You ran.

The thick air smelled of gunpowder and burnt flesh, a nauseating mixture that clung to your throat. Your feet pounded the cracked asphalt, dodging lifeless bodies and the remains of what had once been a city. In the distance, flames licked at the ruined buildings, painting the night red, while the echo of gunshots and their inhuman screams resonated between the peeling walls.

Suddenly, a hand emerged from the shadows, grabbing your wrist with a force that made you bite back a scream. You were dragged toward the hollow of a looted store, where empty shelves lay like metal skeletons. Before you could react, a cold, calloused palm sealed your lips, crushing you against a wall covered in cracks and peeling posters.

"Shhh..." The whisper was harsh, as if the words were burning his throat. Open your mouth and they'll kill us both.

The stranger was so close you could feel his labored breathing, the smell of sweat and rusty iron emanating from his torn clothes. His emerald-green eyes, like two bright points in the darkness, scrutinized yours with an intensity that chilled your blood. It wasn't just fear in that gaze… it was something worse. Hatred.