Apocalypse Days: I Rule with Foresight and a Powerful Son
Chapter 108:

Chapter 108: 108:

Winter’s hands were gentle when they came to rest on her knees, grounding her with his touch. His dark hair hung over his brow, a few stray strands that had come loose from his quick escape.

But Zara was spiralling.

Fuck, winter thought, maybe he hadn’t thought this through. Telling Zara this without any proof would only make her panic.

He leaned forward, trying to bridge the distance between them, offering her some semblance of comfort, though even he was struggling.

"Zara," he said, his voice firm yet soft. "You need to calm down." He held her gaze, trying to steady her thoughts. "Listen to me. We’re not alone here. We’ve just got here, yes, but there have to be others we can trust. The base isn’t just filled with military personnel. You can’t keep thinking that they’ll come for Leo just yet."

His words didn’t seem to reach her, not with the fear gnawing at her insides, a cold, relentless force. What if he’s already planning it? What if they already know everything? Was that why they told them to "take a break?" so they could easily come for her and Leo in their room?

But Winter didn’t give up. He adjusted his position, his knees scraping against the floor as he inched closer to her, his hands wrapping around her wrists, coaxing her out of her spiralling thoughts. "Zara, I know you’re scared. But panicking won’t help. I want you to stay out of sight for a while. Don’t interact with anyone military for now. We need time to figure this out, okay? Just stay out of the way, and we’ll work it out."

He let go of her wrist to cup her cheek and gently get her to meet his gaze. "Come on, breath with me."

Zara swallowed thickly, her eyes flickering over to Leo, who was quietly playing by the drawers. His small hands were grasping at a toy as he mumbled to himself.

"I can’t... I can’t just hide," she choked out, her voice barely above a whisper. "What if they take him? What if they take Leo, Winter?" She didn’t finish the thought. The images in her mind were enough.

Winter’s fingers tightened on her wrist for a moment, his touch both steadying and insistent. "Zara, you need to trust me." His voice was low, almost a growl. This was the base cause of all their issues and the word hit a little too close to home. "We’ll keep him safe. We’ll keep you both safe."

Zara bit her lip. He was right, she knew he’d do everything in his power to protect them, but it was hard not to worry when they were literally in the palm of their hands.

There would be nowhere to run but out if they decided to use force, and outside wasn’t exactly safe for them.

"Zara?" She looked up at him.

"I...I understand. I’m sorry," she scrubbed her face with her palms, suddenly feeling drained. What in the world was happening? Why couldn’t they catch a break?

"Are you calm now?" He asked again.

"Yes, I’m better now. I’m sorry," she whispered. "But is there really no way we can work around this guy?"

Now that weird smile on his face made sense. She had a full-body shiver at the thought of it.

Winter sighed as he shook his head, running a hand through his hair in exasperation. "He’s dangerous, Zara. He knows things. He has eyes everywhere. We can’t let our guard down, not even for a second."

Zara’s gaze softened, her eyes following Leo as he rummaged through a backpack in the corner. "We won’t, Winter," she said gently, though there was a trace of concern in her voice. "I’ll stay out of his way. I promise."

Winter met her gaze, his eyes searching hers, looking for any trace of doubt, but there was none. Zara was determined, but he could see the worry in her eyes, the way she tried to hide it for Leo’s sake. It made the weight on his chest even heavier.

"Good," he murmured, his voice rougher than he intended. "Just keep Leo close. Don’t let anyone get too close." He paused, swallowing hard. "Especially him."

As the silence settled between them, Leo’s small voice broke through, a bright and innocent question. "What’s wrong, mommy?"

Zara blinked rapidly, trying to form words, but she was still a bit shaken. She could barely smile. But she tried, for him. She smiled at Leo, though it faltered at the edges. "Nothing, sweetheart. Just... grown-up stuff."

Leo’s large, trusting eyes didn’t seem to buy it, and he toddled over to them, his small feet pitter-pattering softly on the floor. "Mommy sad," he said, his voice full of concern.

The simplicity of his words stabbed through Zara’s already broken composure.

