THE LAST OF US: THE EVIL WITHIN

CHAPTER 06

CHAPTER 06: WALKING ON WATER, FAITH BEYOND THE SHORE.

third person's POV.

...

The night was dark and filled with eerie silence as Drystan, Varus, Cadmus, Vladimir, and Perseus found themselves huddled together in an abandoned house, seeking shelter from the relentless infecteds.   

"I was a marketing analyst before all of this," Drystan said to start off the conversation with Varus. "And you, Varus? I guess you're in the police force?"

Varus nodded, his gaze fixed on a distant memory. "I used to be part of an anti-narcotic squad in the country's drug enforcement agency. But I left after... well, after things took a dark turn."

Drystan's eyebrows raised in curiosity. "Dark turn? What happened?"

Varus sighed, his expression heavy with regret. "My entire squad was betrayed and set up. They were all killed. I retired after that and pursued a different path, working as a maintenance technician."

Drystan's eyes widened, recognizing the incident Varus referred to. "Barangay Sta. Clara, right?"

Varus nodded somberly, confirming that he was referring to the incident in Barangay Sta. Clara, the city's most dangerous slum.

"Bitag pala 'yon para paslangin kami. While struggling to survive during that drug raid, I discovered there was an illegal trading going on, and my own superiors sold us out."

Varus and Drystan shared their agreement that the system was corrupt and flawed.

"I quit because I felt guilty, disappointed, and frustrated. Even though I had the drug lord in front of me, I failed to kill him, kaya siya nakatakas ..."

Varus was a skilled prodigy, yet his perceived failures haunted him. His decision to spare the drug lord's life weighed heavily on him, and he blamed himself for the deaths of his squad members. He viewed this failure as his biggest regret...

"You mentioned earlier if people without doubt exist," Drystan remarked. "Did doubt keep you from taking out your target?"

Varus nodded, "He was with his daughter..."

On the other side of the room, Zild, Vladimir, and Perseus stayed silent, remembering the people they cherished who are left and gone, and the weight of grief hung heavily in the air.

While the group stayed awake, talking quietly, Cadmus was having a weird dream. In his dream, his vision was very blurry and he was infront of something large that was burning, holding a gun and aiming it at someone. The person was blurry, so he couldn't see them clearly. His hand was shaking a lot as he held the gun.

Cadmus felt really scared, but he decided to pull the trigger. Right after he did, he woke up suddenly. His heart racing and sweat on his forehead. Glancing beside him, he saw Lilith still sleeping peacefully.

Varus decided it was time to move. "We should go," he announced.

Perseus hesitated, voicing concerns about the danger of moving at night. "Shouldn't we wait until morning?"

Varus understood but explained, "The rain outside can help us. This is an advantage. It'll create noise and distract the infected, giving us a chance to escape."

The group nodded in agreement, the urgency of their situation pushing aside any doubts. Cadmus gently lifted Lily onto his back, determined to keep her safe