CHAPTER 45: 45: THE WORLD IS FULL OF CLOSE CALLS

Zara pressed herself against the cool, jagged surface of the concrete wall, her breath shallow and quick. The smell of damp stone mixed with the scent of dust and decay. Her heart pounded in her chest as she watched the dark silhouettes of the men ahead, their shadows stretched across the broken streets.

One of the men, tall and broad-shouldered, halted in his tracks. He lifted his nose to the air, his eyes narrowing. "I smell them," he muttered under his breath, more to himself than to his group. His voice was deep, rough.

His companions stopped, shifting uneasily as they noticed his sudden behaviour change.

"What is it?" one of them asked, his voice dripping with disbelief.

"I smell people," the man responded, taking a few steps forward, his eyes scanning the shadows. His expression was unreadable—focused, dangerous. Zara’s stomach churned.

Confused and desperate, Zara glanced at the others, her heart in her throat. This can’t be happening—her eyes flicked to Kit, who was gripping her sleeve like a lifeline. His face was pale, his lip trembling.

"What the hell are you talking about, man?" one of the others laughed, breaking the silence. He snorted and jabbed his elbow into the one who had spoken. "You smell people? No kidding—we all haven’t bathed in months. Might as well be a damn stench cloud by now."

Laughter erupted from the group, the sound a cruel mockery of their situation, but the ability user didn’t join in. He remained still, his head slightly tilted as he continued to sniff the air, his eyes flicking over the surroundings.

Zara’s heart rate quickened. Why did they have to meet an ability user? Something was unnerving about the way his gaze seemed to cut through the dark as if he could see through walls and into their hiding place.

Then, the man took a step forward. His hand reached to the side of his body, fingers brushing against the handle of the gun holstered at his hip. He cocked it in seemingly slow motion. The click echoed in the stillness.

Zara’s breath caught in her throat, her body instinctively moving to shield Mia and Kit behind her. Kit’s breath hitched. He was no longer trying to hide his fear. Zara could see the panic in his eyes. Mia’s face was hard to read, but Zara could feel her tense just the same. This was bad. They couldn’t be caught.

But before the situation could escalate, another of the gang members spoke up. His voice was rough but tinged with a hint of humour. "It’s getting cold out here, man. Let’s just leave it for tonight, alright? No reason to start shooting at ghosts." He tugged at the sleeves of his tattered jacket, the chill cutting into the fabric.

The ability user turned slowly toward the group, his eyes flashing with something unreadable. For a heartbeat, Zara felt the universe itself hold its breath.

Then, with a soft sigh, the man holstered his weapon, giving a slight shake of his head. "Fine," he muttered, his voice quiet but still carrying that heavy tone. He turned back toward the others, clearly distracted by their words.

Zara didn’t hesitate.

Now or never. Her instincts kicked in. With a swift motion, she grabbed Kit and Mia by the arm, pulling them toward the darkened alley on their left. Leo clung to her side, his small hands clutching her shirt.

Kit tripped, his foot catching on something, and Zara had a split second to react before he fell to the ground with a muffled grunt.

"What was that?" she heard the ability user call from somewhere behind them.

"What is it now?" Another person sighed.

"Get in!" Zara hissed, voice desperate.

"Kit!" she hissed urgently, crouching down beside him.

He looked up, eyes wide. "I—I didn’t mean to," he whispered. But it didn’t matter. Zara’s heart skipped a beat when she saw what he had tripped over—a small, hidden crawl space beneath the broken concrete.

Kit scrambled to his feet, eyes wide with disbelief, and ducked into the crawl space. Mia followed quickly, her eyes darting around in panic. Zara, holding Leo’s hand tightly, squeezed herself into the small opening, guiding him in.

The hole was barely wide enough to fit all four of them, but they managed to slip inside just as the patrol rounded the corner.

The moment they were safely hidden, Zara’s heart didn’t stop pounding. She could hear the gang pass by, their footsteps loud but fading.

Zara’s breath was ragged in the confined space. They were safe—for now. But her mind was already racing ahead, analyzing the close call. The ability user had come too close. Too close.

She exhaled shakily, pressing her back against the damp earth of the crawl space. She felt Leo’s tiny hand clutch hers and was nearly startled when another grabbed her other hand. She turned to see Kit’s worried expression.

"It’s ok, we are fine," she comforted him.

Hours passed, though Zara barely noticed the time. Her mind raced, her thoughts endlessly circling, trying to make sense of the close call.

"Hey, it seems like they have left. Let’s find somewhere more comfortable," she said nudging the kids.

They all slowly got out of the crawl space, dusted their clothing and stretched out their cramped limbs.

Eventually, she and the kids found a small abandoned building nearby—a ruined shelter with peeling walls and broken windows that allowed the moonlight to filter through. They huddled in the corner, exhausted but unwilling to sleep. Zara’s eyes flickered over her children as the cold started to settle in.

