CHAPTER 17 — Bruised, Not Broken
ELION — POV
The four orbs shimmered faintly on the floor. Three reds, and the One violet — the drop from Darius.
I touched them with telekinesis and with a simple thought, slipped them into my Inventory and exhaled slowly, steadying the hunger and the adrenaline still buzzing in my veins. Alexiy was running behind the counters pulling guns out and grabbing boxes and boxes of ammo.
Then I turned my attention to the girl.
She sat slumped in the corner where Darius had tossed her when fighting me, her arms curled around her knees, wrists still bearing the marks from zip ties. Her hair hung over her face, hiding her expression — though I didn't need to see it to know it wasn't good.
I stepped toward her. Slowly, I didn't want to startle her, I wasn't sure her mental state at the moment so I took one slow step at a time.
She flinched as she heard me approach.
Not violently — not like someone expecting a blow — but like someone whose nerves had been burned out and were only just starting to spark again.
I crouched a few feet away. Just close enough to be heard, but far enough not to crowd her. I wanted her to feel a least less threaten by me than Darius. But that was unlikely since I'm the one who killed him.
"Hey" I almost whisper, I try to keep my tone light, but her breathing hitched.
"…Are you here to kill me too?" she whispered.
Her voice was barely there. Cracked. it was thin and tired. like she had spend to much time screaming. I could only imagine what she went through.
"No," I said plainly. "Unless you want to die or you fight against me I have no interest in your life." I'm as honest as can be, I really couldn't care less if she lived or died, as long as it didn't inconvenience me.
She swallowed.
That didn't seem to comfort her — but it didn't make her panic either. Just made her… still. Like she was thinking what my words ment.
"What's your name?" I ask.
A pause.
Her lips parted.
"…Rea."
I nodded. I wasn't sure if it was real or fake. but if she wanted me to call her Rea then that's what she'll be called.
"Alright, Rea. My name is Elion... I'm going to ask you something important. Answer honestly." I ask in a serious voice.
She lifted her head a little — just enough for me to see one eye. It was swollen, rimmed with exhaustion, but still alive.
Still fighting.
"…Okay," she whispered. Realizing the seriousness of the question.
"Do you want to come with us?"
She stiffened — confusion flickering through her face. She tiled her head and blinked. Honestly she was very pretty, probably in her early 20's she had long dirty silver hair that seemed like a deep grey almost black. her eyes were a brilliant blue and her face was very cute, almost as if not even with Alexiy.
"You can say no," I quickly added. "You don't owe me anything. I'm not expecting anything from you. If you want to walk away, I won't follow. If you stay, all I'm offering is safety. Food. A place to sleep. That's it. "
Her brows pinched.
"And if… if I stay?" she murmured. "What do you expect from me?"
"Nothing," I said. "Well, no I mean I don't want anything from you. You're not currency. However you will eventually have to work to earn your keep, but that's simple things like cooking or cleaning... or Fighting if that's something that your interested in, eventually the amount of work will equal the amount of food and privileges."
Her eyes widened slightly — shocked more by the bluntness than the promise.
"Fighting zombies?" she asked, "Privileges? I'm not sure, I don't have superpowers like you and Darius." she seemed hesitant.
With a thought my Inventory opens and I held out a single red orb.
It felt warm. Faintly pulsing. Like raw power waiting...
Her breath trembled. I was sure she knew enough about eh system and skills if Darius had a Violet one. and while I wanted to ask her about what she knew, now wasn't the time.
"This is yours," I said. I reached out and forcefully placed it in her palm, she flinched when I grabbed her hand but I wrapped her hand around the ball, she helps the orb in a fist and I spoke. "Crush it when you're ready. It'll give you a skill. Might be helpful now or maybe later, who knows. Whatever comes out of it… it's a start."
Her shaking hand slowly opened to reveal the red orb laying on her palm.
Her voice broke:
"…Why?"
Why was I helping her. That was the question.
It was a fair question.
"Because some people deserves a fresh start. I can't promise you that if you follow me you'll gain strength," I said. "That's up to you, you have to fight, have to kill to get the stat points, to get the skills, Hell I wouldn't be surprised if there was a hidden Title aspect or something. Sorry my point is this here is just enough power that what happened to you never happens again."
Her lip trembled.
Then she nodded — tiny, but real.
"…Okay."
That was all she said.
All she needed to say.
"As for 'Privileges', right now don't worry about that. We're only a survivor camp of 5... but eventually I build a 'Meritocracy'... or die trying."
I stood and walked back toward Alexiy, who was organizing ammunition, she was still rattled, but grounded enough to work.
