Nora had originally thought she would finally get a good night's sleep.
Max had been especially well-behaved tonight.
And Tim was busy dealing with Damian.
He had to be occupied.
And yet...
Nora lifted her head.
Times Square.
Well.
A ruined version of it.
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She stood quietly in place, gazing at the desolate landscape before her.
The skyscrapers were still standing, but most of their windows had shattered. Vines crawled across the walls, and broken billboards hung precariously overhead. Whenever the wind blew, they let out long, creaking groans.
Nature had long since reclaimed the asphalt.
Weeds nearly as tall as Nora pushed through the pavement, spreading densely across the streets. In the distance, several wild animals lowered their heads to graze, while flocks of birds circled overhead.
Cars sat abandoned at odd angles in the middle of the road.
Their doors hung open.
Their tires had long since cracked and decayed.
The entire world was so quiet that it was hard to believe human civilization had ever existed here at all.
And then...
Nora lowered her gaze.
Looking at what she was holding in her arms.
A baby.
Max.
Alive and warm.
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Nora fell silent.
She had never imagined that one day she would get to experience being a real mother ahead of schedule in a dream.
Though honestly, if she had to say it, she would argue that this was Tim’s child.
After all, Tim was the one who had practically shoved the baby into her arms.
Like some kind of express stork delivery service.
Max stared up at her with wide, round eyes.
His green eyes looked very much like Nora’s.
His light-colored hair was thin and sparse, lying flat against his head.
At that moment, he was completely focused on her.
Then suddenly, he smiled.
A toothless smile.
Nora looked down at him.
Then she realized she was using her original body.
She could see the familiar mole on her right hand.
Nora quietly let out a sigh.
“Timothy Drake.”
“Was the cast for this movie so small that you had to use the real me?”
Of course, no one answered.
Only the wind drifted through the empty streets.
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Nora looked up at the sky.
The sun had only just begun to rise above the horizon, and golden light was slowly spreading across the abandoned city.
If she remembered correctly, the protagonist would go to the South Street Seaport waterfront around noon to wait for survivors.
Even though, for years, no one had ever actually come.
Still, he went there every day.
Again and again.
Like someone waiting for a miracle that would never arrive.
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Nora figured that if the protagonist's wish was to help people, then finding him directly would probably be the best approach.
The only problem was that she had no idea where this child's “father” had gone.
Nora glanced down at Max.
Max looked back up at her.
Then he blew a tiny spit bubble.
Pop.
The bubble burst.
Apparently, the baby found this fascinating.
So he immediately tried to do it again.
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Nora fell silent for a moment and decided to make a few modifications first.
She began searching the surrounding area for anything useful.
Before long, she found a car that appeared to be in relatively good condition.
At least the exterior was still intact.
Nora bent down and inspected the interior.
Then she spotted the seatbelt.
Reaching in, she grabbed it and began pulling.
It took quite a bit of effort before she finally managed to remove it.
After that, she spent a considerable amount of time figuring out how to secure everything in place.
Eventually, she succeeded in strapping Max to her back.
Throughout the entire process, the baby never complained once.
Instead, he continued playing with his spit bubbles.
Occasionally, he would reach out and grab at the air, as if this were all part of an entertaining game.
Once everything was secured, Nora finally had both hands free.
She let out a long breath.
Finally, Nora thought.
Then she slowly stood up and began searching for the right direction.
Many of the road signs had been swallowed by vegetation.
She had to walk up to them and brush aside the vines and tall weeds with her hands, trying to make out the faded letters beneath years of decay.
After several minutes of searching,
she finally found what she was looking for.
South Street.
Nora stared at the sign.
After confirming the direction, she started toward her destination.
Her footsteps crunched through tall grass and broken asphalt, producing a soft rustling sound.
Behind her, Max gradually grew drowsy from the gentle swaying.
His eyes slowly closed.
And before long, he had fallen peacefully asleep.
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Would this environment trigger memories of Nora’s past trauma?
Honestly, she was surprised by the answer herself.
No.
Not at all.
There was no panic.
No racing heartbeat.
