During a zombie-extermination mission, I end up getting infected with the zombie virus for the sake of protecting my squad.

But Emilia Campbell, the team captain as well as my girlfriend, decides to give the only antidote to another team member, who has secretly run away from the squad, only to get infected. Her excuse is that she should avoid being partial.

With red-rimmed eyes, she promises me, "Trust me, Zack. I'll definitely find another antidote for you during the three-day incubation period of the virus."

I can only nod in response while enduring the scorching pain flaring from my body.

On the second day, Emilia actually returns with an antidote.

But the second she's about to inject it into my bloodstream, Dustin Nott, a member who has never left the campsite, suddenly frowns.

"My head hurts so much, Em… What if I'm already infected with the virus?"

Emilia doesn't hesitate to pass the antidote to Dustin in front of everyone else.

"Dustin is a part of the team as well. It's my fault as the captain for not taking care of the squad if anything happens to him.

"Zack, you're the vice leader as well as my boyfriend. I must be impartial."

That's when I notice the smugness crossing Dustin's eyes as well as Emilia's righteous expression. Fury bubbles within me at that moment.

She must be impartial, huh?

Fine. Emilia will soon understand that the squad would never have survived to this point without me. After all, I'm a perfect evolved specimen—a human being that only has a 0.1% chance of overcoming the zombie virus and evolving into a powerhouse in this apocalypse.

When Emilia Campbell handed the antidote to Dustin Nott, she didn't even glance at me.

"Dustin, here's the antidote," she said, her tone as casual as if she were handing him a bottle of water.

Dustin took the antidote, his eyes gleaming with a barely contained smugness.

Then Emilia handed me a small bottle of murky, transparent liquid.

She avoided my gaze. "This is a suppressant. It'll help you hold out a little longer."

The cheap suppressant was useless to me at this stage of infection.

I kept my voice steady. "You know it won't work on me."

Emilia's eyes flickered. She frowned. "Zack Cohen, don't do this. Dustin's health is fragile. What if he really gets infected…"

I interrupted her with a laugh. "He hasn't even been on a mission since joining the team. He has no wounds, so how could he be infected?"

Emilia raised her voice. "That's just on the surface! You know the zombie virus has a three-day incubation period! As captain, I have to look out for every one of my team!"

She continued, "You're my boyfriend and the vice captain. If I give you the antidote and not him, what will the other team members think? How will I lead this team well? I have to avoid being partial!"

That same old excuse, again.

The gray-white streaks on my right arm were slowly creeping up toward my shoulder, and the burning sensation beneath my skin grew stronger with each passing moment.

I stared at her while taking a deep breath. "So, my life is less important than your reputation? You think you can just give me a suppressant and be done with it?"

Her face shifted slightly. "What are you saying? I promised I'll go to the research center in the western district tomorrow. I'll bring the antidote back! You trust me, don't you?"

Before the apocalypse, Emilia and I were the perfect team at the military academy.

She would plan, and I would execute. She strategized, while I handled the details.

Everyone said we were made for each other.

On graduation day, she said to me on the training field, "Zack, you can trust me completely for the rest of your life."

After the outbreak, I stayed by her side, helping her build the survivor squad. I didn't mind playing the supporting role. I gave her all the credit and shouldered all the risks.

Three years later, the team had grown from just seven to over forty, and she had become the respected "Captain Campbell".

But what did I get?

Nothing but excuses and "next times".

If it weren't for the virus stripping away my mutative abilities, and I'd be devoured by zombies if I went out alone, I would never need her to help me find the antidote.

I felt exhausted. "This isn't the first time you've made such a promise."

She grabbed my hand, her gaze both pleading and earnest. "I swear I'll do it this time, Zack! Just like before, you always had my back on missions. Zack, please, trust me one last time."

I looked at her hand that had once gripped mine through gunfire and danger. Then, I heard myself say, "Fine. One last time."

Emilia sighed in relief. "You should rest. I'll go make plans for the personnel and the route we'll take for tomorrow. Everything will be fine."

I turned and walked away without looking back.

Just as I stepped outside, I heard Dustin's low voice.

"Em, he was terrifying just now. Do you think he's already..."

Emilia's voice was soothing. "Don't worry, he's fine for now."

I returned to the isolation room and leaned against the wall, then slowly slid to the floor.

The burning sensation in my right arm was getting worse.

This was the second day since I was infected by the zombie virus.

According to the normal infection timeline, I should start showing signs of muscle stiffness and sensory decay by now.

But I wasn't.

Aside from the burning and occasional jolts of pain, my mind remained incredibly sharp.

The strangest thing was that I could feel something inside me stirring.

In the distance, roars of zombies echoed through the ruins.

The magnitude of it showed that it wasn't a small horde.

Without my mutative abilities to reinforce the camp's defenses, they wouldn't hold up much longer.

I clenched my fist, my nails digging into my palm.

Tomorrow would be day three.

Emilia, this would be your last chance.

