The distant, frightening sound of shuffling feet interrupted the nighttime calm. Mara lay in the dark, feeling the cold, suffocating air press down on her. She had barely slept, plagued by the sight of the shadow outside the barricades. Her senses had been on high alert, with each sound accentuated by the darkness.
A gentle shake of her shoulder brought her back to the present. It became Iris, her face bright and her eyes wide with fright.
"They're coming," Iris said softly, her voice wavering. "They're near i'm able to sense it."
Mara shot up, looked across to where Caleb had changed into a retaining watch beside the barricade. She went fast towards him, her heart hammering. "Caleb, we want to be prepared. "Iris says they are coming."
Caleb's expression stiffened, and he didn't waste time. "Everyone up!" he exclaimed, his voice piercing in the silence.
The organization shook, drowsy faces becoming aroused as terror crept in. They sprang to their feet, grabbing weapons and arranging themselves as intended during daytime hours. June, already awake, began putting together her makeshift scientific station, her expression focused yet apprehensive. Leo joined Caleb and Mara, a bleak determination coming about him.
The first wave of zombies broke against the barricade moments later, their bony arms grasping at the sturdy wood and groans echoing into the night. The barricade rocked under the weight of the horde, causing vibrations on the floor. Mara clutched her weapon securely, snatching a short glance at Caleb, whose gaze hardened, his consciousness absolute.
"keep steady!" Caleb shouted, his voice cutting through the commotion.
The zombies have been persistent, their bodies pushing forward, aided by some mindless starvation that has fueled their patience. They surged on the barricade, pushing and clawing, dead eyes fixed on the surviving inside.
Mara and Caleb fought side by side, each blow accurate, their movements linked in a way that astounded even them. She felt an unusual sense of familiarity, as if they had done this before, in another existence. The thought became transient but forceful, infusing her with an ordinary, incomprehensible excitement. Caleb noticed it too, his gaze drawn to her as they hesitated for a moment.
"You move as if you've done this before," he whispered, just loud enough to be heard over the chaos.
Mara hesitated, her heart racing for a specific purpose. "Perhaps in another lifestyle," she responded, attempting a lightness she didn't feel.
Caleb's stare hardened, and a glimmer of interest appeared in his eyes. "Maybe," he continued slowly, "you're not telling me everything."
Before she could respond, the barricade shattered as a group of zombies drove through an unreinforced section. Mara's thoughts were fragmented as adrenaline took over, forcing her to see the immediate risk. She pushed lower back against the oncoming surge, hacking at rotting limbs and faces with savage effectiveness, while Caleb used her side.
Ryder and Leo fought with equal ferocity throughout the barricade, with each hit reverberating in the darkness. Despite the horror surrounding them, Ryder's face was set with grim resolve, his strikes hard and unrelenting, as if he had been laying down memories as well as monsters. Leo, his regular smirk replaced by steely resolve, let out a cry as he pushed a group of zombies back, pushing the remains against the barricade.
Through the cloud of combat, Mara watched June working feverishly, her palms covered in blood, to stitch up a serious gash on one of the institution's members who had been brought too near the barricade. Her face grew strained but determined, each gesture precise, each instruction to the wounded calm and clean.
A second wave hit the barricade, harder than the first, and Mara felt her fingers weaken and her breath come in gasps. But there has been no preventing or resting. She became engrossed in a rhythm, her focus concentrated to each step, every swing. She could feel Caleb beside her, his presence steadying her as they fought together to keep the barricade intact.
At the same time, a scream cut through the air; a survivor had been dragged over the barricade and pushed into the swarm of zombies clawing just past. Ryder lunged forward, aiming for the individual, but it was too late. The survivor's cries sank to quiet, smothered by the groaning crowd.
A new wave of undead rushed in, unrelenting. Caleb, breathing rapidly, gave Mara a quick nod and a spark of encouragement in his eyes.
"Stay with me," he replied, his voice comforting.
They fought side by side, movements in rhythm, covering each other's blind spots as they pushed back the undead. Mara should have sensed the tiredness setting in, but Caleb's presence became a constant pressure, a reminder that they were not alone in their efforts.
