Snore... Snore... Snore...
The rhythmic breathing echoed softly through the dimly lit hideout, a gentle symphony of exhaustion and temporary peace. Kael's eyes fluttered open, adjusting slowly to the muted light filtering through the makeshift curtains they had fashioned from salvaged cloth. The familiar ache in his ribs reminded him of recent battles, but it was a distant throb compared to the warmth radiating from either side of his body.
He tilted his head slightly, careful not to disturb the delicate balance, and gazed up at the water-stained ceiling above. Patches of peeling paint formed abstract patterns that seemed to shift and dance in his peripheral vision, a testament to the building's age and abandonment. This place had become their sanctuary, their refuge from the chaos that had consumed the world outside.
Looking down, Kael's expression softened as he observed the twins nestled against him. Peter had somehow managed to wrap both his arms around his left arm, his face pressed against his shoulder with an expression of complete serenity that was rarely seen during their waking hours. On his right, Henry had curled up like a cat, his small frame tucked protectively against his side, one hand clutching the fabric of his shirt as if anchoring herself to safety even in sleep.
Their faces, usually marked by the stress and vigilance that had become second nature in this new world, were now peaceful and unmarked by worry. Dark circles under their eyes had begun to fade after several days of relative security, and their breathing was deep and steady. These moments of innocence were precious and fleeting, reminders of the childhood that had been stolen from them too soon.
Kael felt the familiar tug of responsibility, the desire to rise and check their defenses, to ensure their safety through action rather than rest. His muscles tensed slightly as he prepared to carefully extricate himself from their embrace, but something held him back. It wasn't physical restraint—he could easily free himself without waking them—but rather an emotional weight, a recognition of how rare these moments of peace had become.
"It seems you're awake, Kael. Won't you get up?"
The voice came from above, cutting through his contemplation. Kael's eyes shifted upward to find Emily perched on a makeshift chair fashioned from stacked crates, her arms crossed as she regarded the scene below with a mixture of amusement and understanding. Her dark hair was pulled back into a practical ponytail, and despite the early hour, she appeared fully alert and ready for whatever the day might bring.
Emily had always been the early riser among their group, the one who took the first watch and often the last. Her eyes, though tired, held the sharp awareness of someone who had learned to find rest without ever truly letting her guard down. She wore the same clothes from yesterday—practical cargo pants and a fitted long-sleeve shirt that allowed for easy movement—but she had taken the time to clean the dirt from beneath her fingernails and wash her face.
"I do want to, but I don't want to disturb their peaceful sleep," Kael replied softly, his voice barely above a whisper. His gaze returned to the twins, noting how Peter's grip on his arm had tightened slightly, as if some part of her sleeping mind sensed the possibility of his departure.
Emily's expression softened, and she leaned forward slightly in her improvised chair. "You don't have to worry about that. Since we've found a place to settle, they'll sleep just as peacefully even if you disturb them. They're safe here, Kael. Get up."
There was gentle authority in her voice, the tone of someone who had learned to balance compassion with practicality. She understood his reluctance but also recognized the need for him to move, to stretch muscles that had grown stiff from maintaining the same position for hours.
Kael studied her face for a moment, reading the assurance there, before nodding slowly. With the careful precision of someone well-versed in moving around sleeping companions, he began the delicate process of freeing himself. First, he gently loosened Peter's grip on his arm, substituting a folded blanket for his warmth. He murmured something unintelligible in his sleep but didn't wake, instead pulling the makeshift pillow closer.
Next came the more challenging task of moving away from Henry without disturbing his peaceful rest. He had somehow managed to curl even tighter against his side during the night, and his hand maintained its death grip on his shirt. Kael worked his fingers carefully between his small fist and the fabric, gradually loosening His hold while simultaneously sliding a rolled-up jacket into the space he would vacate.
The entire process took nearly five minutes, but eventually, Kael managed to stand without waking either twin. He stretched carefully, feeling the familiar protests from healing wounds and stiff joints, then looked down at the sleeping forms with satisfaction. Both the boys had automatically adjusted to fill the space he had occupied, sharing the warmth they had previously borrowed from him.
"Where are the rest of the people?" Kael asked, keeping his voice low as he moved away from the sleeping area.
"Oh, they're outside," Emily replied, rising from her chair with fluid grace.
"Outside?" Kael's brow furrowed with concern. The word carried implications of danger, of exposure to the threats that lurked beyond their carefully chosen sanctuary.
"Yeah, they went out to gather supplies," Emily explained, noting his worried expression. "They said that with us joining the group, there would be an increase in the food consumption rate, so they went out to gather more provisions. Zoe calculated that our current stores would last maybe another week with the additional mouths to feed."
Kael's jaw tightened slightly, and his hand instinctively moved toward where his weapon usually rested. "You could have woken me up. I could have gone with them. It's dangerous out there, and they shouldn't be taking unnecessary risks."
Emily placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, feeling the tension in his muscles. "Don't worry. You have yet to fully heal from those wounds. The last thing we need is for you to strain yourself too much and reopen something that's finally starting to mend properly. Zoe insisted you needed the rest, and honestly, so did I."