Winter, sensing the difficulty of the situation, immediately took action. "It’s nothing to worry about, champ," he said, crouching down to the boy’s level, a soft smile tugging at his lips. "Everything’s okay. Mommy’s just a little tired."

Zara watched them, her heart aching. She nearly lost this stability. She was still at the risk of losing it all.

Leo looked at her questioningly. She could only nod weakly, her throat tight with emotion.

Leo’s attention shifted, his little face lighting up with excitement as he grasped Winter’s hand. "Play?" he asked eagerly, his small body squirming in anticipation. "I want to play with Winter!"

Zara let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, her hands wringing the fabric of her dress in her lap. She could work with Leo’s antics. "Sweetie, Winter can’t play with you now. He needs to eat and bathe."

Leo pouted, grabbing Winter’s arm. "But..."

"Sure, I can play with him."

Zara frowned at his words. She didn’t want him to neglect himself, not when everything was so uncertain.

But Winter simply shook his head, his expression softening. "I’m fine," he said softly.

He gave her a reassuring look, one that promised he wasn’t as lost as she felt. "Let’s just take care of Leo first. I’ll bathe later. He needs me now."

Zara could only nod again, her lips parted as if to protest, but she didn’t have the words. Leo was already tugging at Winter’s arm, eager for the distraction that only the man’s presence could provide. Zara watched them for a moment, the harsh reality of the situation creeping in like a shadow. The warmth of Leo’s innocent smile, and the way Winter’s face softened as he played along, were the only things that gave her a thread of hope.

Maybe... maybe they could figure something out. Maybe they could keep Leo’s world untouched for just a little longer.

But in the pit of her stomach, Zara knew: the peace they sought would be fleeting. And the storm was only just beginning.

Later that day...

The afternoon sun filtered in through the small, high window, casting long shadows that stretched across the warm, bland walls of the room. Zara paced back and forth, her thoughts jumbled. Leo had been put down for his nap not long ago, his soft breathing echoing faintly from the small cot where he lay. He looked so peaceful, so innocent. It pained her to even think of what could happen if the wrong people took an interest in him.

She had to find a way into the lab on the base. She had to understand the research on the orb in the sky. Maybe she could find someone, someone trustworthy, someone high-ranking enough to make a difference. But she had to be careful about revealing her visions or her ability. One wrong move and it could all come crumbling down.

The door creaked open, interrupting her spiral of thoughts. Zara froze, turning quickly to see Winter step inside. He’d gone to take a bath after exhausting Leo with one of their endless games. His dark hair was damp, falling carelessly over his brow, and the faintest trace of stubble had been shaved off, leaving his face clean-shaven and sharp. The slight sheen of water on his skin made him look even more striking, his usual, confident self radiating from every movement.

God, he looked good.

They stared at each other from across the room. The air seemed to thicken, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. The recent events, the tension between them, the fight—they had been more than a little hurtful. And now, with everything else going on, it was hard to forget.

Zara bit her lip, breaking the silence. "Sit. Eat," she said, gesturing toward the table where she had laid out what little food was available.

Winter hesitated for a moment before he moved to sit down. He started eating quietly, the sound of his utensils clinking on the plate almost too loud in the otherwise still room.

Zara returned to her task of tidying up the mess Leo had left behind when he had been playing. He had scattered clothes and toys about, and now it was Zara’s way of distracting herself from the gnawing tension. But every so often, she felt Winter’s gaze on her.

She kept trying to convince herself that things could be better, that they could figure it out, but Winter’s silence only made her more aware of the chasm between them.

It was strange how quickly they had gone from anger to silence, from worry to comfort, and then back to silence. The silence only made her feel more exposed.

Winter cleared his throat, his voice low and hesitant. "You were pacing," he said. Come sit."

Zara froze, her fingers gripping a shirt too tightly. She took a deep breath, it shouldn’t surprise her that he wanted to talk immediately. Winter was straightforward most of the time, plus she also wanted to talk to him.

She walked over to the table slowly, sitting with her head down. Why was she always the problem between them?

She looked up to see him staring intently at her.

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