Blood & Bloom: The Last Stand Of Hope

chapter 2

The sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon as Jay, the leader of the sanctuary, gathered the saved survivors. They were a motley crew, weary and grateful to have found refuge in this new place. Jay's serious face was a stark contrast to the warm morning light, but his voice was steady as he addressed the group.

"Welcome to Hopeville Sanctuary. I want to make one thing clear," he said, his gaze sweeping over the survivors. "We are a community that looks out for one another, that works together to survive in this harsh world. In return for your stay here, I expect each and every one of you to contribute in some way. Whether it's helping with chores, gathering supplies, or standing watch, everyone has a role to play."

As Jay finished speaking, he turned to leave, his mind already moving on to the next task at hand. But just as he started to walk away, a voice called out to him.

"Jay, wait," Jake spoke up, stepping forward. "I just wanted to say thank you for letting us stay here. We owe you our lives."

Jay's expression remained stoic as he glanced back at Jake, a hint of sadness in his eyes. Without a word, he simply nodded before turning and walking away, leaving Jake standing there. He couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment.

As Jake turned to leave, he heard a soft voice behind him. "Don't take it personally. Jay is just trying to keep his emotions in check. He's been through a lot." Soomin said, who's been watching the exchange between the two a while ago. Jake just nodded and followed the other new arrivals.

~☠︎︎°˖✧-time skip-˖°☠︎︎~

In the afternoon, Soomin offered Jake to give him a tour in the 'Hopeville Sunctuary'. She told him that the place consist of 5 different stations. Since they are near the Station 5, Soomin started explaining to him about it first.

"Welcome to Station 5, Jake. This is where "The Constructors" work their magic, building homes and shelters for our camp." Jake listens to her attentively. "Wow, that's impressive. So they're like the architects of this place?", he asked.

"Exactly." Soomin nodded "They're always busy making sure we have a safe place to rest our heads at night. And over there, you can see them sharpening the makeshift weapons used by Station 2 and 3." Jake nodding in understanding, "Ah, I see. It's all coming together now."

After some walking, Soomin and Jake arrived in station 4. "Next up, we have Station 4 - "The Farmers". They're in charge of planting crops and harvesting food for everyone. They also make sure our water is clean to drink."

"That's a vital role. I can see how important food and water are in a place like this." Jake told her, clearly amaze by the whole station going on in the newly found place and possibly a new home for him and the other survivors with him.

"Right? And then there's Station 3, "The Scavengers". They go out into the dangerous world outside the Haven to find supplies for us. It's a dangerous job, but someone has to do it." Jake nodded, "I can see why not everyone is cut out for that role. It takes a special kind of courage."

"You're right. Speaking of courage, I used to be in Station 4, but I always think I'd be better suited for Station 3. I keep telling Jay that.", Soomin said

Jake found Soomin's bravery, amazing because not everyone would want to go out the safety of the camp."Haha, you definitely have the spirit for it. You're a great scavenger."

Soomin scoffed, "But Jay didn't think I was ready for it. He even assigned Jiwon to always watch over me when we go out for a mission or to scavenge."

"That's funny. You seem like you can handle yourself just fine." Jake said, trying to make her feel better.

"I know, right? But I guess they just want to keep me safe. Anyway, on to Station 2 - "The Protectors". They guard the camp day and night, making sure we're safe from any threats.", she said and starts to lead Jake to last station of 'Hopeville'.

While walking, Jake didn't failed to notice that Soomin always have a smile on her face despite the struggles and the danger of the apocalypse they're living in right now. She waved and greeted back to the people that noticed her.

"And finally, we have Station 1 - "The Medics". It's a bit quiet and eerie over there because of something that happened in the past. " Soomin said, Jake didn't failed to notice the sudden change of her mood.

"What happened?", Jake questioned, curious about it.

"Well umm, there was a bitten person who turned and caused chaos in the sanctuary. We lost a lot of people that day. Dr. Hyun and another student of medicine, Jae-wo, are the only ones left there now. "

"That's tragic." he sighed. "Maybe I could help out at Station 1. I come from a family of doctors, and I know a thing or two about treating wounds." Jake told her, causing her to lift her mood.

"That would be great, Jake. We could definitely use your expertise here. Let's go talk to Dr. Hyun and see if he could use an extra hand." Soomin told him, a smile on her face as she lead the way inside the small hospital who happened to be abondoned when the sanctuary was build.

"Sounds like a plan. I'm ready to lend a helping hand wherever I can." Jake said, following behind her.

~☠︎︎°˖✧-author's note-˖°☠︎︎~

next chapter will contain a little introductions to some of our important characters in this story.

that's all for this chapter! please do vote, it will be truly appreciated. english is not my first language, so if ever you see any grammatical error, inform me about it nicely, thank you<3

- yen