The Shadow

As Alex approached the shelter, something caught his eye a flicker of movement in one of the upper windows. A shadow, fleeting but unmistakable.

He froze, his heart pounding. " What the hell…?"

His first thought was that it could be the kids, but he quickly dismissed it. They were trapped on the other side of the bridge. His second thought was far darker. Carter? Could he have survived?

The possibility sent a chill down his spine. He scanned the area, noting the eerie silence that hung over the shelter. Every instinct screamed at him to turn back, to regroup and recover, but he couldn't leave without knowing.

Clenching his jaw, Alex moved forward, his steps cautious. He slipped his knife from his belt, holding it tightly as he entered the shelter.

The shelter loomed quiet and still as Alex approached, his steps cautious. His shoulder throbbed from the wound Carter had inflicted, but his focus was elsewhere now. As he neared the entrance, he glanced up to the upper floor. A faint shadow moved past one of the broken windows.

Alex froze. Was it real, or had his exhaustion and grief conjured the image? Tightening his grip on his knife, he crept into the building.

The ground floor was as he left it silent and desolate. He made his way to the staircase, the wood creaking under his weight.

The interior was dim, the faint light from the broken windows barely illuminating the space. Alex's boots crunched softly on debris as he crept through the ground floor. The shelter was eerily quiet, the only sound the distant rustle of wind through the trees.

He made his way to the staircase, his muscles tense. The shadow had been on the upper floor. As he ascended, the steps creaked under his weight, the sound echoing through the space.

At the top, Alex paused, listening. A faint noise reached his ears a soft shuffle, almost imperceptible.

"Who's there?" he called out, his voice steady despite the tension coiled in his chest.

No response.

Alex tightened his grip on the knife and moved toward the room where he'd seen the shadow. The door was slightly ajar, swaying gently in the breeze.

A young woman stood by the window, silhouetted against the fading daylight. She turned sharply at the sound, her eyes locking on his. She looked about his age, her short, dark hair tied back in a practical knot. What caught Alex's attention most, however, was the faint glow emanating from her wrist a bracelet, strikingly similar to his own.

"Who the hell are you?" Alex demanded, his voice steady despite the tension in his chest.

The woman raised her hands slightly, a gesture of peace. "Kaia," she said simply, her voice calm but hurried. "And you?"

"Alex," he replied, not lowering his knife. "What are you doing here? And where did you get that?" He motioned toward her glowing bracelet.

Kaia glanced at her wrist briefly, then back at Alex. "I could ask you the same thing," she said. "But there's no time for that. I just needed a safe place to rest before nightfall. It's not safe out there after dark."

Alex studied her, his instincts torn. The bracelet couldn't be a coincidence, but he couldn't decide if she was friend or foe. So he asked, "How did you find this place?"

"I've been moving from place to place for weeks," Kaia replied, her tone brisk. "Spotted this shelter from a distance and decided to check it out. Thought it was abandoned until you showed up."

Alex hesitated, then lowered his knife slightly. "That bracelet," he said. "Where did you get it?"

Kaia looked at her wrist again, her brows furrowing. "Found it," she said after a moment. 

Alex clenched his jaw. "You don't know what it is?"

"Do you?" Kaia countered, crossing her arms.

Before Alex could answer, Kaia stepped closer, her expression shifting. "There's something I need to ask you. Earlier, I heard an explosion. Loud enough to shake the trees. Did you hear it?"

Alex's stomach dropped. The explosion Carter's final act of destruction.

"Yeah," he said, his voice heavy. "That was me. Or… someone I was fighting."

Kaia's eyes narrowed. "You're involved with whoever caused that? Great." She exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair. "Look, I don't know what your deal is. If you want to talk, we can do it later, I'm too tired."

Alex hesitated, his mind racing. Kaia knew more than she was letting on.

"Alright," he said finally. "But this conversation isn't over."

Kaia smirked faintly. "Fair enough."