Time flies.
The night faded in a sigh. The first ray of sunlight broke the darkness, announcing the dawn and the start of a new day. But the light did not illuminate a peaceful landscape of grass and trees swaying in the wind, but a field of bloodied corpses in the middle of the city, flames still crackling, and survivors fighting for their lives against the walkers who wanted to eat them.
"Fuck off!" someone roared amidst the chaos.
Weapons flashed with every strike, taking down the undead drawn by the noise of the battle. Jason, who had been fighting relentlessly all night, raised his machete and plunged it into the skull of a walker. Black blood splattered on the ground, but he didn't stop. With every swing, with every movement, he kept eliminating more.
Panting, Jason lifted his gaze. The streets were devastated, but the flow of walkers had stopped. Finally, his group had managed to clear the refuge.
Exhaustion weighed heavily on everyone. Some could go no further and collapsed to the ground, drained of energy. Others rushed to help them, pouring a bit of water for them to catch their breath.
"Get everything ready to move out!" Jason ordered, his voice hoarse from exhaustion, then added, "We need to seal off the street before more of those bastards get in."
No one protested. The only option was to move forward.
Although the battle in the city had ended, Jason knew the fight outside was still ongoing. They couldn't let their guard down. Besides, with the noise they had made, staying there any longer was an invitation to disaster.
Jeffrey's group, who had been holding back the walkers for hours, was on the brink of collapse. They all needed a rest, and it was only a matter of time before they would lower their guard.
Still, the survivors from the surrounding areas forced themselves to stay on their feet. They helped each other, called out to their companions, and, staggering, hurried toward the building's entrance, dodging the bodies scattered across the ground.
"Sir! Please, I need help!" The scream tore through the air and caught everyone's attention. Jason turned just in time to see a man clutching his neck desperately.
He approached immediately, his stomach tightening in anticipation. When the man moved his hand from his shoulder, the mark of a bite was exposed.
Jason sighed, gritting his teeth.
"I understand…" he said calmly, though his eyes told another story. "It's okay, friend. But tell me… Was at least the one who bit you sexy?"
The attempt at humor hung in the air, heavy. No one laughed.
The man heard Jason's words and, despite the tears rolling down his face, managed a faint smile.
"Sir… I've lost my family." The man said in a trembling voice. "But when I heard you speak in that speech, something inside me awoke. I just wanted to live long enough to help you fulfill your goals."
He paused, breathing deeply to contain his emotions. "I truly admire you for having your goals so clear. It's been an honor, sir. Thank you for letting me follow you… into this hell."
Then, with a firm gaze, he turned to Jason: "It would be an honor to die by your hands. Please, help me with this, sir."
The atmosphere turned cold. Everyone who heard those words felt a chill run down their spines. No one had to say it out loud: A bite on the arm or leg might mean amputation as a last resort… But one on the shoulder left no room for hope.
Elías arrived with Jeffrey's group, his somber expression hardening as he saw the scene. Among them was Anna, who, after hearing what had happened, decided to follow them. She looked around silently, trying to absorb what was happening, until she finally understood when she saw the man's bloody shoulder.
Jason sighed and, without rushing, drew his weapon. He walked toward the man with steady steps, embraced him with a reassuring smile, and whispered, "You know… I've always wished this scene would never repeat since I became leader. But the fact that you're asking for help right now… Means that, in some way, I'm doing my job right."
The man rested his head on Jason's chest, feeling an unexpected peace in his leader's voice.
"Yes, sir…" he whispered, closing his eyes.
Everyone expected the shot to come quickly. But Jason remained silent. Seconds passed, then more, until he finally spoke softly.
"Tell me, Erick… When is your birthday?"
"Huh?" Erick was surprised that Jason knew his name. He had only expected to be killed as quickly as possible, but at the question, he was stunned and thought carefully about when his birthday was. "May 13th..."
Bang!
The bullet left the barrel of Jason's gun. Standing so close to Erick, he was splattered with blood on his face. With a calm look, Jason didn't let Erick's body fall to the ground.
In the final moment, under the surprised gazes of everyone, Jason held Erick's body and gently lowered it to the floor. The hot blood from his face slid away, and with an empty expression, Jason muttered softly: "It's been a long time since all of this began..."
