Supremacy In Apocalypse

Owen could barely feel his legs anymore, and the weight of his wife on his back wasn't making things any easier.

His clothes were stained with blood, some of which had dried over the past few hours, while the rest came from the fresh wounds he had sustained during their escape. 

Every breath sent a sharp pain through his chest, but he continued walking, occasionally glancing towards the road ahead.

The evacuation station was only a few streets away, and he couldn't afford to stop now. 

According to the announcement they had heard earlier, the last bus would be leaving before nightfall, taking the remaining survivors to one of the few safe havens still under military protection.

"Owen, how much longer?" Rebecca asked, tightening her arms around his neck.

"Not much longer. We should be there soon," he replied, adjusting her weight before taking another step.

It had been two days since they left their apartment, and throughout those two days, Owen had done almost everything to keep them alive.

 From searching abandoned stores for food to fighting off zombies whenever they got too close, there was hardly a moment when he wasn't putting himself in danger.

Rebecca, on the other hand, had injured her ankle during their escape and could barely walk.

Even though he was already struggling with his own injuries, Owen had insisted on carrying her. There was no way he would leave his wife behind, especially after everything they had been through together.

A few minutes later, the barricades surrounding the evacuation station finally came into view.

Owen released a heavy breath.

They had made it.

The station was filled with survivors, most of whom were struggling to get their belongings checked by the soldiers guarding the entrance. 

Several buses were parked behind the barricades, and from the number of people already boarding, it was obvious that the evacuation was almost over.

Owen found an empty bench near the entrance and carefully lowered Rebecca onto it before sitting beside her. His entire body ached, and the pain from his injured thigh had become so severe that he could barely straighten his leg.

"Wait here. I'll go and find out how we're supposed to register," he muttered, attempting to stand.

Rebecca quickly held his arm.

"No, Owen. Look at yourself. You're exhausted."

"I'll be fine."

"Just let me go instead. My leg feels much better now, and I can manage the short distance. Besides, someone needs to secure our places before the bus leaves."

Owen glanced at her ankle with concern, but Rebecca gave him a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry. I'll be back before you know it."

“Okay.” He finally nodded in agreement watching as she made her way through the crowd before leaning against the bench.

For the first time in almost two days, he could afford to rest without worrying about a zombie appearing from nowhere. The soldiers patrolling the station were heavily armed, and although the entire place looked like it had been assembled in a hurry, it was still safer than the streets they had just escaped.

Owen closed his eyes for a while, allowing his breathing to settle.

However, when he opened them again, Rebecca was nowhere to be found.

He waited for a few more minutes, occasionally looking towards the registration area, but there was still no sign of her.

"Attention, all passengers! The final evacuation bus will be departing shortly. All registered passengers should proceed to the boarding area immediately!"

The announcement echoed through the station, followed by the hurried footsteps of survivors rushing towards the buses.

Worries rushed through Owen's body in waves. 

Rebecca had been gone for quite some time, and he couldn't understand what was taking her so long. With the bus preparing to leave, he had no choice but to go looking for her himself.

He pushed himself off the bench, nearly falling when a sharp pain shot through his injured thigh. After steadying himself against the wall, he began limping towards the boarding area, searching through the crowd as he went.

It wasn't long before he spotted her.

At first, Owen thought he had mistaken someone else for his wife. But the closer he got, the more difficult it became to deny what was happening before him.

Rebecca was standing beside one of the buses, her arms wrapped around another man's neck as they kissed.

And there was something else.

The woman who had supposedly been unable to walk for the past two days was standing perfectly fine, without the slightest sign of discomfort.

Owen stopped in his tracks, his gaze moving towards the man holding her.

Jerry.

Rebecca's childhood sweetheart.

The same man she had repeatedly assured him was nothing more than an old friend.

"What are you doing? What's going on?" Owen demanded, his voice trembling from both exhaustion and the sight before him.

Rebecca pulled away from Jerry and turned towards him. Surprisingly, there wasn't even a hint of embarrassment on her face.

"Oh, he caught us," she remarked flatly.

"That's not the question I asked!" Owen shrieked, clutching his chest as another wave of pain spread through his body.

Rebecca sighed, looking at him as though his presence had become an inconvenience.

"That's the answer you're going to get. Do you really think I liked your broke, desperate ass? Think again, dude. You were nothing more than a call dog, the perfect tool for the apocalypse. That's why I stuck with you."

Owen stared at her, struggling to understand how the woman he had carried through the ruined city could speak to him with such contempt.

