Chapter 507 Beyond the Walls
Chapter 507 Beyond the Walls
Juno curled up in the corner of the helicopter, batting away anyone who dared to reach for her. Her body shook as she sobbed, raw and loud, like a child who had lost the world.
The sound wed through the cabin. Every tear, every ragged breath cut deep into the others, leaving a pain they couldn’t shake.
“Juno was once our boss,” Wesley muttered, staring at the floor. “She was with Ronald, our project manager. Desmond was constantly interested in her and jumped right in after they split.”
“We never truly understood what caused their split,” Wesley went on, his voice heavy. “Their rtionship never appeared to be right from the start.”
“That’s because she never truly liked Desmond,” Eli added quietly.
The words hit like ss shattering.
Juno’s cries rose even more. She held her chest, her grief contorting inside until it erupted into
a scream.
<i>I </i><i>said </i><i>it </i><i>myself</i><i>–</i><i>I </i><i>never </i><i>liked </i><i>him</i>. <i>I </i><i>despised </i><i>him</i>. <i>I </i><i>swore </i><i>I’d </i><i>carry </i><i>that </i><i>hate </i><i>to </i><i>the </i><i>grave</i><i>, </i><i>and </i><i>I’d </i><i>take </i><i>him </i><i>with </i><i>me </i><i>if </i><i>I </i><i>went </i><i>down</i>. <i>That </i><i>was </i><i>the </i><i>deal</i>.
<i>He </i><i>was </i><i>selfish </i><i>and </i><i>heartless</i><i>, </i><i>constantly </i><i>abandoning </i><i>others </i><i>to </i><i>protect </i><i>himself</i><i>. </i><i>He </i><i>earned </i><i>every </i><i>bit </i><i>of </i><i>it</i><i>. </i>
<i>So</i><i>, </i><i>why </i><i>does </i><i>this </i><i>feel </i><i>worse </i><i>than </i><i>watching </i><i>Ronald </i><i>stay </i><i>behind </i><i>and </i><i>be </i><i>torn </i><i>apart</i>?
<i>Perhaps </i><i>that’s </i><i>the </i><i>hardest </i><i>part</i><i>–</i><i>hate </i><i>isn’t </i><i>as </i><i>clean </i><i>as </i><i>I </i><i>thought</i>. <i>The </i><i>boundary </i><i>between </i><i>love </i><i>and </i><i>hate </i><i>blurs </i>until <i>I </i><i>can </i><i>no </i><i>longer </i><i>distinguish </i><i>where </i><i>one </i><i>ends </i><i>and </i><i>the </i><i>other </i><i>starts</i>.
<i>Why </i><i>did </i><i>he </i><i>behave </i><i>like </i><i>a </i><i>monster </i><i>but </i><i>still </i><i>treat </i><i>me </i><i>better </i><i>than </i><i>anyone </i><i>else</i><i>? </i>
Juno cried intensely, feeling as if her chest might burst.
“Juno…”
The others whispered her name, helpless to stop her grief.
The helicopter tilted, des chopping the air as it began its descent.
When they touched down, Juno was entirely exhausted from crying. She slumped in the corner, her eyes swollen, while the others sat lost in their own thoughts.
They remained confined inside that office tower for three years, with no one aware of what was beyond its walls.
Zombies still roamed the world, and supplies grew more scarce than ever. When pushed to the limit, people could be even more terrifying than monsters.
Some braced themselves for the worst, afraid that the outside world was more brutal than anything they’d known.
Others dared to hope.
To them, Theresa’s team appeared strong and disciplined, seemingly confident in their actions. Perhaps the world outside was like the survivor camps whispered about in stories- structured, organized, built on rules.
The rules were undoubtedly strict, allowing no exceptions for stragglers. Still, even the most stringent order was preferable toplete chaos.
Then, they saw it.
Voices echoed throughout the square as people waved at Theresa, with bright and clean faces full of energy.
“Theresa, you’re back!”
Someone asked, “Picked up some new faces?”
“Yeah. They’re going to K1 Camp,” Theresa answered casually, tossing Lucas a look that spelled it out–these people were his to handle.
Her stance was obvious. They weren’t wee under her roof.
She didn’tck workforce. Every role was covered. Anyone new had to bring something worth fighting for–strong abilities, sharp skills, or a will that could survive fire.
Just like the students and their teacher pulled from that school teeming with zombies–clever, durable, and valuable. Those were the ones Theresa bothered keeping.
Juno’s group wasn’t like that.
She was the only one possessing an ability–a water–based ability that, in theory, could be useful. If she ever became more assertive and took the initiative, Theresa might change her
mind. The problem was that Juno remained overly reserved and introverted.
She wasn’t a bad person–actually, she appeared quite decent. Still, Theresa saw no need <i>to </i><i>go </i>out of her way to bring in someone “nice.”
Besides, she never begged anyone to join her; if people wanted in, they had toe to her.
So, she tossed the group to Lucas, who promptly sent them to Graham to be logged as residents of Kl Camp.
“Got it, Theresa!” Graham said, then motioned for Juno and the others to follow him. He guided them toward the housing area of the K1 Camp, chatting as he went.
“We run on points here,” he exined. “Once I register you, your info goes to our camp manager, Tessa. Your ount will be up and running by tomorrow.”
Theresa’s people usually got set up instantly since Tessa worked under her. Other camps had to wait a little longer.
“How do points work? What can we do with them?” one of them asked.
“Points are money,” Graham replied, gesturing across the square. “See that building? That’s the supermarket. You can buy whatever you want there. Or swing by the night market if you want more variety.”
“Do pointse easily?” another asked.
Graham assured them, “Easy enough if you’re willing to work. The average pay here is about 100 points per month. Rice is dirt cheap–just one point a pound. Pork runs fifteen a pound. Do your share, and you won’t go hungry.”