The first light of dawn barely touched the horizon when I stormed out of the isolation room.

Those gray-white streaks on my right arm had already spread halfway up my shoulder.

A night had passed, and the air smelled even more rancid now.

I could feel the zombies closing in. Without me as the primary fighter, the camp wouldn't last much longer.

Emilia's door was slightly ajar.

I pushed it open and froze at the sight.

Emilia was curled up on the makeshift bed with Dustin lying beside her. Both of them were covered by the same blanket.

Dustin had his hand around her waist, while Emilia was resting within his arms in peaceful slumber.

For three seconds, my brain went blank.

Then, I exploded.

"Emilia!"

I rushed in and grabbed Dustin by the collar, landing a punch squarely on his face.

Screaming, Dustin rolled off the bed, blood gushing from his nose.

Emilia shot up, her face pale as she saw the scene unfold. "Zack! What the hell are you doing?"

I pointed at Dustin, my voice shaking. "What was he doing?"

Then, I continued shouting, my voice filled with rage. "You're really asking me that? Emilia, just look at the two of you!"

Dustin, clutching his face, scrambled to his feet and hid behind Emilia.

"I suddenly showed early symptoms of infection last night. I was scared, so I came to Captain Campbell to discuss the antidote..."

I laughed bitterly. "Did that require you two to share a bed? Did you need to hold someone else's girlfriend?"

Emilia stepped in front of Dustin. She was panicked, but mostly angry.

"Zack, enough! Dustin showed early signs of infection last night, and as the captain, isn't it my duty to take care of my team? We didn't do anything!"

I glared at her disheveled pajamas. "Emilia, do you think I'm a fool?"

Suddenly, her voice rose. "Look at you! You're paranoid and acting all violent! Do you even remember that you're vice-captain?"

I froze.

I remembered one time before the outbreak, in the infirmary at the military academy. My previous injury had flared up during a tough training session, and I ran a high fever.

Emilia skipped all her classes that day to stay by my side. She changed my towels, fed me water, and eventually fell asleep beside me.

When she woke up, she had said, "Zack, if you die in front of me, I'll go to the afterlife and bring you back to life."

Back then, her gaze was filled with aching and fear of losing me.

But now, it was frosty as she looked at me.

"Today's mission is critical. I don't have time for this. Dustin, get ready to leave."

Dustin immediately nodded, wiping the blood from his nose as he walked out. As he passed me, he shot me a taunting look.

I grabbed Emilia's wrist. "You're taking him with you?"

She wrenched her arm free. "He knows the terrain of the western district. Zack, look at your state. How can I trust you to lead the team? You stay here. I'll bring back the antidote."

Then, she gathered her gear and left without a second glance.

I stood there, staring at the empty room and at the blanket that still held their warmth.

The force inside me surged violently, with gray-white streaks quickly crawling up my chest.

My skin felt like it was about to tear open, while the burning sensation nearly consumed me.

But I held it in.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms as blood dripped between my fingers.

Emilia, you chose him again.

This marked the end for us.

I staggered back to the isolation room, leaning against the wall and gasping for air.

It was clear now that this infection wasn't the usual kind.

I heard the sound of engines starting outside.

Walking to the window, I saw three modified off-road vehicles leaving the camp.

Emilia was in the passenger seat of the lead vehicle, with Dustin sitting right behind her.

Dustin leaned in and said something to Emilia, causing her to smile in a relaxed, unguarded way.

I hadn't seen her smile like that in a long time.

The convoy disappeared into the ruins, and I closed my eyes.

If Emilia didn't come back before sunset today, she would regret it.

I endured the burning pain until nightfall.

Gossip spread about unusual signs of a large-scale zombie movement.

I could only wait, hoping Emilia would bring back the antidote.

As the sun sank below the horizon, the camp's emergency lights flickered on.

Finally, the roar of engines reached my ears.

All three vehicles returned.

My heart raced.

Emilia was back.

I ran downstairs and into the center of the camp.

The doors opened, and Emilia jumped out first, followed by the other team members, and lastly, Dustin.

My eyes locked on their hands.

Emilia's hands were empty. So were Dustin's.

The team began unloading several crates of supplies, but there was no antidote.

My breath caught.

"Where's the antidote?"

My voice came out hoarse as the entire camp fell silent.

Emilia's eyes flickered for a moment, and she quickly looked away from me.

"We found the antidote," she said.

My heart leaped.

She bit her lip.

"But on the way back, we ran into a zombie horde. Dustin got scratched while protecting the supply vehicle. It was an emergency situation. I had to give him the antidote first."

I turned to Dustin.

He immediately raised his bandaged hand with a guilty look on his face. "Vice-captain, I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to..."

"Which hand?" I asked.

Dustin blinked. "W-What?"

I took a step closer. "How deep is the wound? How much blood did you lose? Are there any signs of infection?"

Dustin's eyes widened in panic as he looked at Emilia.

Emilia stepped in front of him. "Zack! He's injured, and you're interrogating him like this?"