Night fell like a thick veil over the city, where darkness mingled with silence. Only the wandering footsteps of those deformed creatures broke the stillness, wandering aimlessly in the shadows.
Inside an alley, a figure was hiding behind some containers. Arika.
But it wasn't like before. This version of Arika looked different. Her clothes were more tactical, she wore arm guards, an old backpack on her back and a radio strapped to her thigh. In her hand, a gun, tightly clutched, as if it were part of her
—Let's go… just a few more steps… —she whispered, looking across the street.
A pharmacy. The door was broken. Probably abandoned in a hurry.
He waited for the infected to move away. He counted the steps. One, two… three.
—Now.
He ran. He crossed the street and slipped inside the pharmacy. Everything was in disarray, ransacked. Bottles on the floor, papers, open boxe.
—Painkillers, antibiotics… something for fever… —she went through the shelves quickly and filled his backpack with what he found useful.
Suddenly, a metallic click sounded behind her.
—Stop there! —A gruff voice said—. Stop everything and get out!
A man in his forties pointed a gun at her. He was trembling, nervous.
—Listen, I don't want any trouble—said Arika, putting her gun down calmly—. I'll just take some medicine and then I'll be on my way.
—Shut up! And drop the backpack too! Now!
—It's okay... —Arika slowly took off her backpack.
She took a step towards him, extending it. Just before handing it to him, she gripped his wrist tightly.
—What are you doing, goddamn it! —the man shouted as they struggled.
The gun went off by accident. The glass of the counter exploded into a thousand pieces. The man stepped back in a daze.
—You asked for it! —Arika took the opportunity to snatch the gun from him.
But the man didn't give up. He pulled out a knife and ran towards her.
—I don't have time for this! —she dodged a slash and blocked her arm quickly.
—Give it all back, you thief!
—¡No! I have someone who needs this more than you!
Arika disarmed him and pushed him to the ground. But then...
—Grrrr...
An infected appeared in the doorway, shuffling his feet.
—Shit! —Arika stepped back.
The man stood up and lunged at her, knocking her down.
—What are you doing, you want us both to be killed?!
—If I kill you first, I don't mind dying! —he snarled, pressing his hands against her neck.
—Nggh... Let go of me...!
Groping, Arika grabbed a glass bottle from the floor and smashed it against his head. The man fell to the side. Then the infected reached for him.
—¡Aghhh! ¡Nooo!
The man's grunts and screams filled the place. Arika sat up as best she could, still panting. The man lay on the ground, covered in blood. It was too late to save him. He was already lost.
Coolly, she shot the infected who was still trying to crawl towards her. Then she aimed at the man who, minutes before, had tried to kill her. Now he was writhing, transformed into one of them, trying to get up. And without hesitation, she shot him in the head.
Without looking back, she ran out of the place. There was no time to lose. Those things were already coming in.
He ran. He dodged. He shot every now and then to make his way through. Until he managed to lose them and hit an abandoned gas station. He entered the control booth, climbed up to the second floor and closed the door behind him.
—Arika... you're back —a faint voice murmured.
On the floor, covered with dirty blankets, lay Reize.
—I found what you need —said Arika, kneeling down beside her.
She removed the blanket. Reize's leg was bandaged, but soaked in blood.
—This looks bad... —Arika muttered, frowning.
—Is it... very ugly? —Reize asked, trying to joke.
—Don't make jokes... not now —she replied with a sad smile.
Arika pursed her lips in concern. Carefully, she removed the bandage. The wound was infected and deep.
—I'll have to disinfect it.
—Do it. I can hold it.
—It's going to hurt a lot.
—I know...just hand me a handkerchief or something I can bite down on.
Arika handed him a folded handkerchief.
—Take it.
Reize bit down hard, preparing herself.
—When you're ready, nod your head —Arika said.
A few tense seconds passed. Finally, Reize nodded. Arika understood the signal and poured the disinfectant on the wound. Reize gritted her teeth against the handkerchief, holding back a scream. Her whole body trembled.
—Hold on a little longer.... —whispered Arika.
She applied the antibiotic, then carefully bandaged the wound.
—That's it... We're done —she said as she removed the handkerchief from Reize's mouth.
—Thank you... —Reize took a deep breath, drenched in sweat from the pain.
Arika tucked her in again, gave her some food and medicine, and lay down next to her. They both fell into a fragile, exhausted sleep.
Hours later, a light through the window disturbed Arika's eyes.
—Mmh...
She turned and saw that Reize was sweating profusely.
—Reize... Are you all right? —she said worriedly.
Arika touched her forehead. It was burning.
—Reize… —she whispered with fear.
—Arika… the pain is consuming me, I don't think I can take it anymore… —whispered Reize, with a weak smile.
—Don't say that... I gave you medicine, I cured you... you should be better... it's my fault... I should have come back earlier...
Reize took her hands.
—It wasn't your fault, Arika....you did everything you could to help me.
Arika couldn't stop her tears from starting to build up.
—Reize... don't leave me alone... you said we would always be together.…
—Forgive me, Arika... but I have no strength left…
—¡No! You're all I have! The only family I have left!
— Then... live for both of us…Can you promise me that?
—...
—As my last wish...
Arika pursed her lips and then nodded with tears in her eyes.
Reize smiled one last time.
—Take care of yourself, Arika... and remember... I will always be by your side... even if you can't see me.
And she closed her eyes. Never to open them again.
—Reize...? Reize! —she shook her desperately—. No! Wake up! I beg you. Don't leave me...
But Reize would no longer answer. Arika's tears slid down her cheeks.
She grabbed her hands, trembling. They were cold. Unmoving. Dead.
Arika could no longer say anything... she could do nothing. The words were stuck in her throat, along with the crying, along with the rage, along with the pain.
He had lost her.
The only person he had left. The only one he cared about. The only reason she was still alive. And now...
Now there was nothing left.
He hugged Reize's cold body tightly, as if he could bring her warmth back, as if he could force her to stay, if only a little longer.
But that cold. That damn cold reminded him that she was gone. That she was gone.
That no matter how much he cried, how much he screamed, how much he begged. She wasn't coming back.
His world was shattering again, he felt emptier than ever.
—Reize… —his voice cracked, barely audible—. Don't go, I don't want to be alone again…
He stayed like that for a while. He didn't know how long. Minutes. Hours. Days? Time had ceased to exist in that corner.
Until finally... he forced himself to let go.
And it hurt. God, how it hurt.
She stood up. Her legs were shaking. Her wounds burned. His soul was heavier than ever. But he had to go. He had to go on. Because if he stayed there... he would die too. And Reize didn't want that.
That's why, before leaving, he looked one last time at that body he loved so much.
His voice came out hoarse, broken... empty.
—Thank you... for everything. —Arika said, covering Reize's body with a blanket.
And turning away, heartbroken, she began to walk. Alone. More alone than ever. But alive. Because now... she owed that to Reize.
To live. For both of them.
And as he walked away, leaving that place behind... he only murmured in a broken voice, almost in a whisper lost in the wind:
—Goodbye… Reize, I will never forget you.
But in the middle of that darkness... a soft, familiar voice began to break it.
—Arika... wake up.
—Arika...
The voice was soft, insistent, like an echo that pulled her out of the abyss.
Then, Arika's eyes snapped open.
Her chest was rising and falling hard. She was drenched in cold sweat, and the tears she didn't notice she had cried kept streaming down her face uncontrollably.
—Are you all right? —said the familiar voice.
Arika turned her head, her eyes still unfocused, she looked up in confusion.
—Koen…?