Two years ago, a virus from an illegal lab in Vietnam changed the world, leaving chaos in its wake.

Shanice Faye never wanted to be a doctor. Blood, flesh, and sickness made her tremble, but now, in a small, poorly stocked room, she stitched wounds and fought infections. Her hands still shook, but with each passing day, she grew braver, even if the fear never fully left.

Jace Archer, a young man with a buzz cut and an old soldier’s uniform, was the one who brought the injured to her. He wasn’t a soldier, but a messenger for a small group of survivors who’d armed themselves for protection. His duty was clear: bring the sick to Shanice, handle the rest. Sometimes, days would pass with no one coming, but he always returned, gentle yet hardened, with that faint, innocent look that couldn’t survive in a world like this.

"Another corpse?!"

"It's breathing, Chen."

As he pointed to the unrecognizable body lying on the poorly lit table.He was loosely holding onto my arm, making sure I wasn't turning away to suddenly leave with panic. He knew me well, after all. It had been 4 months since we've been doing this. Chen was my nickname. I had never heard him call me by birth name, Shanice Faye. Maybe he made up that nickname just to remember my name more easily. Maybe he thought it was my actual name... For so many times, he had to drag me into the room and force me to treat the people who needed it. With his arms crossed, he would watch the entire process from a distance with pure concentration etched on his face. With my trembling hands and grimaced face, I would hesitatantly give him a look, and he would nod, signaling me to be quick with it. We wouldn't really talk other than the condition about the patients.

"Go on, take a look at him."

I grimaced again, averting my gaze from the body. It was the worst one yet, and the smell was adding to the unpleasent sight. My fingers curled into fists on the hem of my blood stained coat. I wasn't ready to treat that...