Finding Safe Haven ? &Team Nicholas

two

"Are you alone?" he finally asks, his tone softer, though still guarded. He lowers the shotgun slightly but keeps it ready.

You nod, though your hands are still trembling. "Yes, I’m alone. I’m not with anyone."

The man studies you for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh. "Then you should come with me. There’s safety in numbers, and we don’t have much time."

His offer comes as a surprise. The shift from hostility to an invitation feels almost surreal. You can hardly believe it, but the alternative is facing the zombies alone. You need to trust him, despite your lingering doubts.

"What’s your name?" you ask, trying to ground yourself in the reality of the situation.

He hesitates, looking away momentarily. "K."

"K? Just K?" you ask, incredulity slipping into your voice.

He glances at you, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips. "Names have power. They can bind you or free you. Right now, I don’t need you to remember my name. I need you to survive."

Despite the harshness of his words, you sense a glimmer of shared humanity in him. "Why are you out here alone?"

K’s eyes darken with a shadow of pain. "I’m looking for my little brother. I left him in the basement to keep him safe, and when I returned, he was gone."

A chill runs down your spine as you recall Nicholas who mentioned Taki being left in a basement. "Did you find any clues about where he might be?"

K shakes his head, his expression hardened by determination. "No clues. But I have to keep looking. I can’t give up on him."

You nod, understanding the drive behind his search. "I’ll help you find him. I need to stay alive anyway."

K's expression softens slightly, a mix of relief and wariness in his eyes. "Good. Let’s move before the zombies find us."

You follow him into the night, the darkness of the woods enveloping you as you move cautiously. The moonlight offers little comfort as you approach what K calls the Safe Haven—a fortified compound with high walls and watchtowers.

The sight of it is almost too good to be true.

As you approach the gates, guards peer out, their weapons at the ready. K waves to them, and the gates creak open, revealing the relative safety within. You step inside, feeling a tentative sense of security. The guards look at you with suspicion but lower their weapons once they see K.

K turns to you with a small, hopeful smile. "Welcome to the Safe Haven, Y/N."

You look around at the compound, realizing that this might be a new beginning. For now, at least, you have a chance to survive and help K find his brother.

As you enter the haven, you feel a flicker of hope, something you thought had long been extinguished.

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Nicholas stared blankly at the walls of their temporary refuge, his mind racing. He had no idea where you had gone or how you had managed to slip away, but one thing was certain: the drive in his heart demanded he find you.