Uncertain Cure

“Something wrong, love?” Victor’s voice was soft, but it carried enough weight to snap Azumi out of her spiraling thoughts.

She gasped faintly, startled by his question. Her lips parted, ready to form some kind of response, but no words came. Instead, she smiled—forced, hesitant—and shook her head.

“It’s nothing,” she murmured, though the weight of her unspoken words pressed heavily on her chest.

It had been four days since her conversation with Adelina. Four days since she learned the truth about their past, about their shared connection to a nightmarish experiment. And the burden of keeping it from Victor was gnawing at her. Every moment she spent in his presence felt like a silent betrayal.

Not telling him felt wrong—unnatural. Victor was her rock, her partner in survival, and yet, she was bound by Adelina’s warning. The less he knew, the safer he’d be.

Azumi cleared her throat, trying to push down the lump that had formed there. She shuffled closer to Victor, who sat beside her on their modest bed. They had just finished dinner with Hiroshi and Adelina, both of whom were now asleep in the living room.

Victor glanced at her, sensing her unease, but he said nothing, waiting for her to speak.

“Love,” she finally began, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Yes?” he replied, his tone calm and patient.

Azumi hesitated for a moment before resting her head gently on his bicep. Her height made it awkward to reach his shoulder, but she nestled close, finding comfort in his warmth.

“When we go outside,” she said softly, her words trailing off as if the mere thought of finishing the sentence was too heavy to bear.

Victor’s arm tensed slightly, but he didn’t interrupt. He simply waited, letting her take her time. Azumi closed her eyes, trying to gather the courage to continue, knowing that whatever she said next might change everything.

“When we go outside, can you promise me you’ll trust me?” Azumi’s voice was soft, but there was an edge to it that Victor didn’t miss.

He moved slightly back to get a better look at her face. She met his gaze, her eyes searching his as if trying to gauge his reaction.

“I trust you, love,” he said quickly, his voice steady and sure.

“No matter what choices I make?” she pressed, her tone quieter but filled with something unspoken.

Victor hesitated, his brows furrowing as he studied her. There was more to her words than she was letting on. “Love, what is this about?”

Azumi took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling as though the air itself was heavy. “It’s nothing,” she said finally, forcing a small smile. “I just need you to trust me on this journey. Besides…” She trailed off for a moment, glancing toward the darkened window.

“It’s only a matter of days before we’re out of here, and maybe, just maybe, we’ll get our lives back once Adelina and I figure things out.”

Victor’s lips curved into a small smile, and he reached over to pinch her nose playfully. “Oh, love,” he said with a chuckle, “it won’t be that easy. But I’ll be here to protect you. Don’t worry.”

Azumi let out a short giggle, though the sarcasm in it didn’t go unnoticed. “Sure, I’ll just count on you for everything, then.”

“Get some sleep now,” Victor said, his tone shifting to something practical as he leaned over to the bedside table, grabbing a notebook. “We’re heading out tomorrow to gather supplies for this big ‘journey’ of yours.”

He turned back to her, flipping the notebook open and holding it out. “Do you need to add anything to the list? Maybe sunscreen? I don’t want my girlfriend’s skin getting damaged out there.”

Azumi chuckled, touched by the gesture. “Oh, that’s sweet of you—”

“And gloves,” Victor added, cutting her off with a teasing smirk. “Your hands are too soft to handle weapons properly.”

Azumi blinked. “Weapons?”

Victor shrugged as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “There’s an 80% chance we’ll run into something dangerous out there. I’ll have to teach you some basics before we leave.”

Her face twisted into a grimace. “I-Is that really necessary?”

Victor raised an eyebrow. “Going out there was your plan, my love. You handle the plan, I handle the strategy. That’s the deal.” He reached over to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Don’t worry. I love you.”

Azumi’s brows knitted together, but before she could argue, Victor added with a grin, “And I’m not taking no for an answer.”

She fixed her gaze on him for a lingering moment before rolling her eyes with exaggerated exasperation. "Whatever you say, Mr. Kim," she muttered with a hiss, her voice dripping with sarcasm, before grumpily lying down.

Victor chuckled softly, the sound low and amused, as he leaned closer. His lips brushed against her forehead in a fleeting kiss, a gesture of silent affection, before he settled beside her and fell into a deep, untroubled sleep.

Azumi stirred awake the next morning, drawn from her dreams by the enticing aroma of something cooking. The rich, savory scent filled the air, beckoning her. She hopped out of bed with a sudden burst of energy and padded out of the room. Her eyes widened when she spotted Adelina standing upright, her posture surprisingly steady. Hiroshi hovered nearby, his hands poised to catch her, but his assistance proved unnecessary.

"H-How are you standing already?" Azumi gasped, her voice catching the attention of everyone in the room.

Victor glanced up from the stove, a ladle in hand, and greeted her warmly. "Good morning, love," he said, walking over to plant a kiss on her lips.

"Morning," she murmured distractedly, her gaze fixed on Adelina. "How is she even moving?"

Victor gestured toward Adelina and Hiroshi with an amused smile. "It seems she has an extraordinary healing speed. Remarkable, isn't it?"

Azumi tapped his arm lightly before moving toward Adelina, who greeted her with a radiant smile.

