Apocalypse Days: I Rule with Foresight and a Powerful Son
Chapter 120

Chapter 120: 120

Zara woke with a tight knot of anxiety sitting heavy in her stomach. Today was the day.

She lay still for a moment, listening to the quiet, steady breathing of Leo beside her. He was curled up, tiny hands tucked under his chin, his dark lashes fanned against his soft cheeks.

For a moment, she considered just staying like this—holding onto their routine’s quiet, normalcy. But she couldn’t.

Swallowing down her nerves, she gently shook him awake."Leo, sweetheart. Time to get up."

He stirred, grumbling a little before blinking up at her with sleepy eyes. "Mornin’, Mommy."

She smiled, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Morning, baby. We have to get ready."

Leo cracked open one sleepy eye. "Go where?"

Zara hesitated. "Daycare."

"What’s that?" He mumbled.

"A place where you get to play all day with other kids."

"And mommy?" He perked up, blinking at her.

"No baby, just you and your new friends."

Leo immediately sat up, his little body stiffening. "No."

Her heart clenched.

Zara scooped him up before he could retreat further under the blanket, pulling him onto her lap. "Leo, it’s just for today. You’ll have fun."

He shook his head furiously, wrapping his arms around her like a vice. "No daycare. Wanna stay with Mama."

Zara swallowed past the lump in her throat. "I know, baby. But I have to go to work, and I can’t take you with me."

Leo buried his face in her shirt. "Don’t wanna."

She hugged him tighter. Neither do I.

She dressed him quickly, combing his unruly curls into something slightly neater. He rubbed his red eyes as she slipped his little shoes on, no longer half-asleep. The entire time, she kept thinking about what was coming next.

The walk there felt longer than it should have, her nerves mounting with every step.

By the time they arrived at the daycare, Leo was silent, his tiny fingers gripping the fabric of her sleeve. She hoped he wouldn’t cry.

The daycare was tucked into a reinforced building near the residential quarters.

A simple wooden sign marked it as Haven for Young Minds. Zara hesitated at the door, then forced herself to step inside.

The space was bright despite the dull, artificial lighting. Handmade drawings were tacked onto the walls, and a soft, floral scent masked the usual metallic tang that lingered in the air everywhere else.

There were children—more than she expected—scattered across the room, some playing with battered toys, others colouring or chattering to each other in small groups.

Zara felt Leo press closer to her.

A woman approached them, smiling warmly. She was in her late forties, with kind eyes and a soft but commanding presence. "You must be Zara," she said, crouching slightly to Leo’s level. "And you must be Leo."

Leo pressed himself against Zara’s side, staring up at the woman with wide, wary eyes."I’m Miss Lillian, Sam sent in your request," the woman said gently. "I take care of all the little ones here."

Zara swallowed. "This is his first time in daycare," she admitted.

Lillian nodded, completely understanding. "That’s alright. We’ll take it slow."

Zara knelt in front of Leo, cupping his cheeks. "Baby, you’re going to stay here today, okay? Miss Lillian is very nice, and there are lots of other kids to play with."

Leo’s grip on her shirt tightened. "Not you?"

Her throat felt tight. "No, sweetheart. I have to go to work. But I’ll come back as soon as I can."

He pouted, eyes already turning glassy. "Don’t wanna."

A woman approached them, wiping her hands on an apron. She had warm brown skin, soft wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, and a calm, steady presence. Her silver-streaked curls were pinned back neatly.

"You must be Leo," she said, kneeling slightly to his level. Her voice was rich, soothing.

Leo peeked at her but didn’t respond, pressing his face into Zara’s shoulder.

The woman chuckled. "That’s alright, sweetheart. First days can be scary. My name’s Miss Lillian, and I promise we’ll take good care of you."

Zara forced herself to take a deep breath. "He’s never been away from me before."

Miss Lillian nodded, her expression gentle. "That’s always the hardest part—for both of you. But he’ll be alright. We have plenty of toys, games, and other kids to play with."

Zara crouched down, shifting Leo onto her knee. "Baby, do you see the other kids?" she asked softly. "They’re all playing and having fun. You can make some new friends."

