Monster.

Brie fell to her knees. She knelt in the lab, frozen with fear. Adam was gone.

Her hands trembled with a newfound anxiety, and it felt like hours had passed until she jolted out of her daze of dissociation. Akame tugged at her joggers. She snapped her head to the cat, before realising there was a figure at the entrance of the lab. She slowly looked up to see Clay.

Her eyes fixated on his, before she felt them well up and the emotions she'd kept pent up for the last few months began to pour out. Clay stepped forward and squatted down to her and pulled her into a tight hug. She screamed out a sob, clutching to his muscular body. They sat there for ten minutes before they were interrupted again.

"Brie...?" A young female voice echoed. She looked up to see John, Melissa and Josiah stood in the hallway.

"Clay, what do you think you're doing?" Josiah demanded, marching forward and glaring to his body guard with betrayal shining in his eyes.

Clay didn't move, hiding his face and letting out a heavy sigh.

"Adam turned." Brie choked out. Melissa shook her head in denial. "That can't be true..." She trembled, and the group reunited once again.

After Brie had explained what happened, Josiah seemed less agitated and a cloud of sadness and fear had washed over them all. "What are we going to do?" John asked, clutching Melissa's hand tightly.

Josiah butted in suddenly. "We have him contained. He's trapped in an airtight box, and we're trying to contain the infection too. Jane is working hard right now to produce some sort of antidote or cure."

Brie whipped her head up. "Can I see him?"

"No." She was quickly shut down, meeting Josiah's hard gaze. "He's extremely unstable." A few moments passed of silence. "Take them back to their rooms. It's dinner time soon!"

Brie watched as Clay stood up, a defeated look on his face and took Brie by the hand. She raised her eyebrows at the sudden gesture but didn't get a chance to think about it as she was dragged away. "Dinner time?" Melissa's voice sounded from behind her. On cue, her stomach rumbled.

They were taken back to their rooms, and Brie found out that her room was in a long hallway of other rooms. Melissa and John were sharing a room together due to the circumstances, and Adam was supposed to share with Brie. They were a few doors down. As the clock ticked closer to evening, people began to migrate from their rooms.

There were families, with children and elderly people, mothers and fathers. Teenagers, adults with nobody left, children with nobody left. They all had injuries of some sort, missing limbs, or defects from the war they'd been through.

"Where are they all going?" Brie asked.

"To the food hall, it's just around the corner. This place is like a school, it has countless rooms and a huge hall filled with tables and a kitchen with chefs. They serve food every 4 hours for people to eat." John responded, walking along to his room. He pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked it, walking in without saying goodbye.

Brie glanced to her own room and Clay handed her a key too. "Oh, thank you." She tried the handle but it was locked, so she unlocked it and walked in. She flopped onto her bed, exhausted. Her mind was racing with constant anxieties and questions.

"Before you leave," Brie sat up and looked to Clay. "Can you tell me as soon as I can see Adam?"

He nodded and smiled. It was a soft, genuine smile. He closed the door behind him and Brie listened to his footsteps fade away. She stretched her tense limbs and decided to find the food hall, realising how hungry she was. She checked herself in the mirror before leaving, then set off.

She found the hall fairly quickly, as there was chatter amongst the survivors eating and relaxing. She glanced around, trying to find John or Melissa to no avail, then approached the kitchen.

There was a small menu beside the counter, which offered plates and cutlery, and there were food under heaters already pre-cooked and ready. She read the menu, and apparently it was Sunday. They were offering a variety of sandwiches and fruit, tomato soup and a roast dinner. Her mouth watered at the thought of a huge roast dinner, so she grabbed a plate and began to fill it with vegetables and chicken.

There was also a drink station, which had a water tank and plastic cups. She grabbed a cup of water before sitting at an empty table.

Diving into her food, she felt in heaven. It tasted amazing, and she couldn't remember her last meal. She jumped as a weight landed next to her, and she turned to see Clay sitting beside her. He had a bowl of soup, and began to eat as well.

People walked past them every now and then, and each one greeted Clay and got a wave in return. It seemed that Clay was a popular celebrity in the sanctuary. Considering him and Nick were guarding the survivors all on their own, it made sense.

Brie finished her food quickly, as did Clay. He tapped her shoulder and gave her a thumbs up. He was trying to ask if she was okay.

Brie nodded back, too tired to speak. She could feel her eyes drooping, and her head nodding off even though she was sat at a table. Clay noticed this himself and took her hand once again, helping her up. She closed her eyes and leaned against him, just wanting to sleep.

She heard a low chuckle come from him, before feeling her feet lifting from the ground and she was picked up bridal style. She nestled her head into his chest. It felt like the beginning of a romance story, and she could feel her heart fluttering softly. She didn't know why she felt like this, but it was a positive feeling and she needed the comfort.

She heard the creak of her bedroom door and she was lay onto her bed. The door closed and locked, and thinking she was alone now, she relaxed and got comfortable to sleep. A large weight landed on her bed beside her, and she opened her eyes slightly to see Clay laying there, eyes closed. He was sleeping beside her.

She felt a clench in her chest. Why? Did he also want to be comforted? Did he feel the same way? Nonetheless, she accepted his gesture and shuffled closer, closing her eyes once again to sleep with a stomach full of food.