Chapter 39

After the incident at the survivors' gathering, there was silence. With deliberate and patient movements, Kaida cleaned up the soup that had spilled all over the floor, acting as though cleaning was a way for her to stay rooted in the here and now. While this was going on, Ryu sat on the bench, thinking about Seraphina's hurt expression and the burning in her hand as a constant reminder of how frail their world was.

Kaida and Ryu went back to their room as soon as she was done cleaning, their minds still racing over what had happened.

In a quiet room, Seraphina sat alone, her injured hand wrapped in a clean cloth, her face a mixture of concern and confusion. She had dismissed herself from the gathering shortly after the accident, retreating to the solitude of her quarters to tend to her injury.

But as she sat there, nursing her wound, her mind was filled with images from the past. Memories of a time when life had been different, when the world was not a place of darkness and fear.

She thought of her family, of her friends, of all the things that had been lost in the cataclysm.

Seraphina's thoughts strayed back to her time spent working with Dr. Kaito in the laboratory. She recalled the enthusiasm that pervaded the air as they toiled relentlessly to create the Yomigaeri virus, a discovery that held the potential to completely transform the medical industry.

However, that was prior to everything going wrong, before the virus got out of their control and completely destroyed the planet.

Seraphina was aware that Dr. Kaito had not made it through the pandemic. He'd been among the first to contract the virus in the mayhem and confusion that had erupted as it spread.

The man who had been her mentor had succumbed to the virus he had invented, and she had watched in horror. His body had been twisted and distorted into a hideous imitation of its previous self, and his metamorphosis had been sudden and violent, taking away his humanity.

Seraphina was disturbed by the memories, which hovered around the edges of her vision like ghosts. She attempted to ignore them and bury them in the back of her mind, but they would not go away.

She remembered the sight of panic in Dr. Kaito's eyes as he was being used to feed the monster he had made, the fear and bewilderment casting a shadow over his features as he had turned on his former coworkers and friends.

And she could still hear the sound of his voice, unidentifiable and warped, as he had screamed in pain—a mindless, monstrous creature.

Seraphina shuddered at the memory, her hand trembling as she gripped the cloth that covered her wound. She knew that she could not dwell on the past, that the only way to survive was to focus on the present, on the challenges that faced her in this brave new world.

But the ghosts refused to be silenced. They whispered to her, their voices a chorus of fear and despair.

And as she sat alone in the darkness, her thoughts turned to the others who had survived. Kaida and Ryu, who had shown her kindness and compassion.

She had been alone for so long, haunted by her memories and her fears, that their friendship had been a beacon of hope in a world that had lost all sense of hope.

And as Seraphina sat there, immersed in her own thoughts, something abruptly disturbed the night's calm. Outside her room, the sound of footfall reverberated in the hallway, the distinct sound of heavy boots hitting the concrete floor.

The urgent, palpable horror of the present overcame the ghosts of Seraphina's past, and her heart leaped into her throat. With her eyes wide and vigilant, she leaned her back against the wall while holding a knife handle in her hand.

The sound of heavy breathing filled the air as the footsteps became more audible. Seraphina's body shook from adrenaline, and she breathed in short spurts.

Just beyond the door, the footsteps ceased, and there was an almost overwhelming silence. With her heart thumping her ribs, Seraphina held her breath.

The sound of metal scrapping against metal could then be heard. Turning the handle on her door. methodically and slowly.

Seraphina's body tensed, poised to react, as her palm closed tightly around the knife.

The hallway's blackness seeped into the room as the door swung open. As Seraphina's eyes grew used to the low light, she scanned the space for the intruder.

Subsequently, she caught sight of him. His figure silhouetted against the dim glow of the hallway light, a shadow at the doorway.

His breath was rough and labored as he entered the room with his heavy boots thudding against the floor. His eyes were concealed in the shadows, his face obscured by the darkness.

With her fingers becoming white against the knife's hilt, Seraphina's grasp tightened.

"Who...who are you?" Seraphina asked, her voice small and uncertain. Her heart was racing, her body quaking with fear.

The shadow in the doorway said nothing. He stood there, his presence ominous and foreboding, as if he were a specter from the past come to haunt her once more.

And then, he stepped forward, his movements slow and deliberate. The light from the hallway fell across his face, illuminating the features that had been hidden by the darkness.

"Ryu," Seraphina whispered, her voice a mix of relief and confusion. "What are you doing here?"

Ryu stepped into the room, his expression softening as he saw the fear that had gripped Seraphina's features. "After you left left to dress your hand no one heard from you again," he said, his voice low and steady. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Seraphina's hand relaxed around the knife, the tension in her body easing as she recognized Ryu's presence. "I'm okay," she said, her voice still shaking.

Ryu continued, his voice playful, but still filled with concern. "I don't mean to make light of your fear, Seraphina. But you do realize that no one can get into the bunker without the proper security codes and the passcodes, right? There's no one out there to be afraid of."

Seraphina gave a sheepish smile, her cheeks still flushed with embarrassment. "I know, I know," she said, her voice soft and self-deprecating. "I guess I just got a little...overwhelmed. I was just practicing my knife skills, that's all."

Ryu's eyebrows raised just a little, his look somewhat amused. He teased, "Practicing, huh?" in his voice. "I don't think I've ever seen someone practice holding a knife with such fear in their eyes."

A tiny smile played at the corners of Seraphina's lips as her cheeks flushed with shame. Her voice wavered as she added, "I was just...started." "I thought you were someone else."

Ryu moved in closer, his presence comforting in the cramped space. He said, gently, "You don't have to explain yourself to me."

The silent silence of the night returned as Ryu left Seraphina's room. With a sigh, Seraphina relaxed her shoulders and let go of the tension in her body. After securely tucking the knife beneath her pillow, she slid beneath her thin covers and closed her eyes, savoring the smoothness of the bed.

With the room dark, Seraphina's thoughts returned to the memories that had been tormenting her. But the ghosts seemed to vanish as sleep took hold of her, to be replaced by the comforting words from Ryu.