The rain was relentless, a constant roar of water drumming against the roof, but inside the small safe house, the world was quiet. Zhang sat against the cold wall, the dim light from a small lantern flickering over his tired face. His shirt was off, revealing a deep gash across his side, hastily bandaged and stained with dried blood.He sighed, his breath shaky, and began to peel away the bandage. The wound wasn't as bad as he feared, but it still throbbed with a dull, aching pain. He grabbed a small cloth, soaked it in alcohol, and wiped around the wound, his teeth gritted against the sting.From across the room, Carter watched in silence. He had seen wounds like that before—too many times, back when things were normal. "You're doing it wrong," Carter said softly, stepping forward. "Let me help."Zhang, too tired to argue, gave a slight nod. Carter knelt beside him, grabbing a long, thin blade from the weapons pile. He glanced at the small stove they had used to cook dinner, the flames still burning low."This is gonna hurt," Carter muttered, setting the blade over the fire. The metal glowed orange after a few moments, and he lifted it carefully.Zhang bit down on a cloth, his jaw tight. "Just... do it," he managed to mumble through the fabric. His body tensed as Carter moved closer, his heart pounding in his chest.Carter pressed the hot blade against the wound, sealing it shut with a quick, practiced motion. The sizzle of burning flesh filled the air, mixing with the steady drumming of the rain. Zhang's eyes widened in pain, his body trembling as he held back a scream. The searing pain was unbearable, his vision swimming as sweat beaded on his forehead.His muscles tensed, but then the pain hit like a wave, crashing over him in unbearable intensity. His vision darkened, and everything went silent as he slumped forward, unconscious.Carter wiped the sweat from his own brow, looking at Zhang's unconscious form. "You'll be fine," he muttered under his breath, though he wasn't sure if Zhang could hear him.As he tended to the wound, Carter's eyes fell on something beneath Zhang's shirt—a small, old badge pinned to the fabric. He carefully unpinned it, holding it in his hands. It was worn, scratched from years of wear, but the insignia was unmistakable. Military.Carter's expression softened, and he set the badge aside gently. He leaned back, watching Zhang breathe slowly, the rise and fall of his chest barely visible under the dim light."You fought a lot, didn't you?" Carter whispered, almost to himself. He knew what it was like to be in a battle far too long, to carry scars that were more than just skin-deep.The rain kept pouring, and Carter found himself humming a tune—a soft, slow melody he'd heard soldiers sing in the field. It was a song meant to soothe, to help a soldier sleep peacefully despite the chaos around them. His voice was low, almost drowned out by the rain, but the sound was steady, calming.The tune carried through the room, filling the space with a quiet warmth. Outside, the world was brutal, a storm of monsters and chaos. But here, for a moment, there was peace.As Carter sang, Zhang's mind drifted. Memories flashed before him, scenes from a life that seemed so distant now.He was young, running through the streets with a backpack slung over one shoulder. The sun was shining, and laughter echoed in his ears as he and his friends raced toward the park. Everything felt light, easy. The world was full of promise, and danger was something that lived in stories, not reality.The image shifted. He was older now, standing in a room full of military recruits. The weight of a new uniform rested on his shoulders, the fabric crisp and clean. There was a sense of pride in his chest as he looked at the badge pinned to his lapel—the same badge Carter had found.More images flickered—missions, battles, the faces of friends and comrades. Some were smiling, others were grim, but all of them were etched into his memory.Then, the world shifted again. The city was burning. Screams filled the air. Monsters roamed the streets, tearing through buildings, hunting survivors. Zhang fought, his blade flashing in the firelight as he cut down creatures with desperate precision.The flashbacks faded as Carter's soft voice brought him back. The rain still hammered the roof, a steady reminder of the storm outside. Zhang's breathing had evened out, his body finally relaxed as the pain subsided.Carter finished the song, his voice trailing off into silence. He glanced at Zhang, then out the window. "You'll make it," he said softly, more to himself than anyone.He leaned back against the wall, the safehouse quiet again except for the sound of the storm. Despite everything, there was a strange comfort in this moment of calm—a rare peace amidst the chaos of the world outside.They weren't safe, not really. The monsters were still out there, and the city was still a battlefield. But for now, under the cover of the storm, they had found a brief reprieve.Carter watched over Zhang as the rain poured down, the world outside lost in shadow and rain, but in here, they were warm.