Free Web NovelChapter 195: Chapter 195 Hope And Survival
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Outskirt the Luxebridge City ƒгeewebnovёl.com
Ronan kept walking, but he no longer felt his legs properly, as if his body was moving on its own while his mind faded in and out. His vision blurred at the edges, and every step felt heavier than the last, but he forced himself forward.
The pain in his shoulder spread towards his neck, back, and chest. He bit his lower lips, his brown iris shrinking from the persistent wave of pain.
His body lacked strength. A part of him was ready to give up, but how could he give up when he hadn’t seen the love of his life? No matter what, he must live, he must meet her again.
Don walked ahead of the group with baseball bats in his hands. His brows knitted in confusion, as no they had not encountered any infected. He didn’t believe in luck, nor will he believe in coincidence.
Something was strange and he could feel it at the back of his throat.
Ronan’s throat burned, and his lips were dry and chapped. His body tilted as he walked.
Suddenly, someone moved closer to him and pulled his arm over their shoulder. He turned his head slowly and saw the girl who had given him water before. She supported him firmly, not giving him a chance to fall.
"I can walk," Ronan said weakly, trying to pull away. ’I can’t let you notice my wound.’
She held him tighter. "You can’t," she said calmly. "Stop pretending."
Ronan frowned slightly. "I don’t need help."
"You do," she replied without hesitation. "You’re the only one who knows where we’re going. If you collapse, then all of us are stuck in this goddamn forsaken place."
Ronan said nothing after that. He let his weight rest on her and kept walking. His chest heaved heavily.
The group moved slowly, their steps uneven as exhaustion dragged them down. Their throats were dry, their lips cracked, and no one had the energy to speak unless they had to.
They had no access to water or food, and the hotel was like paradise in their heads. The only place of survival... the only place of safety.
After a while, one of the men groaned. "How much longer?" he asked, his voice filled with frustration. "Ronan... when are we getting to that hotel?"
Ronan swallowed with difficulty. "Not far," he replied, though he was not fully sure anymore.
A few steps later, someone collapsed to the ground.
A young man in his twenties fell to his knees, his hands hitting the ground as he broke down.
"I can’t do this anymore," he said, shaking his head as tears filled his eyes. "I don’t even know why I’m still going on."
He sobbed. The rest of the group stared at him with exhaustion, their body barely holding up. And this was definitely not the time of giving emotional support, so they remained quiet, reserving their strength.
"My family is gone... my girlfriend is gone... everything is gone," he continued, his voice cracking. "What’s the point? Why am I even alive?"
The group slowed, some of them stopping as his words settled over them.
Then one of the older men stepped forward and grabbed him by the shoulder, shaking him roughly.
"You’re alive so you can remember them, as long as you are alive, their memories will live for a long time," he said firmly. "You’re alive so you can fix this broken world."
The younger man looked up at him weakly.
"You think they’d want you to give up?" the man continued. "No. You survive. And you make those monsters pay. Don’t give up now that you are close." ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
The younger man trembled slightly, he hesitated, staring at the man’s eyes as if he could find his courage in them. After a while, he nodded weakly.
The older man pulled him up to his feet.
Don finally turned slightly and spoke. "We keep moving."
They continued walking, slower than before. They all pretended as if nothing happened. All of them were already crashing down in their minds, they didn’t know how long they would survive.
Right now they were in the open, with no good weapons, no water or food. And worst of all their strengths were already draining, they were as good as prey waiting to be devoured.
Ronan leaned more on the girl supporting him, his body close to giving out, but he forced himself to keep going.
After walking for a couple of minutes, a huge wall stood majestically in front of them.
The group slowed as they got closer, their eyes fixed on it, as hope burned in their depths.
The wall was covered in blood. Dark stains spread across it like it had been painted over and over again.
Ronan forced his eyes open... a small smile curling on his lips. They had reached it at last.
But their faces twisted into deep frowns as they came to a halt. Their eyes wandered to the pile of bodies ahead, the stench of decaying bodies and blood hung thick in the air.
Both the dead and the infected lay tangled together in a way that made it hard to tell which was which at a glance. Some of the bodies were torn open, others twisted unnaturally, dismembered bodies scattered across the ground, and the sight alone was enough to make a few of them avert their eyes.
Their stomachs churned in repulsion. Their nose scrunched in disgust.
The young man who had been crying earlier suddenly stepped forward, as if the sight of the open space ahead had ignited a fragile spark of hope in him. His steps were quick and unsteady as he tried to move past the others, but he suddenly stopped midway. His entire body freezing as a chill ran sharply down his spine.
The hope in his eyes flickered, then wavered, as something unseen pressed against his instincts, warning him that something was wrong.
He wasn’t the only one. The others began to feel it too.
Almost at the same time, the entire group turned around. And what they saw made their blood run cold.
The space behind them began to tear open slowly, as if something invisible was pulling it apart from within. The air distorted and stretched until a dark split ran across it, widening with each passing second. From that opening, something stepped out.
Four legs covered in thick black fur. They landed on the ground with a heavy, and blood chilling calm. More followed.
The girl supporting Ronan stiffened, her grip tightening slightly as she stared at the scene, her voice coming out in a low whisper filled with disbelief. "What the hell is that..."
No one answered her... They couldn’t.
Panic surged through the group all at once, sharp and overwhelming, spreading faster as their instincts screamed at them to run, to move, to get away before whatever was coming fully emerged.
Ronan’s head snapped up despite his weakened state, his eyes widening as he forced himself to focus, and with what little strength he had left, he shouted, his voice hoarse but urgent.
"Run!"
He pointed toward the gate ahead.
"Run to the gate! Move! Move!"
The group broke into motion, stumbling into a desperate run, their exhaustion forgotten as fear took over, their feet pounding against the ground as they fled toward the only direction they believed held survival.
