POV: Jenna
Jenna sprawled on the bunker floor, her zombie gang forming a protective semicircle around her. She was beyond exhausted, her muscles screaming in protest every time she so much as breathed. "So," she said, breaking the silence. "What's the plan? Please tell me it involves snacks and a nap."
Rick didn't even glance at her as he paced the room, his knife still in hand. "We need to destroy the stone."
"Cool," Jenna said, raising a weak hand. "You go do that, and I'll cheer you on from here."
Rick stopped pacing, fixing her with a look that could have frozen lava. "We can't do it without you."
Jenna groaned, dropping her hand. "I was afraid you'd say that."
---
POV: Carl
Carl stood by the door, his sword resting against his shoulder. His sharp eyes scanned the dimly lit room, taking in the ragged group around him. Jenna was clearly at her limit, Rick was tense and agitated, and Sarah looked like she might collapse any second.
"We need rest," Carl said firmly. "If we go back out there like this, we'll die before we reach the stone."
Rick shook his head. "We don't have time. The longer we wait, the stronger the stone gets. You felt those tremors—it's waking up."
"And if we go now, it'll kill us all," Carl replied, his tone calm but resolute. "We're no good to anyone if we're dead."
---
POV: Jenna
Jenna raised a hand weakly. "For once, I agree with Carl. I need at least twenty minutes to lie here and contemplate all the bad decisions that led me to this point."
Carl's lips twitched, almost forming a smile. "Make it an hour."
Rick sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Fine. One hour. But then we move."
Jenna grinned, propping herself up on one elbow. "Look at you, Carl. Being all reasonable and heroic. You're really growing on me."
Carl ignored her, but the faintest hint of a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
---
POV: Rick
Rick leaned against the wall, his mind racing. The stone was a problem unlike anything they'd faced before. It wasn't just a physical threat—it was something more, something ancient and incomprehensible. And the longer they waited, the more powerful it became.
"We'll need a plan," Rick said, his voice low. "Something that keeps us alive long enough to destroy it."
Sarah nodded, though she looked doubtful. "And how exactly do we destroy something like that? It's not like we can just smash it with a rock."
Rick didn't have an answer. His gaze flicked to Jenna, who was now leaning against her zombie gang like a makeshift pillow. Her space ability was the wild card, the one thing that might give them an edge. But it was also unpredictable, and Jenna's stamina was running dangerously low.
---
POV: Jenna
Jenna stretched her legs out, wincing as her sore muscles protested. "So, just to be clear," she said, glancing around the room. "The plan is to march back to the creepy glowing pit of doom and poke it with sticks until it stops being creepy and glowing. Sound about right?"
Rick rolled his eyes. "It's a little more complicated than that."
"Good," Jenna said, stifling a yawn. "Because I was starting to think you didn't have a plan at all."
Carl stepped closer, his voice low. "You're not fighting like this."
Jenna blinked up at him, surprised by the concern in his tone. "Aw, Carl, are you worried about me?"
"I'm worried about the mission," Carl replied, though his expression softened slightly. "We need you at full strength."
Jenna smirked, pulling a slightly squished protein bar from her portal. "Don't worry, I'm recharging. See? Totally responsible."
Carl sighed, shaking his head. "Just don't push yourself too hard."
"No promises," Jenna said, grinning as she took a bite of the bar.
---
POV: Rick
Rick glanced at Carl, his brow furrowing. "She's not ready."
"She will be," Carl replied, his tone firm.
Rick wasn't convinced. Jenna was resourceful, but she was also reckless, and they couldn't afford any mistakes. Not now.
"Get some rest," Rick said, addressing the group. "We move in one hour."
---
POV: Jenna
Jenna leaned back, letting her zombie gang surround her like a protective barrier. The faint glow of the bunker's emergency lights cast long shadows on the walls, and the ever-present tremors from the stone were like a heartbeat beneath her feet.
She closed her eyes, trying to ignore the gnawing fear in her chest. The stone was waking up, and whatever was coming next, she wasn't sure if they were ready for it.
"Don't worry, guys," she whispered to her zombies. "We'll figure it out. Probably."
Her zombies growled softly, their glowing eyes fixed on her. Jenna managed a weak smile, letting herself relax for the first time in what felt like days.
---
POV: Kane
Far beneath the surface, the stone pulsed again, its light growing brighter. The energy it radiated seeped into the earth, spreading like veins through a living body. The tremors intensified, cracks forming in the surrounding rock as the ancient artifact prepared to reveal its true power.
Kane's voice echoed faintly, a sinister whisper carried on the energy. "They will come. And they will fall."