CHAPTER 15: 15

Zara and Winter continued through the broken cityscape, their footsteps crunching over debris.

"Don’t fall behind now," he remarked, that smug glint never quite leaving his eyes.

Rolling her eyes, Zara forced herself to focus ahead. She wasn’t about to let him get under her skin any more than he already had.

The sun was low, casting harsh, angled shadows over the crumbling buildings. In those shadows, her mind drifted back to Leo. With nightfall approaching, every second spent not getting back to him gnawed at her.

Winter stopped short at a fork in the road, eyeing the alleyway branching off to the right. "I’m going this way," he said flatly, looking at her with an unreadable expression.

"Fine by me," she replied, giving him a dismissive shrug, even as something unspoken hung between them.

He gave her one last, lingering look, his gaze sharper and more piercing than usual. Then he turned away and disappeared down the alley, his footsteps fading as the shadows swallowed him up.

Once alone, Zara’s chest felt oddly light and heavy all at once. She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, ignoring the pang in her chest that whispered, Maybe you wanted him to stay.

Only because he could have provided protection.

Shaking her head, she continued, each step a reminder of how urgently she needed to reach Leo.

Finally, she reached the store where she’d hidden Leo, her heartbeat quickening. Pushing open the door, Zara moved quickly through the aisles until she reached the back corner. She found him there, curled up and clutching the old doll she had left him with— and a blanket she definitely hadn’t given him.

Probably something from his space. she thought, walking over quietly.

"My baby," she cooed, trying to get his attention.

He looked up, his wide eyes meeting hers. Relief softened his small face, but there was something else—fear, maybe. He stood up, his tiny hands clenched into fists, his jaw set in what he must have thought was a brave expression.

"Mama!" he whispered, his voice trembling as he ran toward her.

Zara knelt down, opening her arms just as he threw himself into them. She held him close, feeling the faint tremors shaking his small frame, and gently stroked his hair.

"It’s okay, Leo," she murmured, kissing his forehead. "I’m here now."

For a moment, he was silent, his little hands gripping her coat tightly. But as the seconds passed, his small, shaky breaths grew quicker. He started to cry, muffling his sobs against her shoulder as he buried his face in her neck.

Zara’s heart ached, guilt flooding through her. She hadn’t seen just how much he’d been holding back. "Shh," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I’m so sorry, little man. I should have been here sooner. I know you’ve been so brave, haven’t you?"

Leo sniffled, nodding even as he clung to her, his voice muffled. "I was... I was trying to be brave. Like you said. B-but... it was scary, Mama."

"I know, baby," she murmured, rubbing his back soothingly. "I know it was. And you did so good, Leo, so good."

She pulled back slightly, just enough to see his face. His cheeks were wet, his eyes red and swollen, and her heart ached.

"Are you...are you gonna leave again, Mama?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, fear written all over his little face.

Zara swallowed, guilt twisting in her stomach. "No, sweetheart. I’m not leaving you alone like that again. Not ever." She ruffled his hair gently, her mind racing with the realization that she couldn’t keep making headway only to come back and find him every time.

She took his small hands in hers and looked at him with all the resolve she could muster. "From now on, wherever I go, you go too, okay? We’re in this together."

Leo’s face lit up slightly, his eyes still shining with lingering tears. "Really, Mama?"

She nodded firmly, a soft smile on her lips. "Really."

His little arms wrapped around her neck again, holding her tighter, and she held him back just as fiercely. This opened her eyes to something she hadn’t considered before. Leo might be a baby, but he was perceptive of his age and understood that things were really bad outside now. Just as much as she worried about him, he also worried about her.

He leaned into her touch, his eyes drooping with exhaustion as he yawned, nestling back into her arms. Zara felt a fierce protectiveness rise within her, a determination that solidified into resolve as she held him close. She couldn’t keep doing this, couldn’t keep risking his safety by leaving him alone while she went out searching. Not now, with the new variants of undead she’d encountered—faster, more cunning, and relentless.

"I’m so sorry, baby," she whispered, gently pressing her lips against his forehead before wiping his tears. "Mummy will do better from now on, I promise."

As they sat together in the fading light, Zara’s gaze drifted to the darkness beyond the broken window, her thoughts briefly flickering to Winter.

Annoying, arrogant—yes. But...useful, she had to admit. He had an uncanny calmness, a sense of control she hadn’t seen in anyone else in ages. "Guess the world has room for all types," she muttered, brushing off the memory of his cool, assessing gaze.

She shook her head, the faintest trace of a smile tugging at her lips despite herself.

With Leo finally asleep in her arms, Zara settled against the wall, her eyes drifting to the cracked ceiling above as she listened to his steady breathing, the calm rhythm grounding her. The silence of the night stretched around them, a fragile peace that felt fleeting, but she clung to it, closing her eyes and letting herself breathe, letting herself feel the warmth of her son’s presence against her.

Tomorrow, they would face whatever dangers awaited together. For tonight, she let herself hold onto this small, quiet moment, hoping it would be enough to carry them through whatever darkness lay ahead.