"We're leaving," I told her softly.
She nodded.
I turned back to Rea.
"If you follow us," I said, "I'll keep you safe to the best of my abilities. And I don't know if you noticed... but I have pretty cool abilities" I said with a smirk.
I thought a faint smile flicker across her face before it returned to a blank face, she slowly stood on unsteady legs. She reached over and grabbed a pistol from the shelf with slow, deliberate movements. Then stepped behind us.
Following.
Not trusting, but choosing to follow, for now. And that was enough. She knew the risks of backstabbing me. It wasn't worth it.
Alexiy reached over and held my hand, while I would've preferred to keep my guard up 100% I was tired but the last battle and her hand was soft and warm and her thumb moved in little wiggles that seemed to make me want to melt.
I let out a sigh.
We walked out into the dying city as sun started to set. Back to Base.
**********
REA — POV
My name is Rea.
And I should have been dead three days ago.
The apocalypse didn't kill me.
Darius did.
Or tried to.
It's all a blur:
I was shopping with my dad and the next thing I knew, my dad's screaming, gunfire as people turned into mindless beasts or zombies. Hands dragging me pulling me, and the next thing I knew I was in a dark room... with them.
Being treated like nothing.
I thought today would be my last day.
When the boy — Elion — was shot in the chest, I thought, Good. At least he'll die quick.
I thought he'd be just another corpse tossed into the corner. And I was glad that another girl appeared that ment most likely Darius wouldn't touch me while he broke that bitch in, he might kill me, but I wasn't sure if he was the type to waste tools.
But he stood back up.
Alive. And he was changed. I felt it, he was dangerous.
And when he looked at Darius…
I saw fear for the first time on the man who killed my father, who never feared anything.
And I watched Elion kill him like flicking dust from his sleeve. He didn't torture him, like I would've wanted. But Darius, my tormenter was gone.
It should've relived me. I was now safe.
Instead…
It made my breathing harder again. I was terrified, because I knew how strong Darius was with his skill. I saw the Zombies he took down with that skill.
And now something worse than Darius now stood between me and the world — and I wasn't sure he was on my side.
But the next thing I knew he was offering me shelter.
He asked me to follow.
He told me he expected nothing. I didn't trust him. I learned you can't trust anyone in the apocalypse. You can only rely on your own strength. Then—
He handed me a skill orb — something impossible, something priceless — as casually as someone handing out gum. I saw Darius fight and kill a guy since he said he only had 4 Red orbs and he would take the next one.
But he handed me one freely. So now I had enough power to protect myself, and I followed him.
Because after what I'd been through?
He was the only thing that didn't feel like a threat. And I didn't have anywhere to go. I couldn't get to our house and even if I did I would be alone. Dad was dead.
We walked the ruined streets back to the apartment. Alexiy had introduced herself but Elion whispered in her ear, probably that I wanted some space, and to not be so trusting. I agreed. But she seemed upset at that and playfully punched him.
He over played the injury and they kept flirting like that as they walked the streets. Alexiy had grabbed his hand as they walked she would giggle from time to time about what he said, it was almost as if the two were on a date and not surviving zombies in the apocalypse.
But when a zombie appeared Elion took care of it almost instantly.
Elion moved like he'd always been this strong.
One zombie came too close — he twisted its neck with a flick of his fingers, like snapping a twig.
Another lunged — and he smashed its skull with a bat, his expression calm.
Alexiy fought too, lightning sparking from her fingers. She moved with fear — but also determination. She wasn't weak. Not anymore.
She introduced herself while we walked.
"Alexiy," she said, offering a small, shy smile. "I''m Elions partner."
"Rea," I said quietly.
Her smile softened. Kind. Warm.But underneath it… there was something else. Something harder.
I recognized it.
People who survived the end of the world didn't stay soft. I felt like she has some deep dark secret like mine. Perhaps even the same one.
Eventually we made it to an Apartment building as the sun had almost set, the final light slowly fading to a purple and black as night came calling.
We made out way to the forth floor and knocked on a door.
When the door swung open I was surprised to see the look of relief on their faces as the mother grabbed Alexiy into a fierce hug.
Elion turned to look back at me, and gave me short nod as he stepped in and was bull rushed by two younger children. I took a breath and stepped into the apartment.
The apartment was warm.
It smelled like real food.
Not the rot, and blood or sweat and tears. Or even the grime of captivity.
People looked at me.
But not the way Darius's group did.
And Elion made an introductions. "Guys this is Rea, we found her taken prisoner by some wanna be thugs. She'll be staying with us for the time being," then he pointed to each of the family in turn and introduced them.
