The night deepened, the air outside heavy with the faint crackle of fire and distant, guttural groans of the infected. The motel was old, its wallpaper peeling, its carpet stained, the smell of mildew mixing with sweat and smoke.
Still, behind their locked door, Kael and Clara found something that almost resembled peace.
For a while, silence stretched between them, broken only by the rhythm of their breathing.
Kael rested with one hand behind his head, staring at the cracked ceiling, while Clara curled onto her side, sheets clutched tight against her chest.
The muffled noises from the other rooms drifted faintly through the thin walls again—moans, gasps, desperate cries of passion.
Clara squeezed her eyes shut, embarrassed, but this time she didn’t flinch away. This time, she let i
