Chapter 9: Dawn of the Apocalypse

Night had fallen, shrouding the once-bustling city in an eerie silence. This silence, however, was not one of peace, but rather one filled with fear and despair. On this apocalyptic evening, Lin Yi stood in the An family's apartment, gazing out the window at the occasional wails that pierced the air, his heart a tumult of emotions.

"Brother Lin, are you really leaving?" An Xia leaned against the wall, watching Lin Yi repair the door with trepidation. Her slender fingers nervously clutched at the hem of her dress, her snow-white legs beneath bearing traces of scratches. Her once-pristine white dress was now stained with blood and dirt, giving her a disheveled appearance.

Lin Yi turned to look at An Xia, his heart aching with pity. This girl, whom he had grown up with, now seemed so fragile and helpless. He knew all too well the terrible fate that would have befallen An Xia and her brother, An Jing Tian, had he not obtained the antidote in time.

"Don't worry, An Xia. I'll be back soon," Lin Yi said, trying to keep his voice calm, not wanting to transmit his own anxieties to her. He focused on repairing the kicked-in iron door, attempting to make their temporary refuge more secure.

Having recently become an Awakened, Lin Yi was still adjusting to his newfound powers. What was once hard metal now bent like plastic in his hands, forcing him to carefully control his strength to avoid completely destroying the door. In the end, he cobbled together a makeshift door from a pile of discarded steel bars. Though ugly, it would at least provide basic protection.

"My brother... is he alright?" An Xia asked timidly, her voice filled with concern.

Lin Yi paused for a moment, then turned to face An Xia, offering a gentle smile. "You and Jing Tian will be fine. Trust me."

Looking into Lin Yi's determined eyes, An Xia felt a glimmer of comfort. Since childhood, as long as Lin Yi and her brother were by her side, she felt everything would be okay. But now, with the entire world seemingly turned upside down, she didn't know what to believe anymore.

"Brother Lin," An Xia hesitated, speaking softly, "When do you plan to leave? Can you..." She trailed off, not daring to voice her desires.

Lin Yi, seeing through her thoughts, said gently, "I'll leave early tomorrow morning. Tonight, I'll stay here and keep watch."

An Xia lifted her head in surprise. Though she couldn't see Lin Yi's expression in the darkness, she knew he was there, providing her with a sense of security. Lin Yi walked over to An Xia and gently ruffled her hair. Unable to contain herself, An Xia buried her face in Lin Yi's chest, her body trembling slightly. "Brother Lin, I'm so scared..."

Lin Yi silently embraced An Xia, inwardly vowing to become stronger. Only with sufficient power could he protect those he cared about in this cruel new world.

As night deepened, Lin Yi and An Xia lay on separate beds in the room. An Jing Tian had been placed in another room, and although the zombie virus had been suppressed, Lin Yi had cautiously chained him as a precaution.

In the dead of night, Lin Yi felt a warm body quietly slip into his arms. It was An Xia. Perhaps out of fear, or perhaps due to a lack of security, she curled up next to Lin Yi, her small face pressed tightly against his chest, as if only this could provide her some comfort.

Lin Yi didn't push her away. He knew An Xia needed support right now. Although they had grown up and were no longer as close as they had been as children, on this night when the world seemed to be collapsing, everything appeared to have returned to how it once was.

Throughout the night, An Xia woke intermittently from nightmares, each time hurriedly checking to ensure Lin Yi was still beside her. She would gently touch his face, as if this was the only way to soothe herself.

In the early morning, a sharp wail from outside woke Lin Yi. He carefully extricated himself from An Xia's embrace and went to the window. Through the gap in the curtains, he saw thick smoke billowing from the top of a distant skyscraper, while hordes of zombies wandered the nearby streets.

Lin Yi knew that without human management, the city would quickly fall into decay. Gas leaks, power outages, factory explosions... everything would become unpredictable and dangerous.

He looked down at his freshly changed clothes, guessing that An Xia had secretly changed him into An Jing Tian's clothes during the night. His blood-stained clothes, even his underwear, were piled on the floor. Lin Yi couldn't help but smile; this little girl really was something.

"Beep beep beep..."

The alarm clock sounded, reminding Lin Yi it was time to depart. He cast a long, deep look at the still-sleeping An Xia, his heart full of reluctance to leave.

Lin Yi extinguished the cigarette in his hand and took one last, lingering look at An Xia.

The time had come.

It was time to go.