The cold wind howled through the forest as the group stumbled forward, bruised and bloodied after the Hunter attack. The night had turned from quiet to chaos in a heartbeat. The Hunters, ruthless and calculating, had ambushed them just as they were nearing a safe point on the map the girl had shown them.
Gunfire, screams, and the sound of trees cracking under the pressure of their escape still echoed in Alex's mind. They had fought hard, each person defending themselves and each other. But in the chaos, it was impossible to keep track of everyone.
When the dust settled, they gathered in a small clearing, adrenaline still coursing through their veins. Alex checked the group—Noah, Lina, Ethan, and the girl from the bunker all seemed alright. But it didn't take long for him to realize someone was missing.
"Alexa?" Alex called out, panic creeping into his voice.
He found her lying motionless on the ground, her body still and cold from the shock. Her clothes were torn, and she had deep cuts on her arms and legs, but it was her eyes—empty, vacant—that struck Alex hardest.
"Elena!" Alex shouted, rushing to her side.
Elena knelt down beside him, gently touching Alexa's face. Her fingers trembled slightly as she lifted Alexa's head.
"She's alive," Elena said, her voice low and uncertain. "But she's… not responsive. I think she's in shock."
Alex pressed his palm to Alexa's forehead, feeling the warmth of her skin. But when she opened her eyes, they were glassy. There was no recognition in them.
"Alexa… can you hear me?" Alex asked, his voice breaking slightly.
She blinked a few times, her gaze blank, before her lips parted. "Who… who are you?" she whispered.
A chill ran down Alex's spine. Alexa had no idea who he was. Her memories had been wiped clean.
"She doesn't remember me," he muttered, the weight of the moment sinking in.
Elena stood up and turned away, her jaw tight, eyes avoiding Alex. But she couldn't deny the pang in her chest. The situation was getting more complicated by the second. It wasn't just about survival anymore—it was about everything that had come before.
The girl from the bunker spoke up. "We have to keep moving. The Hunters could be back any minute."
Alex looked at Alexa, confusion and fear clouding his mind. He had to protect her—he had to protect all of them. But what was this new reality? With Alexa's memory lost, he knew things would never be the same. And the weight of Elena's eyes on him wasn't helping. The tension between them had only grown over the past few days.
"Ethan," Alex said, turning to his friend. "Stay with Alexa. Keep her safe."
Ethan nodded, still shaken by the attack but willing to help.
Alex and Elena, however, found themselves alone in the small clearing as the others moved on ahead.
"Is she going to be okay?" Elena asked, her voice softer now.
"I don't know," Alex admitted. "She doesn't even recognize me."
Elena's eyes glinted with something unreadable. "It must be hard. Having everything change in an instant."
Alex paused, unsure of how to respond. The past few days had been chaotic, and the situation with Alexa had left him torn. But there was something else he couldn't deny.
Without warning, Elena took a step closer to him, her gaze intense. "Alex…"
He looked at her, confusion still clouding his thoughts. She wasn't the same Elena he knew. There was a new fire in her eyes, a desire to do something—anything—to break free from this world of chaos.
"Elena…" His voice was soft, cautious, but she didn't give him the chance to pull away.
She leaned in closer, her breath warm against his face. "You know, we might not have tomorrow," she whispered.
And with that, she kissed him—slow, lingering, full of unspoken emotion. Alex froze for a moment, his mind racing. But the warmth of her lips was undeniable, and he found himself responding. The tension between them had been building for days—months, even—and now, in this broken world, it felt like a moment of release.
But before things could go further, a distant voice cut through the fog of desire.
"Elena! Alex!" It was Noah, calling them from a distance. "We've got to move!"
Alex pulled back, his heart hammering in his chest. He didn't know what to think, what to feel. The world was falling apart, and now this?
Elena took a step back, her expression unreadable. "We should go. There's no time."
She turned and walked away, leaving Alex standing there, breathless and confused.
As he turned to follow her, he cast one last glance at Alexa. The girl he once knew seemed so distant, so unreachable now.
And Elena, the woman he once trusted, had crossed a line he wasn't sure he could come back from.
But in this world—where survival was everything—lines blurred, and there was no going back.