August, 21XX
Today I woke up late — the exhaustion after three days of harvesting and planting new seeds was still taking its toll. After dressing quickly and grabbing a bite to eat, I headed out to hunt near the forest, not far from town. On the way, I met some neighbors; we exchanged brief greetings. People around me were smiling — some walked with their children, others played cards, and the little ones chased a ball down the street. Passersby nodded to me with warm smiles.
After long months of wandering, fear, and struggle, our world was finally coming back to life. My mood brightened noticeably. Reaching the gate, I gave a few instructions to the guards and continued on my way.
Once in the forest, I moved carefully, scanning for traces of beasts or zombies. Near the stream, I heard a deep, guttural roar — a deer. My heart skipped a beat. The tender meat of a mutated deer was a rare delicacy. Swallowing hard, I crept toward the sound.
Along the way, I checked my traps — a few small animals had been caught. I moved their bodies into my personal storage space and kept going. The roar grew louder — the creature was close. Finally, I noticed movement between the trees. Holding my breath, I drew my bow. The deer stepped into a small clearing and bent down to drink from a puddle of rainwater. The air around was calm, almost peaceful.
My pupils narrowed; my heart pounded. I aimed — and released the arrow.
"Woohoo! Bullseye!"
I rushed forward to the fallen creature. My arrow was lodged in its right eye. Not wanting to attract predators, I quickly moved it into my space and skipped back down the path, gathering berries and edible plants along the way.
When I was less than five hundred meters from the town, I saw my husband approaching. I ran to him, threw my arms around his neck, and began excitedly talking about my catch.
"I caught a deer! We should ask Sasha to skin it — I'll make my signature venison steak for dinner! The harvest this year is amazing. Amalia's been saying she misses my cooking. Tonight, we'll feast like kings!"
I giggled and kept chattering until I noticed Alex wasn't beside me anymore. Turning around, I saw him — frozen, his face twisted in pain. Tears streamed down his cheeks. He gave me a slow, silent nod… and pulled out his gun.
A gunshot.
A sharp pain tore through my neck. Blood spurted from the wound. The world blurred. I fell.
Alex stopped crying and shouted:
"You saw that, Ruden! Come out, you bastard!"
A group of people emerged from the gates. Among them was a young woman — her eyes glistened with tears, her face frozen in horror. She tore free from the hands restraining her and ran toward me. One of the men tried to stop her, but Ruden raised a hand.
"Let her say goodbye to the corpse," he sneered. Then, smirking, he added,
"Alex, you know I'd never harm her. Amalia's like a daughter to me. I watched her grow up."
A predatory smile spread across his face.
"How could you betray us?!" Alex shouted. "We've known each other for over twenty years! We trusted you — and you sold us out for power?! You had everything — respect, a place among the leaders! You only had to stay loyal!"
"Loyal?" Ruden laughed bitterly. "Loyal to those who planned to kill me? You think I didn't know? I just struck first."
Alex went pale. In his eyes flashed the grim realization — the man before him had completely lost his mind.
While the men argued, no one noticed that the 'corpse' and the girl had vanished.
With my last strength, I transported us to a small hideout I had prepared several kilometers from the settlement. Using my ability, I held myself between life and death, creating tiny portals inside my veins to keep the blood flowing. It took everything I had.
Looking at my daughter's tear-streaked face, I smiled through the pain.
"You're so beautiful, my little girl… all grown up now. Please, live. Don't seek revenge. Your father and I will be watching over you. Take what you need and go — Ruden won't stop until he finds you."
A gunshot.
My body jerked. More tears streamed down my face. I could no longer maintain the portals. With the last remnants of my strength, I pulled water, animal meat, and supplies from my storage — everything that could help Amalia survive.
Blood poured from my wound, spreading across the floor in a crimson pool. The smell was suffocating. I could feel my life slipping away. Darkness crept at the edges of my vision.
The girl fell beside me, clutching my body, screaming:
"No! Mom, no! Please! Don't go! Don't leave me! I'm begging you!"
Neither of us noticed the soft green glow radiating from her body.
"…Ah, how I wish I could see your face one last time, Alex… Wait for me. I'm coming."
Darkness consumed my consciousness.