The Reclaimer outpost was hidden deep in the ruins of the old world — a place where screams once echoed and the sky always felt too close. Concrete walls, sharp lights, and shadows that whispered secrets.
Lyra arrived with Aurora bundled tightly in her arms. Her steps were hesitant, but her expression remained cold — unreadable.
The Reclaimer leader, a tall woman draped in dark green armor and silver markings across her skin, approached. "You've done well," she said with a faint smile. "We didn't think you'd actually bring her."
Lyra's voice was low, trembling beneath the steel. "I'm not here for your approval. I did what had to be done."
The woman's eyes shifted to Aurora, who stared up, quiet… too quiet. "She's special," the Reclaimer whispered. "We've sensed her energy since the womb. The daughter of Alina… and the bloodline of Alex. She holds the key."
Lyra stiffened. "Key to what?"
"To power. To rebirth. To ending this war and shaping a new world under our control."
Lyra hesitated, her eyes flicking down to the baby — her niece. For the first time, her cold façade cracked. "You said you'd protect her."
"We will. But first… she must be awakened."
They led Lyra to a chamber lit with strange blue crystals. Symbols of ancient power lined the walls. Aurora's eyes suddenly glowed faintly, flickering like stars.
"She feels it," the leader whispered. "She knows this place."
Meanwhile, back at Zombieland, Ethan, Elena, Alina, and Kai were tracing every route, every trail. Alina refused to sleep, refused to eat. "They can't use her," she kept saying. "She's just a baby…"
But deep inside, she knew.
Aurora wasn't just a baby.
She was something more.
And now, the Reclaimers had her.