João Paulo was restless. From the parking lot across the street, he could hear muffled sounds coming from the market. But it was Bruno's sharp scream, cutting through the silence, that made his heart race. He knew he couldn't just stand there anymore. The fear of losing his best friend outweighed any fear of facing the infected alone. He took a deep breath and tried to sound confident for the girls, even though his voice still shook:— Damn… after that scream, we can't wait any longer. Girls, stay here. I'm going to see what's happening in there.
Meanwhile, inside the market, Bruno was quickly sizing up the situation. The last infected was trapped in a forklift, struggling pointlessly to break free. A satisfied smile spread across his bloodied face.— That's gonna make my life easier…
Outside, João Paulo approached the market entrance, hesitant but determined. That's when he saw a silhouette emerging from the back of the aisle, dragging something heavy. He swallowed and narrowed his eyes until the figure stepped into the light. It was Bruno. He was walking slowly, dragging a body by the right foot like a trash bag. Despite being covered in blood and sweat, Bruno's expression was surprisingly calm. In his other hand he held a passionfruit cookie, casually biting it as he crossed the store.
When he got near the entrance, Bruno called out to the others without paying much attention to the weight he was dragging:— Girls, you can come in. It's all clear. And you, Jão, hurry up and help me get these bodies out. I want this shut down before more trouble shows up.
João Paulo felt a wave of relief seeing his friend alive, but he couldn't hide his shock at the scene. Without saying a word, he went to help drag the bodies. The smell of blood was nearly unbearable, but he took a deep breath and kept going. When they finished tossing the last two bodies into the street, both of them stopped for a moment, stretching their backs and gasping for air.
João broke the silence, his voice still tight with tension:— So what now, bro? What do we do?
Bruno, as if the carnage had been just another ordinary day, wiped his forehead with his forearm and offered a tired smile. His eyes, however, were hard—like they carried the weight of something João still couldn't understand.— I'm done for… he said, letting out a long sigh. Then he stared João Paulo straight in the face, his voice cutting like a blade:— And from now on, you're going to have to be strong, Jão. Strong enough to have the courage to kill me… or to watch me die and keep walking on your own two feet.
João Paulo felt a lump in his throat. Those words hit him like a punch, but he realized Bruno was serious. It wasn't just about infected people. It was about the world they were facing now—brutal, merciless, and with no room for weakness.
Bruno gave one last look at the bodies piled in the street before heading back into the market. João Paulo stood there, frozen, trying to absorb what he had just heard. The responsibility Bruno had just placed on his shoulders weighed heavier than he could have imagined.
The supermarket's front gates slammed shut with a thunderous bang, the sound echoing through the area. Bruno glanced quickly at João, a fleeting, faint smile crossing his face—but it was a heavy smile, almost melancholic. João, for his part, felt a chill. Bruno's smile didn't feel like joy; it felt like farewell. The sense that his friend might be leaving for good hit him hard. The words he wanted to say, the advice he wanted to give, got stuck in his throat.
Noticing João's tense silence and inability to speak, Bruno broke the quiet with his steady voice:— Hey, bro… I'm going to my place to get my sisters. You… you coming with me?
João looked at the blue gate of the entrance, thoughtful. The girls were inside, and part of him wanted to stay and protect them. Concern mixed with the need to follow Bruno. He answered, his voice heavy:— Hell yeah… I think I will, but what about the girls?
Bruno put his left hand in his pocket and draped his right arm over João's shoulders in a friendly gesture, as if trying to ease the pressure. They started walking toward the white Fiorino parked a little ahead. To reassure João, he spoke more calmly:— Look, the place's already secure and isolated. I doubt anyone's gonna try to get in now, and I doubt they'd be stupid enough to open the gate for just anyone, you feel me?
As they walked, Samira and her friend came out through the supermarket's side door. When Bruno saw them approaching, he looked straight at Samira and spoke with a serious tone, though he kept his composure:— Hey, Sam… I gotta head back home, I need to check if my sisters are okay. And you… who's the girl?
Samira's friend introduced herself as Alicia, thanking them for the help. But Samira's concern was elsewhere. Her eyes were locked on the cut on Bruno's arm, still bleeding, and she couldn't hold back:— Hold on, aren't you gonna take care of that wound? You're just gonna leave it wide open like that?
Bruno felt the sting of the cut but brushed it off. He avoided Samira's gaze, as if dodging the subject, and answered firmly:— Only after I know Haissa and Hanne are safe, got it?
Samira noticed he deliberately avoided mentioning their mother, and a wave of anguish tightened her chest. Fear and worry grew inside her, suffocating her with a truth she didn't want to face. Her voice faltered, low and almost inaudible, a desperate whisper:— Why didn't you include Mom in what you just said, Bruno?
