The world has fallen silent. Cities, once full of noise and life, are now giant tombs. Deserted streets, buildings covered in dust, and forgotten corpses in every corner. There are no explosions, no gunshots, no war cries. Only the echo of the wind carrying ash and the stench of death permeating the air. The virus left no second chances. It didn't turn people into monsters or mindless predators. It only killed them. In a matter of weeks, civilization collapsed, leaving only the lucky—or unlucky—few who for some reason were immune. Now, the survivors don't fight hordes of infected or a visible enemy. They fight hunger, thirst, loneliness. Against the uncertainty of whether there is anyone else out there. Cassandra walks among the ruins with the assault rifle in her hands. His black cloak rustles in the breeze as he moves cautiously forward, his green eyes scanning every shadow, every corner. He knows that death lies not only in the virus, but in those still alive. Then, he sees you. His body immediately tenses. In this world, encountering another survivor isn't a relief, but a threat. Stop right there . His voice is low but firm, and the rifle is raised without hesitation. The wind blows between you, heavy with dust and mistrust. Who are you? What are you doing here? he asks, without lowering the weapon. He doesn't expect a friendly response. In this world, trust has died along with the rest of humanity. Cassandra's Thoughts: If he moves too fast, I'll shoot. If he lies, too. I can't risk trusting someone. Not again

The words are honest and shaky. Still, her voice doesn't match the hardened tone she would expect from a survivor. You could say that in this new world, appearances can be deceiving. Her hands aren't raised defensively and there don't seem to be any hidden weapons or tricks.

With a sigh, Cassandra lowers her rifle slowly, keeping it at the ready. "Alright," she says reluctantly. "I won't shoot unless you give me a reason." Her voice is flat and unemotional, as if she has become immune to feelings like trust or relief.

The young girl nods, taking a few steps closer. "Thank you," she whispers, her voice barely audible above the wind. Then she takes a deep breath and squares her shoulders, trying to look more confident than she feels.

"Follow me," she says curtly, not bothering to ask more questions. There's no point in wasting time with someone who might betray her later on. They start walking through the city again, Cassandra's back stiff and alert as if daring anyone else to approach them. After a few minutes, they reach what used to be a grocery store. The doors are broken but still hang by their hinges, offering some protection from wind and dust.

"Help yourself," she says gruffly, gesturing inside the store. "But don't take too much." She trusts that this girl knows how to survive in this world now; stealing wouldn't be an option for long anyway. With one last glance around them, Cassandra turns away and starts searching for another place where she might find supplies or information about what happened here.

She ignores the girl's choice and focuses on her own search. After all, she doesn't have time to babysit someone who shouldn't be here in the first place. As they move through the ruined city, Cassandra's sharp eyes scan for anything that could be of use: supplies, weapons, maps, anything. She picks up a few cans of food and some bottles of water, careful not to take more than she needs.

The silence between them is uncomfortable but familiar in this new world where trust has become an impossible commodity. Cassandra's thoughts drift back to the events that led her here, trying not to think about what might lie ahead. The only certainty is that she can't rely on anyone else for help.

Her heart stops for a moment as she hears the girl shout. Before she can react, movement out of the corner of her eye catches her attention. Another survivor! She quickly turns to see what's going on just in time to witness the scene unfold before her eyes. The stranger and their pursuer fall to the ground in a tangled mess.

Frowning, Cassandra approaches them carefully. "What do you think you're doing?" she asks sternly, rifle still raised but pointed at the ground now. She trusts no one, not even this girl who just saved her from an unknown threat.

"You had no right to do that," Cassandra snaps. "She could have been friendly, and instead you chose to attack her." Her voice is hard as stone, betraying nothing of the turmoil within. "So now what? You expect me to trust you?" She glances at Aphelia out of the corner of her eye, wondering if she was in on it or just caught in the crossfire.

The woman groans and slowly begins to sit up, rubbing her head. The girl with the bat stands defiantly between them, ready for a fight. Cassandra takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. In this new world, there are no easy choices. No right or wrong. Only survival.

"You had no way of knowing that," she replies evenly. "And your methods were... questionable at best. Look, I'm not saying I trust you, but maybe we could work together for now. There are others out there who aren't as harmless." Her eyes flicker to the girl beside her before returning to the woman on the ground.

The woman, still woozy from the blow, nods slowly. "Yeah... I mean, whatever. Just don't shoot me in the back or anything." She pushes herself up onto unsteady feet and glances between them warily.

"What about her?" Cassandra asks, gesturing at Aphelia. "She seemed to have information on your presence here. That could come in handy."

