Chapter 1: A Missed Chance

When Nate opened his eyes, the sky was covered with a thick, gray haze. Once, daylight might have felt warm or hopeful, but now it only hinted at the cold emptiness that had swallowed the world. Smoke hung low over the city ruins, a reminder of the war that had left humanity fractured and vulnerable, along with the looming spread of the Collapse. Nate, a 20-year-old with no one left to call family, had long ago lost the luxury of making plans for himself. But today… today was different. Today, there was an opportunity.

The escape convoy was rumored to pass through the old mall several miles away, set to transport survivors to a safer zone. Word had it that each day, it moved at a different time, from a different location, to avoid the “Pale Ones” — those infected by the Collapse. With limited supplies on him — a scrap of food, a rusted knife, and a half-empty bottle of water — Nate set off with only one thing keeping him going: the faint glimmer of hope that this was his chance to leave.

He had barely started down the rubble-laden path when he heard it — a faint whisper. It was coming from a crumbling apartment building to his left, the sound carrying eerily in the dead silence. He paused, tightening his grip on his knife. The Pale Ones didn’t whisper like that; their noises were more like guttural growls, less human. His instinct told him to ignore it — curiosity in this world was often a death sentence. But another voice inside urged him forward, an impulse he couldn’t quite push down.

He approached the building cautiously, stepping through debris and broken glass until the sound became clearer: it was someone’s shaky breathing, soft and desperate. He rounded a corner, and there, huddled against a wall, was a girl about his age. She looked exhausted, clutching a badly wounded leg. Despite her dirt-streaked face, her eyes showed a fierce will to survive.

Nate hesitated. Survival meant moving quickly, and helping a stranger would only slow him down. But then again, this stranger needed help in a way he couldn’t ignore. He approached her, steadying his voice.

“Do you need help?” he asked, surprised by the softness in his own tone.

The girl looked up, surprise and relief mingling in her expression. “Please… I want to get out of here, but I can’t walk,” she murmured, her voice a hoarse whisper. Nate’s mind raced through a dozen different scenarios, each one reminding him how dangerous it would be to bring someone along. But something deeper — a sense of humanity he thought he’d lost — wouldn’t let him walk away.

He knelt beside her and slipped her arm over his shoulder. “There’s an evacuation convoy not far from here,” he said, his voice low. “I’ll help you get there.”

The two of them moved cautiously, trying to avoid making any noise that might draw unwanted attention. The Pale Ones were everywhere, lurking in the shadows, blending into the ruins of the city. Once-human figures with sunken, hollow eyes and skin faded to a deathly gray, they were quiet but ever alert. Nate and his new companion, now leaning on him for support, made their way through alleys and side streets, keeping an eye on every shadow.

As they neared the mall — the designated evacuation point — Nate noticed a figure standing motionless in the street ahead, obscured by shadows. He halted, trying to make out whether it was friend or foe. A chill ran down his spine as the figure swayed slightly, and he recognized the telltale signs of a Pale One.

His hand instinctively moved to his knife, signaling the girl to stay back. The Pale One's head twisted unnaturally in their direction, its hollow eyes suddenly focused on him. Nate braced himself, knowing he’d have only one chance. The creature lunged, a guttural growl tearing from its throat, and Nate drove the rusty blade into its chest, feeling the reluctant slide of metal against flesh. The Pale One gave a shudder and slumped, collapsing lifelessly to the ground, its dead eyes staring blankly.

The girl stifled a gasp, her eyes wide with horror. “How… how did you…?”

Nate took a steadying breath, shaking the tension from his shoulders. “We survive, or we don’t,” he said, voice clipped. “Now, come on. We’re almost there.”

They reached the mall, breathing hard but hopeful. But as they turned the final corner, Nate’s heart dropped. There, at the far end of the parking lot, the convoy was already leaving, its dust trail barely visible in the distance.

“No… no…” he muttered, feeling the weight of their missed opportunity crash down on him. For a moment, he just stared, hand outstretched toward the distant vehicle, disbelief etched on his face.

The girl, her voice barely above a whisper, said, “So… what now?”

Nate looked away from the distant convoy, his mind racing. He took a long, hard look at the girl beside him, seeing not just a stranger but someone who had trusted him, even if only out of necessity. Abandoning her now wasn’t an option — for either of them.

“There’s another safe zone,” he said finally, a determined edge in his voice. “It’s a few miles north. We can make it if we’re careful.”

The girl met his gaze, her initial fear replaced by a glimmer of courage. “Alright,” she said, her voice soft but steady. “I’ll trust you.”

A shared silence hung between them, both of them understanding the weight of this new alliance. Nate didn’t know her, not even her name, yet the idea of facing the journey alone suddenly seemed… wrong.

“What’s your name?” he asked, breaking the silence with a small, almost hesitant smile.

“Bella,” she replied, her face softening, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. Names didn’t hold much meaning in a world like this, where people came and went like flickering lights. But it felt like the first step in something real — the beginning of a fragile, unexpected partnership.

And as Nate and Bella turned from the ruins of the city toward the unknown ahead, they both understood, silently, that they would face whatever came next together.