The scream echoed once more through the silent night, sending a chill down Lena’s spine. The sound had been distant, but it was impossible to ignore. It wasn’t the mindless groan of the undead; it was human. The sheer terror in it spoke of a struggle, of someone who was fighting for their life.
 She didn’t know why, but her heart beat faster. Was it just the panic of the moment? Or did she feel that familiar pull—that urge to do something, to help?
 But she knew, deep down, that they couldn’t afford to be reckless. They had been through too much already. Glenn and Rafael were already heading out, the door creaking as they slipped through into the unknown.
 Maya glanced at Lena, her expression filled with uncertainty. “Are they going to be okay?”
 Lena didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she stepped toward the doorway, her hand lingering near her weapon. Kai stood beside her, the tension in her posture telling Lena that she was ready for whatever might come next.
 “Stay quiet. Stay hidden,” Lena said to Maya, her voice firm but not unkind. “If anything goes wrong, we run.”
 Maya nodded, though it was clear that she didn’t fully understand the gravity of the situation. None of them did. In this new world, you couldn’t predict anything. Not the zombies, not other survivors. Especially not the ones who didn’t know how to survive.
 Lena and Kai crouched low, keeping out of sight as the two men disappeared into the darkened streets, their footsteps swallowed by the night. The air was thick with tension. Every little rustle, every creak of the building, made their senses sharpen.
 They waited.
 Minutes stretched into what felt like hours. Lena gripped her weapon tightly, her knuckles white against the metal. Kai stood rigid beside her, her breathing slow but steady.
 Suddenly, the sound of a distant growl reached them, followed by more rustling, and then the unmistakable thud of something large hitting the ground.
 The hairs on the back of Lena’s neck stood up. “What was that?”
 Kai held up a hand, signaling for silence. Another growl followed, louder this time, closer. Then, a crash—something large and heavy slamming into the ground, followed by frantic footsteps.
 “We need to move. Now,” Lena said, her voice urgent.
 The two of them moved quickly but quietly, slipping toward the door to follow Glenn and Rafael. The air outside was thick with the smell of decay, the faint trace of blood drifting in the wind.
 Lena glanced around, her senses on high alert. Her mind raced with possibilities. Could the scream have been from a survivor, someone who needed help? Or was it a trap? There were plenty of people out there—living and dead—who would do anything to survive. Who could be trusted in a world like this?
 They rounded the corner, staying low to avoid being seen, and caught sight of Glenn and Rafael. They were standing in the middle of the street, their backs against the walls of two nearby buildings. Glenn’s hand motioned sharply for them to stay quiet, his eyes scanning the area.
 A figure emerged from the shadows ahead. Rafael tensed, his hand gripping the handle of his knife, ready for whatever came next.
 But the figure wasn’t a zombie. It was a man—alive, though bloodied and bruised. His clothes were torn, and his face was pale from exhaustion. He staggered forward, his eyes wild with fear as he caught sight of Glenn and Rafael.
 "Please," the man gasped, his voice shaky. "I need help. They're... they're coming."
 Lena’s heart raced. Who was this man? Why was he alone? And who were “they”?
 Before anyone could respond, a low, guttural growl echoed from behind the man. Glenn immediately raised his weapon, his gaze snapping toward the sound.
 A group of zombies staggered out from the darkness, their slow, jerky movements betraying the hunger that drove them. There were too many to count—at least a dozen, maybe more. The man in front of them was surrounded, his eyes filled with panic as he tried to back away from the advancing horde.
 "Help me!" he screamed, but the words were barely out of his mouth before he was grabbed by one of the zombies, its rotting hand wrapping around his leg.
 Rafael was the first to act, rushing forward to throw a knife at one of the zombies, taking it down with a single, clean throw. Glenn was right behind him, firing his gun with precision as he took down another approaching zombie.
 But it was clear that they couldn’t hold back the entire group. The zombies were coming at them from all sides.
 “Get down!” Glenn shouted.
 They took cover behind a nearby dumpster, the sound of the gunshots ringing in the air. Rafael swung his knife again, slicing through the closest zombie. But there were too many of them—too many to fight off without risking everything.
 Lena’s heart pounded as she watched Rafael and Glenn continue to fight, trying to push back the horde. Kai was by her side, her expression grim as she prepared herself for the inevitable.
 And then it happened. One of the zombies reached out and grabbed Glenn from behind, sinking its teeth into his shoulder. He yelled in pain, the sound sharp and horrifying.
 “No!” Lena screamed, rushing forward without thinking.
 She raised her gun, but before she could shoot, Rafael was already there, stabbing the zombie in the head with a brutal force. He pulled Glenn away, but the damage had already been done. Glenn collapsed to the ground, his face contorted in pain as the blood oozed from the wound.
 “Glenn!” Kai cried, rushing to his side.
 Lena felt a wave of panic surge through her. They couldn’t lose Glenn. Not now, not like this.
 “Is he bitten?” Rafael asked, his voice shaking with urgency.
 Lena knelt beside Glenn, her hands trembling as she checked his wound. The bite mark was deep, the skin already turning a sickly gray around the edges.
 “It’s too late,” Lena whispered, the words a cold, harsh reality that crushed her.
 There was no saving him. Glenn was already infected.
 But they couldn’t stop. They couldn’t afford to break. Lena knew that they had to keep moving, no matter what.
 The fight wasn’t over. The world had already taken so much from them, and Lena wasn’t about to let it take any more.
 With one last look at Glenn, she turned to Rafael and Kai, her eyes filled with determination.
 “We leave. Now.”
 The group moved quickly, leaving the carnage behind. They had lost too much already. They couldn’t afford to lose more.