Leo clung tighter to her arm. "What if I don’t like them?"

Zara smiled faintly. "Then you don’t have to talk to them. But you might like some of them. And Miss Lillian is really nice."

Leo’s lower lip wobbled, but he didn’t cry.

Miss Lillian extended a hand. "How about we just take a little look around, hmm? No pressure."

Leo hesitated. Then, slowly, he uncurled his fingers from Zara’s sleeve and let Miss Lillian take his hand.

Zara forced herself to stay calm. It’s just a few hours. He’ll be okay.

Zara pulled him into a hug, her arms tightening around his little frame. She pressed a kiss to his forehead, inhaling his scent as if she could imprint it into her mind before letting go.

Then, she whispered into his ear, voice low and serious. "Don’t use your space here, okay? No matter what."

Leo looked up at her, wide-eyed, but he nodded. "Okay, Mommy."

Miss Lillian placed a reassuring hand on Zara’s shoulder. "I promise, he’ll be safe here. We’ll take good care of him."

Zara nodded quickly, not trusting herself to speak.

She turned on her heel and left before she could change her mind, before she could scoop him up and run back to the safety of their tiny room.

Leo’s quiet "Bye, Mommy" followed her out the door.

*****

The walk to the lab was a blur. Zara tried to shake off the lingering guilt, but it clung to her like a second skin.

On impulse, she swung by the greenhouse, slipping inside to find Clara hunched over a row of soil beds, checking for sprouts.

"Hey," Zara called softly.

Clara looked up, brushing dirt from her hands. "There you are. Thought you ran off."

Zara shifted. "Yeah, about that. I won’t be working the fields anymore—I got assigned to the lab."

Clara raised an eyebrow. "The lab? You lucky little shit." She let out a short laugh. "Guess that means no more back-breaking work for you, huh?"

Zara gave her a small smile. "Guess not."

Clara smirked. "Best take care of yourself, and dont forget us common folk," She said before turning back to her work.

Zara took that as her cue to leave.

As she stepped outside, she felt it again. That creeping sensation at the back of her neck.

Her breath hitched.

Across the compound, near a stack of old supply crates, a man stood watching her.

The same man from before.

She didn’t linger. She picked up her pace, forcing herself not to run, but every step felt heavier under his unseen gaze.

She didn’t stick around to figure out why he was watching her.

She hurried ahead, not stopping until she

reached the lab gates—only to be blocked by a broad-shouldered guard.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Where do you think you’re going?"

Zara pulled out her note. "I have permission to be here."

The guard snatched it, scanning it with a deepening scowl. "This is forged."

Her stomach dropped. "It’s not."

He crossed his arms. "And I should believe you because...?"

"Because you can confirm it yourself." She stood her ground, pulse hammering. "Go ahead. Ask Calloway."

The guard hesitated, then exhaled sharply. "Fine. Wait here."

Minutes later, he returned with an annoyed grunt, stepping aside. "Go in."

She strode past him without another word.

The lab was a hive of activity—a contrast to the quiet tension of the outside world. Overhead lights bathed the space in a bright, sterile glow, reflecting off the steel workbenches cluttered with instruments, glass tubes, and handwritten notes. The air smelled of ozone, metal, and something faintly acidic.

At first, no one paid Zara any mind. Scientists and researchers bustled from station to station, lost in their own work, speaking in low, urgent tones. The hum of machinery filled the background, punctuated by the occasional clatter of metal instruments.

Calloway stood near the entrance, arms crossed. His sharp green eyes flicked over her. "Took you long enough."

Zara rolled her shoulders. "Ran into a few obstacles."

Calloway snorted, but he didn’t look surprised. "Yeah. That’ll happen." He turned sharply, already walking deeper into the lab. "Come on. Meet the team."

The first person Calloway stopped at was Dr. Susan Strauss. She was a tall, thin woman in her mid-forties with dark hair pulled into a severe bun. A pair of round glasses perched on the edge of her nose, and she barely looked up from the cluster of beakers in front of her.

