21. Clara.

The blue blade in Alvin's hand gleamed under the eerie light filtering through the mist, its edge stained with the remnants of countless zombie battles. His sky-blue hair swayed as he spun gracefully, plunging the blade into another zombie's chest and pulling it out with a flourish.

With a quick punch, Alvin shattered the head of another zombie, its decayed skull cracking open like an overripe melon. Inside, a crystal-like material glimmered faintly with mana. Alvin plucked it out with care, holding it up to the dim light, his eyes shining with delight.

"Well, what do we have here?" he murmured, inspecting the crystal. Its surface pulsed faintly, brimming with mana. "A little treasure amidst all the decay. Who says zombie apocalypses can't have their perks?"

He tucked the crystal into a small pouch before turning to the next wave of zombies. His smile widened into something almost unnervingly cheerful, and the zombies seemed to hesitate for a moment, as though instinctively sensing their doom.

"Come now," Alvin said, his voice laced with mocking charm. "Don't stop on my account. I've got plenty of room for more of your lovely little crystals."

For the next two hours, the battle raged on, the fog thickening as more zombies emerged from the shadows. But Alvin was unstoppable, his blade dancing through the air as he dispatched each one with practiced precision. By the end of it, he stood amidst the carnage, his clothes smeared with grime but his expression one of satisfaction.

"Thirty-six crystals," he counted aloud, holding the last one up to admire it before tucking it into his divine space along with his blade. He stretched his arms above his head, letting out a contented sigh. "Not a bad haul."

As he walked back toward the mansion, he whistled a cheerful tune, the contrast between his lighthearted demeanor and the grim surroundings almost comical.

But his whistling came to an abrupt stop when he heard the faint sound of bickering cutting through the stillness of the fog. Alvin tilted his head, his sharp ears picking up snippets of an argument. Curious, he followed the voices until he came upon a small group.

A young girl, perhaps no older than fourteen, stood protectively in front of another girl who was clearly blind—her unfocused eyes and hesitant movements making it obvious. The blind girl clung to her cousin's arm, trembling as she tried to make sense of the chaos around her.

In front of them stood a middle-aged couple, their expressions a mixture of panic and frustration. The man, who seemed to be the uncle, was gesturing wildly, his voice rising in anger.

"She's dead weight, Clara! We can't keep dragging her around!"

The girl, Clara, glared at him, her small frame radiating defiance. "She's my cousin, Uncle! How can you say that? She's family!"

The aunt, her face lined with stress, stepped forward, her tone pleading. "Clara, listen to reason. If we try to protect her, we'll all die. Do you want that? Do you want your parents to lose you too?"

"You don't care about me!" Clara shouted back, tears streaming down her face. "You just want to save yourselves! You don't care about Alice at all!"

The blind girl, Alice, flinched at the mention of her name, her voice trembling. "Clara… maybe they're right. Maybe I'm just a burden…"

Clara whirled around, grabbing Alice by the shoulders. "Don't say that! You're not a burden, Alice! You're my cousin, and I'm not leaving you behind!"

Alvin stood a few feet away, leaning casually against a broken lamppost as he watched the drama unfold. His sharp blue eyes flickered with amusement, though there was a hint of something softer beneath his smirk.

"Ah, the classic 'family abandoning the weak in a crisis' trope," he thought, his inner voice dripping with sarcasm. "Always a crowd-pleaser. If I had popcorn, this would be the perfect show."

The uncle, clearly fed up, threw his hands in the air. "Clara, if you don't leave her behind, we're leaving you both. We have to survive, and that means making tough choices."

"Go ahead and leave!" Clara shouted, her voice cracking. "You're no family of mine if you can just abandon Alice like this!"

The aunt tried one last time, her voice desperate. "Clara, please. You're young, you have your whole life ahead of you. Don't throw it away for someone who can't even see what's coming."

Alvin raised an eyebrow at that, a low chuckle escaping him. "Ah, and there it is—the final, cold logic. Can't even see what's coming? I'd say the blind girl has better odds of survival than these two cowards."

Clara turned her back on her aunt and uncle, pulling Alice closer. "We don't need you. We'll survive on our own if we have to."

Alice tugged gently on Clara's sleeve, her voice small. "But… how? I can't even see, Clara. I'll just slow you down."

Clara's tears spilled freely now as she gripped Alice's hands tightly. "I don't care, Alice. You're my family, and I won't leave you behind. I'll carry you if I have to."

The uncle muttered something under his breath, turning away with a frustrated growl. "We're wasting time. Let's go." He grabbed his wife's arm, pulling her away.

The aunt hesitated, glancing back at the two girls before finally following her husband, her face a mask of guilt and resignation.

As they disappeared into the fog, Clara sank to her knees, clutching Alice tightly. "It's okay, Alice," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."

Alvin finally stepped forward, his boots crunching against the debris on the ground. Clara's head shot up, her tear-streaked face wary as she looked at the approaching figure.

"Who are you?" she demanded, her voice still shaky but firm.

Alvin tilted his head, a sly smile playing on his lips. "Just a passerby enjoying the show."

Clara glared at him, clearly unamused. "If you're here to mock us, keep walking. We don't need your help."

Alvin chuckled, crossing his arms. "Oh, I wouldn't dream of interfering. You seem to have everything under control." He glanced at Alice, who was trembling beside Clara. "Although, I will say, loyalty like yours is hard to come by these days."

Clara narrowed her eyes, unsure if he was being sincere or sarcastic. "What do you want?"

Alvin shrugged, his expression turning more serious. "Nothing. Just thought I'd let you know that the road ahead is crawling with zombies. If you're planning on moving, you'd better be ready."

