Sofia felt a flicker of unease as she watched her boyfriend Jonathan rush to help a bleeding stranger.He was twenty-six—ten years younger than her.Several of her colleagues at Normington Hospital, where she worked as a doctor, had admitted their envy: a young, rugged boyfriend with muscles and charisma.But who could blame them?Sofia took care of herself—big-boned and strong, with flawless abs and a chest that defied gravity.She was an Arab woman who loved hiking, fitness, and didn't give a damn about numbers on a birth certificate.
She and Jonathan made a surprisingly good pair.He was a Native American with sun-kissed skin, a born hunter who loved archery and wilderness life.Before the outbreak, he'd been a rising star on social media—posting adventure content from remote locations, bushcraft tutorials, survival tricks, and plans to launch an exclusive OnlyFans series with Sofia… if she ever agreed.
They'd been on a road trip around Ether when the zombie apocalypse hit, traveling in a converted school bus they'd turned into a cozy mobile home.They had grand plans—an entire month exploring the continent, filming every step of the way.Instead, they ended up filming a handful of outdoor adventures… and a lot of indoor ones, just for their own entertainment.
"Do you think he's one of the Amun?" Sofia asked as she crouched beside Jonathan, unpacking the first aid kit to tend to the unconscious, mustachioed stranger bleeding onto the grass.
"Doubt it. The Amun don't hunt. They don't even scavenge. They raid. And they never travel alone," Jonathan said as he picked up a bloodied radio lying nearby.
"Hello? Can anyone hear me?"
…
A moment passed.
"Who is this… Where's Limo?" a man's voice finally came through.
"My name's Jonathan. I'm guessing the guy we found is Limo?"
"Yeah! Is he okay?"Jonathan could hear women's voices faintly in the background.That eased his nerves—this wasn't an Amun gang.
"Well, not really. He's in rough shape. Got mauled by a bear. But don't worry—my girlfriend's a doctor. She's treating him."
"A bear?!"
"Yeah. But he's still alive. Sofia's doing everything she can. And you are…?"
"Gantsuke. I'm Gantsuke."
"You got a map in front of you, Gantsuke?"
"Uh… hold on… yeah, I've got one."
"Sending you our coordinates now. Think you can get here?"
There was silence for a few seconds.
"…Yeah. But I want to talk to Limo first."
"I'll put him on as soon as he wakes up. Don't worry—we're not the enemy. Gotta go now. Gonna help Sofia patch up your friend."
"Thanks."
—
Just as Gantsuke was about to have Molly launch the drone to check the coordinates, a familiar voice came through the radio.
"Hello, tiger."Despite the raspy tone and a couple of dry coughs, Limo's voice was a welcome relief to Gantsuke and the girls.
"I thought you were heading to the afterlife."
"Heh… sorry, guess I'm harder to kill than I look."
A grin tugged at Gantsuke's lips.
"Where are you?"
"About to head toward Sofia's camper. I'll have Jonathan send you the coordinates—ahem."
Limo handed the radio back to Jonathan.
"Okay. We're on our way," Gantsuke's voice replied.
See you soon, tiger…Limo closed his eyes slowly, exhaustion pulling him under like a wave.Blood loss dulled his senses, and sleep came with frightening ease—so heavy it made him question if he'd ever wake again.