POV: Jenna
Jenna's eyes fluttered open, the sounds of the battlefield replaced by a dull, eerie quiet. Her entire body felt like it had been steamrolled, twice. She groaned, attempting to sit up, only to have Carl's hand push her back down.
"Stay still," Carl said, his voice steady but softer than usual.
"Why? Did we win?" Jenna croaked, blinking up at him.
Carl's expression was unreadable, but he nodded. "We won."
Jenna let out a weak laugh. "Knew we could do it. Team awesome strikes again."
Carl raised an eyebrow. "You almost got yourself killed."
"Details," Jenna muttered, waving a limp hand. "Now help me up. I've got a victory speech to give."
"You're staying down," Carl said, his tone brooking no argument.
"Fine, but only because I'm too tired to argue," Jenna muttered, leaning back with a sigh.
---
POV: Rick
Rick surveyed the battlefield, his knife still in hand. The ground was littered with the remains of Kane's controlled zombies and the hulking forms of the berserkers. The air was heavy with the stench of blood and decay, but for the first time in what felt like forever, there was no immediate threat.
"Is it really over?" Sarah asked, leaning on her crowbar as she approached.
"For now," Rick replied, his voice grim. "But Kane said something before he died. Something about the stone awakening."
Sarah frowned. "The stone? You think it's connected to the apocalypse?"
Rick nodded slowly. "It has to be. We'll need to figure out what it means."
---
POV: Jenna
Jenna watched as Rick and Sarah talked, their expressions serious. "Oh great," she muttered. "They're planning something. I can feel it."
Carl glanced at her. "We should leave before anything else happens."
Jenna raised an eyebrow. "Leave? And miss the chance to rub our victory in everyone's faces?"
Carl gave her a look that could have melted steel. "Now, Jenna."
"Fine, fine," she said, raising her hands in mock surrender. "But I'm taking a victory snack." She reached into her portal, pulling out a slightly squished protein bar. "Breakfast of champions."
Carl shook his head, muttering something under his breath. Jenna grinned, taking a bite of the bar. "Don't worry, Carl. I'll share. Maybe."
---
POV: Rick
Rick approached Carl, his gaze flicking to Jenna, who was nibbling on her snack like it was the most important thing in the world. "What's her deal?" Rick asked quietly.
"She's… resilient," Carl said, his tone betraying a hint of amusement.
Rick smirked. "That's one way to put it. We need to move, though. If Kane was right, there might be more trouble coming."
Carl nodded. "We'll regroup, rest, and figure out our next steps."
"And Jenna?" Rick asked, glancing at her.
"She'll come around," Carl replied, his expression softening slightly. "She always does."
---
POV: Jenna
Jenna finished her snack, tossing the wrapper into her portal. "Alright, team," she said, clapping her hands weakly. "Let's get out of here before something else tries to kill us."
Her zombie gang growled in agreement, their glowing eyes scanning the surrounding area. Jenna managed a weak smile, patting one of them on the head. "Good job today, guys. You're the real MVPs."
Carl helped her to her feet, his grip steady and firm. "Can you walk?"
"Define walk," Jenna said, leaning heavily on him. "Because I'm more of a 'wobble dramatically' kind of gal right now."
Carl sighed but didn't let go. "Just stay close."
"You say that like I have a choice," Jenna muttered, grinning despite her exhaustion.
---
POV: Rick
The group began to move, leaving the ridge behind. Rick led the way, his knife still in hand as he scanned the forest for any signs of danger. The silence was unnerving, but he wasn't about to let his guard down.
"We'll need to find shelter," Rick said, glancing back at the group. "Somewhere to rest and regroup."
"And figure out what the hell Kane meant about the stone," Sarah added, her tone grim.
Rick nodded. "Yeah. That too."
---
POV: Kane
Far beneath the earth, the stone began to pulse, its light faint but growing stronger. Kane's last words echoed in the dark, a promise of something greater. Something unstoppable.
"It's never over."