None of that instinctive urge to immediately search for an escape route whenever she saw ruins.
Even her palms remained dry.
As she walked through the streets, Nora deliberately paid attention to her own emotions.
What she found was that she was far calmer than she had expected.
Maybe it's because the setting is different, she thought.
The infected in this world feared sunlight.
During the day, they could only hide in dark places.
Even the more intelligent ones shared that weakness.
As long as the sun continued to rise, humanity still had room to breathe.
And there was another reason as well.
There were very few living people here.
When you counted them all, the entire story only had about three main characters.
The truly frightening thing about the apocalypse had never been monsters.
It was people.
The things she had needed to escape from in the past had mostly been people.
Resources.
Fear.
Suspicion.
Betrayal.
Those things were far more troublesome than zombies.
Thinking about it, Nora found herself relaxing even more.
She stepped over cracked sidewalks and continued down roads overgrown with weeds.
Sometimes abandoned vehicles blocked her path, forcing her to walk around them.
Sometimes the pavement had been completely swallowed by vegetation, leaving her to navigate by the few remaining landmarks and buildings.
But overall,
the city was strangely peaceful.
There were no gunshots.
No cries for help.
No explosions.
Only the sound of the wind.
And occasionally, the distant calls of animals.
The atmosphere was so calm that it almost felt like she was out for a walk.
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As Nora walked, she found herself thinking about why this movie had been chosen in the first place.
Because the theme their professor had assigned this time was—
Disaster.
Existentialism.
Choice.
So in the end, she and Tim had chosen I Am Legend.
After watching the movie that day, they had gone out for dinner together.
They had discussed the different endings.
Discussed the protagonist’s choices.
Discussed loneliness.
And they had also talked about the creatures in the film that were called zombies.
There was no denying that one of the most interesting aspects of I Am Legend was its interpretation of the infected.
These creatures possessed human intelligence.
They were fast and agile.
They had family structures.
They formed communities.
They even had leaders.
They could feel anger.
They could seek revenge.
They could search for their companions.
They could rescue members of their own kind.
If fear of sunlight alone was enough to make them monsters,
wasn’t that a little unfair?
Back then, Tim had brought up a perspective that left a deep impression on Nora.
“If they possess intelligence.”
“If they have culture.”
“If they have social structures.”
“Then they’re simply a new form of humanity.”
When Tim said those words, Nora had actually frozen for a moment.
Her eyes had widened in surprise.
Because despite having lived through an apocalypse for so long, she had never considered the issue from that angle.
The zombies she had encountered in her previous life had been stupid.
Truly stupid.
Other than chasing people, biting people, and eating people, they were capable of very little else.
So she had naturally categorized them as monsters.
But I Am Legend was different.
The creatures in that story were no longer just monsters.
They felt more like a new species in the process of being born.
Thinking about it now,
Nora couldn't help but smile.
As expected, discussing movies with Tim was always interesting.
Although sometimes he would dissect a film so thoroughly that it left people questioning their entire worldview.
Still, she had to admit it.
His perspectives were often refreshingly original.
Lost in thought, Nora continued walking.
Time passed slowly.
More than two hours went by.
At one point, she had even nearly gotten lost after taking a wrong turn.
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Eventually—
she arrived at the waterfront.
The river was calm.
Sunlight spilled across the surface, scattering countless tiny points of light.
And not far away stood a table.
Alone.
Placed there by itself.
It looked exactly like something the protagonist would have set up.
Nora walked over to the table.
First, she carefully leaned backward, letting Max rest against the tabletop.
Then she slowly unfastened the seatbelt.
She was incredibly careful throughout the entire process, afraid of waking the baby.
Fortunately,
Max remained fast asleep.
His tiny hands were tucked against his chest.
His mouth hung slightly open.
He was even making the faintest little snoring sounds.
Nora let out a sigh of relief.
At last, she had successfully set him down.
She rolled her shoulders, which were beginning to ache from carrying him.
Then she looked up at the sky.
The sun had climbed high overhead.
Before long, it would be close to noon.
Nora glanced at Max again.
He was still sleeping peacefully.
