He exhaled sharply. This woman wasn't like the panicked survivors out there. She knew something, maybe even more than him. That made her a potential ally or a threat. The problem was, he couldn't tell which yet.
"Fine," he said after a long, tense pause, his voice steady despite the uncertainty gnawing at him. "What do you want?"
Lisa folded her arms, her gaze flicking to the bodies scattered around them. The metallic stench of blood hung thick in the air, a grim reminder of the violence that had erupted in the chaos. "First, let's get out of here," she said, her tone matter-of-fact. "This place is starting to stink."
Leo hesitated, his instincts screaming at him to tread carefully. Taking her somewhere safer meant trusting her more than he wanted to, but staying here, exposed in the open, was a death sentence in this new, brutal world. The streets were no longer safe, not with the chaos spreading like wildfire. After a moment, he gave a nod, his decision made. "Follow me."
She fell into step beside him as they moved through the shattered streets, her presence a silent shadow at his side. The city had transformed overnight, its once-vibrant energy replaced by a haunting stillness. The sidewalks, once bustling with life, were now eerily empty, the only sound the crunch of broken glass under their boots.
In the distance, the echoes of chaos—screams, crashes, and the occasional crack of gunfire—reminded them that the world was unraveling fast, and there was no going back.
Leo led her to the New York Public Library, a place he'd chosen as a temporary base. The grand building still stood strong, its stone façade a testament to its resilience, and the barricades he'd set up remained untouched.
Once inside, he secured the heavy doors behind them, the sound of the lock clicking into place a small comfort in the midst of uncertainty. He turned to face her, his expression hard and unyielding. "Talk."
Lisa took her time, her fingers brushing over the spines of ancient books as she wandered the room, her movements deliberate and unhurried. She seemed to be sizing up the space, taking in every detail, before finally settling into a chair as if she had all the time in the world.
"You really like this place, huh?" she said, her tone almost teasing.
Leo didn't take the bait. "Talk," he repeated, his voice firm, leaving no room for evasion.
She sighed, as if disappointed that her attempt to lighten the mood had failed. "Fine," she said, her voice dropping to a more serious tone. "Hidden Talents aren't something you just stumble into. They're rare, special. The system chooses people based on… potential, I guess you could say."
Leo's eyes narrowed, his mind racing. "Potential for what?" he asked, his voice low and intense.
Her smirk faded, replaced by a flicker of seriousness that sent a chill down his spine. "To break the rules," she said, her words hanging heavy in the air.
That stopped him cold. "Explain," he demanded, his tone sharper now, his curiosity piqued.
Leaning forward, her blue eyes catching the dim light of the library, she said, "Most people are stuck within the system's limits—stats, levels, all that stuff. But Hidden Talents? We're different.
We have abilities that don't fit the mold. Loopholes. Exceptions." She tapped her temple, a gesture that felt almost mocking. "Think of us as… anomalies."
Anomalies.
The word hit him like a punch to the gut, resonating deep within him. 'I'm one too,' he realized, the thought sending a shiver through him. He hadn't told anyone about his past life, the memories of a world before this one, but if Lisa was telling the truth, she might have something similar. Maybe not reincarnation, but something close, something that set her apart from the rest.
"What's your ability? Is it really just 'guns don't work on me,' like you said? I'm not buying that," he pressed, his voice laced with skepticism.
Her smirk returned, playful but guarded, a mask that hid her true intentions. "That's my secret," she said, her tone light but firm, refusing to give an inch.
Leo exhaled through his nose, trying to keep his frustration in check. She was holding back, but then again, so was he. They were both playing a game, testing each other's limits, trying to figure out where the other stood. It was a dance of mistrust, and neither was willing to make the first move.
"Alright," he said, his tone measured, his frustration carefully contained. "Then tell me why you were in that alley."
Her expression darkened, the first real crack in her armor, and for a moment, she seemed almost human. "I was looking for someone," she said, her voice quieter now, tinged with something he couldn't quite place.
Leo caught the shift in her tone, his instincts sharpening. "Someone specific?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.
She nodded, her jaw tightening, her eyes flickering with a mix of determination and fear. "My brother," she said, the words heavy with emotion.
He studied her, searching for any sign of deception, but all he saw was raw honesty. This was the first real piece of personal information she'd shared, and it felt like a breakthrough. "What happened to him?" he asked, his voice softer now, his suspicion tempered by empathy.
She hesitated, her gaze dropping to the floor for a moment before meeting his again. "We got separated yesterday when everything started," she said, her voice steady but strained. "I don't know if he's alive, but… I need to find him."
Leo crossed his arms, his mind racing. "And you expect me to help?" he asked, his tone skeptical but not dismissive.
Lisa met his gaze, unflinching, her eyes burning with a quiet intensity. "I think we can help each other," she said, her words carrying a weight that made him pause.
The silence between them was heavy, charged with unspoken tension, a fragile truce hanging in the balance. Leo knew better than to trust easily, especially in a world where betrayal was as common as breathing.
But Lisa had something he needed—knowledge. If she really was a Hidden Talent, if she had abilities that defied the system's rules, then having her as an ally could be a game-changer, a way to navigate the chaos that lay ahead.
Finally, he nodded, his decision made, though not without reservation. "Fine," he said, his voice firm. "We work together—for now."
Her smirk returned, satisfied, a glint of triumph in her eyes. "I knew you'd come around," she said, her tone almost teasing.