Apocalypse Days: I Rule with Foresight and a Powerful Son
Chapter 55: The World Unraveling

Chapter 55: 55: The World Unraveling

The cold outside City B was merciless, a biting force that seeped through every layer of clothing Zara wore. The barren landscape stretched endlessly in every direction, painted in a monochromatic blend of ash-gray and white. Snow coated the crumbling ruins of buildings, their jagged outlines reaching for a sky thick with iron clouds. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the crunch of her boots on the frozen ground, the faint sniffles from Leo, and the occasional distant groan of the undead.

Zara adjusted the straps of her backpack, her muscles screaming from the weight of the supplies and the three-year-old child strapped snugly against her chest. Every step through the piles up snow felt like dragging an anchor through molasses, her breath fogging the air in labored puffs.

It had been days since the chaos at the cache, but the images were seared into her mind. She could still see Mia’s face, the panic in her eyes as she shoved Zara away with trembling hands.

Kit’s wide, terrified eyes, and the scavengers storming in, weapons drawn. She had thought they could make it out together—all of them—but reality had torn through that fantasy like a blade.

Mia’s voice echoed in her thoughts. "You don’t understand!" She had hissed, her voice low. "We can’t leave here."

The betrayal had been a dagger to her heart, but Zara understood. She would have done the same for Leo. Kit was Mia’s everything, just as Leo was hers. But understanding didn’t dull the sting of being left alone, again.

Her throat tightened as she glanced down at Leo. His small arms were wrapped around her neck, his cheek resting against her chest. For now, he was quiet, but she knew the questions were coming.

---

"Where are Mia and Kit, Mama?"

The words came softly, carried by the slight tremble of Leo’s voice. Zara’s heart clenched. She hesitated, her steps faltering as she searched for an answer.

"They’re..." She swallowed hard, the lump in her throat threatening to choke her. "They’re staying behind to keep us safe."

"Are they coming to meet us?" he pressed, his head tilting up to look at her with wide, innocent eyes.

Zara forced herself to meet his gaze, though it felt like a knife twisting in her chest. "Not right now, baby. But we’ll see them again someday."

Leo nodded, but his lips quivered, and he buried his face back into her coat. Zara’s arms tightened around him instinctively, her breath hitching. She wished she could promise more, give him the certainty he craved, but in this world, even tomorrow was a luxury she couldn’t guarantee.

---

The wind picked up, howling through the skeletal remains of the city, and Zara’s skin prickled with unease.

She stopped, her eyes scanning the horizon. The sky, once a pale gray, had turned an ominous shade of blue-black. Clouds churned in unnatural patterns, flashes of light dancing within them like veins of energy.

"Something’s wrong," she murmured, glancing around.

As if on cue, the first flakes of snow began to fall, glowing faintly as they swirled in the air. Static sparks flickered between the flakes, tiny bursts of energy that illuminated the ground in eerie flashes. Zara’s pulse quickened. She needed to find shelter—fast.

"Hold on, baby," she murmured, quickening her pace. She glanced over her shoulder, her eyes narrowing at the storm building behind them. The air crackled, and the snow beneath her boots began to spark faintly.

Spotting a dilapidated storefront ahead, she broke into a jog, her legs protesting with every step. The door hung off its hinges, creaking ominously as she pushed it open and slipped inside. The air inside was musty and cold, but it was better than facing the storm.

The interior of the store was dark and smelled of mildew and decay. Zara kicked aside debris as she stepped inside, her eyes adjusting to the dim light. Broken shelves lined the walls, their contents long since looted. A layer of ice coated the floor, glittering faintly in the light filtering through a shattered window.

She set Leo down on the floor carefully, her arms trembling from the strain. He looked up at her with wide eyes, sensing her urgency. "Is it safe here, Mama?"

"For now," she said, crouching to his level and brushing a stray curl from his forehead. "Stay close to me, okay?"

He nodded, wide eyes followed her as she began to search the room.

The storm outside intensified, shaking the building with each burst of thunder. Zara found a length of pipe near the back of the store, its jagged edges sharp enough to be a makeshift weapon. She tested its weight in her hand, her grip firm.

