Zhang Wei moved cautiously through the dark forest. His senses were on edge, his eyes darting from shadow to shadow. The rain had finally let up, leaving the world damp and cold. Every step he took felt like it echoed in the night, even though the forest was eerily silent—too silent.As he walked, he suddenly caught sight of a faint glow ahead. The soft flicker of firelight. Zhang stopped, gripping the shears in his hand and narrowing his eyes. His heart raced—could it be his comrades? Or another group of survivors? Monsters didn't make campfires."Whoever they are, I need to find out..." he muttered under his breath, crouching low as he approached the light.He moved slowly, carefully, trying to stay quiet. As he got closer, he began to hear voices—low, murmured conversation. There were people, real people, and they didn't sound like they were in distress. The tension in Zhang's body eased, just a little. He straightened up and walked forward, making his presence known.A few heads turned in his direction, startled. There were five of them, huddled around a small campfire in the middle of the forest. Zhang could see the exhaustion on their faces, the dirt and grime covering their clothes. They were survivors, like him."Whoa, hold up," one of the men said, standing up quickly, his hand instinctively reaching for the handle of a small knife at his belt. "Who are you?""Easy," Zhang said, raising his hands slightly in a gesture of peace. "I'm not here to fight. I'm just... another survivor."The man eyed him for a moment, then relaxed, lowering his hand from the knife. "Sorry. We've been on edge, you know, with everything out there.""I get it," Zhang replied, stepping closer to the fire. The warmth from the flames was a welcome change after the cold dampness of the forest. "Mind if I sit?""Go ahead," a woman said, motioning to a spot by the fire. She had short, cropped hair and wore a torn jacket that looked like it had once belonged to a police officer.Zhang sat down, the fire casting flickering shadows across his face. He could feel the eyes of the other survivors on him, studying him, trying to figure out if they could trust him. He glanced around the group. They were from different districts, but all of them had the same look—worn down by the chaos, but still alive, still fighting."I'm Zhang Wei," he said quietly, introducing himself. "I came from District 9. I've been on my own for a while now.""District 9, huh?" the man with the knife said, sitting back down. He had broad shoulders and a military buzz cut. "I'm Carter. I used to be in the military, stationed in District 7. Guess it doesn't matter much now, though."Zhang nodded. "The military... didn't make it either?"Carter let out a bitter laugh. "We held on for a while. Tried to evacuate civilians, set up defenses. But when those things came... it was over. They tore through our lines like we were nothing. I lost my entire unit in one night."The group fell silent for a moment, the weight of Carter's words sinking in. The fire crackled softly, filling the silence. Zhang could hear the faint roar of monsters in the distance, a constant reminder of the danger lurking nearby.Another man, younger and wearing a ragged hoodie, spoke up next. "I'm Jason. I was... well, I worked at a grocery store before all this. District 4. When the city fell, it was chaos. People were panicking, looting. The military tried to keep order, but when the demons showed up, everyone just ran. I saw my neighborhood get swallowed up in flames.""Same in District 6," the woman with the short hair added. "I'm Maria, by the way. I was a cop, part of the first response team when everything went to hell. We were told to evacuate people, but the streets were clogged, and the monsters... God, the monsters just came out of nowhere. We didn't stand a chance."Zhang listened as they shared their stories, each of them recounting the fall of their cities. It was the same everywhere—the demons, the monsters, the alien creatures had overwhelmed them all. The military, the police, the government—they had all tried, but it wasn't enough. The bombs had dropped, the skies had darkened, and now... now it was just survival."I was lucky to get out of District 9," Zhang muttered, staring into the fire. "The buildings started collapsing, and I barely made it through. I lost my team in the chaos, and I've been looking for them ever since. I thought... maybe they'd made it through."Maria shook her head slowly. "I'm sorry, but... if they're not here, they might not have made it."Zhang clenched his jaw, the reality of her words sinking in. He had held onto hope for so long, but now, hearing the stories of the others, he knew the truth. His team was gone.Carter glanced at Zhang. "What's your plan now? You can't survive out here forever.""I found a map," Zhang replied, pulling it out from his pocket and showing it to the group. "It's marked by my comrades. There's a safe zone not far from here—if it's still standing."Jason looked at the map, then back at Zhang. "You think it's safe?"Zhang shrugged. "It's the only lead I've got. Better than staying out here."The group exchanged glances, and Maria sighed. "If you're heading there, we'll come with you. Safety in numbers, right?"Zhang nodded. "Yeah. We move at dawn."The fire crackled softly, and the group settled into a heavy silence, each of them lost in their thoughts. The sounds of war rumbled in the distance—the steady boom of bombs, the unearthly shrieks of monsters. It felt like the end of the world, but in that moment, sitting around the fire, Zhang felt a flicker of something—maybe hope, maybe just the instinct to survive.Whatever it was, it was enough to keep him going.