No Rest for the Weary

The moment they stepped out of the supply depot, the cold night air hit them like a warning.

Xu Lian adjusted the strap of her backpack, scanning the desolate streets. The city stretched out before them, a maze of crumbling buildings, flickering streetlights, and distant echoes of something unknown. They had successfully raided the depot, but staying there had been too risky. The longer they remained in one place, the greater the chance of being discovered.

Guo Chen walked beside her, his grip firm on his rifle. "Where to next?"

Yu Xian, slightly ahead, surveyed the empty streets with the precision of a soldier. "We need a place to regroup. Somewhere defensible but not too isolated. If we're trapped, we're dead."

Jiao, still favoring his injured arm, gave a dry chuckle. "Safe? In this city? Not a chance."

Lin Wei adjusted his gear, glancing at Lian. "We need to keep moving. If anyone saw us back there, we'll have more than just stray survivors hunting us."

Lian nodded. He was right. "Then let's move. We'll figure out our next steps along the way."

They slipped into the shadows, boots silent against cracked pavement, navigating through alleyways and side streets. The city was too quiet.

And that meant trouble.

---

An Unsettling Discovery

They were making good time when a faint noise stopped them in their tracks.

A shuffle. A quiet whimper.

Lian signaled for silence, raising her weapon. Something was nearby.

Chen immediately shifted into the shadows, pressing against a crumbling brick wall. Yu Xian mirrored his movements, his sharp gaze locked on the alley ahead.

Then, they saw it.

A woman crouched behind a rusted dumpster, clutching a small child in her arms.

Her face was pale, clothes tattered, but her hold on the child was fierce. Protective. Desperate.

The moment her eyes met Lian's, she tensed.

"Stay back!" she hissed, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'll kill you if you try anything!"

Lian didn't move, keeping her posture neutral. "We're not here to hurt you."

The woman's grip tightened around the child, who looked no older than five. The girl's tiny frame trembled, her face buried in her mother's chest.

Lin Wei exchanged a glance with Yu Xian. They had a choice to make.

Jiao exhaled, his patience thinning. "We don't have time for this. We need to keep moving."

Lian knew he was right. But leaving them meant leaving them to die.

The woman's voice cracked. "Do you have food? Please… my daughter hasn't eaten in days."

Chen sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Damn it, Lian. We can't save everyone."

Lian didn't hesitate. She reached into her bag, pulled out a protein bar, and tossed it toward the woman. "Eat first. Then we talk."

The woman hesitated only a moment before tearing the wrapper open, breaking a piece for her daughter.

Yu Xian folded his arms, expression unreadable. "We shouldn't stay in one place for long."

Lian nodded. "Then we take them with us."

Jiao groaned. "Are you serious?"

"We have supplies," Lian said firmly. "And we have enough firepower to keep them safe."

Chen sighed but didn't argue. Lin Wei smirked. "Soft-hearted as always."

Lian ignored him and turned to the woman. "Can you walk?"

The woman nodded weakly, lifting the child. "Yes."

"Then let's go."

They had just added two more lives to their group.

And in this world, every life carried weight.

---

A Temporary Shelter

They reached an abandoned hotel a few blocks away. It was barely standing, but the doors were intact, and the windows were boarded up.

"Stay alert," Yu Xian murmured. "We don't know if anyone else is inside."

The air inside was stale, thick with mildew and dust. Broken furniture littered the lobby, signs of looters long gone.

"Lin Wei, Jiao secure the perimeter," Lian ordered. "Chen, help me barricade the doors."

As they worked, her thoughts circled back to the woman and child.

She had seen too many mothers lose their children in the past life.

She wasn't going to let that happen again.

By the time they settled in, exhaustion pressed down on them.

Yu Xian leaned against the wall, eyes sharp despite the long night. "We need to talk about our next move."

Lian nodded. "The depot raid was a success, but now we're on borrowed time. Word will spread. Once that happens, gangs and scavengers will come looking for us."

Lin Wei stretched his legs. "Then we need to leave the city."

"But not yet," Jiao argued. "We still need more supplies."

"Not just supplies," Lian said. "We need allies."

Chen raised a brow. "You're thinking of recruiting?"

Lian met his gaze. "I'm thinking of Yu Xian's old contacts. People we never met in the past life, but should have."

Yu Xian rubbed his chin. "I know a few names. But trust is hard to come by these days."

"Then we give them a reason," Lian said. "Protection. Supplies. A chance to survive."

A tense silence settled over them.

Finally, Yu Xian nodded. "I'll make contact."

Jiao exhaled sharply. "This is getting crazier."

Chen smirked. "That's what makes it fun."

Lian scanned their group. They weren't just surviving anymore.

They were building something bigger.

And this time, they wouldn't fail.

---

A Long Night Ahead

Lian sat awake, listening.

The faint sound of the child's breathing. The wind rattling broken windows. The distant gunfire echoing through the city.

There was no such thing as true safety.

But for now, they had a plan.

And in the apocalypse, a plan was everything.

Tomorrow, they would seek out more allies.

Tomorrow, the fight would begin again.

But tonight, they were still alive.

And in this world, that was victory enough.