We live with three permanent fears: death, loneliness, and the loss of faith.

  When my tears ran dry, leaving my soul as hollow as the vast blue sky, I stopped hesitating. I waited for whatever might come, my heart now a barren landscape where only cacti could grow—sharp, hardened, and defensive. The days passed. They always did.

  Two days later, the hazy line on the horizon sharpened into an artificial harbor. A massive concrete structure jutted hundreds of meters from the mainland, shielding Ethar from the surging tides. Behind it, the majestic Palusian range loomed, its dense cedar forests supporting the very weight of the clouds.

  I struggled to find a berth and moor the boat. After fumbling with the frozen ropes, I finally stepped onto solid ground. Tightening my backpack, I drew my rifle and scanned the area.

  A sting of disappointment hit me. The harbor was desolate. No people, not even a seagull in the sky. Yet, something within me insisted that the living were still here. That conviction was the only reason I continued down a path I knew would be paved with hardship.

  I pulled my hood low and stepped into the biting white snow. After so many days at sea, seeing a zombie might have brought as much excitement as seeing a person. Maybe I would, I thought, after it took a bite or two out of me.

  The wind shrieked through the gaps in the timber houses, a sound that scraped against my nerves. Yet, I was mesmerized by the ancient beauty of the place—like a grim fairy tale. It was a stark contrast to Iberia’s silent skyscrapers and lightless steel. For a moment, the gloom loosened its grip.

  I followed the stone embankment into the city, peering through windows. Most were sealed by thick snow; those that remained were claimed by spiders.

  "Spiders everywhere," I muttered. "Why don't the monsters just eat them?"

  Crunch.

  My coat caught on a fallen signpost. A noise echoed—but it didn't come from me. It came from behind. I spun around, raising my gun by instinct. Whatever was there had vanished, leaving only a trail of deep footprints in the pristine snow.

  My heart hammered. I wasn't alone. The good news: I had finally found someone. The bad news: If they were human, they wouldn't be hiding. And I wasn't ready for a zombie's welcome after weeks of nothing but wind and waves.

  Moving cautiously, I hugged the walls, aiming my rifle at a narrow alley. I chambered a round, finger on the trigger. Any movement, and I would fire—human or monster.

  The cold was aggravating. My breath rose in thick plumes of mist, blurring my vision. The frost stung my eyes, making them water as I squinted through the haze. I decided to gamble. I lunged forward, the way Kael used to do, leading with the barrel of my gun.

  But I wasn't Kael. I couldn't pull the trigger. Not while I still hoped it was someone alive.

  My hesitation cost me. My foot struck a slick stone, and I tumbled forward, the rifle sliding out of reach. In terror, I looked up and met a pair of wild, blue eyes.

  Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

  They were lonely. Terrified.

  A small figure sat huddled in the corner, sobbing without a sound.

  "Don't kill me... please don't kill me," she whimpered.

  The ice of fear thawed into a cold shiver down my spine. It was a girl, no more than seven or eight. Small, pale, with flowing red hair. She wore only a thin, tattered shirt, her arms bruised purple by the frost.

  I sighed and pulled a blanket from my pack. She tried to scramble back, but she was too weak.

  "It’s okay, little one. It’s okay," I said gently.

  I wrapped the blanket around her and lifted her from the frozen ground. She stared at me, her voice trembling.

  "You... you won't kill me?"

  "Of course not. I'm human."

  "But they wanted to kill me," she whispered.

  "Who?"

  "The people in the supermarket."

  I frowned, slinging my gun over my shoulder as we sought shelter under a nearby eave.

  "Why?"

  "Because..." She held out her hand, showing a bite mark on her wrist. "Because I was bitten."

  I flinched, nearly dropping my pack. She’ll turn, Annie. She’s going to turn. The voice pounded in my skull.

  "Will you protect me?" she asked.

  I was speechless. Her shimmering eyes searched mine, pleading. For a split second, I thought of letting her go. But Kael... I lost him because I let go. Was I really going to abandon this soul too?

  No. The transformation took at least twenty-four hours; in this cold, perhaps longer. I couldn't be sure of anything, but in the time she had left, I could give her something. Love. A family. And when the time came... I would do what had to be done.

  "What's your name?"

  "Lily," she whispered.

  "I'm Annie. From now on, stay with me. I’ll protect you."

  I let out a small, tired laugh. The irony of it all. I had gone from the protected to the protector.

  I gave Lily my spare shoes. My plan had shifted. I couldn't seek out other survivors now; they would kill her. We would have to find our own way. At least until Lily... changed.

  Maybe life is nothing but a chain of strange stories. Not long ago, Kael and I had longed to find survivors. Now, I was hiding from them. I didn't understand why I was trading my survival for a child whose fate seemed already sealed, but looking at her, I realized that fate always leaves room for hope. You have to grab it and walk until the end.

  I was responsible for her now. We had to live.

  The road was long and dim beneath the heavy sky. By dusk, Lily clung to my hand, terrified of the things that crawled out of the dark.

  "Where do you usually hide?" I asked.

  She decided to trust the person who had just spared her. Lily led me past timber houses and an empty square, into a narrow alley hidden deep within the city. I reached for my gun, but Lily stopped me. She whispered that the monsters here never came out during the day.

  I followed her through a small pet door. Lily pulled a cord, and a warm yellow light flickered on. She bolted the door and shoved a heavy wooden crate in front of it. Watching her, I realized how terrified she must be every night. I helped her push more crates against the door, even though I knew that if the latch gave way, those things would offer little protection.

  I slumped into an old chair. Lily ran upstairs and returned with two cans of stewed beans. I ate ravenously. It had been so long since I'd tasted real flavor. Lily watched me, amused. I gave her some dry rations from my pack. She took a bite, her eyes widening. Maybe that was just how we were—always drawn to something new.

  —always drawn to something new.

  After the meal, it grew pitch black. Lily switched off the lamp, and we headed upstairs. She went into her own room and locked the door after giving me a clear instruction:

  "If I turn, you have to shoot me. I don't want to be one of them."

  I was choked with words I couldn't say.

  I lay down on her parents' old bed, my mind racing. She had filled the hole Kael had left behind... and yet, she was bitten. I tossed and turned, unable to sleep over the noise outside. The monsters were gathering, howling into the night. Far off, I heard the crack of gunfire.

  Poor soul, I thought.

  Then I thought of Lily. Was she still human, or...

  No. Stop it!

  I pulled the pillow over my ears to drown out the shrieks. I had to sleep. I had to live. Whatever tomorrow brought—I would face it.

  I had no other choice.