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?"

I ripped open my shirt, revealing the gray-white streaks creeping across my chest.

"Emilia, look at me. I can only hold on until midnight at most. Yet Dustin, whom you say is injured, speaks with a clear mind. In what way is he infected?"

The other team members lowered their heads.

One of them, Leon Ryleigh, mumbled softly, "Actually, Dustin could have easily avoided this..."

"Leon!" Emilia snapped.

But it was too late.

I understood now.

Dustin did this on purpose.

Emilia gave him the antidote in front of the entire team, once again choosing Dustin over me.

I said in a low voice, "Emilia, you've chosen him again at my cost."

Emilia's face turned pale. "I haven't given up on you! I just..."

I laughed, my voice barely audible as exhaustion outweighed my anger.

"You did it because, as captain, you have to take care of every team member, right? Because you have to be impartial? Or is it because you no longer have any feelings for me?"

She opened her mouth but couldn't speak.

Dustin grabbed her arm, his voice cracking. "Em, doesn't the vice-captain trust me? I really was infected, look..."

He reached out to unwrap the bandage.

Emilia pushed his hand down. "Don't move!"

Then she turned to face me, her eyes filled with disappointment.

"Zack, you've really let me down. Dustin is a team member. He was hurt. What's wrong with me saving him? Do you expect me to just stand by and watch him die?"

I replied coolly, "No, you did the right thing. As a captain, you should be fair and just."

Emilia froze.

I watched her protect Dustin and saw the smug look on Dustin's face behind her, as well as the looks on the other team members. Some appeared sympathetic, while others avoided my gaze.

The force inside me surged again.

But I held it down.

I continued, my voice cold and still.

"So, now that I, your other team member, am about to mutate, how do you plan to take responsibility for me, captain?"

The camp was dead silent.

All eyes were on Emilia.

Her expression changed. Finally, she gritted her teeth.

"I'll keep searching. There's another one in the northern district..."

"It's too late," I interrupted her.

She fell silent.

Dustin's voice broke the silence, just loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Em, the vice-captain poses a danger to us. What if he suddenly mutates?"

Emilia stiffened.

I looked into her eyes that once held so much love for me, but were now filled with conflict and hesitation.

The force inside me stirred again.

This time, I almost couldn't suppress it.

"Zack."

Emilia finally spoke, her voice strained.

She straightened her back. "You're the vice-captain, so you know the rules. Before an infected person mutates, they must leave the camp, or the captain must personally remove them."

The captain must personally remove them.

Although the words sounded light, they felt like knives stabbing into my heart.

The surrounding team members stirred. A few turned away, unable to watch further. Others quietly stepped back. Some had already had their hands on their weapons.

Right next to Emilia, Dustin whispered, "Em, you have to think about the whole team... What if he suddenly..."

"Shut up."

I glared at him.

Dustin flinched and stepped back behind Emilia.

Emilia took a deep breath.

"I'm giving you a choice. Either you leave now, or…"

Her hand moved to the knife at her hip. "Or I assist you."

Assist me to die.

I stared at her hand gripping the knife. That hand was the same one that had once held mine as we strolled through the military academy. It had once clung to me tightly on the first night of the apocalypse, refusing to let go.

Now, it wanted to end me.

The force inside me surged wildly, causing the gray-white streaks to spread across my face.

I took a deep breath. The pain in my body kept me oddly clear-headed.

"I choose the first option. I'll leave."

My voice was calm, so much so that I surprised myself.

Emilia visibly relaxed.

But Dustin spoke again, this time louder.

"Em, we can't just let him go! His gear, his supplies… They belong to the team! What if the zombies get them?"

Emilia frowned. "Dustin! Stop talking!"

Dustin raised his voice. "I'm telling the truth! He's not the vice-captain anymore! He's infected! How can we let an infected person take our resources?"

The other team members exchanged glances. Some nodded, while others shook their heads.

Just then, a sudden, sharp scream echoed from the camp's perimeter.

Everyone turned in panic toward the sound.

Emilia immediately ordered a few members to investigate.

Then she looked at me, her gaze conflicted. She spoke with difficulty.

"Zack, leave your gear behind."

I began laughing.

It wasn't until my tears came out that I stopped.

Then, I nodded. "Alright. All yours."

I started removing my gear.

My tactical vest, combat knife, backpack, food, and water.

As I threw them, each piece landed onto the ground with a loud metallic clink.

Emilia turned away, afraid to look at me.

But Dustin's eyes lit up, staring at the pile of gear like a starving wolf eyeing meat.

By the end, I was left with just a standard combat uniform.

"Is that enough?" I asked.

Emilia's lips trembled, but no words came out.

Dustin impatiently shouted, "Yeah, yeah, that's enough! Em, let him go!"

Finally, Emilia looked at me, her eyes shimmering.

"Zack, I'm sorry, but I have to..."

I interrupted her. "That's enough. From today onward, we're done with each other. Emilia, you should think over this. Without me as your main fighter, how are you going to protect your camp? Your team?"

Her body jolted in response.

I didn't look at her again, nor at anyone else. Instead, I turned and walked toward the camp gates.

At that moment, the gray-white streaks had already spread to my left cheek. The force inside me clashed wildly, almost tearing me apart.

Every step felt like I was stepping on razor blades, but I walked straight and refused to look back.

Not long after I left the camp, I entered a relatively safe area of the ruins I had been watching over the past few days.

The force inside me couldn't be suppressed anymore. It exploded.

Pain shot through my limbs and bones, like they were being crushed and then reassembled.

I collapsed to the ground before curling into a ball.

The gray-white streaks crawled wildly beneath my skin. My flesh split open, oozed blood, scabbed over, then cracked open again.

But I couldn't move.

My consciousness began to slip away as my body burned.

Then, I slipped into endless darkness.

Back at the camp, my departure didn't bring them any safety.

Instead, the zombies' roars grew louder.

Emilia quietly gathered my gear, her expression complicated.

Behind her, Dustin's excited voice rang out.

"Em, we can redistribute these supplies..."

Suddenly, a team member responsible for lookout rushed in, shouting urgently, "Captain Campbell, things are looking bad! All the zombies from a five-mile radius are swarming toward us!"