Apocalypse (with chatgpt)

Chapter 3, If the world was ending i'd wanna be next to you, my brother

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Everyone woke up, falling into their daily routine as usual. Each person did their job and fulfilled their role, moving through the motions of survival. Sorena stepped outside for an hour, her mind focused but her steps weary. She gathered some supplies—nothing too significant, just the usual, but it was something. Silver accompanied her, though they didn't walk the same path. He returned with some much-needed medicine, his hands trembling slightly as he examined the bottles.

Loki woke up late, but as always, he threw himself into his work with relentless determination. Despite the exhaustion pulling at him, he pushed through, ignoring his body's cries for rest. He was a pillar, though a weary one, as he carried the weight of the group's hopes on his shoulders.

Dave, as usual, struggled in the kitchen, his recipe cards lost somewhere in the chaos. It took him far too long to cook, but somehow, with his own brand of desperation and skill, he managed to make some eggs.

Silver and Sorena crossed paths again on their way back to the base. They shared what they had found, exchanging brief words before falling into the plan for the day.

"Silver, what type of... zombie do we need to capture?" Sorena asked, her voice steady, a trace of certainty replacing the fear that had once gripped her. Her eyes met his, filled with trust. Silver caught the shift in her demeanor, and for a fleeting moment, he felt a flicker of warmth in his chest. Being a leader was hard, but in that moment, her faith in him felt like a small gift. He smiled, appreciating her trust, even if he couldn't fully return it yet.

"Well, it’s simple. With Ryon’s help, we’ll capture a zombie—either by attacking it or taking it with us, depending on whether it fights back. We’ll look for one that’s similar to Jusu. Same hair color, if possible. Loki’s confident about it." He paused, taking a deep breath. "That’s the plan. After that, we hand it over to Loki, but if he needs help, we’ll step in. Simple, right?"

Sorena nodded, but a flicker of doubt crossed her face as she looked toward the horizon, where the first light of dawn touched her pale skin, making her look almost ethereal. She took a moment before speaking again, her voice softer, more uncertain.

"That sounds easy, but... won’t Loki get infected? We need to keep exploring until we find him something to protect himself. Even if he says we’re probably immune, I don’t know... this feels... wrong."

Silver met her gaze, his eyes narrowing as he thought. She had a point, but Loki had been so adamant about his immunity. Had he kept something from them? Was he overestimating his own safety? Silver wasn’t sure, but the thought gnawed at him.

"Yeah, you're right," Silver finally said. "We’ll try to find him something, but since we’ve already explored enough today, let’s talk to him about your idea. Thanks for pointing that out."

A surge of pride blossomed in Sorena’s chest. She smiled slightly, feeling a rare moment of validation. The "thank you" had meant more than she'd expected. She leaned slightly closer, and, as they pushed open the door to the base, her hand brushed Silver's shoulder, steadying him as they descended the dangerous stairs.

Her touch was soft, delicate—almost like her hands had never known a scar or callus. The sudden shift of her weight caught them both off guard. Sorena slipped, a sharp gasp escaping her lips as she fell toward him. Instinctively, Silver turned to catch her, losing his balance in the process. They crashed to the ground in a tangle of limbs, Sorena’s legs in the air like some clumsy, awkward parody of grace.

Silver’s back hit the cold floor, and though his spine stung from the impact, he was more focused on keeping Sorena from hitting the ground too hard. A slight bruise bloomed on his back, but nothing serious. Meanwhile, Sorena muttered apologies, her face flushed with embarrassment, her voice a mix of exasperation and regret.