Chapter 22: Reconnect
ELENA
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The first thing I did after changing into my suit was pull open both sets of curtains.
Soft daylight spilled into my room. For the past week, the view outside had been nothing but endless white a frozen world buried beneath snow. I barely expected anything different now. My eyes drifted away from the window. Instead... They landed on the window directly across from mine. Ian's bedroom. Empty. I stared at the vacant room for a few quiet seconds. I haven't seen him since yesterday. After everything that happened in the meeting room... after he walked me home... after he carried me upstairs... I hadn't seen him again. Emma had brought me food and medicine after Ian left, insisting that I stay in bed until the pain eased. Thankfully...
My leg no longer hurts. I exhaled softly before leaving my room. As I descended the staircase, my fingertips brushed against the smooth wooden railing. A small smile tugged at my lips. After asking Caine if I could renovate the interior, several members had helped replace the old staircase and walls with warm wooden panels. The atmosphere had changed completely. It felt... Comfortable. Safe.
Home. For the first time in years...
The word didn't feel foreign anymore. Halfway down the stairs another thought crossed my mind. I haven't seen Leila either. After everything she'd revealed yesterday... I wanted to check on her.
I reached the front door and stepped outside. The moment I looked up...
I froze. The snow... It was gone.
Every last inch of it. The enormous drifts that had buried the shelter only yesterday had melted into muddy, ankle deep water that stretched across nearly every pathway. Boots splashed through flooded streets. People carried ruined furniture outside their homes. Waterlogged carpets hung over fences. Broken crates floated through puddles. The melting snow had left behind another disaster. I stared at the devastation. First the snow... now this.
The world really doesn't know when to stop. My eyes found Emma several houses away. She was carrying soaked blankets toward a drying line. I carefully made my way over, my boots splashing through the cold water. Emma noticed me almost immediately. "Elena!" She sighed dramatically as she looked around. "God... look at this place." I followed her gaze.
Flooded floors. Ruined supplies. Damaged furniture. The shelter looked exhausted.
Just like the people living in it. "It's such a mess." "It really is," I murmured. I looked back at Emma. "Is there anything I can do to help?" She glanced around, clearly preparing a list long enough to last the entire day. Then her expression shifted.
"Oh." "I almost forgot." "Caine asked me to tell you something." I frowned slightly.
"What is it?" "He wants you to talk to Leila."
Emma smiled gently. "He thinks you're the person she's looking for right now." "The only familiar face she has." I swallowed.
That made sense. She had entered an entirely new world yesterday. And I had once been part of hers. I nodded. "Right."
"Where's her house again?" Emma pointed farther down the row of homes. "Right next to mine." "Thanks." Leaving Emma behind, I walked toward the house. The shelter was already beginning to feel alive again despite the destruction. People repaired fences. Children helped carry buckets of water. Everyone was rebuilding. Together.
When I reached Leila's house, I knocked gently. A moment later, the door opened.
For a second... I almost didn't recognize her. Her tight braid was gone. Dark hair now rested freely around her shoulders.
She had changed into a light green suit that fit her perfectly. Valery and Diana probably made that. It suited her.
She looked... Peaceful. Or at least...
Closer to peace than yesterday. "Elena."
She smiled warmly. "I'm glad you're here."
"So am I." She stepped aside, allowing me inside. The interior surprised me. Unlike my house or Ian's , hers carried a rustic charm.
Warm wooden furniture. Simple decorations. Earth toned fabrics. It felt calm. Almost like a countryside cottage.
She led me toward the couch. As soon as we sat down, Leila reached over and gently held my hand. Tears immediately gathered in her eyes. "You have no idea..."
Her voice trembled. "...how much hope I felt the moment I saw you." She looked down at our hands before continuing. "I thought I was going to die." "The infected..." "The attack..." "Everything made me believe that yesterday would be my last day." She laughed weakly through watery eyes.
"But then I walked into this place..." "And I met Caine." She smiled. "I kept thinking..."
"If you were still alive..." "...you'd be somewhere like this." She looked back at me. "And you were." Emotion tightened inside my chest. I squeezed her hand gently. "I'm glad you found me." "And I'm glad you told everyone the truth." I smiled reassuringly. "Trust me." "These people..."
"They're good." "They'll help." She nodded quietly. Silence settled between us for a moment. Then I asked the question that had been bothering me. "Are you sure you want to join tomorrow's search party?"
The smile slowly disappeared from her face. She released my hand. "I know it's the right thing to do." She looked toward the floor. "I know exactly what they're walking into." Her voice shook. "The children..."
"The adults..." "Everyone is in danger."
She swallowed hard. "The Reestablishment attaches explosive devices to people's bodies." My heartbeat skipped. "What?"
"They implant bombs." "They're controlled remotely." I stared at her. "...what about them?" She said hesitantly. "If anyone disobeys..." "If anyone tries to escape..."
"They detonate them." Cold spread through my body. I struggled to find my voice. "What do you mean..." "...disobeys?"
Leila sighed. "The bomb is also a tracker."
"The Reestablishment assigns civilian specific missions within designated zones."
"They're allowed to move only inside those boundaries." Her eyes filled with quiet sorrow. "The moment someone steps outside the assigned area..." "They're killed." The room fell silent. I couldn't breathe properly. Dear God... What kind of monsters do something like that? My thoughts immediately found one person.
Nowella. Hope and terror collided inside me. I looked at Leila. "The children..."
"My sister..." "They were sent away before."
"They didn't have those devices back then." I paused, barely able to force out the last words . "Don't you think..." "...they're safe?" My throat burned. "If..." "They're alive." Leila looked directly into my eyes.
"Elena." Her voice was steady. "They're alive." I stopped breathing. "The Reestablishment lied." "They told all of you they were dead." "They aren't." "They're alive." She hesitated. "But..." "They have the bombs too." Everything inside me shattered. Then rebuilt itself in the same heartbeat. She's alive. Nowella is alive. The thought echoed over and over until nothing else existed.
Alive.
Alive .
Alive.
Tears threatened to spill, but I forced them back. Then I still have time. I can still save her. Determination surged through every part of me. I have to be there. I have to.
My gun skills weren't good enough. Not yet. But I could fight. I could protect myself.
And if there was even the smallest chance.....I refused to stay behind. I stood so suddenly that Leila flinched. "What happened?" I forced a calm smile. "Nothing." "I should help Emma." I gestured toward the flooded streets outside. "The shelter's a mess." I moved toward the door before looking back. "You should rest."
"And maybe let someone give you a proper tour." "If you're joining tomorrow's search party..." "...you'll need your strength." She stood as well. A small smile appeared.
"You're right." "I will." I nodded. Then stepped outside. The sky had changed.
Dark clouds gathered overhead. Heavy.
Restless. The kind that always carried storms. I stared at them for a long moment.
I'm going. The decision settled deep inside me. I know nobody will agree with me but
No matter what .. I'm going to that search party. Because somewhere out there... My little sister was still alive. And I wasn't going to lose her again. I just needed... A plan. 12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡarikfzv6Cb
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