Two days had passed since Zane began upgrading the safehouse. The outer walls were stronger, the doors secured, and a rain collector now stood on the rooftop. It wasn't much—but it was theirs.
Still, the silence between him and Ava hadn't gone unnoticed.
She was distant again. Not cold, just… careful. She kept her rifle close and her eyes sharper. Whenever he mentioned staying long-term, she didn't respond.
He didn't blame her.
Trust was a currency you didn't spend twice in this world.
"Radio tower's six blocks north," she said that morning, tucking a knife into her boot. "Solar cells are probably dead, but if not…"
"They could power a perimeter grid," Zane finished.
"Exactly."
They left at first light, navigating the broken streets. Vines snaked through windows. Burnt cars lined the intersections like old bones.
Zane's System pinged quietly in the back of his mind.
[Mini-Quest Activated: Power Play]
Objective: Recover Solar Cells from Tower Site
Optional: Discover Civilian Signals Nearby
He kept that to himself.
After nearly an hour of walking, they saw it—an old broadcast station, half-collapsed, the tower bent like a snapped spine.
Smoke drifted from the building.
Zane crouched behind a rusted SUV. "That's… not good."
"Campfire," Ava said. "Too recent."
They crept closer.
Screams.
Then gunfire.
Zane peeked over a wall. Inside the building's courtyard, two survivors—barely adults—were being ambushed by raiders. A third body already lay in the dirt.
"Shit," he muttered.
Ava's jaw tightened. "Raiders. Scavenger-class. They'll kill the kids just to check their boots."
"We could take the shot."
"We could also get shot back."
Zane hesitated. He felt the System flicker again.
[Decision Point: Intervene or Observe?]
Intervene: +Morale Boost, Possible Ally Gained
Observe: No risk, but morale remains stagnant.
He gritted his teeth. Then looked at Ava. "We go in quiet. Cover me?"
She hesitated. "This is suicide."
"Then I'll die useful."
He slipped around the side, heart hammering. Ava set up on the ridge with her rifle.
Zane reached the fence line just as one of the raiders raised his pistol.
Crack.
Ava's shot took him in the neck. Chaos exploded.
Zane charged in, ducking behind rubble, grabbed a brick—and slammed it into the second raider's temple.
The third tried to run. Ava dropped him too.
Silence fell.
The two young survivors stared at Zane like he was a ghost.
"Y-you saved us," the girl said, maybe seventeen, bleeding from the arm.
Zane breathed hard, pulse ringing in his ears.
"Don't thank me yet," he muttered.
Ava came down the ridge, rifle smoking. "That was reckless."
"You shot first."
"You were dumb enough to run in."
Their eyes met—and for the first time, they almost smiled.
[Bond Progress: +1 - "Field Trust"]
Zane turned to the survivors. "You guys alone?"
The boy nodded. "We were part of a group. They left us when the food ran out."
Zane looked at Ava. "We take them back?"
Her jaw clenched. "They slow us down."
"They're not infected."
"They're baggage."
He didn't press it. Not now. Not here.
[New Survivor Option: Lily & Mason - Status: Strangers]
Temporary Guests. Will require food, water, and protection. Risk Level: Moderate.
Later, as they salvaged the tower, Zane found the solar cells mostly intact.
[Solar Cells Acquired: 2/2]
[Upgrade Objective Complete: Power Grid Tier 1 Now Buildable]
As they made the long walk home, Ava stayed quiet.
Zane wanted to tell her about the System—about how he could build something real. But he didn't.
Not yet.
She wasn't ready.
He watched her walk ahead, rifle across her back, eyes always scanning the shadows.
No, trust took more than just saving each other. It took time.
And in this world… time was earned by blood.