Chapter 15: The Rotten Core of Civilization

The city walls stretched high above us, a fortress of steel and concrete that had withstood the collapse of civilization. Unlike the ruins we had passed, this place thrived—not with hope, but with control.

I adjusted my grip on my katana, scanning the armed guards at the entrance. Their uniforms were clean, their rifles well-maintained. This wasn't some desperate survivor outpost—this was a system. And systems had rules.

Rules that kept the powerful safe while the rest suffered.

Zhao Yue walked beside me, steadier than before, but I could still see traces of exhaustion in her movements. She'd fought through the fever, but it had taken something from her. Or maybe given her something new. She hadn't spoken about it, and I hadn't pushed.

Ning Xue, for once, was quiet. She had complained the entire way here, but now, she stared at the towering walls like she had just woken up from a dream she hadn't realized she was living in.

The guards spotted us immediately, their expressions shifting from indifference to mild disgust.

"State your business," one of them barked.

I kept my tone neutral. "Passing through. Looking for supplies, maybe a place to stay."

The guard let out a short laugh. "Shelter ain't free."

No surprise there.

Another guard, younger, sneered. "Got anything to trade? If not, we ain't feeding any more strays."

Before I could answer, Ning Xue stepped forward, flipping her hair back. "Do you idiots have any idea who I am?"

The guards exchanged looks. One of them chuckled. "Lady, everyone was someone before the world went to shit. Now? You're just another mouth to feed."

Ning Xue's face twisted, but before she could start shouting, Zhao Yue grabbed her arm. "Don't waste your breath," she muttered.

She was right. There was no point arguing with people who already held power over you.

I sighed. "We can work."

The bearded guard studied us, his gaze lingering on our weapons. Then he smirked. "Fine. Inside, you work for your food. No exceptions."

He gestured toward the gates. "Welcome to Haven."

Something about the name felt like a cruel joke.

The gates groaned open, revealing what lay beyond.

Haven was alive. Not in the way a thriving community should be, but in a way that made my stomach churn.

Near the center, the streets were clean. People walked leisurely, well-fed and dressed in expensive clothes. Market stalls overflowed with food—fresh vegetables, cooked meat, things that should have been impossible to maintain in a world crawling with the dead.

It looked like a snapshot from the past, preserved behind walls and bullets.

But the further we walked, the more the illusion crumbled.

The outer districts were a different story. Here, people huddled in makeshift shelters, their faces gaunt and hollow. The streets stank of unwashed bodies and desperation.

Food wasn't given—it was bought.

And those who couldn't afford it?

They were sent outside the walls to scavenge.

It was a rotation system. The middle class and the poor were forced to take turns venturing into the wasteland, bringing back supplies while the rich sat comfortably behind their walls.

I saw it in the way people avoided looking at the guards, in the way their shoulders tensed when their names were called.

They weren't volunteers. They were disposable.

Zhao Yue clicked her tongue. "Looks like money still rules the world, even when it's ending."

"It always has," I muttered.

Ning Xue was silent. She wasn't stupid. She was seeing it too.

And for once, she wasn't arguing.

At the registration booth, a greasy-looking man in a suit barely looked up as he spoke.

"Newcomers start at the bottom," he droned. "You scavenge outside the walls. After proving yourselves, you may apply for residence within the Inner District."

I almost laughed. "Apply?"

The man smirked. "Only the best get in."

Zhao Yue crossed her arms. "And what happens if we refuse?"

"You don't eat."

Ning Xue scoffed. "This is extortion."

"Survival," the man corrected smoothly.

I already knew how this would play out. This wasn't a city—it was a meat grinder. The rich were safe because they had a steady stream of bodies to throw at the undead.

For now, we'd play along.

"Fine," I said. "We'll scout."

The man looked pleased. He handed us metal tags. "These mark you as recruits. Lose them, and you won't be allowed back in."

Zhao Yue took hers without complaint. Ning Xue hesitated before snatching hers away.

As we left, she muttered, "This place is disgusting."

I gave her a look. "And yet, you're still here."

She didn't answer.

Later, we found an abandoned building near the outskirts. It wasn't much, but it was dry, and it had a door that locked. That was more than most people here had.

Zhao Yue sat on the floor, absently cleaning her shotgun. She was still tired—I could see how her fingers trembled slightly.

Without thinking, I tossed her a ration bar. "Eat."

She caught it, looking surprised. Then she smirked. "Taking care of me now?"

"Just don't die," I muttered, looking away.

She chuckled but unwrapped it without arguing.

Ning Xue sat with her arms crossed, staring at the floor. She had been unusually quiet since we arrived.

Something was bothering her.

I sighed. "What's on your mind, princess?"

She snapped out of it. "Shut up."

I smirked, but I was watching her closely.

I had known her long enough to recognize when she was struggling with something.

And right now, I could see it in her eyes.

She had lived like the people in the Inner District. She had been them. The ones who sat back while others bled for them.

Now, for the first time, she was seeing the other side of it.

And for some reason, the sight of Zhao Yue, exhausted but still moving forward, seemed to bother her the most.

Jealousy?

Concern?

Even she probably didn't know.

But what she did know was that Zhao Yue and I had grown closer.

Too close.

And she didn't know how to feel about that.