Story 301: The Red Shadow

The wind howled through the desolate cityscape, carrying the stench of decay and ashes. Zara Kincaid adjusted her leather holster, her fingers brushing the cold steel of her handgun. She leaned against the cracked stone wall of a ruined bookstore, her crimson sweater dress a stark contrast against the gray backdrop of destruction. Her breath fogged in the air as she scanned the abandoned street for movement.

The apocalypse had turned once-bustling cities into eerie wastelands, and Zara had learned the hard way that silence wasn’t safety. It was a warning.

Her earpiece crackled to life. “Kincaid, do you copy?”

Zara pressed a gloved finger to her ear. “I hear you, Bishop. What’s the update?”

“East perimeter’s clear, but something feels off. Stay sharp.”