Life during the apocalypse

4

My dreams were haunted by visions of flames and the echoing cries of the undead. When I finally awoke, the warmth of sunlight filtering through the cabin's windows enveloped me in a sense of calm, if only for a fleeting moment. I jolted awake "THORN!" But as I called out for Thorn, my heart pounding with fear and hope, my gaze fell upon a stranger - a young man, seemingly around my age.

"You're awake," he said softly, his voice gentle and reassuring.

Confusion and apprehension gripped me as I searched for answers. "Who are you? Where's my brother?" I demanded, my voice tinged with urgency as I got up from the couch I lying on.

He approached me slowly, his expression filled with empathy. "My name is Flame," he replied, his tone measured. "I didn't know that there were other survivors."

His words sent a shiver down my spine, As I struggled to comprehend the reality of what the situation was, "What?" I asked ."I didn't know there were other survivors, and you're the only one I found." The weight of his words hit like an arrow to my chest, a bolder on me like a crushing weight."No," I whispered, the word escaping my lips in a choked sob.

Tears welled in my eyes as the full magnitude of my loss washed over me. Thorn, my twin, my confidant, my last remaining family - gone, lost to the relentless cruelty of this forsaken world.
"I'm sorry for your loss." The boy Flame as he called himself consoled me as he walked up to me and rubbed my back all I did was nod as I cried, I couldn't believe I lost everyone in my family.

As I gazed down at my watch, a gift from Thorn on our birthday, a sense of bewilderment washed over me. There, etched into the metal, was a dragon symbol - a mark that had never been there before. "What?" Flame's voice broke through my confusion, his concern palpable. "What is it?"

"It's my watch," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. "It never had a dragon symbol until now. But how did it..."

And then it hit me and my eyes widened, a profound revelation that stole my breath away. The dragon symbol wasn't just a random occurrence - it was a manifestation of a secret my family had. Whenever we made a promise to someone, a mark would appear on something of significance to us. And my watch, a cherished keepsake from Thorn, was undeniably important to me.

The realization dawned on me with startling clarity - Thorn was alive. The dragon symbol was proof of his survival, a silent vow etched into the fabric of our shared history.

"He's alive," I whispered, my voice trembling with emotion. Flame's confusion deepened, his brow furrowing in concern. "Who's alive?"

"My brother," I said, my voice filled with newfound hope. "He's alive."

Flame's confusion mirrored my own earlier bewilderment as I struggled to explain the significance of the dragon symbol adorning my watch. "It's a way my family keeps their promises," I began, my voice steady despite the tumult of emotions swirling within me.

"Our symbols," I continued, gesturing to the dragon etched into the metal, "they appear when we make a promise to someone. It's a mark of our word, a silent vow that binds us to our commitments, and this is his this is his symbol."

Flame listened intently, his expression Slowly, shifting from confusion to understanding. "So, if the symbol appeared on your watch, it means your brother made a promise to you?" he ventured, seeking clarification.

I nodded, a sense of certainty settling over me. "Exactly. And the fact that it's here now," I said, my voice filled with conviction, "means that Thorn is alive. He's out there, somewhere, keeping his promise to me."