Quietly, she thought to herself,
I hope he gets here soon.
The baby's going to be hungry.
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When Robert Neville opened his eyes that morning, he felt a strange sensation he couldn't quite explain.
He lay in bed staring at the ceiling for a few seconds.
Then he smiled.
“Today is going to be a great day.”
The moment the words left his mouth, even he thought they sounded odd.
He was the only person left in the city.
And had been for many years.
Every morning, he woke up to the same view.
The same room.
The same silence.
There shouldn't have been anything special to look forward to.
But today felt different.
As though the air itself had grown lighter.
As though even the sunlight felt warmer.
Robert got out of bed and began his usual routine.
First, he fed Sam.
Then he checked her condition, inspected his equipment, and gathered everything he would need for the day.
Everything was exactly the same as always.
Yet a faint smile lingered on his face the entire time.
Even Sam couldn't help glancing at her owner a few extra times.
Once everything was ready,
the two of them headed out together.
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The SUV rolled through the empty streets.
Skyscrapers still stood silently on either side, while plants burst through every crack, slowly reclaiming what had once been civilization.
But Robert had long since grown accustomed to the sight.
The vehicle eventually arrived at Central Park.
This was his farm.
And one of his most important sources of food.
Robert picked up his tools and began watering the crops.
Checking their condition.
Making sure no animals had gotten in and damaged them.
Sunlight fell across his shoulders.
The wind swept through the grass.
In the distance, Sam ran happily across the field, occasionally disappearing into the tall grass before emerging again moments later.
The sight made Robert pause for a moment.
He stood quietly and watched.
At some point, he had stopped having moments of peace like this.
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After finishing his work,
Robert glanced up at the sun.
It was nearly overhead.
Almost noon.
So he gave a sharp whistle.
“Sam!”
In the distance, the German Shepherd immediately lifted her head.
Her ears perked up.
Then she raced back toward her owner at full speed,
her tail wagging like a propeller.
Robert crouched down and patted her head.
“Come on.”
“Let’s get back to the car.”
The man and his dog climbed back into the SUV.
The engine rumbled to life.
Sam comfortably stuck her head out the window, the wind ruffling her fur as she squinted contentedly.
Robert gripped the steering wheel and looked out at the empty road ahead.
Then, suddenly, he spoke.
“I think I’m in an especially good mood today.”
He turned toward the passenger seat.
“Don’t you think so?”
Sam responded immediately.
“Woof.”
Robert laughed.
The sound echoed through the vehicle.
It was a smile that had not appeared in a very, very long time.
He reached over and rubbed Sam’s head.
Then he turned his attention back to the road.
Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the side of his face.
Robert didn’t know why.
But he genuinely felt that today was going to be a good day.
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Robert drove along the road.
He had traveled this route thousands of times.
Every day.
Without fail.
Whether it was the height of summer or the depths of winter, whether rain poured from the sky or fierce winds swept through the city, he would arrive here at roughly the same time.
Even after being disappointed again and again.
Even though the radio had never received a reply.
Even though the waterfront was always empty.
He still came.
So as the SUV followed the familiar road, Robert wasn't paying much attention to what lay ahead.
Not until today.
As he made the usual right turn, something caught his eye.
A flash of gold.
Standing beside the waterfront where nothing had ever been before.
Robert froze.
His grip tightened instantly around the steering wheel.
The vehicle began to slow without him realizing it.
For a moment, he wondered if he was seeing things.
Because it had been too long.
So long that he had grown accustomed to finding nothing there.
So long that he had nearly forgotten what it felt like to see another human being.
In the passenger seat, Sam suddenly sprang to her feet.
Her previously relaxed body became tense in an instant.
Both front paws landed on the edge of the open window.
Her tail began wagging furiously.
Then she started barking loudly.
“Woof!”
“Woof! Woof!”
It was a sound Robert had not heard in a very long time.
Excitement.
Happiness.
Anticipation.
Not caution.
Not the reaction of finding prey.
It was the reaction Sam only had when she saw people.
Robert stopped breathing.
The SUV continued rolling forward slowly.
The flash of gold became clearer.