The mother, Sarah, just looked sad for me. She most likely knew some of the stuff they did, but she could't imagine the worst of it.
The little boy, Aaron, stared with big eyes. "You look so pretty!" and that earned him. smack on the back of the head from his mother, as she went on to lecture him about manners.
She didn't mind it, she knew that a kid 12 year old didn't understand the real world yet and he was just complementing her looks...
While she had always been proud of her looks, now she was ashamed... After everything it was hard to feel pretty when she felt like garbage and wanted to crawl in a hole and die.
The last one though — Lily — she smiled like a little troublemaker meeting a new potential partner in crime.
I didn't speak.
I just nodded when Alexiy approached me, "We can sleep in my room and have a girls sleep over! I'm so excited it's my first sleep over!"
I wasn't planning on getting much sleep tonight, I wanted to practice my skill, but it seems I might say I'm tired to pretend to sleep early if she has this much energy.
Then I walked to a corner and sat.
I just sat there, listening, watching.
Trying to understand this new reality where I wasn't a prisoner or toy.
Elion pulled food out of thin air — a skill, obviously.
He told the family about the day. The grocery run, where they picked up a bunch of supplies, he guessed roughly over a year with feeding 10 people if rationed. Then the Pharmacy, and the fight with what he called a 'Variant'. a mutated zombie over 10 feet tall, with insane speed and strength, and then he got to the gun store, to his fight with Darius.
Except he simply said "Well they had guns so we had to be fast I used ice and telekinesis and it was quickly over. Luckily nobody got hurt badly, but that's why I took the guns. So less people have access to that kind of weapon."
Sarah started cooking, she said she was going to do a small feast since we don't have to super strict on rations, now that Elion has a half a grocery at his fingertips.
Aaron asked a thousand questions. About the fight, about skills, about variants and zombies, and if animals are zombies too.
Alexiy hovered near Elion like he was gravity. He was sitting on the couch and she was next to him almost draped over his arm with how close they ere, they were holding hands again and he was giggle as she made little doodles with her fingers and she played with his hand.
Elion for his part seemed tired, he simply sat there letting Alexiy play with his hand as his eyes closed he half answered Aarons endless questions. He was probably tired from the fight, I don't blame him, he did die... then some how came back to life stronger.
And Lily… She talked... a lot.
She came over to me.
"Bathroom's down the hall," she said, smiling. "C'mon."
I followed.
"You doing okay?" she asked.
I nodded. A lie. She might have some idea about my situation, but she didn't push. Then she surprised me.
"I don't know what happened to you," she said softly, "but you don't need to be scared here. Elion already cleared the whole floor. And he's not the type to make a girl uncomfortable..."
She grinned.
"And he already has my sister. Well I'm aiming for position two in the future harem. So if you wanna take a spot, you'll have to wait your turn, okay~?" then she turned and winked at me
I blinked.
What.
The.
Hell.
She winked. And while her tone was light and teasing I could see something in her eyes. they way she looked at me. She was dead serious.
Before I could respond, Alexiy showed up with clothes.
"These should fit. Take your time. When your done we'll have dinner and you can sleep or we can talk, I think Elion wants to go over tomorrows plans after dinner."
I simply said a quick "Thanks" grabbed the change of clothes, went inside and closed the door.
My hands shook. And I let out an exhale. While I I didn't know how to respond to a 16 year old's anouncemt of war. I was still trying to come to terms with this whole household and my current situation, before I could take a a step to start getting ready to shower—
A knock made me jump.
I opened the door a crack.
Elion stood there.
He had normal human eyes now, a silver hue that seemed to hold secrets and mystery. His calm expression, not the red eyes coldblooded killer that he was back at the gun store. It was like the monster I saw earlier was locked neatly away.
He held a small grocery bag.
"I wanted to give you supplies," he said simply with a faint friendly smile.
I took it slowly.
"…Thanks."
He nodded and walked away.
I dumped the bag onto the counter.
A hairbrush. Deodorant. Toothbrush. Toothpaste. Some tampons. Shampoo. Conditioner. Bodywash. Face wash. and the last thing was a pill box labeled 'Plan B.' I knew what this was, a contraception. There was a marker written on the side a note; "You're within the 72 hour window from the start of the apocalypse."
My breath hitched.
I stared at the pill for a long time.
Then swallowed it with the sink water.
Finally, I stepped into the shower.
Hot water hit my skin.
And for the fist time in days I felt safe, warm.
For the first time in days I felt normal.
And only then—
Only when no one could hear—
I cried. My tears flowing just as much as the shower.