[Win – Shed, Forest Edge ]
The first thing I felt was the ache in my arm—not from the bite, but from the needle prick. It was dull and distant, like a memory that hadn't decided if it wanted to hurt yet. My eyelids cracked open to dusty light filtering through a broken window.
Concrete walls. Rusted shelves. The faint smell of old oil, blood, and something sharper—alcohol wipes, maybe.
My head felt heavy, stuffed with cotton.
Palm was right there, kneeling beside me, his face inches from mine. His eyes were wide, relief and fury clashing in them. The bandage on his arm looked fresh, no new blood seeping through. He was breathing steady.
Alive.
"Win," he breathed, his voice cracking like he'd been holding it in for hours. "You absolute idiot."
I tried to sit up. The world tilted, but I managed, pressing my back against the wall. Mali was on my other side, packing a small bag with steady hands, a scalpel tucked into her belt like it belonged there. She glanced at me—a quick, clinical check of pupils and pulse—then went back to work without a word.
"Morning," I rasped. My throat felt like sandpaper. "How long was I out?"
"Hours," Palm said. He punched my shoulder—light, but it still stung. "You gave me your blood like some dramatic romance novel reject and then just… passed out. What the hell were you thinking? 'Oh, sure, let's pump my veins into the guy I love, what could go wrong?'"
I caught the word—love—and felt heat creep up my neck despite everything. "It worked, didn't it? You're not moaning and trying to bite my face off."
Palm's eyes narrowed, but the corner of his mouth twitched. "Barely. Mali said my veins were blackening. I felt it, Win. Like I was sinking. And you just rolled up your sleeve like it was nothing. Reckless. Stupid. Hot as hell, but still stupid."
Mali cleared her throat, not looking up from the bag. "Language, boys. And technically, it was my idea. Last resort. But yes, Win, next time maybe ask before playing hero with your own blood."
I flexed my bitten arm. No itch. No fever. No black lines crawling under the skin. Just a normal, angry red wound that hurt like any normal wound.
Side effect of doing it for the first time, I thought.
The words felt right, like my body had needed a moment to catch up after dumping whatever immunity it carried straight into Palm. No big mystery. Just… biology doing its thing.
Palm caught me staring at the bite and leaned in, his voice dropping into that teasing tone he used when he wanted to fluster me. "See? Still pretty. Still mine. Don't ever pull that again or I'll kiss you senseless and then punch you. In that order."
I laughed, soft and tired, and reached for his hand. Our fingers laced easily, like they'd been waiting for this. "Deal. But you're not allowed to die on me either. We're even now."
Mali zipped the bag shut with a sharp, decisive sound. "Even or not, we can't stay here. The moans are getting closer. The forest isn't empty anymore. We move while we still can. There's a maintenance trail east—an old park service road. Leads toward the outskirts. Less trees, more visibility."
She stood, slinging the pack over her shoulder. Her scrubs were still stained, but her movements were steady—nurse mode fully on.
"Win, you good to walk?"
I pushed myself to my feet. The world stayed level. "Yeah. Let's go."
We packed quickly—my pipe, Palm's crowbar, Mali's scalpel, and the last of the gauze. Palm kept shooting me looks while we worked, half glare, half something softer.
"You really scared me," he muttered when Mali stepped outside to check the door. "Waking up and seeing you slumped there… I thought I lost you for a second."
I bumped his good shoulder with mine. "You're stuck with me. Reckless blood donor and all."
He grinned, the kind that made my chest feel lighter even with zombies outside. "Good. Because if you pull that hero crap again, I'm tying you to me. Literally. Rope and everything. We'll look ridiculous, but at least you'll stay conscious."
"Promise?" I teased, keeping my voice low enough that Mali wouldn't hear.
Palm's eyes sparkled. "Only if you promise not to faint dramatically next time you save my life."
Mali poked her head back in. "Flirt later. Move now. The trail's clear for about fifty meters, but I hear shuffling past the trees."
We slipped out.
The forest pressed in—green, damp, alive with distant moans. We stayed close, Mali in front with the flashlight, me in the middle, Palm at my back. His hand brushed mine every few steps, quick and subtle, like a reminder.
Still here. Still us.
I scanned the canopy out of habit, watching for movement that wasn't leaves.
That's when I saw it.
A drone.
Small, black, sleek—hovering just above the treetops, its camera lens glinting as it swept the area. No markings at first glance, but then it banked, and the underside caught the light: a tiny silver logo, a stylized tower with interlocking lines.
Nexus Spire.
My mother's company. Sirin's tower. The one that had always stood in the skyline—gleaming and untouchable.
My steps slowed.
Palm noticed immediately. "Win?"
I pointed up. "That drone. It's hers."
Mali glanced back, frowning. "Whose?"
"My mom's. Sirin. She runs Nexus Spire—the big biotech tower. Labs, tech, everything. If that drone's out here scanning… she's looking for something. Or someone."
Palm's eyes widened. "Wait—your mom? The one who's always in those fancy suits on the news? The tech queen?"
I nodded, the idea forming quickly. "She'd have eyes everywhere. Feeds. Satellites. If anyone can find Lin—or answers about… whatever this is—" I gestured at my arm, the bite that refused to turn me "—it's her. And the tower's fortified. Power. Supplies. We can't stay in the forest forever. This could be our way in."
Mali stopped, thinking it through. "A biotech tower. If she has proper medical facilities… I could check Palm's wound properly. Maybe even test that blood of yours. See why you're not turning."
Palm squeezed my hand once, firm and certain. "Your call, Win. But if we're going, we're going together. No more solo hero stuff."
I looked at the drone again as it drifted west, toward the city ruins. The tower was miles away, but it felt closer than the endless trees and distant moans.
"We will go," I said.
Mali nodded once. "Then we will move smart. Stay off the main trails. Use the drone's path as a guide if it circles back."
Palm grinned at me, tired but bright. "Told you. Reckless decisions. But this one? I'm in."
We started walking again. The forest thinned ahead. The drone disappeared into the haze, but the idea stayed—Nexus Spire, answers, maybe even a real chance.
For the first time since the bell rang red, it felt like we weren't just running.
We were heading somewhere.