"Found in the Ashes"

After the so-called diner, they went into the fourth story of the old building that now had been transformed into a refuge, a testament to what determination and teamwork could achieve in a world turned upside down. Once a crumbling relic overtaken by nature's persistent grip, the structure now stood as a fortified stronghold. Its windows, once shattered, were patched with salvaged wood and metal sheets, reinforced against the wind and whatever dangers roamed the streets below. The floors, scrubbed clean of dirt and debris, bore faint stains of their previous decay, but the faint scent of lavender soap courtesy of their latest scavenging mission hinted at something close to normalcy. Kaia sat cross-legged on the freshly swept floor, carefully arranging her mattress and blankets in the corner she had claimed. And she started smiling at the corner of her mouth, She had grown used to making homes out of ruins.

In the adjacent room, Alex dug through their latest haul. The church they'd raided hadn't been much of a sanctuary in its current state, but its storeroom had yielded a treasure trove: canned food, soap, and miraculously clean clothes. As his hands sifted through the folded fabric, a thought struck him.

"Kaia," he called, his voice echoing faintly down the hollow hallways. "Come here for a second."

Curiosity flared in her eyes as she stepped into the room. Alex had spread out the clothes a few shirts, some pants, and even a lightweight jacket with patches sewn onto the elbows. His expression was uncharacteristically sheepish, and Kaia smirked.

"Figured you might want something clean," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Kaia tilted her head, the corners of her mouth quirking upward. "Is this your way of saying I stink?"

"What? No! " Alex stammered, but her playful laughter cut him off.

"I'm kidding, Alex. Thanks. Let's see what we've got."

She crouched beside him, sorting through the pile. Her movements were deliberate, fingers brushing over the fabric as if testing its weight. Finally, she pulled out a plain black shirt and a pair of jeans that looked close to her size. Standing up, she gave Alex a pointed look.

"Turn around."

He obeyed without question, though his feet shuffled awkwardly. As he turned, his gaze caught the cracked mirror leaning against the wall. Its fractured surface reflected a fragmented view of the room and of Kaia.

At first, Alex fought the instinct to look, his cheeks already flushing. But as Kaia pulled her shirt over her head, the reflection drew him in despite himself. Her movements were unhurried, almost casual, but there was something captivating about the ease with which she occupied the space.

She paused, glancing toward the mirror. Their eyes locked through the broken glass.

"You know I can see you looking, right?" Kaia's voice carried a teasing lilt, but her expression was bold and confident.

Alex turned crimson. "I, I wasn't "

Kaia raised an eyebrow, cutting him off with a smirk. "Relax. Just don't forget to breathe."

He turned fully away this time, muttering something incoherent under his breath. Behind him, Kaia chuckled softly as she slipped into her new clothes.

When she was done, she tapped his shoulder. "All right, you can look now."

Alex turned, his gaze sweeping over her before settling on her face. "You look... good," he said, his voice uneven, barely audible.

Kaia's grin widened. "High praise, coming from you." She brushed past him, grabbing a towel. "I'm going to wash up. Try not to die of embarrassment while I'm gone."

Alex stared after her, swallowing the lump in his throat. The air in the room felt heavier somehow, charged with an energy he couldn't quite name.

Kaia returned from the improvised bathroom that they did this morning with her damp hair clinging to her shoulders. The scent of soap clung to her skin, fresh and almost out of place in their grim surroundings. Alex, now alone in the storeroom, grabbed his own towel and disappeared to scrub the day's grime from his body.

As he worked, his thoughts kept circling back to her, her wit, her confidence, and the fleeting glimpses of vulnerability she tried to mask. There was something about Kaia that unsettled him, something magnetic and maddening all at once.

When Alex returned, the moonlight filtering through the broken windows had painted the room in silver and shadows. Kaia sat cross-legged on her makeshift mattress, her gaze distant as she traced invisible patterns on the blanket. Alex settled against the wall, the silence between them thick but not uncomfortable.

After a while, Kaia broke it. "Alex, what happened on the bridge? You've never really told me."

His body stiffened, the question yanking him back into the memory like a trap. He looked at her, his jaw tightening.

"There was an explosion," he began, his voice low and rough. "Carter set it off. He wanted to trap us me and the kids. Sam and Chloe…" His voice faltered, and he looked down, the weight of guilt pressing heavily on his chest.

Kaia's expression sharpened at the mention of Carter. "Carter?" she repeated, her tone edged with ice. "What does he look like?"

Alex hesitated, then described him. "Tall, wiry but strong. Short-cropped hair. Intense eyes"

"And a scar running down his jaw," Kaia finished, her voice suddenly cold.

Alex's head snapped up. "How do you know that?"

"Because he tried to kill me," Kaia said, her words like steel. "He wanted my bracelet when I first got here. Left me for dead when I wouldn't give it up."

The room seemed to shrink around them, the air crackling with unspoken rage. Alex's fists clenched at his sides. "That bastard," he muttered.

Kaia leaned forward, her voice softening just enough to cut through his anger. "What happened to Sam and Chloe?"

Alex exhaled shakily, the tension in his frame visible. "The explosion separated us. I told them that I would save them. They were tied in a van and they looked at me, I saw their hopes and desperation. I just… I couldn't keep my promise, as the horde kept coming and the distance separated us."

Kaia reached over, her hand resting on his arm. "They're alive," she said firmly. "I can feel it. Those kids are tough, Alex. They'll make it."

He wanted to believe her, but the knot in his chest refused to loosen.

The sound of creaking wood interrupted the moment. Both of them tensed, their eyes snapping to the doorway.

Standing there, dirt-streaked and wide-eyed, were Sam and Chloe.

"Miss us?" Sam asked, his voice breaking the silence like a beacon of light.

Chloe lingered just behind him, her face pale but alive with relief.

For a moment, Alex and Kaia were frozen, their disbelief too great to process. Then the weight of the past days crumbled all at once.

Alex surged forward, pulling the kids into his arms with a ferocity that surprised even himself. 

"I thought I lost you," Alex choked out, his voice cracking.

Sam grinned weakly, his usual bravado tempered by exhaustion. "You're not getting rid of us that easily."

Chloe's small voice broke through the reunion. "Are we safe now?"

Alex glanced at Kaia, who met his gaze with a steely resolve and nodded her head saying.

"We are," she said, her voice firm. "And we'll make sure it stays that way."