Closer.
Closer still.
Yet as the distance between them shrank, Robert’s vision began to blur.
His eyes burned.
Tears slid down his cheeks.
He did not even have time to wipe them away.
His gaze was locked on the figure ahead.
A girl.
A blonde girl.
Slender in build, standing by the waterfront.
Sunlight fell across her hair, as though gold itself had been woven into every strand.
When the wind blew, her hair drifted gently in the breeze.
She stood there like someone who had stepped out of a dream.
Like the only remaining color in a dead city.
The girl saw the vehicle.
And she saw him.
Then she raised a hand and waved in his direction.
A smile rested on her lips.
Warm.
Natural.
As though she had always belonged there.
As though they had arranged to meet on this day long ago.
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Robert turned off the engine.
The vibration of the vehicle faded away, and the cabin fell silent once more.
But his heart was beating faster and faster.
He didn't get out immediately.
Instead, he remained in the driver's seat, staring through the windshield at the girl in the distance.
She was still there.
She hadn't disappeared.
She wasn't a hallucination.
She wasn't a fantasy created by years of loneliness and the absence of other people.
She was really standing there.
Robert raised a hand and wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve.
Then he quickly wiped them away again.
After that, he looked into the rearview mirror and carefully fixed his hair.
He checked that his beard wasn't too messy.
That his clothes didn't look too terrible.
Even though he knew that worrying about appearance in the middle of the apocalypse was a little ridiculous.
But today was different.
Today was truly different.
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Beside him, Sam was practically unable to stay seated.
Her tail hammered against the seat.
Excited sounds kept escaping from her mouth.
Robert reached over and patted her head.
“Wait.”
“Wait, Sam.”
He glanced at the rearview mirror once more.
There was an unexpected hint of nervousness in his voice.
“Do I look okay?”
“I don't look too bad, right?”
Of course, Sam didn't answer.
She simply continued staring excitedly at the person outside.
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Meanwhile, on the other side, Nora had been waiting for nearly three minutes.
She looked at the vehicle parked in the distance and couldn't help feeling puzzled.
Was the protagonist not planning to get out of the car?
Just as she began considering whether she should walk over herself,
the door finally opened.
Robert stepped out.
Almost at the same moment, Sam shot out of the vehicle.
She moved so fast she was practically a blur, racing straight toward Nora.
Nora barely had time to react.
The fluffy head was already right in front of her.
Its tail wagged furiously.
The entire dog radiated happiness.
Its head kept pushing forward.
As if saying:
Pet me.
Pet me.
Nora immediately smiled.
She crouched down and gently patted Sam's head.
Soft fur slipped between her fingers.
Sam was absolutely delighted.
First, she circled around Nora once.
Then she simply flopped onto the ground, exposing her belly with all four paws in the air.
There wasn't the slightest hint of caution.
Seeing this, Robert hurried over.
“Sam!”
“You can’t be so—”
He stopped halfway through the sentence.
Suddenly, he wasn't sure how to finish it.
In the end, he could only look at his dog with resignation.
Sam, meanwhile, couldn't have cared less.
She continued enthusiastically presenting her stomach for Nora's inspection.
Nora laughed and gave her a few more pets.
First the head.
Then the belly.
Until Sam let out a satisfied sound of contentment.
Only then did Nora look up and rise to her feet.
She extended her right hand toward Robert.
Sunlight shimmered across her golden hair.
Her green eyes held a warm smile.
“Nora Verrell.”
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Robert froze for a moment.
Looking at the hand extended toward him, he suddenly didn't know how to react.
It had simply been too long.
Too long since he had shaken someone's hand.
Too long since he had introduced himself like a normal person.
Too long since he had held an ordinary conversation with another living human being.
Several seconds passed.
Then, as if he had suddenly remembered how, he quickly reached out and took Nora's hand.
The warmth was real.
The touch was real.
This was a real person standing in front of him.
Robert looked at her.
Only after a long moment did he finally find his voice again.
“Robert Neville.”
He paused briefly before resting a hand on the German Shepherd beside him.
“And this is Sam.”
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and then Add to home screen.