"You have this kind of ability?" Azumi whispered, her tone so soft and incredulous that even Hiroshi, standing just a few steps away, couldn't hear her.

Adelina leaned in and whispered back, "I didn’t know I had it either."

Azumi straightened, her voice rising so the others could hear. "But your wound should take at least two weeks to heal completely."

Adelina grinned, her expression teetering on cocky. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"Pretty cool indeed!" Hiroshi chimed in, visibly impressed. "Looks like I won’t even need to assist her anymore."

Victor chuckled from his spot at the stove as he stirred a fragrant pot of chicken adobo. "That makes things easier for all of us. We can leave sooner than expected."

Azumi nodded eagerly. "Yes! Definitely."

As the group sat down for breakfast, Azumi found her thoughts drifting. The realization struck her suddenly, like lightning. Could I have this kind of ability too? It might be some kind of specimen thing...

After they finished eating, Victor and Hiroshi prepared to head out and gather supplies for their journey. The moment the door closed behind them, Azumi wasted no time.

"Adelina," she began, her tone urgent as she leaned in far too close. "Do you think I might have the same ability as you?"

Adelina recoiled slightly, grimacing at the sudden proximity. "I-I have no idea," she admitted hesitantly.

"Can I check your wound?" Azumi asked, her curiosity blazing.

Adelina nodded, turning her back to Azumi and shrugging off the jacket she wore loosely to accommodate her healing injuries.

Azumi leaned in, peeling back the gauze with meticulous care. Her breath caught as she observed the wound. It was healing at an astonishing rate—edges that had been raw and angry yesterday were now scarred and fading, and the length of the injury had visibly shortened by at least a centimeter.

In a matter of hours, what should have taken weeks was nearly closed. "This is... incredible," Azumi murmured, her voice low with awe. She traced the outline of the wound with a tentative finger, careful not to touch the tender flesh directly.

Adelina glanced over her shoulder, her expression a mixture of curiosity and unease. "What does it mean?" she asked.

Azumi carefully pressed the gauze down over Adelina's wound, securing it with the plaster. Her hands moved with precision, but her mind raced with possibilities.

When she finished, Adelina turned to face her, a questioning look in her eyes. "Why are you staring at me like that?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

Azumi didn’t hesitate. "What if we can cure the zombies?" she blurted out.

Adelina blinked, then tilted her head as a skeptical grin tugged at her lips. "Cure the zombies? That’s a bold leap, Azumi."

"No, hear me out," Azumi said, her tone more urgent. "Think about it. Someone caused this apocalypse—someone had to create this virus, right?"

Adelina chuckled dryly, shaking her head. "Oh, you mean us? The specimens? You’re looking at the culprits, my friend."

Azumi gave her a pointed look. "Yes, we’re part of it. But aside from us, there are people—scientists, masterminds—who orchestrated this whole thing. The same people who experimented on us."

Adelina’s grin faltered, and she leaned forward slightly. "And you think they’re still out there?"

Azumi nodded, her eyes sharp with thought. "I don’t just think they’re out there. I think they’ve been working behind the scenes this whole time. Maybe, they separated the specimens on purpose."

Adelina folded her arms, intrigued but unconvinced. "Okay, I’ll bite. Why do you think they separated us?"

Azumi exhaled, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "If we were kept apart, it must have been for a reason. Maybe they were afraid of what would happen if we found each other. What if we’re not just victims or experiments? What if we’re the solution? The key to undoing all of this?"

Adelina’s expression hardened as she absorbed Azumi’s words. She leaned closer now, her voice lowering. "You're saying, we could be the cure?"

"Exactly," Azumi whispered. "Whoever is behind this didn’t just release us into the wild by accident. They wanted to see what we would do. How we would adapt. And if they’re still out there..." Her voice trailed off, her eyes glinting with determination.

Adelina smirked, but it didn’t reach her eyes. "And you hope they are? That’s a dangerous gamble, Azumi. If they’re still alive, they’re not going to be happy to see us."

Azumi shrugged, her expression unyielding. "Maybe not. But if they’re still alive, it means we can find them. And if we find them, we can find answers. Maybe even a way to end this nightmare."

Adelina sat back, her smirk replaced by a thoughtful frown. "You’re talking about going straight into the lion’s den."

Azumi leaned forward, her voice resolute. "We’ve been running for long enough. If there’s even a chance that we can stop this, we have to try. We owe it to ourselves—and to everyone who’s been caught in the crossfire."

The two women locked eyes, a quiet understanding passing between them. The weight of the conversation hung heavy in the air, but neither flinched from it.

Adelina finally sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Well, if we’re doing this, we’d better be ready. Because I don’t think the people behind this are just going to welcome us with open arms."

Azumi allowed a small smile to break through her serious demeanor. "Good. Let them try to stop us. They created this mess. Now it’s time they face the consequences."

Adelina chuckled, the sound dry but genuine. "You’re one hell of a gamble, Azumi. But I think I’m in."

Azumi nodded, her heart racing. "Then we start with what we know—and we figure out the rest as we go."

The conversation ended, but the spark of resolve remained between them. The battle ahead would be t

reacherous, but for the first time in a long time, Azumi felt like they had a chance.