CH: 146 Claire's Initiative

{Chapter: 146 Claire's Initiative}

William stretched his arms out with a smirk, "Alice, you have a point. I admit, I may have been a bit impulsive earlier. But come on, everyone, let's calm down. Don't let my earlier actions frighten you. In reality, I'm actually a very kind-hearted person."

Otis swallowed nervously, still in shock, glancing at William with a mix of confusion and fear. He was thinking to himself, Is this man even human?

Krista and the short Korean man stood frozen in place, their eyes wide with terror. In their minds, William was more terrifying than the zombie horde that surrounded them.

"Alright, everyone, just go about your business. Don't mind my presence too much," William continued, his grin unwavering.

Luther, who had just managed to pull himself together, wiped the blood from his face. "Damn you, you bastard," he muttered under his breath.

William, still smiling, raised an eyebrow. "My patience is short. So, do yourself a favor and keep things peaceful. Trust me, you wouldn't want to test me further."

The White Queen, the little l*li yawned in boredom from the sidelines, her voice tinged with disinterest. "Humans are such complicated creatures. Honestly, artificial intelligence is so much easier to understand."

Claire chuckled softly, her smile growing as she turned toward the White Queen. "You're so young, yet you're already sighing over the complexities of human nature. So, what's your deal with artificial intelligence?"

The White Queen blinked, looking a bit flustered. "Oh, it's nothing. Just a passing thought. Forget I mentioned it."

William, still keeping the atmosphere light, raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. There's no point in escalating things over a simple misunderstanding. I propose we let this go and move on with our lives."

Luther, after giving William an intense stare, sighed heavily. "Fine. Whatever. Everyone, just get back to what you were doing before."

"That's the spirit," William said with a smile that hid a deeper meaning beneath it.

Alice, who had been silently observing the group, turned to Luther. "Tell me more about this 'Arcadia' you're talking about."

Otis answered her quickly, his voice filled with hope. "It's a place we heard about on the broadcast. They promised food, shelter, safety, and a life without pollution. For a week now, we've been holding on to the belief that someone would come from Arcadia to rescue us."

Luther nodded in agreement, his expression serious. "We thought for sure you were sent by them, but now we see we were wrong. In fact, we've been sending up flares for days, hoping someone would notice."

Alice paused for a moment, her brow furrowing. "Flares? But flares from here wouldn't be visible from Alaska."

The group looked at each other in confusion, then Otis spoke up. "Alaska?"

Alice nodded slowly. "Yes. Arcadia is located there, in a small town. That's where I've been."

Luther shook his head, disbelief on his face. "A town? I don't think so."

Otis handed Alice a telescope. "Look for yourself. In the direction of the coast."

Alice took the telescope and scanned the horizon. Her eyes widened as she saw a massive ship on the water, emblazoned with the name Arcadia.

"See? I told you it's not a town," Luther said, a grin spreading across his face.

"That's no town, that's a ship," Alice murmured, more to herself than anyone else. "Arcadia must be a ship. It came from Alaska, traveling down the coast to search for survivors."

William nodded approvingly. "I think you're onto something there."

Alice, still contemplating the situation, handed the telescope to Claire. "Here, maybe you can make something of this."

Claire peered through the telescope for a moment before setting it down. "I remember... something about the beach. There was someone who came here in a kayak."

Alice, curious, asked, "What happened? Why didn't you go with them?"

Claire shook her head, a frustrated expression on her face. "I don't know. I can't remember."

Alice frowned but quickly moved on. "We need to get on that ship. William, can the helicopter fly us there?"

William thought for a moment before replying. "The coast is still five or six kilometers away. The helicopter only has enough fuel for about three or four. If you're okay with the risk of running out of fuel halfway, falling off halfway, you can give it a try."

---

Later that night, Claire stood alone at the edge of the rooftop, gazing at the chaotic scene below. The zombies, like an endless swarm, howled in fury.

William approached quietly, his footsteps almost inaudible. "What's on your mind?"

Claire turned to face him, her eyes filled with uncertainty. "William, are you really my husband?"

William smiled warmly, stepping closer. "You don't need to doubt me. I'm the closest person to you in this world. I'll love you for as long as we both live."

Claire searched his eyes for any sign of insincerity. "I heard from the Queen that you've merged with the T-virus and gained superhuman abilities."

William nodded solemnly. "That's right. When I let you go, I was prepared to die. I infiltrated the Umbrella Company's base alone, determined to end it all. But there were too many of them. A regular person like me had no chance. They captured me, injected me with the T-virus... and watched me mutate." His voice grew darker, filled with the weight of those memories. "But something inside me kept me from becoming what they wanted. It was you. I fought to survive because I wanted to see you again. And I couldn't let myself become a zombie. Not if I wanted to find you."

Claire's eyes softened, touched by his words. "William..."

He continued, his voice thick with emotion. "They didn't expect me to not only survive the mutation, but to gain powers from it. I killed everyone in that base, then made my way to Alaska to find you. But when I found you... you were like this. And the worst part was that you didn't remember me this hurts me the most."

Claire stepped closer, moved by his words. "William," she whispered, throwing her arms around him and pressing her face to his chest. "I'm sorry. I don't remember you, but I know what you've said is true. I am your woman. And you... you're my man." She paused, almost in disbelief at her own words.

William, impressed by his own acting, gave her a reassuring smile. "It doesn't matter. There's no need for apologies between us. As long as you're safe, and I can protect you, that's all I need. Even if you never remember me, I'll bear that pain alone."

Claire, deeply moved, kissed him passionately, wrapping her arms around his neck. The kiss deepened.

******

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