He looked around, searching for Zomma, but the small boy was nowhere to be seen.
"Zomma?" he called out weakly. There was no response. Azriel's heart sank, and he felt a wave of sorrow wash over him. It felt like Zomma was gone. Suddenly, he heard shouting from outside, voices filled with panic and fear. A thought struck him, and he muttered, "Mom!"
He took one last look at where Zomma had been. "I'm sorry," he whispered, then turned and ran outside. What he saw made his heart drop even further. Their base was completely destroyed. Buildings lay in ruins, smoke and fire were everywhere, and mutant zombies roamed freely.
There were not many survivors in sight, but Azriel clung to the hope that maybe the others had made it to the underground shelters. He had to believe that.
