep breath, fighting against the pain. “You remember that warehouse we scouted? What was that, seven or eight days ago? It’s all a blur now. We thought it was clear, so we took off our masks for a quick water break. That’s when it happened. A kid fell from the rafters, screaming and crying as she landed on us. We… panicked. We shot her three times before we realized she was just a kid. It was too late.”

I pause, letting the memory wash over me. “It’s one thing to watch the world die around you, but seeing a kid... well, that’s different. Not that she would have lived longer, not after catching the infection.”

My voice falters, but I push on. “I hope you never have to see what CORS does to a kid. It’s a nightmare. And with our messed-up immune systems, it was just a matter of time before we got it, too. That’s why I kept my distance, why I was always wearing my mask. I couldn’t tell you the truth. We couldn’t. We were cowards.”