The ruined city stretched before them, its streets littered with abandoned cars, shattered glass, and hastily discarded belongings. The setting sun cast long shadows over the buildings, painting the world in hues of orange and deep red. It would have been beautiful if not for the suffocating silence that hung in the air like a thick fog.
Leo moved with purpose, stepping over debris and broken pavement, his sharp gaze flickering between alleyways and windows, ever vigilant for any sign of movement.
Lisa followed, her pace brisk but unwilling, her thoughts a turmoil of fear, determination, and the harsh reality of their situation. The city was a mausoleum of their past lives, now a playground for dangers they could scarcely imagine.
Leo had just said it—We need to leave New York.
And Lisa wasn't agreeing.
She folded her arms, staring him down with a mixture of defiance and desperation. "I'm not leaving without my brother."
Leo sighed, rubbing his temple, the weight of the day bearing down on him. "Lisa. We don't have time for this."
"You don't have time for this," she corrected, her voice tight with emotion. "But I do."
Leo exhaled sharply, trying to rein in his frustration. He had known this argument was inevitable. Ever since Lisa first mentioned her brother, he had seen the stubborn determination in her eyes, a fire that would not be easily extinguished. But she didn't understand the bigger picture, the scale of the threat they were facing.
Leo pointed toward the windows, where the ruined city stretched out in eerie silence. "You saw those things, Lisa. The symbols. The watchers. And whatever the hell that thing was back there? We are alive because it let us go."
The tension between them was palpable, not eased by the passage of time or the gravity of their situation.
"I'm not leaving without my brother," she repeated, breaking the silence, her voice firm with resolve.
Leo exhaled, rolling his shoulders to calm the frustration building inside him. They had already argued about this for the past half hour, but she was just as stubborn as she had been the first time she said it.
"You don't even know if he's alive," Leo said flatly, keeping his voice even, trying to appeal to logic.
Lisa shot him a glare, her eyes burning with defiance. "And you don't know if he's dead."
Lisa clenched her jaw, her resolve hardening. "I know the risks, Leo. But I also know my brother is out there. And if you think I'm just going to abandon him—"
"He's already dead."
The words came out colder than he intended, but he didn't regret them. They were harsh, meant to shock her into reason, but they only seemed to stoke her resolve.
Lisa's entire body stiffened, her eyes narrowing. "You don't know that."
"Statistically speaking? He's dead," Leo retorted, his tone clinical.
Lisa scoffed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Right. Because statistics are what matter right now."
Lisa didn't back down, her stance firm. "And what if my brother is being hunted too? What if he's still alive, waiting for help?"
Leo shook his head, his jaw tightening. "You're letting emotions cloud your judgment. There's no logic in throwing your life away for someone who's probably already gone."
Lisa clenched her fists, but before she could fire back, a faint rustling sound from nearby caught their attention.
Silence stretched between them, heavy and suffocating, as they both turned their focus to the source of the noise.
But it was just a cat, its fur matted and eyes wide with fear, darting through the chaos as if its life depended on it. Both Leo and Lisa, caught up in their own tension, ignoring the poor animal's plight.
Lisa's fingers curled into fists. "So what, you're just going to run? Like a coward?"
Leo's eyes darkened, his patience thinning. "Call it whatever you want. But I have a plan. I nead to be ready for what's coming, and I know what I need to do to survive it. I'm not throwing that away for a woman I just met."
Lisa's lips parted slightly, as if the words had physically struck her. The betrayal, the harshness of his statement, it all cut deep.
They stayed like that for a long moment before Lisa finally spoke, her voice hoarse with emotion. "I can't do this."
Leo exhaled through his nose, his decision made. "Then don't."
Lisa turned to him, disbelief and hurt mingling in her eyes. "You're really leaving?"
Leo didn't waver, his gaze hard.
"I don't have time for dead weight," he said, voice steady, devoid of the warmth they had once shared. "I told you from the start—I'm not a savior. I'm not a hero. I'm here to survive, and I won't let anyone drag me down. Not even you."
Lisa took a slow breath, her expression unreadable, a storm of emotions brewing behind her eyes.
Then she nodded, a small, defeated gesture. "Fine," she said, her voice quieter now, resigned. "Go, then. Run away. Save yourself."
Leo hesitated for just a second—just a second—but then he turned and walked away. His steps were decisive, echoing in the desolate streets, each one a testament to his choice in this new, merciless world.
This was the new world. And he had no place for unnecessary burdens.