The night had fallen cold and silent, with only the faint rustling of the wind and the distant howl of a predator in the distance. The camp had settled into its usual rhythm, but there was an underlying tension that could not be ignored. After Alex's revelation, Elena had retreated into herself, focusing on the tasks at hand but struggling to manage the emotions she'd rather not face. Alexa had kept to herself, while the others remained unaware of the delicate triangle forming within the group.
It was then that a distant sound broke the silence—footsteps crunching on gravel, faint at first but growing louder. Alex immediately stood up, his hand instinctively reaching for his rifle. The group had become accustomed to danger, but this sound was different. It didn't belong to the familiar group of survivors.
"Who's there?" Alex called into the darkness, his voice firm but wary.
A figure stepped into the dim light of the campfire, tall and imposing, his face obscured by a tattered hood. Behind him, a smaller group emerged—two women, a man, and a young boy. The man had the confident, almost cocky posture of someone who was used to leading, while the women had guarded expressions, eyes flicking from side to side as if assessing the situation. The boy, no older than eleven, clutched a wooden toy rifle to his chest, though it was clear that it was more for comfort than defense.
Alex's hand tightened on his weapon, and he nodded toward Elena, who stood just a few feet away, ready to act if needed.
"Who are you?" Alex asked again, his tone more forceful now. He couldn't afford to take any chances with strangers in a world like this.
The man raised a hand in a peaceful gesture, stepping forward. "Name's Owen," he said, his voice gruff but not unfriendly. "We've been traveling for days. We're just looking for shelter... maybe some food. We're not looking for trouble."
Elena exchanged a glance with Alex, who seemed to relax ever so slightly but remained guarded.
"Why should we trust you?" Alex asked, his voice still firm.
Owen's gaze shifted toward the two women, who stepped forward as well. One of them, a tall woman with short-cropped hair and an air of authority, spoke up. Her name was Sophie. Her eyes locked with Elena's for a moment, sharp and calculating, before turning back to Alex.
"Because we're not the only ones out here. There are others... dangerous ones. People who won't hesitate to take what you have," Sophie said, her voice calm, yet there was a note of urgency in it. "We've been running from them for days. They'll catch up soon, and we could use all the help we can get."
The tension in the air thickened. The boy, his eyes wide and full of fear, tugged at the hem of Sophie's jacket. "Mom, are they going to hurt us?"
Sophie knelt down, wrapping her arms around the boy in a protective gesture. "No, sweetheart. These people won't hurt us."
Alex watched them for a long moment, considering the risk. There was something about Sophie that felt different from the usual survivors they had come across. She wasn't desperate or hungry for power; she was just... tired. Owen, on the other hand, radiated a sense of leadership, but it was tempered by a quiet sadness that Alex couldn't ignore.
"I don't trust easily," Alex said finally, his voice cold but thoughtful. "But you can stay the night. No guarantees after that."
Owen gave a slight nod. "Fair enough."
As they all settled in around the fire, the new group began to unpack their meager supplies. Sophie and Elena exchanged a few quiet words, while Owen and Alex talked about their journey. The boy, named Lucas, wandered over to the group of children, looking for someone to play with. Elena couldn't help but notice how quickly he seemed to find a sense of comfort among them.
But it was Sophie who caught Elena's attention the most. The older woman's gaze often lingered on Elena, her expression unreadable, as if she were studying her closely. Elena didn't trust it, but there was something familiar in the way Sophie moved pragmatic, but with a softness that Elena had once known in herself before the world fell apart.
After a while, when the fire had dimmed, and the camp had settled into uneasy sleep, Elena couldn't help but feel that something about this new group wasn't quite as it seemed.