The moment they left the rooftop, everything went wrong.
"Left!" Luo shouted.
"No—right!" Mia yelled at the same time.
Lily didn't listen to either of them and jumped straight over a broken staircase. "Too late!"
Luo cursed under his breath and followed, grabbing Mia just in time before she slipped and fell three floors down. She yelped, clinging to his arm.
"Careful!" he snapped.
Mia froze… then looked up at him, suddenly flustered. "I—I was careful."
Lily peeked from below. "Wow. He catches you and suddenly you forget how to speak?"
Mia's face turned red. "SHUT UP!"
Gunshots echoed from behind.
"Less flirting, more running!" Lily shouted.
---
They burst out of the building into the streets, chased by zombies and White Hand scouts moving in from the side roads. The chaos was unreal—burning cars, broken signs, bodies everywhere.
Luo pulled them into a narrow alley. "We split for ten seconds, regroup at the red truck!"
Mia stared. "Ten seconds?!"
"That's a long time in an apocalypse!" Lily replied, already running.
Mia groaned and followed Luo. "She's going to get us killed."
"She's… useful," Luo said carefully.
Mia narrowed her eyes. "That pause was suspicious."
---
As they ran, Luo suddenly felt it again.
That pressure in his chest.
A flicker of something… old.
His vision blurred for half a second—just long enough to see a shadow where there shouldn't be one. A feeling like his body remembered something his mind didn't.
He shook his head hard. Not now.
"Luo?" Mia asked, noticing his stumble.
"I'm fine," he said quickly. "Just tired."
She didn't believe him—but there was no time to argue.
---
They regrouped near the red truck, where Lily was fighting off two zombies with a metal pipe.
"About time!" Lily said, panting. "I almost died. Again."
Mia crossed her arms. "You looked like you were enjoying it."
"Oh, please. You'd miss me if I died."
Mia scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself."
Luo interrupted, pointing ahead. "That road leads closer to the villa."
Mia blinked. "Wait—you actually memorized the streets?"
"Of course," he said casually.
Lily raised an eyebrow. "You're starting to sound suspiciously prepared."
Luo smiled weakly. "Habit."
---
They sprinted again, this time ducking into an abandoned convenience store.
Inside, silence.
Mia locked the door while Lily searched the shelves.
"Jackpot!" Lily whispered. "Instant noodles, canned food—oh, and candy!"
Mia grabbed a bottle of water. "We're literally being hunted and you're excited about candy?"
"Yes," Lily said seriously. "Morale matters."
Luo laughed despite himself.
They sat behind the counter, eating quietly. For a brief moment, the world felt… normal.
Lily leaned against Luo's shoulder without thinking.
Mia saw it.
Her eye twitched.
She stood up abruptly. "I'm checking the back."
Lily smirked. "Jealous?"
"Delusional."
Luo stared at the ceiling. Please survive this.
---
Suddenly—
BANG.
The back door slammed open.
White Hand.
"MOVE!" Luo shouted.
They crashed through the front window, rolling onto the street as bullets shattered glass behind them. Zombies turned instantly, drawn by the noise.
"YOU HAD TO BREAK THE WINDOW?!" Mia screamed.
"I PANICKED!" Lily yelled back.
They ran, laughter mixing with fear, chaos chasing them like a curse.
Behind them, on a distant rooftop, a White Hand operative lowered binoculars.
"…Confirmed," he said calmly.
"Subject L is moving toward the villa."
---
As they disappeared into the ruins, Luo felt that pressure again—stronger this time.
Not awakening.
Not yet.
But something was watching.
And something was waiting.
---
END OF CHAPTER 7