Apocalypse—Bonds of Abundance

Chapter 008: The Girl Trapped In The Frozen Street II

Williams drove a vehicle equipped with winter tires and an independent heating system. Even with those precautions, the journey quickly became treacherous. Ice coated the asphalt, visibility dwindled beneath the swirling snow, and intersections were clogged with abandoned cars.

At one corner, a delivery truck skidded sideways and slammed into a parked sedan with a deafening metallic crunch. The driver scrambled out through the passenger door, shouting in alarm, while two nearby pedestrians finally rushed forward to help.

Williams tightened his grip on the steering wheel. The System’s interface pulsed again, reminding him that Elena’s condition was deteriorating. He pressed on, determined to reach her before it was too late.

By the time he reached a narrow street lined with small shops, the road ahead was completely blocked. Vehicles stood bumper to bumper in both directions, leaving no room to maneuver.

He pulled into the nearest sheltered gap, grabbed his pack, and stepped out into the storm.

The cold struck him like a physical blow. He lowered his head against the biting wind and followed the System’s guidance on foot, carefully navigating the snow-covered street.

Then, above the howling wind, a woman’s voice rang out.

“Stay back from the cable! Don’t touch anything!”

Around the corner, Elena knelt beside an elderly man who was partially pinned beneath a fallen sign. A thin jacket was visible beneath her open medical coat, offering little protection against the freezing wind. Her gloved fingers trembled as she checked his pulse, but her movements remained focused and somewhat professional.

Snow clung to her dark hair, and her face had grown pale from the cold. She pressed her lips together, her eyes narrowed against the biting wind as she assessed the danger around them.

A few meters away, two pedestrians stood watching, their shoulders hunched against the cold. Neither made any move to help.

“The ambulance isn’t answering!” one of them called, his voice trembling with fear.

“We should leave,” the other insisted. “That cable could still be live.”

Elena ignored them, keeping her attention on the injured man.

“Then call someone who will answer,” she replied firmly. “I’m not leaving him.”

Williams approached carefully, his eyes moving between the fallen cable and the debris trapping the elderly man. He assessed the situation before speaking.

“Move to the far side of the sign,” he called over the howling wind. “The cable is closer than it looks.”

Elena immediately looked up, suspicion evident in her expression. Her sharp, dark eyes settled on him.

“Who are you?”

“Someone who can help.”

“Are you qualified?”

“I’m not a doctor, but I know enough to keep both of you from dying on this ice.”

Elena studied him for a moment, as though trying to decide whether she could trust him. Then she gave a brief nod and moved to the position he indicated.

Working together, they carefully shifted the loose debris without going near the cable. After several tense moments, the elderly man’s trapped leg finally came free.

Williams immediately unfolded a thermal blanket and wrapped it around the man's shoulders while Elena checked his breathing and responsiveness.

Despite the visible trembling in her hands, her movements remained precise as she assessed his condition.

The elderly man stirred, his eyelids fluttering as he struggled to regain consciousness.

“Apartment… I was trying to get back to my apartment…”

“You’re going to be all right,” Elena assured him, her voice firm despite her chattering teeth. “Just stay with me.”

Williams met her gaze. “We need to get him somewhere warm. There’s a pharmacy nearby that still has power.”

Elena’s expression hardened. “I’m not leaving him alone with a stranger.”

“Then come with us.”

She studied him for another moment, snow gathering on her lashes, before finally giving a curt nod.

Together, they supported the injured man between them and carefully made their way toward the pharmacy. The owner, a heavyset man with a weathered face, had already opened the doors to several people stranded by the sudden freeze. Warm air still escaped from the interior, though the lights flickered ominously overhead.

Once inside, Elena immediately resumed treating the elderly man. She carefully removed the wet fabric around his injured leg and wrapped it in fresh dressings, doing her best to keep him warm while assessing his condition.

Meanwhile, Williams distributed the remaining thermal blankets to those already showing signs of exposure. As he worked, he noticed Elena giving away the little warmth she had managed to preserve for herself. She pressed a blanket into the hands of an elderly woman nearby, even though her own fingers had turned nearly white from the cold.

Williams watched her for a moment before reaching into his pack and pulling out a pair of insulated gloves.

He held them out to her.

Elena hesitated, narrowing her eyes before finally accepting the gloves.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked quietly. “You don’t even know these people.”

Williams glanced at the frightened faces crowded into the small pharmacy. “The city is heading into a crisis. People who still help one another have a better chance of surviving than those who don’t.”

Elena studied him, searching his face for an explanation, though the wariness in her eyes remained. There was something about his calm demeanor and willingness to help that she couldn't quite understand.

Before she could ask anything else, the lights went out completely.

A heavy crash sounded from the street, followed by a chorus of shouts and the sharp shattering of glass. The pharmacy owner hurried toward the front windows, peering outside.

Beyond the glass, an entire stretch of the street had disappeared into darkness.

Williams immediately turned his attention to the System's map.

Elena's condition marker had changed.

–Critical exposure risk. Bond opportunity unstable–

His expression tightened as he read the warning.

When he looked up, Elena was already heading for the door, her shoulders squared and her expression set with the same stubborn determination that had kept her kneeling in the snow.

Another desperate cry for help rose from the frozen street outside.

Williams felt the cold settle deeper into his bones.

Saving Elena once wouldn't be enough.