Bruno didn't look back. He ignored the question. No reply, no hesitation—just movement. His steps quickened, determined. He knew what had to be done. There was no more time to waste. The Fiorino's keys were somewhere inside the market. Focused entirely on his next move, he dashed back inside without another word.
Bruno stormed into the admin office with quick, firm steps, his eyes going straight to the wall hook where the vehicle keys were hanging. It didn't take him long to spot the Fiorino's key. There were only four in total, and the one he wanted had a clear sticker with the brand's logo and the word "Fiorino" printed on it. Without hesitation, he grabbed it and walked out, determined.
When he and João Paulo got inside the car, the air felt heavy, almost suffocating. João Paulo, his face tight with worry, broke the silence with a question:— Look, are you sure it's a good idea to just take off like this?
Bruno frowned, confused by João's hesitation, his nerves already showing in his voice:— The hell do you mean? Spit it out already, man…
João Paulo looked away, clearly struggling with his words. He took a deep breath before finally speaking, his tone heavy with concern:— It's just… back there, you didn't wanna hear it, but…
Bruno, already annoyed with the stalling, cut him off, his voice sharp and rough:— C'mon, fatass, quit beating around the bush and say it, damn it! You gonna keep dragging this out?
Realizing Bruno wasn't in the mood for patience, João pressed on, even though he clearly hesitated. Eyes down, he finally let the words out:— At least try talking to Camille before we leave.
Bruno snapped his head away, his irritation obvious. He had no time—or desire—for Camille right now. With a deep breath, his reply came out acidic and raw:— Man, fuck that! She can go to hell for all I care!
João Paulo, out of patience with Bruno's disregard, shot him a hard look—firm, almost intimidating, a silent challenge. His voice carried the weight of someone who had enough:— I'm giving you a chance to apologize for treating your friend like shit. She's been through the same hell we did. Now get your ass up and go!
Bruno glared back, as if daring him, but refused to yield. Instead, he started the engine, tossing one last jab with a crooked grin:— Yeah, right… some friend you are, asshole.
Then, turning serious, he looked at Alicia, who was standing outside the car, and barked an order:— Hey, Alicia! Take Samira inside and lock everything up.
Alicia nodded without question and helped Samira to her feet, while Bruno slammed the gas. The Fiorino roared forward, picking up speed, and João Paulo stayed silent, lost in the storm of everything unraveling around them.
Samira seemed lost in her own thoughts, her body trembling as her mind refused to accept the possibility that her mother had been infected. She kept telling herself there was still hope, but the truth was beginning to seep through the cracks of her denial. Alicia, seeing Samira's state, gently helped her up by the arms and led her slowly into the supermarket, trying to give her some semblance of safety, however futile in that scene.
João Paulo, deeply bothered by Bruno's callousness, watched him from the corner of his eye, noticing his distant, calm expression, as if he already knew what would happen. He couldn't take the silence anymore and, breaking it with a voice thick with frustration, questioned Bruno as he drove:— Alright… I can kind of understand Camille because of your lack of consideration, but Samira is your little sister, man! She deserves more care — especially from her big brother to reassure her. Look at me, man, she's only eleven, damn it! Why didn't you comfort her? Why did you ignore her, damn it?
Bruno took a deep breath and, without changing his expression, kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead. He didn't want to open up; he didn't want João Paulo to know how tense and worn out he was inside. The sweaty hands gripping the wheel, sweat running down his face mixed with blood from the earlier fight, and his stiff shoulders went unnoticed by João Paulo, who remained fixed on the idea of an insensitive Bruno.
— Hey, Bruno, you gonna answer me or what, you son of a bitch? — João Paulo pressed, angry at the silence.
Bruno gave a slight, almost imperceptible smile while his mind ran through the worst possibilities. He imagined arriving home to find his sisters dead, or worse, alive but infected, and having to kill them himself. That thought tormented Bruno, but he preferred to keep it to himself, not wanting anyone to see what was really going on inside him.
— Because my sister isn't weak. None of us are. I can't get her ready for this world by coddling her. She has to learn to deal with her own feelings on her own if she wants to survive in this world… — Bruno's voice was cold and flat, but the words hit hard.
João Paulo turned his face to the street, frustration rising, but he had nothing to say that could change how Bruno thought. He muttered, almost a whisper:— I wanna know why you're my best friend if you're gonna be so cold and heartless…
Bruno kept his face impassive, hands steady on the wheel, and answered with brutal honesty:— Because you know I'm a necessary evil, and you're the only thing that holds me back if I lose my humanity and start killing people for no good reason, right…