CHAPTER 24: 24: THE WORLD TURNS RED SOMETIMES

"There’s something ahead," Zara whispered, her voice shaking slightly.

Winter’s sharp gaze scanned the surroundings again, and he saw them—two figures lurching from behind a rusted car, their grotesque, decaying faces twisted into hunger. And then more appeared, moving out of the mist and towards them. The horde was closing in faster than Winter had anticipated.

He thought they had gone around them?!

"Get down!" Winter snapped, his voice like ice. "Stay low. Do not move unless I say."

He ducked behind the nearest car. His rifle raised, eyes trained on the advancing threat. There was a horde, ’fuck. Just our luck.’ He thought with a frown. His rifle wouldn’t cut it, and he’d just waste his bullets.

He hung his rifle over his shoulder and pulled out his machete instead. He hated getting close to the creatures, but this was the best course of action. Zara’s breath came in quick, shallow gasps as she pressed herself against the side of the car beside him, trying to stay out of sight. Winter’s attention flicked to her, noticing how she flinched when a zombie turned in their direction.

"Stay down," Winter repeated, his voice low and urgent. His breath condensed in the air, disappearing into the freezing wind. The horde shuffled closer, oblivious to them for now.

Zara kept her head down, clutching her coat to her chest, her face tense as she steeled herself. Suddenly, the creatures turned in their direction, glassy eyes fixed intently.

"Fuck, change of plans. Go find somewhere to hide," he hissed, "You can’t fight with that leg. Think of an escape route for us."

He was surprised when she didn’t argue and simply dipped out of the scene as fast as her bad leg could carry her.

The first zombie lunged almost immediately, its gnarled fingers scraping across the side of the car. Winter reacted on instinct, swinging his machete. The blade sliced through the air, cutting through the zombie’s throat. Its head toppled, rolling into the snow.

He glanced over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of Zara just in time to see her hands clutching her coat tighter, her face pale, her legs stiff from the strain. She moved back slightly, clearly trying to avoid drawing attention.

Good, he thought, his muscles coiling as he readied himself.

His movements were a blur. But even with his supernatural speed, the numbers were starting to overwhelm him. Another zombie was charging from his left, its arm outstretched, and Winter only narrowly dodged its swipe. He could feel the rotten air in his face as the creature’s claws sliced through the air where his stomach had been a moment before. He twisted his body, narrowly evading a second swipe, and spun, cutting the zombie down in a single, swift motion.

But his focus kept darting back to Zara. She was still out in the open, edging toward the wrecked cars, trying to find shelter behind the vehicles.

The creatures weren’t slowing. The snow around him was thick, muffling their sounds, but he could still hear them shuffling—getting closer. Their limbs were stiff and unnatural, but the hunger in their eyes was unmistakable. Winter moved with an eerie calm, stepping around the first few that neared him. He swung again, cutting through flesh and bone with ease.

More followed. One after another, they staggered toward Winter.

Winter’s eyes flicked back to Zara. She wasn’t far, just behind the half-wall, trying to move quickly despite her limp. Her movements were erratic as if she were trying to push herself faster than her body could go. He saw her glance at him once, but she quickly turned away, her face drawn tight.

But as Winter fought, Zara couldn’t shake the feeling that she had to do something. She couldn’t just hide. She couldn’t stay safe behind the car while he fought for both of them. Her ankle throbbed in pain, but she forced herself to move, stumbling slightly as she hobbled toward another piece of cover. But the strain was too much.

He froze for just a moment too long. In that instant, a zombie’s claws scraped across his gut, just under his ribs. The pain was sharp and immediate, but Winter didn’t flinch. He twisted, slashing his machete across the creature’s throat and watching as it crumpled to the ground.

But that was the moment he lost sight of her.

Her injured ankle gave out under her weight. Zara’s face twisted in pain as she fell to the snow-covered ground, her body hitting the frozen earth with a sickening thud.

