Los Angeles.
At the summit of Mount Baldy, a jagged boulder jutted out over the edge of the world. A woman stood atop it, her silhouette sharp against the sky. Her lips were a blazing crimson, her face hauntingly beautiful—too beautiful, almost otherworldly, with a dangerous allure that hinted at something not quite human.
This was Sophia—infected with the mutant strain of the virus, and the thirteenth adopted child of the infamous Crimson Count.
From here, she could see all of Los Angeles sprawled out below her like a broken dream.
On the far side of Mount Baldy lay San Bernardino, the city she once ruled. Now, it was a ghost town—collapsed buildings, scorched ruins, and barely a trace of the undead. Even the zombies had abandoned it.
Sophia's icy eyes flickered with a trace of sorrow, but the emotion passed quickly. Her gaze hardened, her expression turning fierce, almost fanatical.
She hadn't come back just to reminisce.
