Chapter 7

They let out heavy breaths after outrunning their pursuers. "Damn, those zombies ain't giving us a rest, huh?" asked Sven, looking out the window to check if they were still being followed. Luckily, they weren't.

"Nah, they're just trying to teach us something new," Abner replied, earning a few smirks and chuckles from his companions. Sven looked at him and answered. "Wise ass." He looked back to watch the sun slowly descend.

As they rested in the room, Abner saw a man in his late 20s tending to his backpack and preparing for dinner, all the while humming. There was also a woman who took her rifle to check if it was jammed. Abner took a friendly glance at her and asked.

"What's your name, signora?" The woman got up, gave Abner a small smile, and walked towards Sven to switch places with him. The man who was tending their dinner let out a small chuckle. This gained Abner's attention.

"Her name's Chiara Alonto, or just Chiara. Don't let your hopes up, man. We're just looking out for you." Sven just shook his head when he heard that, while Chiara just sighed in response.

Abner didn't know how to react; their little interaction reminded him of Davis and his snarky quirks during their time together in the army. A sudden hollow feeling slowly grew in him; he felt his eyes and heart gets heavier as he recalled those times. Chiara noticed this as she continued to watch, and then an idea came to mind. She was about to ask Abner but remembered that she still had a job to do. She asked him later, after her shift.

A few moments passed once they finished dinner. Sven and a man named Joshua Almazan introduced themselves to Abner, who was glad to know that they had the same sense of humor as Davis. Minutes passed, and Sven and Joshua were ready to sleep in the other room beside them.

Chiara, who was still guarding them, watched Sven and Joshua enter the room. Chiara used this opportunity to ask Abner. "Abner," Chiara called. Abner took notice of her as he was about to switch with her.

As Abner was about to reply, the door beside them opened, revealing Sven, who was about to go outside to do something. "I, uh, was about to ask Chiara something. Can I, uh, borrow her for a while?" Sven nervously requested Abner, who nodded in response.

As Abner continued guarding his companions, he gazed at the photo he held dearly, wondering if he could go back home like he promised, knowing there were people waiting for him to return safely and in one piece.

When he heard the door open, he immediately hid the photo in his breast pocket. When he looked up, he saw Chiara standing before him.

"Why aren't you asleep yet, Chiara?" As he waited for her answer, however, she didn't respond. They heard a gust of wind coming from outside. Chiara and Abner stared at each other for a couple of minutes.

"Chiara, I—" Abner was about to tell Chiara to go to sleep, but she cut him off, which shook him to the core.

"Who are you?" Chiara asked in a serious tone, and Abner looked away to avoid her gaze. A soft sigh escaped Abner's lips as he expected this to happen.

"Just a normal man who wanted to survive." This caused Chiara's eyebrow to raise, and she pushed on, much to Abner's annoyance. Little did they know, Sven and Joshua were listening on the other side to check where their interaction was going.

Chiara didn't buy it; Abner stood up and stared at the window. After a few minutes, he saw something that immediately made his blood run cold.

A sudden, loud shriek erupted, leaving Chiara and the two men who were in the other room frozen in fear. Abner automatically carried Chiara and went to the other room to avoid the unknown enemy before them. Sven and Joshua were too shocked to move when they heard the door open. They saw Abner, who carried a stunned Chiara in his arms; when they saw Abner's face, they never forgot it.

While they were in the room in fear and despair, the sound made everyone tremble. Abner hushed them so that the unknown enemy wouldn't see them. The trio was petrified. A loud sigh came from Abner's lips, not knowing what to do about the situation unfolding before him.

A sudden thud was heard from the other side. Abner flinched and motioned for them to keep quiet. The trio nodded with no hesitation; the unknown sound continued playing and still sent shivers down their spines. Abner tried to put the pieces together about the situation that was given to him, but not until they heard a click that triggered something in Abner's mind.

Chiara wanted to scream, but Abner covered her mouth immediately to save themselves from danger. When Sven and Joshua finally got together, their eyes widened as they watched Abner about to open the door; luckily, Chiara stopped him by gripping his hand hard.

Abner noticed it and dismissed it immediately when they heard the noise stop. However, he quickly realized that it had heard them.

Seeing the distress on their new companion's face, Sven motioned for them to keep quiet. Not knowing what to do, they prayed that whatever that thing was would forget them. Yet they still heard stomping outside, fear increasingly radiating in their bodies. The unknown infected crawled slowly to the door where our heroes were hiding. Abner gripped his knife in fear, anxiously waiting for the infected to show up. The trio were on the edge, not knowing what to do.

As they were about to kill the infected, a sudden gunshot was heard from the distance, causing its attention to shift toward the sound. It then screamed and dashed into the distance.

Abner and his companions were relieved to know that they were safe for now. Chiara's legs finally gave up, and she sobbed quietly. Abner comforted her while trembling in fear, not knowing if the creature would return.

Chiara calmed herself down, thanking Abner for what he did. Sven and Joshua stood up with wobbly legs, the fear of the dreadful foe setting in their hearts, including Abner's. With nowhere to go, they moved to another place and call it a day.

Meanwhile, at the Military Base.

Sorrow, anger, and emptiness: these were the feelings that stirred inside Davis. It had been two weeks since Abner's "death". The restless assaults from the zombies agitated the soldiers' nerves. On the next day, the other nations finally assisted in their conquest by sending weapons and resources to win the fight. This response angered Davis; he didn't relish this event. However, he ignored this feeling despite his disappointment in their neighboring nations. Instead, he accepted their aid to fulfill what Abner had started.

As Davis walked towards his room, he saw Maia standing in front of Abner's room. Trying to revisit the past added to the guilt that Davis felt in trying to remedy his mistakes. He remembered the letter that his brother had given him.

Abner didn't want this to happen; he left a lover, a brother, and a nation. Now the fate of humanity rested in Davis' hands. Oh, the irony! What a sudden change between them.

Davis and Maia looked at each other in grief and astray, look at their faces, they truly missed Abner. The life they have with him, the time they have, and the things they do with him while he was still alive.

They both entered the room to be with Abner, one last time, as they entered the room and saw many papers and books lying around filled with everything that can surely save humanity from doom. This anguish the two more, Abner pours his life and time to save everything he holds dear.

When they finished their 'goodbyes'. They got up and Davis was about to open the door, a sudden noise came from the radio station he had ever since he joined the army, another sound occurred causing the two startled and puzzled about this unexpected event before them. Davis surely surprises by the voice that he and Maia missed so dearly.

"He-Hello? He-Hello?! Are you there? D5-2? W1-1? If you read this message, I'm alive and well. I try my best to get my way back to you, I don't where I ended up, and try my best to stay in touch with you all. D5-2, if you still doubt this, maybe this will help you understand. Do you have any idea what happened at the battle of Twin Lake where we were about to face our fate? Yet, we triumph and make it back alive after that, we got back, and you created the 'troth' between ourselves? That -"

"No matter what happens, we always stand side by side until the end". Davis finished the sentence and confirmed that it was Abner they listen from, delighted by the news. Davis called Willard to tell the information while Maia wept and thanked God that her beloved survived.

*Meanwhile, at Abner's position*

Sitting at the window while holding the walkie-talkie, Abner looks at the city wasteland in front of him. Not knowing what kind of future he was going to face; he already knew that this changed everything.