Mia was the first to speak.

"I’m taking Kit with me for patrol," Mia said suddenly, her voice too sharp for the calm night. Zara’s eyes snapped up in surprise.

"What? Why?" Zara felt a pang of confusion and concern.

"I need him with me," Mia responded with a clipped tone, her eyes hard. "You can’t expect me to go alone, not with how things are right now."

Kit, who had been quietly sitting by the wall, raised an eyebrow. "I don’t want to go," he muttered, his voice softer than usual. "I want to stay with you, Zara. With Leo." His eyes flicked to the boy who was still curled up beside Zara, his little face pale and tired.

Zara looked at him, her heart aching. Kit had slowly become attached to them over the few weeks of their travel. But she could feel the tension in the air as Mia glared at him, her lips curling into a thin line.

"You don’t have a choice," Mia said coldly, her voice unyielding. "Come on, Kit. We need to stay alert. You’re coming whether you like it or not."

Kit opened his mouth to protest again, but the fire in Mia’s gaze stopped him. He looked down, scuffing his shoe against the ground, and sighed. "Fine. Whatever."

Zara didn’t try to stop them, she had learnt that Mia’s moods were very volatile. She didn’t want to say or do anything that would ruin the little "relationship" she had managed to build.

"Be careful," Zara said softly.

She knew Mia could handle herself, but the idea of Kit out there with her—far from her protective reach—made her heartache.

"We will," Mia said, her expression softening just the slightest. She glanced at Kit, who had slung his pack over his shoulder. "Let’s go."

As they left, Zara watched them go, feeling a hollow space open up in her chest. Urgh, she thought, curling around Leo slightly. Why didn’t she ever learn? Why did she allow herself to get attached to these kids?

*****

Later that night, Zara found herself alone with Leo. He had been quiet for the last few hours, his little body curled up beside her, his eyes heavy with exhaustion.

She gently reached for the small ration of food she had stashed in her pack, offering it to Leo. He took it eagerly, his tiny hands trembling as he lifted it to his mouth.

Zara looked out towards the opening of the building. The sun had set yet Mia and Kit weren’t back. She had wanted to go search for them but worried that they might miss each other if she left and they came back.

Just as he finished eating, Leo’s voice broke the silence, low and hesitant.

"Mama," he whispered, his hand reaching out to grasp hers. "It’s bigger now."

Zara blinked, confused. She leaned closer, her brow furrowing. "Bigger? What’s bigger, baby?"

Leo’s face tightened in concentration as he searched for the words, his gaze distant and soft. "The cosy-dark place... it’s bigger now. There’s room for more things." His voice was barely a whisper.

Zara’s heart skipped a beat as she processed his words. His "cosy-dark" place. That was his space, right? It got bigger?

Zara’s stomach sank as her mind raced. No. She had feared this would happen. The power was evolving. It was growing inside him. But it was taking more of him than ever before. Zara’s hands shook slightly as she cupped Leo’s face, gently making him look at her.

"Does it hurt?" she asked softly.

"It hurt before, really scary. But not anymore." He yawned, pressing himself against her chest. "Sleepy."

"I’m so sorry, baby," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "Mommy’s going to figure this out. I promise. I won’t let anything happen to you."

His power was evolving, but it was draining him. She didn’t know how much longer she could protect him from the consequences.

Tears threatened to spill over, but she held them back, knowing Leo needed her to stay strong. They stayed silent for a moment, listening to the wind outside. Zara knew there would be no easy answers to what was happening to her son.

"Where are those two?" She mumbled, worried.

*****

When Mia and Kit returned, the air between them was thick with unease. Mia’s eyes flickered nervously as she walked toward Zara, her hands shaking slightly. Kit stood just behind her, his face pale, his body tense.

"What happened?" Zara asked immediately, a sharp edge to her voice.

Mia brushed it off. "Nothing," she said too quickly, her voice strained. "Just saw a suspicious group. It’s fine."

But Zara noticed Mia’s trembling hand. Something was wrong.

"Dear-"

"I think we should keep moving," Mia said, looking round.

"What? Its already so dark out. We could run into something or someone." Zara frowned.

"Like I said, I saw some suspicious people . We need to keep distance between them."

As they trekked further, Zara’s eyes caught something on a nearby wall—graffiti, crude and hasty. It was a symbol she didnt recognise at all. The insignia, probably of a gang that roamed this place. Her stomach dropped, and she felt her body tense. But it wasn’t just the symbol that made her uneasy. It was the way Mia’s gaze lingered on it, a flash of recognition in her eyes.

Without missing a beat, Zara spoke, her voice steady but firm. "We should take another route. It’s getting late."

Mia didn’t respond immediately. She simply nodded, but there was something in her silence, something in the way she avoided looking at Zara that sent a chill down Zara’s spine.

What aren’t you telling me, Mia?