Julian's eyes snapped open as dawn's faint light crept through the boarded windows. His instincts screamed that something was wrong , and when he reached out with his Domination skill, he sensed several of his patrolling zombies had fallen silent. Dead.
He rolled out of his bedding and immediately shook the others awake. "Get up. Now."
Emma blinked, startled. Clarissa, Veronica, and Aya all scrambled to gather their weapons, eyes wide with fear but movements honed by days of survival.
A soft creak echoed from downstairs. The sound of careful, deliberate footsteps. Someone was in the house.
Julian gestured sharply; his team took up positions around the room's entrance, weapons drawn. As the faint shadow of figures appeared in the hallway, Julian's eyes narrowed. With a flick of his wrist, dark tendrils of shadow erupted across the floor, wrapping around the intruders' legs. At the same moment, Clarissa thrust both palms forward, a wave of telekinetic force slammed into the newcomers, pinning them in place against the walls.
The strangers cried out in shock.
"Who are you?!" Julian demanded, voice like ice.
One of the men, face pale and sweating, stammered, "W-wait! We're not enemies!"
Julian's group took a moment to assess: nine people stood before them, all in worn tactical gear, several carrying weapons lowered in a gesture of peace.
Julian's eyes locked onto the one who seemed to lead them, a wiry man with tired but alert eyes. "State your business."
The man took a shaky breath. "We're… we're just a patrol. We're trying to scout the area, keep an eye on the mutated zombies. We saw signs of a fight with one yesterday, and then we tracked it here."
Julian's expression didn't change. "We killed that mutant."
The patrol exchanged stunned glances. One of them whispered, "No way… five people killed that thing?"
Their leader blinked, then let out a relieved laugh. "Seriously? That's amazing! Thank you, we were too scared to leave the shelter because of that monster."
Julian gave a curt nod, but his shadows stayed tight. The leader hesitated, forcing a smile. "Uh… would you mind letting us go now?"
"Not yet," Julian replied flatly. "I don't trust you."
The man's awkward chuckle died. "Fair enough…"
A woman in the patrol sighed in exasperation and lightly slapped the leader's shoulder. "This is your fault. You just had to burst into a house without checking…"
He gave her a sheepish grin. "H-hey, I was just being thorough…"
Julian's eyes narrowed. "Turn around. Hands behind your heads."
The patrol obeyed, and Julian motioned for his team. Clarissa, Veronica, Emma, and Aya quickly moved in, tying the intruders' hands with rope.
But as they finished, the leader's eyes landed on Emma. His face lit up with recognition. "W-wait… are you Emma Leight?"
Emma recoiled. "How do you know my name?!"
The man fumbled with his tied hands, nodding toward his pocket. "We were given photos of survivors to find. By your family."
Julian's eyes darkened. He carefully searched the man's pocket, pulling out a handful of photographs. His gaze settled on one a picture of Emma.
Emma gasped, tears welling in her eyes. "My family… are they alive?"
The man's face softened with relief. "Yes. They're alive, and worried sick about you. They've been gathering survivors, setting up a shelter. They sent us to look for you."
A sob burst from Emma's throat. Julian caught her as she collapsed into him, her shoulders shaking. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, his hand stroking her hair.
The man offered a shaky smile. "Your parents will be so happy to see you."
Julian's eyes lifted, cold but steady. "You'll take us to them, and if you lie to me, you're dead."
He looked to his team and gave a small nod. Clarissa, Emma, Veronica, and Aya quickly untied the patrol, who rubbed their sore wrists but looked grateful.
Julian stepped forward, voice low but commanding. "Lead the way."
Relief spread across the patrol's faces as their bindings came off, each of them flexing their wrists gratefully. The man who'd taken the lead stepped forward, offering a small, sincere smile. "I'm Luke Neil," he said.
Beside him, the sharp-eyed woman gave a curt nod. "Vivi Merith."
One by one, the rest of their group introduced themselves, each name adding a small sense of normalcy to the tense air. After they finished, Julian stepped forward, his expression stoic but polite. "Julian Deaw," he said. He gestured to the others: "Clarissa, Emma, Veronica, and Aya."
Luke raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed. "You all really are something. Honestly, your group must be incredibly strong, we were completely helpless against you. And to think you killed that mutated zombie… it took six skill-users from our group just to handle one."
Julian glanced at his team with a rare hint of pride in his eyes. "We managed because I have good teammates."
He turned back to Luke. "How far is your shelter?"
"Not too far," Luke answered. "Maybe thirty minutes if we're careful."
As they began walking, Vivi fell in step beside the women of Julian's group. Her eyes darted between them with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. "So… why is there only one guy in your group? Did he force you to join him?"
Clarissa was the first to shake her head firmly. "No. Julian's not like that. He might seem cold, but he's… kind."
Veronica scoffed, folding her arms. "He saved us, idiot."
Aya's voice was small but resolute. "He's the reason we're alive."
Vivi tilted her head skeptically. "Hmm. So he's soft-hearted under that stoic face?" She hesitated, then continued with a probing look: "What's your plan after Emma reunites with her family? Will you settle down here?"
Emma looked away, her eyes uncertain. "I… want to see how my family is first. After that, I'll listen to Julian's decision."
Vivi frowned deeply. "You should just stay with us. Our shelter has eighteen skilled fighters, it's much safer."
Clarissa shrugged lightly. "We'll follow Julian."
Aya nodded, voice quiet but determined. "Always."
Vivi's brow twitched. "Are you girls brainwashed or something?!"
"Vivi," Luke called back sharply, his tone a warning. "Stop pestering them."
Vivi huffed, folding her arms across her chest. "Yeah, yeah…"
Luke gave Julian an apologetic smile over his shoulder. "I'm sorry about Vivi. She… means well."
Julian's eyes glinted dangerously. "It's fine. But if she keeps running her mouth, I'll cut out her tongue."
Luke's laugh came out strained and awkward. "Hahaha… please don't say things like that so casually."
As they walked, the cityscape gave way to a large complex of weathered concrete. The building looked like an old abandoned factory, repurposed for survival. Around the perimeter, tall remnants of broken walls and steel beams formed a sturdy enclosure, perfect for a defensible shelter.
Luke guided them inside, waving to others who nodded at him with a mix of respect and relief. He gestured toward a cluster of chairs near a temporary command post. "Please, make yourselves comfortable. I'll get Emma's family."
Julian sat down, his sharp eyes scanning the environment, people were cooking over open fires, a few volunteers patched up injuries, and improvised defenses were clearly being strengthened every day.
Before long, a pair of middle-aged figures sprinted out of a nearby building, Emma's parents. They collided with Emma in a tearful embrace. Her father clutched her tightly, her mother sobbing as she stroked Emma's hair. "Emma… you're safe… thank God…" they whispered again and again.
Emma wept openly, burying her face against their shoulders.
A few paces away, Aya stood with her head lowered, eyes shimmering with sadness. Julian moved to her side without hesitation, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Aya stiffened in surprise, then melted into him, quiet sobs shaking her frame.