The storm had passed, leaving the world in a state of eerie silence. The air smelled of wet earth and decay, the remnants of rain pooling in uneven puddles along the broken asphalt. Wind whispered through the skeletal remains of trees, rattling loose debris and swaying the battered remnants of civilization.
Leila stood at the edge of their makeshift camp, her arms folded against the chill. She could hear the distant groans of the undead carried on the wind, a constant reminder of the world they lived in now. But she wasn't afraid. Fear had long since been replaced by something sharper—something colder.
Jace and Ellie's fall had begun, and she wasn't about to let them recover.
Kai stood beside her, quiet but watchful, his knife twirling effortlessly between his fingers. His dark eyes followed the flickering firelight as it danced against the trees, but Leila knew his mind was already ahead, strategizing, thinking of their next move.
"They won't let this slide," he murmured, breaking the silence. His voice was calm, almost amused, but there was an edge to it. "Jace isn't the type to take humiliation lightly."
Leila smirked, though there was no humor in it. "I'm counting on that."
She turned to him then, catching the flicker of something unreadable in his gaze. Kai had always been an enigma, his allegiance uncertain, but there was no denying that he was an asset. Quick, deadly, and unpredictable. But there was more to him than just his skill with a blade—something Leila couldn't quite put her finger on.
The way he looked at her now, his dark eyes unwavering, sent an unexpected shiver down her spine.
"Careful," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "You might just enjoy this too much."
Leila tilted her head, holding his gaze. "And what if I do?"
Kai let out a low chuckle, his smirk deepening. "Then you're finally starting to see things my way."
Before she could reply, the sound of approaching footsteps drew their attention. Mark and Fiona emerged from the shadows, their faces grim, while Darren followed closely behind, his rifle slung over his shoulder.
"We've got company," Mark said, wiping rain from his brow. "And not just Jace and Ellie."
Leila's stomach tightened. "Who?"
Fiona crossed her arms, her expression unreadable. "A new group. Heavily armed, moving in from the west. Looks like they're setting up near the abandoned gas station."
Leila exhaled slowly, weighing the new threat. This complicated things. She had been focused on dismantling Jace and Ellie, but if another group was moving in, it could shift the entire balance of power.
"We don't have time to deal with them and Jace," Darren muttered. "We need to pick a side."
Leila shook her head. "No. We deal with them both. But we do it smart."
Kai leaned against a tree, arms folded, watching her with that unreadable expression. "And how do you propose we do that?"
Leila's eyes narrowed. "We make Jace and Ellie our problem for now—before this new group has a chance to become one."
Jace was unraveling.
From their hidden vantage point, Leila watched as he barked orders at his remaining people, pacing the perimeter of their tattered camp. The firelight cast deep shadows across his face, accentuating the anger simmering just beneath the surface.
They were weak. Vulnerable. And they knew it.
Ellie was close by, arms crossed, her expression pinched with frustration. They were down to barely any food, their shelter compromised, their numbers shrinking by the day.
Leila almost pitied them. Almost.
"This is too easy," Kai murmured beside her, crouched low behind the ruins of a rusted-out truck. "They're already falling apart."
Leila's lips curled into a smirk. "Then let's give them a little push."
She reached into her pack, pulling out a small bundle of cloth soaked in alcohol. With practiced ease, she struck a match, the tiny flame flickering to life in the darkness.
Kai watched, intrigued, as she lit the bundle and lobbed it toward their supply tent.
The fire caught instantly.
Panic erupted as flames licked hungrily at the fabric, smoke curling into the sky. Jace's people scrambled, shouting orders, trying desperately to smother the flames.
Leila slipped back into the shadows, heart pounding as the chaos unfolded before her.
"They'll be coming for us now," Fiona whispered.
"Good," Leila said. "Let them."
Jace was hunting her. He thought she was vulnerable, thought she would be an easy target.
He was wrong.
The moment she stepped into the abandoned diner, she knew it was a trap. The overturned chairs, the too-perfectly placed supplies—it was all too obvious.
Kai had seen it too.
"They want to lure you in," he murmured, his voice barely audible. "Make you think you're getting a win."
Leila smirked. "They underestimated me. Again."
She stepped forward deliberately, kicking over a can just loud enough to alert them. A shadow moved on the rooftop.
The second the shot rang out, she was already diving for cover.
"Sloppy," Kai muttered, pressing against the wall beside her. "They really think this is going to work?"
Leila pulled her own gun free, exhaling steadily. "Let's show them why it won't."
The next few moments were chaos.
Kai moved like a ghost, slipping through the shadows, striking fast and brutal. Leila took her shots carefully, making each one count. They worked in sync—silent, efficient, deadly.
By the time it was over, Ellie was on the ground, her weapon knocked from her grasp, her breath ragged.
Leila loomed over her, gripping her by the collar, dragging her close.
"You should've walked away," she murmured.
Ellie's lips curled in a sneer. "You think you've won?"
Leila tightened her grip, leaning in. "Oh, Ellie. I know I have."
By the time they made it back to camp, dawn was beginning to break. The sky was painted in hues of orange and violet, the world momentarily peaceful in the wake of the night's violence.
Leila sat near the fire, rolling her bruised wrist. She had won this round, but the fight wasn't over.
Kai dropped beside her, tossing her a cloth for her bloodied knuckles.
"You're full of surprises," he murmured.
Leila glanced at him. "You expected anything less?"
Kai's smirk was slow, lazy, but there was something else in his gaze now. Something deeper.
"No," he said quietly. "I didn't."
The fire crackled between them, but the heat of it was nothing compared to the energy thrumming in the space between them.
Kai reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face, his fingers lingering just a moment too long.
"Tell me, Leila," he murmured, his voice low. "What do you want?"
For the first time, she didn't have an answer.
Because for the first time… revenge wasn't the only thing burning inside her.