The moment I turned, I froze.
Rows of guns were aimed squarely at me, their cold steel glinting ominously in the faint light.
My stomach dropped as I took in the sight of the people holding them.
Some wore sleek, futuristic suits that shimmered faintly, brimming with energy.
I recognized those immediately...
They are Awakened.
The elite fighters who had abilities far beyond ordinary humans.
The others were clad in standard military uniforms, their weapons steady and expressions grim.
I knew exactly who they were.
They are Regular soldiers.
This was one of the novel's specialized military units, trained to handle small outbreaks, monsters, and threats like the infected.
Which, apparently, they thought I was.
"Who are you, no. What are you?" one of them barked, his voice sharp and authoritative.
"My name is Sky, I'm a private in the military" i said, due to the uniform I am wearing I knew I was in the military.
"We know who you are, but about you being a human, are you sure you are still one" another said
"I still have perfectly shaped hands, a handsome face, and perfect eyes, two legs and I am still speaking properly, plus my brain is still working perfectly fine" I answered almost mockingly which didn't matter at the moment.
Are these guys blind or just dumb, what kind of question are they asking.
"Let's get straight to the point, Are you infected?" A male awakened demanded, stepping closer, his finger hovering too close to the trigger.
Not good.
"No I'm not infected" I said quickly, raising my hands in what I hoped was a non-threatening gesture.
But they didn't seem convinced.
"How do we know that?" one of the soldiers in uniform growled.
"From what we saw, you were running away from an infected. Meaning, you're already got in contact with it before we arrived." Another said.
"I'm normal" I insisted.
My heart was racing, the weight of their suspicion pressing down on me.
"I killed the infected, Yes. It's dead. And I'm clean, I made sure to stay far from it, I not lying!"
Things where already getting bitter.
They don't seem to trust me.
"Mind to explain how you claim you are not infected" a man with dark red hair asked.
"But Sergeant Thomas, there is no use asking him about that, there is already a full evidence that proves he is infected"
"Silence" Sergeant Thomas shouted.
The soldier kept quiet, fearing not to speak, Sergeant Thomas faced me and said
"Now explain and make it quick, I don't have all day, and remember you life depends on how you answer, so don't dare leave any important details or lie to me, I don't joke around" he reloaded his gun showing he wasn't joking.
I knew better than to do that, especially to this guy.
Because, he sure will shot me if I lie.
Which I wasn't planning to either.
"I gave the infected soldier a long distance between us making sure it didn't get close to me, to avoid getting infected" I said.
"You are saying that it just left you to go running, while you carried a gun and shot at it, without even attempting to attack you... What do you take me for, are you trying to fool me?" Thomas spat out looking really annoyed and pissed off.
"No I am not. When it lunged at me to attack, i dodge it, before it could regain itself I began running looking for something to kill it in it early transformation" I answered.
This was going to be difficult.
"That doesn't explain why you may not be infected" Thomas said slowly with a grin.
Huh.
"What do you mean, Sir" I answered trying to keep cool.
"You where running on top of dead soldiers who where probably killed by an infectious monster, meaning they are also infected and you carried a gun that belongs to one of them, you know what that means..." Thomas said coldly.
"Yes I know, but I'm not infected, I still feel okay, nothing is wrong with me." I answered.
The awakened man earlier exchanged glances with the other few awakeneds, their glowing visors unreadable.
The man stepped forward.
His cyber suit hummed ominously as if amplifying his rage.
"Enough with the excuses," he snapped. His voice was distorted slightly by the helmet, making it sound even more menacing. "If you're infected, you're a threat. If you're lying, you're a bigger threat, in the end you are an infected nobody."
"I'm not lying" I said, taking a slow step back, but the barrel of his weapon followed me.
"You've already wasted enough time," the man snarled, raising his weapon. "I'll end this now-"
"Stop!"
The voice cut through the tense air like a blade, firm yet calm.
A figure stepped out from the group, her stance confident and deliberate.
That immediately drew every gaze.
She wore a cyber suit like the others, but her visor was retracted, revealing her face.
She couldn't have been much older than me maybe in her early twenties, Her golden hair shimmered under the fading light, and her deep gold eyes carried a mixture of authority and warmth.
Her gold cyber suit clung to her slender frame, glowing faintly at the seams, the embodiment of power and elegance.
Wait, but why is everything gold...
And it also looks familiar.
Her sharp eyes locked onto the man about to shoot me.
"Don't shoot"