The elderly man leans forward, his weathered face illuminated by the flickering candlelight. His eyes shine with a mixture of pride and determination, the depth of his conviction evident in every line of his expression. "You see," he begins, his voice low and conspiratorial, as if sharing a precious secret, "we have managed to get hold of survivors from our other branches who are coming from the North to join us here in the South. They have braved countless dangers and hardships to make this journey, all in the name of our shared cause."
I can't help but let my surprise show on my face, my eyebrows rising in disbelief. "The North? But I thought that area was completely abandoned, with almost everyone having moved to the South in the wake of the outbreak and the government's crackdown."
