Apocalypse Days: I Rule with Foresight and a Powerful Son
Chapter 77: This World of Uncertainties

Chapter 77: 77: This World of Uncertainties

Winter’s gaze swept across the vast, barren landscape, the horizon stretching out in shades of muted grey as he sat cross-legged on the damp earth, his rifle balanced across his knees. The moon hung two sizes larger than before the apocalypse, casting its eerie light across the few twisted trees that dotted the edges of the clearing. That was probably why that river was acting crazy.

Fuck, he groaned under his breath, his shoulders were killing him.

The river had pushed them off course a few miles but they were still in sight of City H.

His mind was a tangled knot, the thoughts of the past and the present jumbled up in a mess of emotions he wasn’t used to. His focus should have been on the task at hand, but instead, it circled back to Zara and Leo, who were both asleep not far from him.

He hadn’t been able to ask Zara how she knew to be cautious of the bridge. It was probably an ability, much like his superhuman advantage but did it always make her stumble or pass out like that? wasn’t it a hazard?

He’d been around women before, but none like Zara. She wasn’t just beautiful, though she was that too. She was smart, tough, and capable. He’d seen her handle herself in situations that would have broken most people. They’d been travelling together for weeks now, and in that time, Winter had come to rely on her in ways he hadn’t anticipated. Yes, she was great, but wasn’t it too sudden? Who’s to say this isn’t just physical attraction? What makes him think she feels the same?

His thoughts flickered to Leo, the small boy who had somehow managed to worm his way into Winter’s heart. Zara’s son. It wasn’t something he liked to think about too much, but it was there—this strange sense of responsibility that had settled deep inside him.

What was he to them?

Was he overthinking? He hated taking rest because that meant his mind was open to these kinds of thoughts.

He rubbed his thumb across the barrel of his rifle, the cold metal grounding him as his mind wandered. He hadn’t expected to form these kinds of connections after what had happened to him. He hadn’t expected to care. But that was the thing.

He did care—more than he’d allowed himself to realize.

Winter scrubbed a hand over his face, his mind drifting back to his wife and child. It had been almost a year but the grief was still fresh, sharp like a jagged knife. It was something he had learned to live with. Or at least, he thought he had. Maybe this, this fragile bond with Zara and Leo, was nothing more than him trying to replace what he’d lost. Maybe he was fooling himself.

He’d never be able to replace them.

He didn’t want to.

Yet...

He stole a glance at Zara. She was curled up on her side, her dark hair spilling out around her, somehow she had managed to keep it clean in this mess they were in. She looked troubled in her sleep, the stress of their harrowing escape from the river and the constant threat of the world outside seeming to chase after her in the dream world. But even in her sleep, she held Leo close, her arms wrapped tightly around the boy.

A rustling in the woods snapped Winter from his thoughts. His body went rigid, instinctively reaching for his rifle and raising it, eyes narrowing as he scanned the dark tree line. The faint noise came again, and he tensed, waiting. He didn’t hear footsteps—just the unmistakable sound of something moving through the brush. His finger hovered over the trigger, but he hesitated. He couldn’t afford to take risks.

Then, just as quickly as the noise had started, it stopped. Winter’s breath caught, his muscles tense with readiness. His heart raced in his chest as his eyes darted over the shadows, trying to make sense of the movement. The shape in the distance flickered in and out of the moonlight, a dark silhouette.

It was an animal—a wild one, by the looks of it. One of the few that had escaped being mutated by the mist or eaten by the mutated ones. It paused for a moment, its eyes gleaming in the dark as it stared directly at him, almost as if it knew he was watching. Winter remained perfectly still, not daring to move. The animal tilted its head, sniffed the air, and then, just as quickly as it had appeared, it darted off into the night, disappearing into the forest with barely a sound.

Winter exhaled slowly, lowering the rifle. It had been just an animal—a fleeting presence in the night—but it served as a reminder of how fragile their safety really was out here.

His gaze shifted back to Zara and Leo. Neither had stirred from their sleep. The exhaustion from their recent ordeal in the river must have been weighing on them both. Winter’s mind began to drift again, thoughts bouncing between the practical and the emotional. Should he have checked the cars on the highway earlier, to see if any were working? It might have helped them cover more ground, and get closer to City H.

No. The noise, the risk of drawing attention. It was too much.

His thoughts flickered back to Zara’s question from earlier. She had asked him—half-joking, half-serious—if he would still stick around once they reached City H. At the time, he had laughed it off. But now, in the stillness of the night, the question lingered. Would he still be needed when they had safety in City H? If Zara no longer needed him... what would he do then?

Winter thought of the boy’s father, wondering what had happened to him. Zara never spoke of it—never mentioned the past. Neither of them did.

He stared at her for a long moment, the uncertainty filling his mind. He had to admit it. He was scared. Scared of losing her, scared of losing them both.

Was he being too dependent?

Suddenly, Zara shifted in her sleep, her body jerking as if caught in a struggle. Her eyes snapped open, her breathing ragged as she scanned her surroundings. Panic flashed across her features as she searched the darkness, her movements erratic. Winter was on alert immediately, but he didn’t move, waiting. Her gaze locked on Leo, still asleep beside her, and her expression softened. She let out a quiet, shaky breath, the fear dissipating. But then, her eyes met his.

She flushed immediately, embarrassment colouring her cheeks.

"I—I’m sorry," she muttered, rubbing her eyes. She slowly sat up, pulling her knees to her chest. "I didn’t mean to wake you."

"I wasn’t asleep," Winter said calmly, taking in her trembling form. A nightmare. Everyone had those once in a while.

"I’ll take the next watch," she said, "you should rest."

Winter frowned, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied her. Her gaze flitted away from his, and he could sense the discomfort radiating off of her. He opened his mouth to protest, but she was already pushing herself to her feet, not giving him the chance to refuse.

"I’m fine," he said, his voice gruff. "You should go back to sleep. You need the rest."

Zara huffed, crossing her arms. "Listen to your advice, Winter," she said with a stubborn edge. "You might have superhuman abilities but you’re still human. Plus you pulled us and our supplies out of that water! Your body must be aching from all that strain."

"You offering a massage?" Winter asked, trying to use humour to divert her attention.

Her lips twitched but she didn’t fall for it. "Let me do this. I’ll wake you up if anything happens."

Winter opened his mouth again, but she held up a hand, silencing him. "I’ll be fine. You’ve been on edge all night." She glanced at Leo, then back at him. "I’ve rested and now it’s your turn. I’ll keep watch. No arguments."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. He didn’t like it. But he knew she wasn’t going to back down.

"Fine," he muttered, settling down next to the fire. "But be careful, Zara. If you see or hear anything, wake me up."

Zara nodded, her expression softening. "I will."

As Winter lay down, he watched her for a moment. She leaned over Leo, checking his breathing, ensuring he was still recovering from their time in the river. She brushed a lock of hair from his forehead, her face softened with maternal tenderness. Leo’s chest rose and fell steadily, his exhaustion evident, but he seemed physically unharmed. Zara’s gaze lingered on him for a moment longer before she straightened, returning to her watch.

Winter closed his eyes, counting to a hundred in his head, hoping the exhaustion would eventually pull him into sleep. But even as he tried to relax, his thoughts kept returning to Zara, to Leo, and to the future that seemed so uncertain.

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