"What are you talking about, Rebecca?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Jerry interrupted, wrapping his arm around her waist. "While you were out getting scraps and risking your life, I was the one keeping your wife company."

A smile spread across his face as he studied Owen's expression.

"Remember those scattered candles you found in your bedroom? And all those times she told you she was scared and couldn't sleep alone? Well, that was me."

Owen's mind returned to the strange things he had noticed over the past few months.

The perfume that didn't belong to him, the candles Rebecca claimed she had lit because the nights were getting colder, and the occasional disorder in their bedroom whenever he returned from searching for supplies.

He had questioned her about them, but she always had an explanation ready. And because he trusted her, he had never bothered to investigate further.

Even when she repeatedly refused to sleep with him, insisting that they couldn't afford to bring a child into a world overrun by zombies, Owen had respected her decision.

Now, listening to Jerry speak, those memories took on an entirely different meaning.

"You've been sleeping with him all this while?" Owen asked, his voice barely rising above the surrounding noise.

Rebecca rolled her eyes.

"Of course. Did you honestly think I was going to spend the rest of my life with someone like you?"

She moved closer to Jerry before placing a hand over her stomach.

"Besides, your help is no longer needed. Jerry and I can finally leave this horrible place and raise our child somewhere safe."

Owen's eyes followed her hand.

There was a slight bump beneath her clothes, one he had noticed before but had never given much thought to. Rebecca had always dismissed it whenever he asked, claiming that the irregular meals they had been eating were affecting her stomach.

For a moment, Owen found it difficult to breathe.

"You... you're pregnant?"

Rebecca smiled.

"With Jerry's child, obviously. Did you think I'd let you touch me when I was already carrying his baby?"

Jerry burst into laughter, pulling her closer as though they had just shared an amusing joke.

Owen's fingers curled into fists.

He had spent the past two days carrying a woman who wasn't even injured, protecting her from zombies and risking his life so she could reach the evacuation station safely. And all that time, she had been planning to abandon him the moment they arrived.

Something inside Owen finally snapped.

He lunged towards Jerry, raising his fist with whatever strength remained in his body. However, before he could land a blow, Jerry caught him by the shoulder and shoved him backwards.

Owen stumbled and crashed onto the ground, his injured leg folding beneath him as a painful groan escaped his lips.

Jerry looked down at him with amusement.

"Look at yourself. You can barely stand, and you still want to fight me?"

Owen attempted to rise, but his arms trembled beneath his weight. The exhaustion from the past two days had finally caught up with him, leaving him almost completely helpless.

Rebecca glanced towards the bus, which was already preparing for departure.

"Come on, Jerry. We're going to miss it."

Jerry nodded before turning towards Owen one last time.

"At least the beasts will have something to snack on. Consider it your final contribution to our survival."

He gave Owen another shove, sending him towards the deserted road beyond the boarding area, where the station's protection ended.

Rebecca didn't spare him another glance.

She simply took Jerry's hand, and together, they boarded the bus.

Owen watched from the ground as the vehicle's engine roared to life. Within moments, it was moving away from the station, carrying the woman he had sacrificed almost everything to protect.

A low growl suddenly reached his ears.

Owen turned his head and noticed several zombies emerging from the ruined buildings along the road. Their rotten bodies staggered towards him, drawn by the fresh blood covering his clothes.

He tried getting up, but his injured leg refused to support him. With no other option, he dragged himself backwards, only to discover that more zombies were approaching from the opposite direction.

The commotion at the evacuation station had attracted them from the surrounding streets, and now that the buses were gone, Owen was the only living person left within their reach.

One of the creatures lunged forward and sank its teeth into his shoulder.

A painful scream escaped his throat as he struggled to push it away, but another zombie had already grabbed his arm. 

Owen struggled desperately, but there was hardly any strength left in him. His injuries had already made it difficult to move, and with the creatures pressing against him from every direction, escaping was impossible.

The pain became unbearable.

"STOP!" he yelled, forcing out the last of his strength.

And strangely, the creatures obeyed.

The zombie biting his shoulder suddenly released him, while the others froze in their positions. Even those approaching from the surrounding streets stopped moving, their lifeless eyes remaining fixed on Owen.

He stared at them in disbelief, unable to understand why they had suddenly stopped attacking.

Then, before he could make sense of what was happening, a strange notification appeared directly before his eyes.

[ Ding! ]

[ Congratulations, Host! ]

[ The King of the Infected System has successfully awakened! ]