21 Venice Veronica

----Venice's Perspective---

After the relaxing warm bath with Fluer, I headed straight towards the sofa, right across the ingress, and laid down flat unto my knees, as I admire the celestial view scattered in the brilliant night sky.

Thinking back from my previous old self, people have said that my face hadn't changed nor expressed the 'proper' impressions. As a woman myself, I tend to block my ears and bear nothing from their trivial thoughts, focusing more on what resides ahead. The problems and such are more vibrant and stressful than having these joyful or saddened state of mind, which poses a lot of threats and hindrance accomplishing my goals.

Thus, I had concluded that these feelings will be better trapped inside my obsidian abyss. Yet, from the past few years of my student life, I had felt nothing but being alone, trapped, and living in this crucial world. I never felt the warm compassion of having friends nor realising one's honest support towards my deeds. My family was the only one's truthful to me, especially my older sister. By the time I had been recalled from a certain mission here in New Zealand, this zombie apocalypse corrupted my life and had managed to slaughter my…precious family. I

I never knew whether they were doing well or if they're even…alive.

All I had to do was to send them a text message, even so, these emails were left unread. No replies. No news. No nothing.

They are…were residing in the cities of Hongkong, South East Asia. I am half English and half Russian, evident from my blue pupils and ginger hair. My older sister, who's supposed to be a computer engineer, was offered a scholarship by a prestigious school in Hongkong. However, during those hectic times, my parents both took the risk, sold everything, and lived quietly in the Asian territories. Afterward was my long-awaited departure due to the sudden need of military personnel here in Auckland. By the time I had arrived, the city was partially infested with humanoid creatures known as 'Zombies'. At first, I didn't believe it and took it as a joke, them being ordinary violent protestors.

But when a man had gnawed the neck of the defenseless mother, abruptly oozing some sort of slimy green fluids beneath her skin, I knew it for sure that the reports weren't a mere jest but the absolute truth behind the rumours spreading around. The news had already announced that the dead had soon reincarnated back into life, and the ones they had contaminated had turned into

One of them, an army of their own.

I was leading my men towards a famous hotel near the coast, called "The Wharf". It was then made as a temporary stronghold for the remaining survivors brought by our team. Soon after, we fortified our fences and barricaded the ingresses and such to avoid a further breach of the wild anomalies. Paul, our captain, is the one leading the entire group.

Quite hasty, powerful, and some were even plant-like creatures, which we can even classify as 'mutants' had trampled their way across the depths of the entire city. Their massive population kept growing in numbers. And the worst part is? We can't even fully distinguish who are infected to those who aren't. They have hidden their bite marks with the use of their clothing and followed suit alongside the healthy survivors within our group. Fortunately, Paul quickly decided to do a thorough body check-up to our men and the current survivors. Few of them had endured some minor scratches, while others weren't as much as lucky as they could've. We are then tasked to monitor and study the remaining individuals; Even to the extent of firing at will if they would start rampaging in a few weeks.

Looking back, I was known as the fearsome woman general, earning the right hand of Paul himself, and was even allowed to formulate a team specialised in saving and scavenging materials in the city's vicinity.

But…

During my shift on a late afternoon, I saw a young teenage girl walking like a stray beggar, holding 3 bags in total, silently searching for help.

One of the soldiers stationed with me began aiming his scope towards the direction of the poor girl.

"Ceasefire"

"As you command, Madam"

I ordered, as I raised my hand and further observed the lady strolling like a drunk maiden.

Paul, who saw the whole scene, took out his magnum, went down from his post, and casually walks towards the girl; of course, with utmost precautions.

And there she was, Yuki, Fleur, skin as white as snow, flashes me a warm-hearted smile, a gesture of sincere appreciation. It was far enough to melt my freezing heart. The event felt destined and our compatibility was far beyond the roofs could've offered. That moment, my mind screamed

"She was perfect"

As the spitting image of a little sister that I had once wished (I do have an older sister but…it's still different having someone to take care of, right?)

Fleur asks both me and Paul to save her comrades in the chapel, on the other side of the map. Without a hint of displeasure radiating from Paul, he commences a team composing of me, Fleur, and Trevor, the pilot for the spare chopper used in our missions, to save Fleur's dearest comrades; while rescuing furthermore stranded individuals in the nearby district.

Unfortunately, Pura, Fleur's best friend, had died during the process and sacrificed herself for the mother with her crying little daughter. Her limbs had been ruthlessly torn apart, cut in half, by a mutated zombie; as we called it the "Lich".

After Fleur successfully slamming her pan against the resilient rotten vines enveloping its body, we decided to head back home, victoriously defeated and…miserable for my first mission.

Failure was never an option; the life of an individual can be mercilessly be claimed from a single mistake. And that mistake had tormented me for life.

But

Then again,

Fleur had cracked out from her shell and found the rainbows hidden beneath the stormy rain. She had never moved on from the death of her dear friend, but she has found the strength needed to fight back the urge from collapsing into tears. She's a strong woman, with dignity and power. It was the ideal self that I had been longing to be. That had produced the ember sparked inside my freezing heart wishing to protect her, being with her…despite these 'zombie' occurrences.

I was greeted yet again by my apparent doom when I heard the news from Paul that the necklace worn by Pura had been a major tool needed for the production of a cure towards the 'Ophio-Virus'. The pendant must be sent to Claire Wattson, one of the most well-known scientists in the world, and also the mother of Paula Wattson.

"They'll be leaving tomorrow morning. By then, you and your team will be handling the outskirts of the city and find further survivors. 'Til then, we need to stay alert and be wary of our surroundings. That is all"

The words stated didn't include me departing with Fleur. I didn't know what to say. Living in the army, we soldiers are advice to quietly follow the command of the higher-ranking soldiers.

"Sir…yes, sir" I murmured. Whispering a reply would be deemed to be rude and disrespectful towards Paul, who was usually strict for following the rules written in our handbooks.

But, instead of scolding me or even punishing me with the set of push-ups screeched from the back of his lungs, he just gazed into my eyes, saddened from the words he had said. His cigar wasn't even lit at that moment, and by the time I had mentioned it, he slowly walks away, as he took the lighter inside his pocket and ablaze the tip of the cig.

"I…needed a break" He added and blissfully walked away.

I wiped down the tears from my eyes, which was sliding heavily on my cheeks, and hurriedly followed Paul stealthily from behind.

"Please…Venice…please…"

Fleur's voice reverberates through the wind, pleading to Paul about their scheduled trip for tomorrow.

I hid from the nearest wall, not too far nor close from the two individuals talking from the open field. I could see Fleur, begging on her knees, asking to be accompanied…by me.

"I'm afraid not." Paul retorted with a sorrowful voice. This was the first time his voice became dull, despondent towards the idea. If he could, he would. That was the main idea.

But, his deductions were probably the best option he could assess from the given situations.

If we lost more men here in the country, our city might fall from the hands of the undead, and a single soldier means everything towards the morale of the team.

Paul was ready to walk away…but suddenly

My feet began to move and the next thing I knew, I was staring at the eyes of the old man who had ordered me to stay by my country's side.

"Paul, I'll be resigning from my post. From now on, I'll be accompanying this kid and there's nothing you can do to stop me." Twas the first time that my hand started shaking

My body profusely sweating

And my eyes had ever cried since the day I had lost my family.