TWO OF US [ENGLISH]

Chapter 1.4 || LOOK FOR THE LIGHT

Spring 2034 (four years ago)

- You must focus not on your next move, but on your opponent's. Again.
- Can we take a break?
- No, again.
- Dad, I won't improve by exhausting myself.
- Alright, fifteen minutes.

He walks away with his white towel draped around his neck, and I gulp down a bottle of water as I sit on a slightly rundown bench. The view is splendid. The greenery and the dilapidated side of the place aren't so bad despite the situation. People unload merchandise, others lounge around, and some, like me, train.

We weren't supposed to stay at the Salt Lake City Hospital, but my dad had to transport goods for the fireflies. Apparently, they may have found a cure for all this misery.

- Still as bad as ever?

I look up at the girl walking towards me, smiling, and I can't help but smile back.

- Shut it, Abby. My dad is stubborn, and he wants me to train no matter what.
- It's necessary. Look at the skinny arms, she chuckles.
- Hand-to-hand combat isn't my profession. I'm more specialized with my weapons.
- In the situation we're in, you need to master both. Your dad isn't wrong.

We exchange a friendly punch, then she gets up to leave.

- If you keep training too much, Abby, I might have to call you Albert.
- That muscle, it's to fight you more easily, miss scrawny.

A laugh escapes me before I straighten up on my feet. Abby and I, a perfect duality, like yin and yang, though our strengths lie in opposite areas. She excels in combat, while I shine as a sharpshooter. Abby's popularity among the fireflies isn't surprising; her father, the last living surgeon, holds an influential position alongside the leader. I strive to push these thoughts out of my mind, turning my gaze back to my dad as he re-enters the room.

- Are you ready? Let's start over.
- Seriously, why so much training?
- Are you kidding me, he says in a louder tone. Have you seen what's out there? I want you to be tough to face the infected.
- You know I'm a better shooter, why not train me to...
- And what if you come across a horde of infected or just a group of malicious people? Huh! What will you do? Shoot them one by one? And if you run out of ammo? Do you want to die like your mother! He yells.

A shiver of horror runs through me. I never imagined he would bring that up. Tears blur my vision, and in a hasty move, I grab my stuff, leaving the room before regrettable words escape my lips.

__

I enter my room a few hours after my training. After eating and clearing my mind with Abby, Owen, and Mel, I really need to lie down in the small room my dad vaguely transformed into a temporary bedroom while we're at the hospital.

- Finally, a day is over.

My eyes land on the advanced hour, hinting at the impending night. In search of an escape, my gaze falls on an unfinished stack of drawings. After such an intense day, it could calm my mind. My fingers glide over the familiar surface of my old walkman, once owned by my mother. With a nostalgic gesture, I randomly select a cassette, ready to lose myself in the comforting melodies.

It was like shooting a sitting duck...Hmm, hmm, hmm hmm... and baby I was stuck.
Don't go... wasting your emotion.. hmm hmm your love on me.

The door opens without me inviting anyone in, and I see Abby with a devastated face. Her eyes as red as blood and her cheeks wet. I take off my headphones and step towards her.

- Abby? What's going on? I say, troubled.
- My father... he's dead.

I freeze in place after her outrageous words. How is that possible? Abby collapses into my arms.

- What happened?
- A man barged in and killed everyone in his path. He... he went into the operating room and killed everyone.

Oh my god... I put my hand over my mouth and immediately think of my dad. Anxiety takes over until I embrace Abby again.

- I swear... I'm going to find this bastard and make him pay.

Her vengeful face resonates deeply within me, and I support her wholeheartedly. As soon as we unveil the identity of this coward, I pledge to lend her a hand without reservation. Suddenly, martial footsteps echo outside the room, accompanied by a shrill alarm that spreads throughout the building.

- Gather your things, we need to get out of here.

I grab as many things as possible in my bag, and as I exit, I bump into a sturdy chest much larger than mine.

- Lilianna.
- Dad.

I hug him forgetting our altercation earlier and release the anxiety from my stomach. He's still alive.

- Are you okay? No injuries?
- Yes, everything's fine.

Abby's face is dark at the sight of our reunion. My father scrutinizes her with a look that speaks volumes.

- We need to evacuate the area. Follow us, Abby.
- Where are we going?
- I don't know. Where the light calls us.