The sun hadn't risen yet when Arden started the engine. The old, worn-out jeep sputtered to life with a low growl as the gray silence between night and dawn settled over them. Nina sat in the passenger seat, eyes on the road, but her mind was elsewhere. In the backseat, Kyra was staring out of the window with hollow eyes, while Mia, holding a small radio in her lap, was fiddling with it using a small screwdriver.
For a while, no one spoke. The city was now behind them. New York's concrete jungle and its screaming streets had given way to the quiet, desolate countryside. Everyone had different thoughts on their minds, but no words escaped their lips. The only sounds were the hum of the engine and the noise of the tires on the cracked asphalt.
After some time, Kyra broke the silence."Where are we going?" she asked, her eyes still glued to the window.
Arden kept his hands firmly on the wheel, his gaze on the road."West. Fewer people. Fewer zombies. Maybe some life left."
"Or maybe just another disappointment," Kyra muttered, her voice more tired than usual, as though the weight of the world had cracked her armor just a little bit.
Nina turned her gaze to Kyra."What about you, Mia? What were you doing in the city?"
Mia hesitated, then slowly lifted her eyes."I was studying electronics at Columbia University. When everything fell apart, I was at the dorm. I kept the generator running for a while, but eventually, I had to leave. I met Kyra by chance."
Kyra turned slightly toward Mia."She was hiding in an apartment that was about to collapse. Zombies surrounded her, and she was still trying to set up a radio antenna on the roof."
Arden let out a faint smile."Most people focus on staying alive. You were looking for a signal."
Mia looked down, her voice quieter this time."I thought maybe someone else was still alive. It was a foolish hope, I guess."
The car fell into silence again. The radio crackled with static. No stations were coming through.
Nina turned her eyes toward Kyra."And you? You've been surviving all this time with just a sword?"
Kyra answered without looking at her."A sword is silent. Bullets run out. Anything that makes noise attracts danger. Zombies, people... silence is always the best weapon."
Nina pursed her lips."Right. Silent and showy." There was a hint of disdain in her tone, but there was something else too—an undercurrent of jealousy in her eyes.
Arden glanced at Kyra through the rearview mirror."Where did you learn to fight so well? From your father?"
Kyra slightly tilted her head."Yes. My dad was an old sword master. He taught me when I was little. It started as a hobby, but one day, it saved my life."
Mia chimed in."If it wasn't for Kyra, I would've been dead long ago. Every time I was about to give up, she pulled me out of it somehow."
Nina sighed, her gaze now on Arden."We're like that too. Arden saved me countless times."Her voice wavered."If it weren't for him... I'd be torn apart by now."
Arden kept his eyes on the road but spoke with a calm tone."I didn't set out to form a group. I just want to survive. But if someone's walking the same path, I won't leave them behind."
Kyra gave a small shake of her head."There's no such thing as trust anymore. But maybe... there's still something like companionship."
Mia's voice broke through."Did you hear that? A signal. Someone's talking about a shelter up north!"
Arden didn't take his eyes off the road, his voice firm."If the coordinates clear up, we'll check it out. But our priority is food, fuel, and a safe place."
Nina rested her head against the window. She closed her eyes."Do you think... one day, life can go back to normal?"
Kyra answered without hesitation."Normal is a fantasy now. But maybe, a new order will be formed. With the ones who survive..."
The radio crackled once again, but this time, a faint voice came through."...Center... north... shelter..."Then more static.
Mia quickly put down the screwdriver and looked at the others, excited."Did you hear that? It was a call. Someone's talking about a shelter up north!"
Arden nodded."Let's see if we can get a clear signal. But we're not getting distracted. We stay on course."
Nina leaned her head against the glass. The view ahead was still distant, a landscape stretching under the early light. It was a vast, open field with a sky turning pink, signaling the arrival of a new day. Four people, with different pasts, their paths uncertain, but now bound together by the same fate.
The conversations had quieted, but the silence between them wasn't empty. It was meaningful. The stillness of the road was becoming the foundation of their bond.