Iris' voice cut through the background commotion, panic in her words. "They are coming from the west! "Another wave!"
Caleb gave Mara a sad look, his brow furrowing. "We want to improve that part. Now!"
Mara moved without hesitation, crying out to the others as she took her position on the western side of the barricade. The ground rocked beneath her feet as the throng advanced, their shadowy paperwork just visible in the dark light. She swung her sword, the impact resonating up her palms, her focus unwavering.
June was utilizing her facet in moments, holding a makeshift bandage kit in one hand and a short blade in the other. "I'll keep them patched up; just don't let them thru."
Mara felt her strength wane as a clean wave of undead approached. She looked at June, whose palms were crimson with blood and her face was a mask of concentration as she put a bandage around a survivor's arm. The woman beside her winced but remained firm, holding her weapon with white-knuckled determination.
Among the tumult, Caleb pushed his way to Mara's side. Blood marred his cheeks, his gaze dark yet unwavering. They fought together, each responding to the opposite, an unspoken message binding them as the throng drew closer.
Caleb's words cut through the chaos as they swung and struck her. "You're maintaining returned," he replied, his tone tough and almost playful.
Mara gritted her teeth, overcoming her exhaustion. "consider me, I'm giving the entirety I've were given."
However, Caleb shook his head, his eyes flaming. "I assume you've were given extra in you than you comprehend." He swung his weapon forcefully, sending a zombie flying back into the gathering. "You're stronger than you observed, Mara."
A flash of energy coursed through her at his words, a reminder that she had been motionless and preventing. She did not speak, but met his stare with her own willpower, her figure moving instinctively as they drove the throng back all over again.
The night stretched on, with each instant blending into the next. It was impossible to say how long they'd been fighting; most likely, tiredness had entered into their bones, threatening to draw them down. The barricade cracked under the weight of the undead, splintering in places as they clawed and drove, relentless in their hunger.
Mara felt a stinging pain slice across her leg at an undefined moment in the future. She tripped, catching herself, her imaginative and clairvoyant abilities blurring for a split second. But Caleb's hand came out to stabilize her, his expression a mix of concern and determination.
"Stay with me," he said, his voice low but strong.
She nodded, breathing through the agony and forced herself to remain focused. They fought on, aspect by aspect, the swarm gradually diminishing, each strike bringing them closer to survival.
As the light rose above the horizon, the undead's barricade fell, their remains scattering the ground outside. Mara collapsed to her knees, heavily breathing, the weight of tiredness settling on her like a heavy blanket. Caleb knelt alongside her and rested his hand on her shoulder.
"We did it," he murmured, a slight smile breaking through his tired face.
Mara nodded, too tired to react, her mind numbed by the hours of preventing. She looked around, taking in the damage. The barricade was battered, yet it still stood as a testament to their strength and resolve.
June transitioned into tending to the wounded, her arms gentle yet firm as she cleaned and patched wounds. Her face became drawn, but there was a furious cure in her eyes, a quiet power that expressed a determination to keep them all alive.
As the morning light crept over the horizon, exposing the debris, a silence fell over the group, weighted with both relief and sadness. They had survived, but the cost was high, and the loss weighed heavily on all of them.
Mara gazed at Caleb, his face weary but serene, his eyes meeting hers with an intensity that made her gasp. She sensed an unsaid tie between them, something cast inside the furnace of combat, a belief that transcended words.
However, when she moved her sight to the horizon, a flash of activity caught her attention: a shadow moving away into the bushes and disappearing before she could fully register it. A shiver raced down her spine, a sense of unease tingling at the edge of her mind.
"We're not alone," she muttered, barely audible.
Caleb followed her look, his face deepening. "Then we live alert," he replied, his voice low and promising.
The thrill of victory evaporated, replaced by a nagging anxiety that enveloped them like a shroud. As they stood inside the shattered calm of sunrise, Mara couldn't shake the feeling that the conflict was far from ended and that anything was hiding in the
Shadows had only just begun.