As long as you're alive

Another day passed in the blink of an eye. Kuina, Eudimor, Ran and Johan waited with their restless hearts for the third day. They were constantly in a dilemma.

Did they find any shelter? How far did they go? Did they manage to go to the town they decided to? Will they be able to return in three days? Are they alright? Are they dead?

Those were the common thoughts they all shared. Fein and Donna were the first ones to explore outside of the town since six months of the disaster. Their failure will only fill people's minds with fear.

Little to their knowledge, one was already dead and the other was captured.

In a classroom at the St. Stardrop highschool, while Fein sat tied on the centre, all their curious eyes shifted on him.

"What plan?"

"Currently there are only four functional hunters in the hideout. And two of them are considerably good at using their weapons." He meant Eudimor and Ran. "We were in the middle of our major mission when you captured me. According to that mission, tomorrow dawn, two hunters will leave the hideout for three days. Only two will remain. Next evening is the best time for you guys to invade."

The surprise on their faces had no signs of wearing off. They were thrown into a sea of suspicions.

Just why.. is that boy helping us to that extent?

They thought.

Is it truly for that discrimination reason he spoke of?

They couldn't seem to digest that such a trivial reason can drive a person to betray his allies.

"Are you making use of us?" Sved asked him.

"Haha. Who knows? Does it look that way?"

He quickly grabbed Fein's throat. His slender fingers dug into his neck that left a long lasting red marks on his skin.

"Quit making fun of us!"

This is what I had foreseen. The sensation of being strangled..

"I'm.. not.. making fun. I really.. am.. telling.. all the.. truths!"

Jeffrey shoved Sved away from Fein.

"Alright! That's enough! You know it Sved. We cannot harm him. He's the only one that can help us now! I think we should trust him already!"

He released Fein, making him cough and heave.

"An enemy's enemy is an ally, right? I think he's someone like that. He has told us enough."

"Exactly…" heaved Fein. "Follow.. what i say.. You'll get. What you want."

"I wonder when they'll return."

Kuina raised her jaws and left out a puff of air towards the setting sun. Fog had started to gather around while the dark fell. It was the third day when Donna and Fein were supposed to return before night. Eudimor had already left with Johan in the dawn as per their plan… but they hadn't returned yet.

Her heart skipped a beat as she recalled Fein's last words in her mind.

"If we don't return before the third night just assume us dead…"

She hopped down the pit and discovered the entrance empty.

"Where is Ran? He was supposed to be here." She looked for him in the survivors' chamber. Finding him not there, she turned her steps and headed towards the basement.

Quietly she lifted the curtain and snuck in. Ran had his back slouched on the chest. He carefully rummaged inside. Suddenly he paused and moved away the contents inside to get a clearer look of a writing inscribed inside the box.

"DOR?"

"What are you doing here, Ran?"

Her thin cheery voice startled him. He hurriedly removed his hands from the chest and turned around.

"Just looking for some bullets for my glock."

"You know… Eudimor left some inside the drawer there since this chest mostly contains BB bullets."

"Ahh. Yeah." He paced out. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I just came to tell you that it was your turn to keep look."

"Yeah. Right."

She smiled at Ran acting all dubious and strange.

"I'll go and keep watch."

"Alright."

She stared at his back leaving the basement and mumbled. "DOR."

Ran tugged the rope tied to the pit and clambered up. He readjusted the seal in its place. Putting his arms on his hips he looks around.

"It sure got chiller. Nights have gotten longer. Days shortened."

Pulling the trigger of his handgun he sauntered around the pit. Suddenly sounds of something thudding on a hard surface then splashing caught his attention.

He reverted back in search of the source of that sound. As he got closer to the source a faint smell tingled his nose.

"Blood?!"

He crouched to inspect the blood dripping from the piece of rubble standing upright. The source of the blood was still unknown.

He slid his finger across the red puddle and rubbed them.

"It isn't 100% blood. Water was mixed with it." Let alone deducing the cause, before he could even stand up, a sudden horde of undeads ambushed him.

Kuina flinched with the obscure noise that ran through her ears.

"Something is happening outside!" She could hear the gunshots and howls. Though knowing that Ran might be in risk, she couldn't help but prioritize tightening the pit seal. All the survivors inside might fall in danger if i go out as well.

She hurried to the entrance pit and put the ladder up.

Right at that moment a couple of men leaped down. Kuina was staggered by their abrupt intrusion. Slowly as they dropped from above, while their clothes floated in the air, Kuina's eyes widened.

Freezing wind gushed inside, brushing Fein's hair to his left. Eyes blindfolded, hands tied, lips smirked.

"The man who'll stay behind with the girl.." said Fein. "Is pro at using his guns. He taught me as well. If you want to succeed you need to keep him away from yourselves."

The cause led them to the idea to keep Ran engaged in a battle with undeads a bit far from the hideout. They threw balloons of blood mixed with water surrounding the perimeter of 20m radius.

"What about the girl? She's a hunter as well, right?" They asked him.

"I…" Fein realized how little he knew about her. "I can't tell much about her. Just don't disclose to her that I sold information to you."

They left Fein tied in the school with another boy keeping an eye on him. He pulled a chair closer to Fein and asked with his laid-back tone.

"Tell meee. Everything that you are doing.. does it benefit you?"

Fein's head tilted lower. A sound of scoff was heard from him.

"Who knows?"

He understood the mechanism of the collapsed world. If you want to survive you have to drag some people down. It doesn't matter if they resent or curse you.. as long as you're alive and your motives are met.