I press my back against the crumbling brick wall, chest heaving as I fight to steady my breath. My legs still burn from the rooftop jumps and my lungs are raw from inhaling dust, but there's no time to rest.
Not with the undead snarling in the distance, not with the realization of Kyle's death still hanging over us like a curse.
The street around us is a wasteland; cracked asphalt, overturned cars, skeletal remains of buildings that look ready to collapse under their own misery. The air stinks of rot, damp wood, and something metallic, like rust and dried blood.
We're alive, but the question now is: for how much longer?
We all stand, trying to recuperate and gather our strength after that crazy close shave with death.
Hector breaks the silence first. "So… what now?" He exhales, rubbing a hand over his face. "Do we keep going, or do we turn back?"