Chapter 34: Echoes of despair

The two teenage boys looked anxious, standing beside the man. J stepped forward, trying to understand the situation.

"What do you mean, 'we know him'?" J asked, his frustration clear. "What's going on here?"

The man's face twisted with fear and sadness. Tears filled his eyes as he broke down. "I had no choice," he cried. "I was forced to do this."

"Forced?" King demanded. "What are you talking about?"

The man sobbed, trying to control his shaking voice. "They're holding my sister. They said if I didn't follow their orders, they'd kill her. I had to do whatever they said."

The room went quiet as everyone absorbed his words. King's anger turned to a deep sadness, and the others looked at each other with mixed emotions.

Pwat, who had just arrived, looked at the man.

" Did you planned meeting us and Ajena?! " He was furious thinking that they were fooled.

The man's eyes widened in shock. "No, it's not a plan. My Uncle called me before the outbreak happened and said that I have to find Ajena Lawden and tell her about this base. I didn't know they would use my sister to force me into giving information! "

King's gaze shifted to Pwat. "Why is he talking about this base?"

Jerry stepped forward and answered, "His name is Meno. We met him nine years ago. He were one of the people that Sister Ajena rescued and

told us about this base and run away while we were attacked by Zombies"

Pwat looked at Meno, now realizing the depth of the situation. "So you've been forced to reveal this base location?"

Meno nodded, tears streaming down his face. "Yes, I'm so sorry I didn't want to betray anyone. I was only trying to save my sister."

They processed the new information.

He turned to Dave, who had been visibly agitated. "Remove his shackles," King ordered firmly.

As the shackles were removed, Meno dropped to his knees, his sobs echoing through the room. His face was flushed with emotion as he looked up at King, his eyes pleading.

" Please, you have to help me," Meno cried. "My sister... they're going to kill her if I don't keep giving them what they want. They said if I bring the people the leader wants, my sister will be free."

Dave, confused,. "Who are these people, and who is this leader you're talking about?"

Meno's face showed a mixture of fear and confusion. "The leader's name is Alas. They're looking for two 8 years old boys and one soldier. "

King's expression grew grim. "What are the names of the people the leader is looking for?"

"That's us. Me, Jerry, and Kho," Pwat said, making everyone exchange confused glances.

Peter, trying to piece together the situation, asked, "Do you know the leader? Why does he want you guys?"

Pwat took a deep breath before continuing.

" You guys remember when Ajena meet Tyler's Group? Before she met them she was with us. Ajena left us because she was controlled by the virus When Ajena was overtaken by the virus and left us, One of Alas companion relied heavily on Ajena, and when she left us, it broke her will to survive. We were attacked by zombies, and Alas's best friend and his allies sacrificed themselves to help us escape. Alas blamed us for their deaths and then disappeared."

Peter who had been listening intently, shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe that anger would drive him to do something like this. "

King's gaze hardened with resolve. "We'll have to confront this Alas and figure out how to stop him. But first, we need to prepare ourselves and gather as much information as possible. Meno, tell us everything you know about this leader and his plans."

Later...

The sun is rising , The sky turned lighter, and a soft glow covered the base. King focused, gathered everyone in the central room.

"How many rats did we catch?" King asked, his voice steady.

Ariela, who had been checking the traps, replied, "We caught 52 rats. Almost 30 are dead, probably crushed. Only two are still alive."

King nodded, looking serious. "We need to deal with those two quickly. We can't afford any more problems from these rats."

Pwat, nearby, spoke up. "Did we check on the livestock? We need to make sure they're safe."

Bea, who had checked the livestock, said, "They're fine for now, but we need to keep watching them. "

King called everyone outside to deal with the bodies. A big pile of dead had been gathered, and a fire was ready to burn them. The air was heavy with sadness as the group faced this tough task.

"Listen up," King said, trying to stay calm. "We need to burn these bodies to keep the base safe. It's hard, but we have to do it."

When the fire was lit, it quickly grew, and the heat was intense. The flames danced high, and smoke filled the air. The crackling of the fire was loud, and the smell was awful.

Around the fire, the people were heartbroken. They knelt on the ground, crying and calling out for their lost loved ones. Their voices were filled with deep sorrow and despair.

One woman cried loudly, "John! Please come back!" Her voice was filled with pain and hopelessness.

A young mother held her child's empty blanket tightly and whispered, "Lily, come back to me. Please."

Then a young boy, no older than eight. He saw the fire and began to scream in terror.

"No! No!" the boy cried, tears pouring down his face. "Those are my parents! Please, don't burn them!"

Rose tried to comfort the kid, kneeling beside him. "We have to do this to keep everyone safe. I'm so sorry, but there's nothing we can do."

The boy struggled, reaching out with small hands. "They're not gone! They're just sleeping! Please, don't!"

King stepped in, his own heart breaking at the sight. He gently picked up the boy, holding him close.

"I'm so sorry," King said softly, tears in his eyes. "I know it's hard. We have to do this. We'll remember them properly."

" I-I can't watch this Mom , Dad " Roseanne said hugging her mother, Rose

" This is so s-sad " BJ said and hug her parents

Ariela kneeled down and hug her son, Azriel who is staring the fire and looks like he's in a deep thought.

Inside the base, others were cleaning and trying to make things better. They swept up debris and got the area ready so people could rest. The noise and heat from outside were quieter in here, and they worked hard to make the space as comfortable as possible.

Outside, the mourning continued. The night was long and filled with pain, but it was also a time for everyone to come together and support each other.

As the fire's light flickered, the crowd's cries grew softer, replaced by a heavy silence. Each person stayed on their knees, lost in their sadness and longing for the ones they had lost. The sun finally rise.