Shadows and Blood
701 Words
The night was unnaturally quiet.
Too quiet.
She sat near the fire, absently sharpening a knife, her thoughts a tangled mess. The countdown had begun. The world was about to shatter, and even though she had four of the most dangerous men at her side, she knew it wouldn’t be enough.
Not yet.
Aleksandr was watching her. She felt his gaze before she saw it. When she looked up, his eyes were sharp, unreadable.
“You’re thinking too much,” he murmured.
She smirked. “That’s what keeps me alive.”
Aleksandr didn’t smile. He never did. But something flickered in his gaze. “And what about when thinking isn’t enough?”
Her fingers tightened around the knife. “Then we fight.”
His lips parted like he wanted to say something more, but before he could, Jace’s voice cut through the air. “We’ve got company.”
She was on her feet in an instant, her heart pounding. They weren’t ready.
Elias grabbed his medical bag, stuffing supplies into it with quick precision. Lucian was already armed, a knowing smirk on his lips. Too calm.
And then the first scream echoed through the streets.
---
Chaos erupted outside.
People were running. Screaming. The infection had begun.
She saw the first one lunge a man whose eyes had gone glassy, whose mouth was dripping with blood. The virus worked fast. Too fast.
Aleksandr was already moving, his gun firing clean, precise shots. Jace fought like an animal, his knife a blur in the firelight. Lucian, the devil he was, simply laughed, reveling in the c*****e.
And Elias—
Elias was dragging a wounded woman out of the street, his expression grim.
She ran to him, slicing down another infected as she moved. “We have to go!”
He didn’t argue. They weren’t heroes. Not anymore.
She turned to the others. “Fall back!”
Jace scowled but obeyed. Aleksandr didn’t hesitate.
Lucian, though—
Lucian took his time, savoring each kill.
She grabbed his arm, dragging him back. He let her.
The warehouse was their only option. For now.
They sealed the doors behind them, their breaths ragged, bodies tense.
It had begun.
The end of the world.
---
Inside the warehouse, the silence was deafening. They could still hear the distant screams, the sickening crunch of bone and flesh being torn apart outside. The city was collapsing faster than she had imagined.
Elias knelt beside the injured woman, pressing his fingers against her pulse. His face was grim.
“She’s been bitten,” he murmured.
Her stomach twisted. “How long?”
“Minutes. Maybe less.”
Aleksandr was already raising his gun.
“No,” she snapped, stepping between them. “Not yet.”
Jace’s eyes narrowed. “You know how this works. You saw how fast they turned.”
“I know,” she admitted. “But I also know we don’t understand this virus yet. We need to see how long she lasts.”
Lucian chuckled, leaning against a crate. “You’re playing with fire, darling.”
She ignored him, turning back to Elias. “Do what you can.”
He hesitated, then nodded, pulling out a syringe. “I can slow it down. Maybe.”
But they all knew the truth. It was only a matter of time.
---
Hours passed.
The woman’s breathing grew shallower. Her skin turned pale, her veins darkening beneath the surface. They watched as the infection spread.
Jace paced near the door, restless. Aleksandr stood guard, gun in hand. Lucian looked almost bored.
And then—
The woman gasped, her body convulsing. Her eyes snapped open, milky white and empty.
For a single second, there was silence.
Then she lunged.
Elias barely moved in time. Aleksandr fired. The bullet tore through the woman’s skull, splattering blood across the floor.
And just like that, she was gone.
Her body slumped, lifeless once more.
Elias let out a shaky breath, his hands trembling. “That was—”
“Fast,” Jace muttered. “Faster than before.”
She exhaled, gripping her knife. They were learning. The virus wasn’t just spreading—it was evolving.
And they were running out of time.
- Writer