"Stay here, Leo," she said, kneeling in front of him. She cupped his face in her hands, her gaze steady.

"No matter what you hear, stay quiet, okay?"

Leo nodded, his lower lip trembling.

"Good boy." She pressed a kiss to his forehead before moving to barricade the door with an overturned shelf.

---

The store was a husk of its former self, shelves toppled and looted long ago.

Zara’s flashlight cast long shadows on the cracked walls as she searched for anything useful. Near the counter, she found a metal pipe with a jagged end—likely torn from a shelf or support beam. She tested its weight in her hands, nodding to herself. It wasn’t ideal, but it would do.

Leo watched her silently, his small fingers clutching the hem of her coat. Zara knelt beside him, pulling out a spare jacket from her pack and wrapping it around him tightly. "It’s going to be a long night," she said softly, kissing the top of his head.

---

As the storm raged outside, the building groaned under the weight of the wind and snow. Zara sat with her back against the wall, her arms around Leo, who had finally drifted to sleep. The storm’s glow seeped through the shattered windows, casting the room in an otherworldly light.

Her mind wandered back to the person she used to be before the world fell apart. To think she had been a scientist once, researching. Back then, her biggest worry had been meeting deadlines or struggling to pick a background video on MeeTubes while she worked. Now, she was a survivor—a scavenger, a fighter.

But at what cost?

She had done things she wasn’t proud of, made choices that kept her and Leo alive but chipped away at her humanity.

Kit’s eyes flashed in her mind again, making her curl around Leo tighter.

Sometimes she wondered if she was any better than the scavengers who had overrun the cache.

No, she told herself fiercely. I’m doing this for Leo. That makes it different. Doesn’t it?

The building shook violently, snapping her out of her thoughts. Her heart leapt as she clutched Leo closer, her ears straining for any sign of immediate danger. But the storm continued its assault, indifferent to her fears.

---

By the time the storm subsided, the first hints of dawn were creeping over the horizon. The snow outside sparkled faintly, still charged with residual static. Zara stood, her muscles stiff and sore, and hoisted Leo onto her chest again.

"Time to go," she whispered, her voice thick with exhaustion.

The world outside was eerily quiet, the storm having driven most of the undead into hiding. But as Zara stepped into the open, a faint groan reached her ears. She froze, her fingers tightening around the pipe.

From behind a wrecked truck, three zombies emerged, their movements slow but purposeful. Their milky eyes locked onto her, and a low, guttural growl rumbled from their throats.

Zara’s heart pounded as she shifted Leo’s position, keeping his face buried against her chest. "Don’t look," she whispered, her voice trembling.

The first zombie lunged, its decayed hands outstretched. Zara swung the pipe with all her strength, the jagged edge connecting with its skull. The creature crumpled, but the effort left her arms shaking.

The second zombie was faster, its teeth snapping inches from her shoulder. Zara kicked it back, the adrenaline coursing through her veins sharpening her focus. She brought the pipe down on its head, a sickening crunch filling the air.

The third zombie came at her from the side, forcing her to pivot awkwardly. Her grip on the pipe faltered, but she managed to jab the jagged end into its chest, pushing it back. With a scream of pure desperation, she yanked the pipe free and struck again, this time ending the fight.

The silence that followed was deafening. Zara stood over the bodies, her chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath. Blood and decay clung to the air, making her stomach churn.

"You’re so strong, Mama."

Leo’s small voice broke through the haze, and Zara’s knees nearly buckled. She turned away from the carnage, her eyes meeting his. He looked up at her with pure admiration, his innocence cutting through her exhaustion like a blade.

She forced a smile, brushing a hand over his curls. "I have to be, baby. For you."

But inside, she felt like she was unraveling. Every step forward seemed to cost her another piece of herself, and she wondered how much more she could give before there was nothing left.

---

As they moved on, the ruins gave way to a long stretch of broken asphalt buried in snow. The remnants of a highway stretched out before them, leading toward the distant silhouette of City H. It was a small sign of progress, but it was enough to keep Zara moving.

With Leo nestled against her, she tightened her grip on the pipe and pressed on, the weight of the world on her shoulders but a flicker of hope still burning in her chest.