Alexia's eyes snapped open at the faint sound of birds outside the broken window. Morning sunlight filtered into the room, a sharp contrast to the suffocating darkness of the previous night. They had retreated from the market square to this dilapidated building on the outskirts of city H.
According to the map shown by Marcus they were currently in city H.
She stretched, wincing at the ache in her muscles. Around her, the other five survivors stirred awake. Marcus leaned against the wall checking his rifle. Jamie fiddled with a lighter while Tanya quietly organized her bag.
"We need supplies" Marcus announced, breaking the silence. "That little stunt last night burned through most of what we had left."
Alexia nodded. She had barely completed half of her mission to collect resources to stock the space, her progress bar sat at 20%, taunting her with its incompleteness.
"There's a place," Max said, breaking the silence. "A warehouse near the old docks. it's.... kind of a family secret. My dad used to stash supplies there when things got rough. Not many people know about it."
Tanya frowned. "And it's still there? not raided?"
"Should be" Max replied confidently.
Alexia weighed the risk. secret or not, any place untouched by scavengers this deep into the apocalypse would be a miracle. But it was their best lead, and she couldn't afford to waste time.
"Let's move out," she said.
The warehouse loomed in the distance, its rusted exterior blending with the decay of the surrounding area. The group approached cautiously, weapons ready.
"Stay alert," Alexia warned.
As they stepped inside, the stale air hit her like a wall. Rows of shelved stretched into the shadows, filled with crates and boxes. Max grinned, leading the way "Told you it'd still be here."
Alexia told the groups to split up to cover more ground, she moved methodically, scanning for food, medicine, and anything else useful as she did so she separated the items mentally putting some in the dimensional space while the others in the bag she carried.
The system chimed in her head:
[Progress: 75% complete. Reward Pending]
She allowed herself a small smile. Another crate or two and she'd be done.
A sudden shout shattered her focus. She spun around to see Tanya wrestling with a man in tattered clothes. More figures emerged from the shadows, armed with makeshift weapons.
"What the hell, where these guys come from?" Max stuttered out loud meanwhile Marcus raised his rifle.
The warehouse erupted into chaos. Alexia ducked behind a crate, slashing at an attacker with her machete. The system's calm voice cut through the noise:
[Strategy Recommendation: Eliminate or Isolate Targets]
She moved with precision, taking down one gang member after another. Slowly, the group gained the upper hand, and the surviving attackers fled.
"Is everyone okay?" Alexia asked, breathing heavily she felt like she needed to work more on her stamina.
"Fine," Marcus replied, though his tone was strained.
They regrouped amd resumed scavenging, the tension in the air palpable.
But the relief was short lived.
A guttural growl echoed through the warehouse, freezing them in their tracks.
"No," Tanya whispered, eyes wide.
Shadows moved at the edge of the warehouse, and they appeared, the infected, their twisted forms lurching forward with terrific speed.
"It's those freaks" Dean screamed.
The group fell into chaos once more, fighting desperately to hold them off. Alexia's machete sliced through rotting flesh as she maneuvered through the horde. But for every infected they killed, two more seemed to take their place.
"We're outnumbered!" Marcus shouted.
The infected pressed closer, their claws and teeth glinting in the dim light. Alexia fought with everything she had, but exhaustion began to take it's toll.
And then it happened, everything in slow motion.
She had turned to cover Marcus's side, only to feel his hands shove her forward-- straight into the path of the oncoming creatures.
"Marcus!" she screamed, disbelief and rage flooding her voice.
The creature's claws raked across her arms, and it's jagged blade stabbed into her side. Pain exploded through her body as she fell to the ground.
Through blurry vision, she saw Marcus and the others fleeing, their faces pale with fear.
They left her.
They left her to die here.
Used her as bait, as a distraction!!
Ha! she felt so desolate.
The system's voice rang out urgent and cold:
[Host Vital Signs Critical. Initiating Emergency Protocols.]
Alexia's vision darkened, and the last thing she heard was the guttural growls of the infected closing in.
She awoke to silence.
The pain was gone, replaced by an eerie calm. Alexia sat up slowly, her surrounding unfamiliar. She was no longer in the warehouse instead she was on a bed, a really soft one in a room painted with dark tones. She got of bed and walked out the room door, then noticed that she was in a Villa, and on the second floor. Walking out the door she saw an expanse of lush greenery. A sparkling stream ran through the area and the air smelled of fresh earth and flowers.
"What.... is this?" she muttered.
[Welcome to the System Sanctuary.] the system's voice chimed. [This space has been opened ahead of time due to unforeseen circumstances; it has been unlocked for Host's recovery and future operations. Time flows differently here. One month has passed in the outside world and you've been in here for three months.]
"One month?" Alexia whispered, her mind reeling.
The system continued:
[Host has been healed, and infection due to the injuries has been neutralized. You have unlocked your abilities however, to access them or it, quests will be required to be carried out and a progress bar would be filled, consider it as a repayment of debt.]
A glowing bar appeared in her mind, its emptiness a reminder of how far she has to go.
Alexia clenched her fist, anger and determination surging within her. Marcus and the other had betrayed her. They had left her for dead.
But she was alive.
And she would make them regret it.
"System can you give me a run through of what has happened in the past month that I was unconscious?" Alexia requested.
[A base has been set up in City B, you'll have to go there and make allies soon, and they've discovered there is not just one species of creatures roaming about but five so you must proceed with extra caution.]
After hearing what the system said, her gaze turned towards the horizon. Somewhere out there, the military had established a base. She would make her way over there and this time alone.
Because this time, she wasn't just fighting to survive.
She was fighting for something more.