CHAPTER 307: APOCALYPTIC ROMANCE 17

Sasha woke up to silence.

The van was empty. Alvaro was gone.

Her heart jumped. It was still dark outside — that dangerous time before dawn when everything felt too quiet. The world didn’t sleep anymore, and walking alone at night was basically suicide.

She looked at her wrist tracker. His signal blinked near the lake, not far from the van.

"Unbelievable," she muttered, grabbing her gun and gear. "If he’s out there doing something stupid, I swear—"

She armed herself with everything she could carry and slipped out of the van. The air was cold and heavy, and every sound felt too loud. She moved carefully, trying not to step on dry branches.

The forest opened up into a small lake, glowing red under the bloody moon. Water shimmered, reflecting the sky like liquid glass.

And there he was.

Alvaro stood in the water — completely naked — washing himself off like some kind of male god. His hair was damp, his skin gleamed in the red light, and his expression was calm, almost peaceful.

Sasha froze behind a bush.

"Unbelievable," she whispered again, but this time, it wasn’t out of anger.

Under the red moon, he looked... unfairly handsome.

She wasn’t blind. The man was walking fan service with a gun.

Sasha couldn’t help but see pieces of Han Feng and Alexander rolled into one whenever she looked at Alvaro.

Even with his messy green hair, those amber eyes and the quiet confidence he carried reminded her of Han Feng’s charm and mischief—and of Alexander’s calm strength and sharp combat skill.

Maybe that was why she felt this urge to keep him safe.

He wasn’t just an ally in the apocalypse—he was a strange echo of everything in the past worlds, and everything she didn’t want to lose again.

Still, her instinct took over. She scanned the trees, checking for movement, heat, or noise. Nothing. Only him and the water.

Then she finally called out, "Enjoying your midnight spa day?"

Alvaro jumped, turned, then relaxed when he saw her.

"You know," he said, voice lazy, "most people say good evening before they start judging."

"I skipped straight to ’what part of your brain thinks this is a good idea?’" Sasha said, stepping closer.

"I smelled like gasoline and zombie guts," he said, shrugging. "I thought you’d like me if I smelled nice."

"You thought— You know what? Never mind. Get out of there before something bites you."

He grinned. "You’re jealous of the fish."

"I’m about to be the fish and bite you myself."

He laughed and stepped out of the lake, water running down his skin in silver trails.

Sasha looked away quickly, heat rising to her face. His body was lean and solid—too easy to notice, too hard to ignore. The moonlight traced every line of muscle, every drop of water sliding across his chest.

His cock was huge even at rest, dangling for all to see. She swallowed, forcing herself to focus on the trees instead.

"Seriously," she muttered under her breath, "does he have to look like that during an apocalypse?"

Alvaro only grinned teasingly. "You were tracking me?"

"I track everything that can die stupidly," she said.

"So that’s a yes."

He stepped closer, water still dripping from his hair and shoulders, each drop pattering softly against the ground.

"C-can you please get dressed?" Sasha said, turning her head away.

"Why?" Alvaro chuckled, leaning in just enough for his teasing tone to curl around her nerves. "Are you embarrassed?"

"Have some decency," she snapped, though her voice wavered. "I’m still a woman."

Alvaro’s smile deepened—warm, dangerous, and far too confident. He bent close enough that she could feel his breath against her ear.

"Oh, trust me," he whispered. "I’ve always seen you as a woman—past, present, and future."

Sasha froze, her face heating instantly. W-what’s that supposed to mean? she thought, heart skipping a beat.

She glared at him, but her voice came out softer than intended. "Just... get dressed before I shoot you for being indecent."

He laughed quietly, unbothered, the sound echoing through the misty air.

Before she could respond, her wristband blinked — red this time.

Movement detected: multiple heat sources, 400 meters.

"Get dressed," she said immediately.

He was already pulling on his pants. "What are we looking at?"

"Six to eight," she said, scanning the signal. "Too fast for zombies. Too quiet for monsters."

"Scavengers," he guessed. "Heading for the van?"

"Exactly."

Alvaro’s grin turned sharp. "Let’s welcome them, then."

They moved fast, staying low between the trees. The moon painted everything in red and silver. Within minutes, they saw shadows sneaking toward the van, whispering in low voices.

"...just a quick grab—"

"—we hit that jackpot—"

Sasha lifted two fingers — a silent signal.

Two in front. Three in the back. One circling.

Alvaro nodded. His eyes locked on the lead man, finger steady on the trigger.

Sasha tossed a small stone across the bushes. The sound drew two scavengers toward it.

Pfft!

Alvaro’s silenced gun fired. One dropped to his knees with a cry.

Sasha stepped out of the shadows, gun aimed steady.

"Bad night for bad ideas," she said. "Hands up."

The group froze. One man’s voice shook. "We didn’t mean— We just saw the rig—"

"You saw nothing," she said. "Try again and I’ll start charging heads for every bullet I waste."

Alvaro’s tone was almost cheerful. "She’s not kidding. You should see her customer service policy."

The scavengers backed off slowly. They left the area without a fight.

When the forest finally went quiet again, Alvaro said, "You could’ve let me shoot a few more."

"You’ll get target practice tomorrow," Sasha said. "For now, we should move quickly."

He chuckled. "You know, you’re very scary when you’re tired."

"Good," she said. "Fear keeps you useful."

They hopped into the van, adrenaline fading. The air inside felt warm and safe again. Alvaro shook the water from his hair, spraying her by accident.

"Ugh," Sasha said, dodging. "I’m adding a rule—no wet soldiers inside my van."

He laughed. "I was trying to smell better for you."

"That’s the first time anyone’s ever risked death for hygiene," she muttered, starting the engine to get away from the place.

Who knew if more of those people would come back?

He hummed, pulling on a clean shirt and flashing her a grin. "You came looking for me, though."

"I came for my best shooter," she said, refusing to meet his eyes. "I still need you to kill those monsters out there."

He smiled, too soft for comfort. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."