Still Breathing

Chapter 27

No One Left Behind

Rose burst back into the Lazarus Core Lab, heart pounding, knife slick with Dr. Rayne's blood. The scene that greeted her was one of utter devastation - bodies strewn across the floor, both zombie and human, the air thick with the coppery stench of gore.

But there, amidst the carnage...her friends. Battered and bloodied, but alive. Relief crashed through her, so intense it made her knees weak.

Sebastian was the first to reach her, his arms crushing her to his chest, his face buried in her hair. "You're okay," he murmured, over and over, like a prayer. "You're okay."

Rose clung to him, breathing in the scent of him beneath the blood and sweat and death. "Rayne's dead," she said, pulling back just far enough to meet his eyes. "It's over. We won."

But even as the words left her mouth, she knew they weren't true. It wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

The facility's alarms blared to life, a deafening wail that made Rose's teeth ache. Red lights pulsed in the gloom, casting eerie, blood-tinged shadows on the walls.

"The self-destruct sequence," Nina shouted over the din, her face pale. "Rayne must have triggered it before she tried to run."

"How long do we have?" Max asked, his arm tight around Margot's waist, holding her upright.

Tobias stumbled over to a nearby console, his fingers flying over the keys. "10 minutes," he said grimly. "Maybe less. This whole place is gonna blow."

A heavy silence fell, the weight of their situation sinking in. They were deep underground, in the heart of a labyrinthine facility crawling with the undead. And now, a ticking clock, counting down to their fiery demise.

"We have to move," Sebastian said, his voice steady despite the fear in his eyes. "We have to get to the surface, get as far away as we can."

But Rose was staring at the console, a terrible realization dawning. "We can't," she whispered. "Not all of us."

They turned to her, confusion and dread etched on every face.

"The sequence," she said, swallowing hard. "It can't be activated remotely. Someone has to stay behind. To initiate the final countdown."

Understanding hit like a sledgehammer. They stared at each other, the impossible choice hanging in the air between them.

"I'll do it," Chris said suddenly, stepping forward. His face was set, jaw clenched with resolve. "You guys get out. I'll make sure this place burns."

"Like hell you will," James snapped, grabbing his arm. "I'm not leaving you here to die, you idiot."

Chris shook him off, a sad smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Someone has to, James. And I'm the most expendable. The world needs you in it."

"The world needs you too, you asshole," James said, his voice breaking. "I need you."

The two friends stared at each other, a wealth of unspoken emotion passing between them. Rose's heart ached, a physical pain in her chest. This couldn't be happening. They couldn't lose anyone else. Not after everything they'd been through.

But even as denial screamed through her brain...she knew Chris was right. Someone had to stay. Someone had to make the sacrifice.

And looking around at these faces, these people she loved more than her own life...she knew it couldn't be her. Sebastian, Max, Nina...they were her heart, her reason for fighting. For living. She couldn't leave them.

"Chris," she said softly, laying a hand on his arm. "Are you sure?"

He met her gaze, his eyes clear and calm. At peace. "I've never been more sure of anything, Rosie. You guys...you're my family. And I'm gonna make damn sure you have a future."