And before she could even scream, a zombie lunged at her, its mouth open wide in a grotesquely, ready to tear her apart.

"No!" Winter roared, the word like a shot of adrenaline to his bloodstream.

His body moved before his mind had time to process. The split-second decision didn’t feel like a choice—it was a reflex, a primal urge to protect. His supernatural strength propelled him forward, his limbs stretching out to cover the distance in a fraction of a second. The zombie’s foul breath hit his face as he reached Zara, but he was already there—he grabbed the creature by the throat and lifted it off her, throwing it away like a ragdoll.

The zombie slammed into the side of an abandoned car, crumpling to the ground with a sickening crack. Winter didn’t wait. He pulled Zara up by her good arm, lifting her as if she weighed nothing.

"You’re really pushing it, Zara," Winter snapped, his tone icy with frustration. "I told you to stay hidden."

Zara’s breath was ragged as she clutched at him for balance. Her heart hammered in her chest. "I was— I tried to—" she stuttered.

"I dont want to hear it," he hissed, "let’s get out of here," he pulled her along, looking over his shoulders at the group that was slowly gathering behind them.

Her ankle—the injured one—was clearly giving her more trouble than ever. She grimaced, trying to put weight on it, but it buckled again beneath her. Winter’s jaw tightened.

"For heaven’s sake!" he growled, scooping her into his arms without a second thought.

Zara’s breath hitched in surprise, but before she could protest, Winter was already moving, his enhanced speed leaving the horde behind. Zombies were clawing at the air, their movements sluggish, but Winter’s pace was faster. His boots kicked up snow with every heavy stride, the snowflakes swirling around them.

He darted around the wreckage, navigating through the cluttered alley as if he had the whole route memorised.

Zara was gasping against his chest, her face pale, her arm clinging to his neck and still on the coat. Even when she was too dazed to even ask questions.

Winter’s supernatural strength allowed him to easily scale a crumbled building, his boots finding purchase on unstable debris. The horde below shrieked and clawed, but they were already losing sight of their prey. Winter leapt effortlessly over abandoned cars and wreckage, his arms holding Zara securely against him as though she weighed nothing.

The cold bit at his exposed skin, but adrenaline dulled the sting.

The city blurred around him. His breathing was steady, but the ache in his gut from the earlier swipe was starting to sting more. Still, he didn’t stop. His instincts screamed to get himself—and this crazy woman—far from the danger.

The zombies fell behind quickly, their sluggish movements no match for Winter’s speed. He zigzagged through the maze of abandoned streets, his sharp eyes scanning for threats.

Winter vaulted over a rusted car, the frame groaning under his weight before he landed silently on the other side. The alley ahead was dark and narrow, its walls high enough to offer some semblance of cover. It would have to do.

He ducked into the shadows, skidding to a stop and setting Zara down as gently as he could manage. Her injured ankle gave a small, involuntary jerk as she leaned against the wall, wincing. Winter slumped against the opposite wall, his chest heaving from exertion despite his enhanced endurance.

The silence that followed was oppressive, broken only by the sound of their ragged breathing. The wind howled faintly in the distance, but for now, they were safe.

Zara turned away from Winter slightly, letting out a shaky exhale, her fingers fumbling to open the coat just enough to check on Leo. The boy’s small face peeked out, his wide eyes staring up at her, his lips trembling but silent.

"I’m sorry, I’m so sorry," she whispered softly. Did he get hurt when she fell, or had the snow cushioned most of the impact?

Winter watched her, his jaw tight, his eyes sharp even in the dim light. Was she talking to him or...

He couldn’t shake the image of her falling, of the zombie lunging for her, or the sheer fear that had gripped him at that moment. The faces had overlapped in his mind, and he just...

’Urgh,’ he groaned, raking his hand through his tousled hair.

Satisfied that her son was not in immediate danger, she turned her attention to Winter, her expression softening—until her eyes drifted lower. Her gaze locked onto something on his side, and her face twisted in horror.

"You’re bleeding!"