Kael looked down at his torso, where bandages still covered the worst of his injuries. The fight that had brought him to this group had left him with several deep gashes and what Emily suspected was at least one cracked rib. While the wounds were healing, they were far from fully mended, and the constant tension he carried in his shoulders wasn't helping the process.
"Okay, if you say so," he conceded reluctantly, though his posture remained alert. "But did you find out anything else from them? About the area, about potential threats?"
Emily's expression grew more serious, and she glanced toward the entrance of their hideout before responding. "Yeah, actually. I heard they came across a laboratory before finding this place. It was mostly destroyed—looked like it had been ransacked or maybe damaged in whatever happened to this city. But they found something interesting there."
"They found a book there. They say it looks old, definitely from before... everything happened. There's a name written on the cover, and it says..." Emily trailed off
"You don't remember, do you?" Kael asked, noting her hesitation with a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Sorry," Emily said with a sheepish expression. " Blake only mentioned it in passing when they got back last night. I should have paid better attention."
"No, don't worry about it. I'll find out when they come back," Kael replied, though his curiosity was clearly piqued. Something about a laboratory journal felt significant, though he couldn't put his finger on why.
Creak...
The sound cut through their conversation like a knife, and Kael's entire body went rigid. His head snapped toward the source of the noise, eyes scanning the shadows near the far wall of their hideout. His hand moved instinctively to his weapon, and every muscle in his body coiled like a spring ready to release. The transformation was instantaneous and complete—from relaxed conversation to combat readiness in less than a second.
Emily watched this change with a mixture of concern and understanding. She had seen Kael's hyper vigilance before, the way he seemed incapable of truly relaxing even in their safest moments. His breathing had become controlled and shallow, and his eyes moved systematically across every potential hiding spot and entrance.
After several tense seconds, a small gray mouse scurried across the floor near the wall, disappearing into a crack in the baseboard. The tiny creature was completely oblivious to the alarm it had caused, focused only on its own survival in this abandoned building.
"Relax, Kael," Emily said gently, though she kept her voice calm rather than dismissive. "That was just a mouse. You're always on guard like this. We're at the hideout now—there's no need to be so tense all the time."
Kael's posture remained rigid for another moment before he forced himself to consciously relax his shoulders. The process was clearly deliberate rather than natural, as if he had to manually override his body's defensive programming. "You never know," he said simply, but his hand moved away from his weapon.
"You really think we were so careless as to choose this place as our hideout without proper consideration?"
The new voice came from behind them, near the entrance, and both Kael and Emily turned to see Blake and the others returning from their supply run. Blake stood in the doorway with Zoe and the others flanking him, three carrying large transparent plastic bags filled to the brim with various consumables. Through the clear plastic, Kael could see canned goods, packaged foods, bottles of water, and what appeared to be medical supplies.
The group looked tired but satisfied with their haul. Blake's usually neat appearance was disheveled, with dirt on his clothes and sweat on his brow, but he wore the expression of someone who had accomplished an important task. Zoe looked similarly worn but alert
"Where did you find all this?" Kael asked, genuinely impressed by the quantity and variety of supplies they had managed to gather.
"Not even asking how we are, huh?" Blake replied with a tired grin. "Not that I care, but okay. We found most of this at a convenience store about two blocks from here, near the old bus station. It was one of the main reasons we decided to make this our base—the proximity to resources. The other reasons include the building's relative obscurity and the fact that it has decent ventilation systems that still function."
Blake set down his bags carefully, and the others followed suit. The plastic crinkled as the bags settled, and Kael could hear the soft clinking of canned goods shifting against each other. The haul represented days, maybe weeks of sustained nutrition for their group—a significant find in their current circumstances.
"Oh, right!" Emily interjected, suddenly remembering their earlier conversation. "You mentioned finding a destroyed laboratory when you were out, and you told me about discovering a book there. You said it was like a journal, right? Kael wants to know the name that was written on it."
Zoe looked puzzled. "Couldn't you tell him yourself?"
"I actually forgot the name," Emily admitted with some embarrassment.
Zoe nodded in understanding, then closed her eyes briefly as if trying to recall the exact details. "It was something like... Adam Clark, I think. Yeah, that was it—Dr. Adam Clark."
"Ever heard of that na—" Emily began to turn toward Kael to gauge his reaction, but her words died in her throat.
Kael stood completely motionless, his face drained of all color. His eyes had gone wide with shock, and his mouth was slightly open as if he had been about to speak but forgotten how to form words. Emily had never seen this expression on his face before—not during their most dangerous encounters, not when facing down monsters, not even when he had been badly wounded. He usually maintained an almost supernatural calm, but now he looked as though the world had shifted beneath his feet.
The silence stretched uncomfortably as everyone in the room began to notice Kael's reaction. Blake straightened up from where he had been organizing supplies, Zoe's brow furrowed with concern, and Marcus actually stopped his perpetual watch of the entrance to focus on their companion.
In Kael's mind, the world had narrowed to a single point of focus. All the ambient sounds of their hideout—the continued soft snoring of the twins, the settling of the building, the distant sounds of the city—faded into background noise. There was only one thought echoing through his consciousness, one.
'Dad.'