The woman, whose name Cassandra didn't catch, nods at Aphelia. "Yeah, I could use someone like that." Her gaze flickers between the two younger survivors before settling on Cassandra. "My name's Talia, by the way. What about you?"

Cassandra eyes them both carefully for a moment longer before finally nodding slightly. "Cassandra," she says tersely. She doesn't feel comfortable trusting either of them completely, but perhaps together they can survive just a little bit longer in this desolate world.

Talia takes the can of food gratefully and cracks it open with a satisfying hiss. "Thanks," she says through a mouthful of tinned fruit. She eyes Aphelia carefully before turning back to Cassandra. "So what brings you two out here? You seem... I don't know, different from the other survivors I've met."

Cassandra scowls. "I prefer 'better' over 'different'. And as for me, I was just trying to find a way through this hellhole when I stumbled upon you two." She glances at Aphelia again before continuing, her voice softening slightly. "Look, we should probably get moving if we want to find somewhere safe. Anyone else could show up at any moment."

Talia swallows and nods in agreement. "Yeah... let's go," she says, looking around nervously. She starts to walk away, followed by Cassandra and Aphelia. The silence between them is tense, but for now, they seem content to stick together for the sake of survival.

As they continue through the city, each one watches the others carefully, waiting for a sign of betrayal or weakness that could endanger their own lives. In this world, trust is a luxury they can't afford.

"A roof over our heads would be welcome enough," Cassandra agrees. She glances at Talia, wondering if she'll have anything to say about it. "But no food? We'd need some supplies before moving in." Her voice is firm but not unreasonable; she isn't going to make empty promises or expect Aphelia to provide for them all.

As they walk, Cassandra keeps her rifle close and watches the surrounding area carefully, constantly on high alert. She's seen too many people die already, and she won't let it happen to anyone else if she can help it. The wind rustles through their clothes, carrying with it the faint odor of ash and decay that seems to be a constant reminder of the world they now inhabit.

Cassandra nods at Aphelia's suggestion and quickly follows her back to the abandoned store. Once they reach it, she glances around carefully before motioning for Talia to stay near the entrance. She trusts this girl less than Aphelia, but even so, it wouldn't hurt to have an extra pair of eyes watching their backs.

As Aphelia searches for more canned food, Cassandra takes a moment to reload her rifle, checking the magazine and chamber before slipping it back into its holster. The metal clinks softly against leather, reassuring her that she's ready for whatever might happen next. The girl finally returns with several cans in hand, and together they head back towards where Talia is waiting.

"Sure," Talia replies with a nod, unzipping her backpack and handing it to Aphelia. "Thanks." She glances at Cassandra as if asking if that's alright, but the older survivor simply watches them silently. As they continue walking towards Aphelia's house, the tension between them slowly begins to ease.

"So," Talia says hesitantly, "what brought you two together?" She means it as a conversation starter, but Cassandra knows that there is more to her question than meets the eye. She wants to know if they can trust each other, and she's not above using subtle digging tactics to find out.

"Well, Aphelia here seemed to think so," Cassandra answers with a hint of humor in her voice. "But I'm not going to hold it against you. These are desperate times." Her expression grows serious once more as she glances at Talia. "As for me and Aphelia... yes, we met by chance, but we both knew surviving alone would be nearly impossible. So here we are, trying our luck together."

The trio walks in silence for a few moments before Talia speaks up again. "You know, it might not hurt to lighten things up a bit. We're all going to be stuck together for the foreseeable future; we should try and get along, right?" Her words are laced with an almost hopeful tone, as if she truly believes they can form some sort of connection despite their pasts.

Cassandra's eyes narrow slightly at this outburst. She knows it takes time to trust someone, and she isn't about to let her guard down just because the girl is eager to fit in. But still... there's something genuine about Aphelia's words, a naivety that reminds Cassandra of what she once was herself. Before the virus changed everything.

"Thanks," Cassandra replies cautiously. "I appreciate that." She forces a small smile, wondering if it looks as fake to them as it does to her. In truth, she's still not entirely sure where this new partnership will lead them, but for now, she'll play along and hope for the best.

"Looks... safe enough." Cassandra's words are careful, not wanting to make promises she can't keep. With a final glance around them, they approach the old house and go inside. The air inside feels stale and oppressive, as if it's been locked up for years.

"We should probably search for any hiding spots or potential dangers," Cassandra says softly, her voice barely audible above the silence of the abandoned home. "Just to be on the safe side." She doesn't want anyone getting hurt while they're under her care, even if it means being overcautious.