John (POV)
March 18th, 20xx — 6:21 PM
Zone 3A-Δ – First Floor - Homebase
———
Yin rushed toward me.
His meow caught me off guard as the huge silver-furred beast lunged into my chest — a warm blur of claws, weight, and purring fluff. The impact nearly knocked me backwards.
"Oi—!"
Too late.
The oversized cat twisted in midair and landed in my arms like a weighted scarf. Fluffy. Soft. My emotional support.
"You're getting heavy," I muttered, rubbing behind his ears.
He meowed smugly and promptly began kneading his claws into my shoulder like he owned the damn building.
Maybe he did.
Yin had survived everything — the city collapse, the radiation from our pollution, the toxic fog. If reincarnation were real, he was some kind of ancient beast choosing to nap in the apocalypse for fun.
A few survivors looked over.
Some even smiled.
Good.
Let them smile.
They deserved something.