Jason paused, letting his words linger in the air. Then, he looked up at the others and locked eyes with each one of them. "Remember my words! The dead do not suffer death. It is we, the living, who mourn the deaths of our loved ones, our friends, our brothers."
After saying this, Jason closed his eyes for a moment, as if absorbing the weight of his own words. Then, he fixed his gaze on Anna and continued: "If you choose to keep fighting, I will open the way for you, as far as my life will go. I will be the one to make the hardest decisions, to prevent this from happening again."
"Erick's death is a symbol. It showed us that we can still fight for our future. It taught us that death is not a punishment, but a reward. Will you continue fighting in the name of all those who are no longer with us?"
Although it seemed like everything had ended, Jason knew this was just the beginning. The place needed to be kept safe, and it wasn't going to be easy. Death would continue to be part of their lives, but he was ready to face it. He needed to be a good leader, one who, despite defeats and losses, would never let his group fall. A leader with an unbreakable will.
The crowd remained in absolute silence. Jason watched them for a moment longer before turning and walking into the building. Just before entering, he stopped and turned back to them.
"One day, it will be us who die. But until that day comes, we must remain calm and have our weapons ready to defend ourselves."
Anna stepped forward, determination in her eyes. "We will continue fighting. We will follow you wherever we go, by your side."
Jason smiled faintly, appreciating the firmness in her words. "As I thought, you are a strong and determined woman. Reorganize your people to clean up this place. Very soon, we'll begin to expand from here. There's a lot of work to do."
Lost in thought about everything that had happened, Jason turned back to the crowd.
"Keep your heads up. There are still many people who will need our help later."
"Yes, sir!"
The response was unanimous, firm, and full of purpose.
"Good."
With a confirmation, Jason entered the building and walked again toward the room where Dmitri and Jeffrey's bodies rested on the cold floor. He glanced at his own reflection in the window, and his appearance now was terrifying.
Covered in blood and pieces of flesh on his boots and body, Erick's blood on his face, and an expression that showed his most indifferent side. This time, Jason felt something heavy in his chest, something he could barely express, but his present self prevented it.
"How far have we come, huh?" Jason murmured with a faint smile, raised the weapon in his hand, and aimed at his head before closing his eyes.
"One shot, and it all ends, you won't suffer, you won't face criticism, and you won't have to kill your followers before they turn into walkers." As he thought this, Jason opened his eyes and threw the weapon onto a desk.
Just then, after a bit of regret, he smiled as if what he'd done were a joke. He walked toward Dmitri's body and searched through his things out of sheer curiosity, only to discover he had nothing.
When he looked down, he found an old radio and then took the microphone, pressing it out of mere curiosity.
"Zz... Hello, my name is Jason, and right now I just want to be alone. Is there anyone out there who can hear me and share a moment of peace?"
"Zz..."
Hearing the silence coming from the radio, Jason smiled bitterly and thought, "How am I supposed to get a response?"
However, the next moment, a female voice came through the intercom, and although the sound was crackling, he could hear it clearly. "Zz... Hello, I'm Alicia."
Jason's eyes brightened, and he spoke again: "Zz... Hello, Alicia, how's life treating you in this world full of the undead?"
"Not bad, at least I no longer have to worry about anything other than surviving with my loved ones. What's your situation?"
Without wanting to discuss anything else, both parties began to share the things they had experienced in this world and what they thought would happen next.
After some time, Jason slowly lost the connection with the other side, and before it happened, he said, "Note this radio channel. If I'm ever near your signal, I'll be able to help you..."
"Zz... We may never see each other's faces. What's the point of holding on to something like that?" Alicia asked with a voice full of laughter.
"Who knows... Maybe one day we'll meet, anything can happen..." Before Jason could finish his words, the radio lost the connection.
Just as Jason was about to help the others with their work, a voice came out again from the static on the desk: "Hello, this is Sergeant Raúl Méndez, I lead a squad of over ninety soldiers and hundreds of civilians. We need help from anyone who's listening."
When Jason heard these words, he grabbed the radio and said, "This is Captain Jason. Tell me your location; we have a safe place. You can trust me!"