Clara's face paled slightly, but she lifted her chin defiantly. "We'll manage."

Alvin smirked, giving her a mock bow. "Brave words. Good luck, little warrior."

As he walked away, he couldn't help but glance back at the two girls huddled together. Despite his outward indifference, a part of him admired Clara's determination.

"Maybe not all humans are hopeless," he thought to himself as he disappeared into the fog, his blade gleaming faintly at his side.

The red mist thickened around Clara and Alice as they continued their slow, uncertain journey. The young girl, Alice, clung tightly to her cousin's arm, her sightless eyes brimming with tears that spilled silently down her cheeks.

"Clara," Alice whimpered, her voice barely audible. "I… I'm sorry. I'm slowing you down."

Clara stopped, her heart twisting at the sound of Alice's guilt-ridden words. She crouched slightly, pulling Alice into a protective embrace. "Hey, don't say that," Clara whispered, stroking Alice's hair. "You're not slowing me down, Alice. You're my family, and family sticks together. Got it?"

Alice sniffled, nodding hesitantly, her small hands clutching Clara's shirt. "But everything's so scary… I don't know how to do anything without you."

Clara's throat tightened, but she forced a soft, encouraging smile onto her face. "Life's like that sometimes," she said, her voice steady. "It throws scary things at us. But you know what? We have to get stronger, little by little. That's how we survive."

Alice nodded again, her tears slowing. "Okay… I'll try."

They resumed walking, Alice clinging to Clara's arm for guidance. The sound of their footsteps echoed faintly against the oppressive silence of the mist, broken only by their uneven breaths.

But the uneasy quiet didn't last.

Out of nowhere, a blur of motion darted toward them, and Clara hissed in pain as sharp teeth sank into her calf. She stumbled but shoved Alice away instinctively, her voice sharp. "Alice, stay back!"

Alice froze, her unseeing eyes wide with panic. "Clara? What's happening?!"

Clara gritted her teeth, her adrenaline surging as she lashed out with her free leg, kicking the creature off. It was a zombie cat, its mangy fur patchy and its glowing red eyes fixed on her with feral hunger. Despite the searing pain in her leg, Clara grabbed a nearby rock and smashed it down onto the cat's head, killing it instantly.

Breathing heavily, Clara looked down at her leg, her heart sinking as she saw the black venom spreading from the bite wound. It crawled up her veins like inky tendrils, and she knew—there was no surviving this.

"No, no, no," she whispered to herself, her hands trembling as she pressed against the wound, trying to stop the inevitable. Panic clawed at her chest, but she forced herself to take a deep breath. Alice's trembling voice cut through her thoughts.

"Clara? Are you okay? What happened?!"

Clara quickly plastered on a smile, turning toward Alice. "I'm fine, Alice," she said, keeping her voice calm. "I just remembered something important. Something I left at home. How about we head back, okay?"

Alice hesitated, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Home? But we were going to—"

"I know," Clara interrupted gently, taking Alice's hand and starting to guide her back. "But this is really important. Let's go home for a little bit. Then we'll figure everything out. I promise."

The walk back felt like an eternity to Clara. Every step sent searing pain up her leg, the venom spreading faster with each passing moment. But she kept her grip on Alice firm, her voice steady as she reassured her cousin.

"Nothing happened, Alice. Everything's fine," she said, even as her breaths grew labored. "I just forgot something precious back at home."

Alice, oblivious to the truth, clung to Clara's words, nodding as she walked beside her. "Okay… if you say so, Clara."

When they finally reached the small house where they had been staying, Clara's strength was fading rapidly. She pushed the door open and guided Alice inside, seating her on the couch.

"Stay here, okay?" Clara said, her voice soft but firm. "I'll be right back. I just need to grab something from the kitchen."

Alice tilted her head, her expression uncertain. "Are you sure you're okay, Clara? You sound tired."

Clara forced a smile, brushing a strand of hair from Alice's face. "I'm fine. Just wait here for me."

In the kitchen, Clara's hands shook as she reached for the knife resting on the counter. She stared at it for a moment, her vision blurring as tears welled up in her eyes.

"I won't… I won't let myself become one of them," she whispered to herself. "Alice deserves better than that."

Her chest ached, not just from the venom but from the weight of the decision she had to make. She gripped the knife tightly, her knuckles white, and steeled herself.

Walking back to the front door, she glanced at Alice one last time. Her cousin sat quietly on the couch, her unfocused eyes staring into the distance, a faint smile on her face as if she truly believed everything was going to be okay.

"I love you, Alice," Clara whispered under her breath, her voice breaking. "Stay safe. Be strong."

She stepped outside, pulling the door shut behind her and locking it from the outside.

Clara stood on the porch, the fog swirling around her like a living thing. She could feel the venom reaching her chest now, her heart pounding erratically. She raised the knife to her neck, her hands trembling but determined.

"I'm sorry, Alice," she whispered. "But I have to do this."

Without hesitation, she slashed the blade across her throat. The pain was sharp and immediate, but Clara felt a strange sense of peace as her knees buckled and she sank to the ground.

Her blood pooled on the wooden porch, mingling with the mist, but Clara's last thoughts were of Alice—of her laughter, her smile, her strength despite everything. She closed her eyes and let the darkness take her, grateful that she had done this on her own terms.

Inside the house, Alice sat in silence, her head tilted as she listened for Clara's footsteps. When none came, a sense of unease began to creep over her.

"Clara?" she called softly, her voice echoing in the stillness.

But there was no answer. Only the faint rustling of the mist outside, and the sound of her own breathing in the oppressive quiet.