†WORLD†

An hour had passed since Ryan and Aria embarked on their journey to the north, leaving behind the horrors of the abandoned city.

The morning sun, now a burning orange orb, guided them as they moved through the deserted highway. The sedan's engine was purring not so smoothly as it had not been used for years.

The comfortable silence between them was highly welcomed as the tension that had gripped them for days eased out.

The creatures, those monstrous abominations, seemed to be fading into the distance while their car moved forward.

Aria was the one to break the silence. "How much longer until we reach North?" she asked.

Ryan's eyes flicked to the GPS screen that was blank. "About three hours, depending on the route we follow," he replied, calculating the time with his brain.

Aria nodded, marking the time in her head, by afternoon, they would reach their destination. Her thoughts turned to what lay ahead, and she voiced her question. "And what's waiting for us there?"

Ryan's gaze returned to the road, his expression relaxed.

"A military outpost. It's been abandoned for years, but it's stocked with supplies and equipment. We can regroup, reassess, and plan our next move."

Aria's curiosity was piqued. "Have you been there before?" she asked.

Ryan shook his head. "No. But I heard about it from people who were moving there."

Aria's thoughts turned inward. What had Ryan's life been like before the catastrophe and how many people had he met before being alone.

"What kind of supplies?" Aria asked that instead, she was deliberately steering clear of Ryan's past has she had noticed how his expression had darkened at the mention of family. The pain in his eyes had been noticeable and she doesn't want to push the talk out of him.

Ryan's eyes flicked to the rearview mirror before returning to the road. "Non-perishable food, medical supplies, communication equipment...enough to keep us going for a while." He listed what he had been told.

Aria nodded, her mind racing with the possibilities. "And what about security?"

Ryan's eyes loses focus as he tried to remember.

"The outpost has a perimeter fence, guard towers, and reinforced doors. Although it's not foolproof, but it's better than being out in the open." The sedan drove on and the silence between them returned as they both got lost in their thoughts.

Aria's gaze drifted out the window, her thoughts consumed by the mysterious military outpost.

Ryan had mentioned that people had told him about the outpost. But who were these people, Were they trustworthy? Would they be there, waiting for them.

Aria's curiosity got the better of her. "Ryan?" she asked softly.

"Yes?" Ryan replied with his eyes still fixed on the road, his expression stoic

"Who told you about the outpost?" Aria inquired.

Ryan's gaze flicked to the rearview mirror before returning to the road. "Some survivors I met on the road. They had said they heard rumors of a safe haven."

Aria's eyes narrowed. "And you trust them?" she asked, what if it's a trap or what if the place isn't there anymore.

Ryan's expression turned guarded. "I have to. We need a place to start over."

Aria doesn't answer as her thoughts swirls back to the previous night's horrors. The memories came flooding back, the desperate pleas, the screams and then the eerie silence that followed.

Her mind replayed the terror, each sound echoing in her mind like a haunting melody.

"Ryan?" Aria called out softly again, her voice barely audible over the hum of the engine.

Ryan eyes flicked to her, before going to the rearview mirror, his eyes showed her he was listening.

Aria hesitated before voicing her thoughts "Do you...do you think we could have saved that person from last night?"

Ryan's expression turned grim, his jaw clenched. "No," he admitted.

Aria's thoughts lingered on the unknown fate of that person they had left behind. Had they survived? Or had they succumbed to the creatures' merciless onslaught.

Aria's mind refused to shake off the screams that keeps repeating in her head.

The sedan suddenly hit a pothole, jolting the car violently.Aria swayed, her injured leg sliding off the dashboard slightly.

She winced as a sharp pain shoots through her leg like a lightning bolt. Her eyes widened, and her breath got caught up in her throat, thinking they were having a huge accident.

"Sorry," Ryan said, his eyes flickering to the rearview mirror meeting Aria's before returning to the road, his grip on the steering wheel tightened and he focused.

Aria gritted her teeth while readjusting her injured leg carefully. "It's okay," she said, her voice strained, trying to brush off the pain.

Ryan's gaze met hers briefly again, his expression apologetic. "You okay?".

Aria nodded, taking a deep breath, her chest rising and falling. "Yeah," she replied.

The sedan continued on, the silence between them punctuated only by the engine's hum and the creaking of the suspension.

As they drove, the landscape shifted from the damaged buildings and into abandoned factories, their broken windows like empty eyes staring back at Aria.

Weeds and grasses pushed through the cracks in the pavement of the abandoned factories, a testament to nature's relentless reclaiming of the deserted landscape.

Aria watched, mesmerized, as they drove by, the sedan's tires crunching on gravel.

"Look at that," Aria said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ryan glanced at the factories before returning his gaze to the road, Aria was behaving as if she hadn't seen what the world had become.