— The 7th year of the outbreak —
I don't remember the last time I slept.
We've lost so much since the outbreak began…
We simply couldn't afford to lose any more people.
I felt weak. I was sitting with my back against a rock.
There was a man in front of me.
With eyes as dark as the night sky,
he seemed to leave behind a deep gaze upon the world.
His height was enough to cast a shadow over everyone around him with each step.
His body—strong and balanced.
His wavy brown hair danced lightly with the wind,
each strand moving like a free spirit.
His shoulders, despite his young age,
carried the burden of years—broad and steady.
He stood like a statue.
Every move he made was like a sail catching the wind—
free and graceful.
But there was something in his eyes I couldn't quite define.
Danger, perhaps… or an echo from the past.
He looked around cautiously, as if checking the surroundings.
He seemed anxious. He was wounded—
blood dripped from his hand.
Then he turned back to me.
He dropped to one knee, bringing his pale face closer to mine, and said:
"How much longer are you going to sleep?"
I was so exhausted.
But wait—who was this man?
Why was he asking me this?
Yes, he was handsome, I might have been a little taken by that,
but I couldn't understand.
Was he helping me?
Or was he dangerous?
Could he be one of the raiders?
From another group, maybe?
What did he want from me?
Was he a threat?
Then again, even if he was, I had no strength to fight.
To be honest, I didn't even know why I was here.
I didn't remember where I was,
not even who I was.
With the last bit of courage I could muster, I whispered:
"Who… are you?"
My voice barely made a sound.
In a gentle tone, he said,
"Me? I'm Asi."
Then he added,
"And you must be Alice, sweetheart."
I couldn't understand.
How did he know my name?
And in that moment... a sharp pain shot through my body.
I might have been bitten.
Was my mind playing tricks on me because of it?
A thousand questions rushed through my head.
Then, Asi gently touched my cheek and whispered:
"Don't worry… no one knows.
No one's following us.
I'll take you to the safe zone, Queen."
Lowell... I said, almost unconsciously.
Was that you?
Wait, this had to be a dream.
The man in front of me wasn't Lowell.
Was he?
Lowell used to call me Queen to annoy me.
What nonsense was I thinking?
My consciousness began to fade—
the sounds were slipping away.
Everything blurred…
I struggled to keep my eyes open.
There was something about this man—
this Asi.
His warm hand somehow made me feel safe.
Or… maybe that's just what I wanted to believe.
Maybe I was trapped in one of those cursed dreams.
Wasn't that possible?
Was this real…
or was I still asleep?
Only time would tell.
The last thing I remembered was...
Asi lifting me into his arms.
Where was he taking me?
Where had this Asi come from?