The cold was starting to fade. Winter did not disappear all at once, it loosened its grip slowly, almost reluctantly. Snow still covered most of the ground, but it had begun to soften, sinking slightly under each step instead of crunching sharply like before. In some places, the white layer had thinned enough to reveal dark, damp soil beneath. Drops of water fell steadily from branches overhead, and faint cracks echoed as ice weakened and broke apart. The air itself had changed. It was still cold, but no longer harsh. There was a quiet shift in it, something subtle, something alive.
Spring was coming.
It should have felt hopeful.
Instead, it felt uncertain.
Mia stood just outside the bunker entrance, her eyes scanning the forest with her usual calm focus. The trees remained mostly bare, their thin branches stretching against a pale sky, but something about them felt different now. The stillness of winter had faded. In its place was a quiet tension, as if the world itself was holding its breath, waiting for something unseen.
Behind her, Luis stepped out and secured the bunker hatch. The door locked with a low, solid sound that echoed briefly before fading into the forest's quiet.
"Clear so far," he said, his gaze sweeping the area ahead.
Mia gave a small nod. "The snow is melting."
"That means more movement."
"It already has," she replied.
They both understood what she meant.
The infected.
Luis adjusted the weapon resting against his shoulder, his posture relaxed but alert. "We'll do a short check."
"North side first," Mia said.
"Alright."
They began walking.
Their steps were quiet against the damp ground. The snow no longer resisted, it gave way softly, uneven beneath their feet. The forest seemed more open now, light slipping through branches that had once been heavy with frost. The silence was no longer complete, broken now by faint drips of melting ice and distant, indistinct sounds.
Everything looked calm.
Too calm.
Neither of them mentioned what had happened the night before. The kiss remained unspoken, left where it had happened, untouched by daylight. Luis did not bring it up. He did not push, did not question, did not force meaning into something Mia had not chosen to define. And Mia did not speak of it either.
Somehow, that silence made things easier.
There was no pressure between them. No tension pulling at their movements. Just a quiet understanding that did not need to be explained.
They walked side by side, close enough to react if needed, but not close enough to disturb each other's space.
After a while, Luis spoke.
"You're quiet."
Mia kept her eyes forward. "I'm watching."
"You always are."
A brief pause passed between them before he added, "More than usual."
Mia exhaled softly. "Things are changing."
Luis glanced around the forest. "Because of the season?"
"Yes."
"That should help us."
"Maybe," she said. "Or maybe not."
Luis looked at her briefly. "You think it'll get worse."
"I think it'll be different," Mia replied.
That was enough.
They continued forward in silence.
As they moved deeper into the forest, the signs of change became clearer. The snow had melted unevenly, leaving patches of exposed ground and shallow puddles forming in low areas. The air carried a faint scent of damp earth. It was subtle, but noticeable—life returning, slowly, beneath everything else.
Then Luis slowed.
"Tracks," he said.
Mia followed his gaze downward.
There, pressed into the softened ground, were marks. Not deep, but clear enough to identify.
Animal.
"Recent," she said.
Luis crouched slightly, studying them with a focused expression. "Big."
Mia stepped closer, careful not to disturb the tracks. "The pattern is strange."
Luis looked up. "How?"
"They're too direct," she said. "No wandering. No hesitation."
Luis stood again, his eyes narrowing slightly as he scanned the surrounding trees. "Hunting?"
Mia did not answer immediately.
"…Yes."
The word settled heavily between them.
Then they heard it.
A low sound.
Both of them froze instantly.
Luis's hand moved toward his weapon, his body shifting into readiness without hesitation. Mia's attention locked forward, every detail sharpening in her mind.
Something moved between the trees ahead.
At first, it looked normal.
A wolf.
Large. Lean. Its fur was uneven, with patches missing, its body thinner than it should have been.
It stepped forward slowly, its gaze fixed directly on them.
Mia's voice dropped. "…That's not normal."
"I see it," Luis said.
The wolf did not act like a normal animal.
There was no hesitation in its movements. No circling. No caution.
Just focus.
Then it growled.
Low.
Wrong.
Mia's eyes sharpened. "Infected."
Luis shifted slightly closer to her. "Too close."
The wolf took another step forward.
Its movements were unnatural, not weak, but off. As if something about the way it moved did not match what it should be. Its eyes were empty, but locked onto them with unsettling precision.
Mia spoke quietly. "It's going to attack."
Luis was already ready.
The wolf tensed.
And lunged.
It moved fast—too fast.
Mia stepped back, but the distance between them was already gone,
Then something hit it.
Hard.
A blur cut through the space between them, slamming into the wolf and dragging it away with overwhelming force. The wolf let out a sharp, twisted snarl, its body thrashing as it was pulled back.
Luis grabbed Mia instantly, pulling her away from the path of the attack.
Both of them looked forward.
Felix.
There was no doubt.
He moved with unnatural speed, his form barely visible as he forced the wolf away from them. His grip was absolute, his movements controlled and precise. The wolf fought back, snapping and struggling, but it made no difference.
Felix was stronger.
He did not hesitate. He did not falter.
He simply overpowered it.
In seconds, the two of them disappeared into the trees, swallowed by the forest as if they had never been there at all.
Silence returned.
Mia did not move.
Luis's hand was still wrapped around her arm.
"…That was him," Luis said.
Mia nodded once.
"He stopped it."
Luis's gaze remained fixed on the trees where Felix had vanished. "That wasn't random."
"No," Mia said.
He turned to her. "We're going back."
She did not argue.
They moved immediately, their pace quick but controlled. Not panicked, never that but fast enough to leave the area without hesitation.
Luis stayed close to her as they moved. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
"Did it touch you?"
"No."
"Too close."
"I know."
They reached the bunker entrance quickly. Luis unlocked it without delay, and they stepped inside. The door sealed behind them with a firm, final sound.
Only then did they stop. The air inside felt different. Safer but not calm. Mia took a slow breath, steadying herself.
Luis looked at her, his expression focused. "That wolf…"
"It was infected," she said.
"That's not all."
Mia understood immediately.
"…Felix reacted," she said.
Luis nodded. "He didn't just control it. He attacked it."
"Yes."
Silence settled between them again, heavier this time.
Then Mia spoke quietly, "He's not just watching anymore."
Luis crossed his arms slightly, his gaze thoughtful. "He's protecting something."
Mia did not answer right away but she understood. She looked toward the corridor leading deeper into the bunker.
"…Spring is coming," she said.
Luis followed her gaze. "It should mean change."
Mia gave a small nod.
"It already does."
Outside, the snow continued to melt.
And something else,
Something neither of them fully understood yet,
Was changing with it.