Strauss held up a glass tube filled with a faintly glowing silver liquid. Her voice was clipped, no-nonsense. "We’ve managed to isolate a compound from the mist, but it’s volatile. Exposure leads to cellular breakdown in organic tissue."

Zara’s brows furrowed. "How fast?"

Strauss finally spared her a glance, eyes assessing. "Depends on the concentration. Low doses cause mild hallucinations, dizziness, disorientation." She tapped the glass lightly. "But higher exposure? We’ve seen complete neural failure within minutes."

Zara’s stomach tightened.

Calloway tilted his head toward Zara. "She’s got a good eye for details. Think she can help?"

Strauss hummed, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. "We’ll see."

She returned to her work, and Calloway gestured for Zara to follow.

The next workstation belonged to Dr. Malik Osei, a stocky man with dark skin and a deep, thoughtful expression. He was hunched over a microscope, muttering under his breath as he scribbled notes.

Without looking up, he spoke. "If you’re bringing in new blood, they better know how to think."

Zara crossed her arms. "Good thing I do."

That made Osei glance up. His eyes studied her for a long moment before he gestured for her to look into the microscope. "Tell me what you see."

She stepped forward, peering through the lens. A swirling mass of dark particles floated against a pale background—unsettlingly alive.

She frowned. "It’s... moving."

Osei nodded. "The mist isn’t just a chemical reaction. It’s something more. Watch closely."

He adjusted a dial, increasing the magnification.

Zara sucked in a breath. The particles weren’t just moving randomly—they were shifting. Changing. Splitting apart and reforming. Like they were responding to her gaze.

She pulled back, unsettled. "That’s not natural."

Osei looked grimly satisfied. "Exactly."

Calloway smirked. "Told you she had a brain."

Osei grunted. "Maybe."

Further into the lab, they stopped at a workstation covered in intricate diagrams and handwritten equations.

A young man in his early twenties sat hunched over a pile of notes. Eli Reyes—short, messy brown hair, smudged glasses, and an almost boyish face. He looked exhausted.

When he saw Calloway approaching, he sighed. "If you’re here to ask me about the orb again, I still don’t have a definitive answer."

Calloway ignored him. "Reyes, meet Zara."

Eli blinked up at her. "You’re the new one?"

"Apparently."

He sighed again, running a hand through his hair. "Well, welcome to the madness."

Zara gestured at the diagrams. "What exactly are you working on?"

Eli picked up a sheet covered in complex symbols. "Trying to understand the orb’s energy signature. The damn thing doesn’t follow any known laws of physics."

Zara glanced at the equations. "Have you tried cross-referencing it with electromagnetic resonance fields?"

Eli scoffed. "Of course I—" He stopped, frowning. "Wait. What?"

Zara grabbed a nearby pen and sketched a quick modification to his calculations.

Eli’s eyes widened. "Shit. That... might actually make sense."

He immediately started scribbling furiously, muttering to himself.

Calloway smirked. "Told you she’d be useful."

*****

Zara had just finished jotting down notes when the lab door swung open.

The air changed. Conversations quieted. The tension was subtle—but undeniable.

Zara turned.

A man stepped inside.

He was tall. Confident. Smug. Everything about him screamed arrogance. He moved like he owned the room, his sharp gray eyes scanning the space like a predator surveying his territory.

A few scientists stiffened at his arrival. Others pretended to be absorbed in their work.

Harker’s gaze swept over the lab before finally landing on her.

"Well, well," he mused. "And who is this?"

Calloway barely looked up. "New recruit."

Harker smirked. "Didn’t know we were hiring pretty ones now."

Zara’s jaw tightened. She immediately disliked him.

Harker took a step closer. His voice dropped, almost lazy. "I hear you’re special." His eyes gleamed. "That makes two of us."

Zara didn’t react. Didn’t blink.

Harker tilted his head slightly. "You know, a woman like you shouldn’t waste her time with scientists."

His smirk widened. "You should be with someone who understands power."

Zara’s fingers curled into fists. "I think I’ll be just fine."

Harker chuckled, slow and deliberate. "We’ll see."

He turned away, but she knew.

This wasn’t the last she’d hear from him.