Alive

16

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~~~~~~⚫️Chapter 16⚫️~~~~~~
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We settled into the warm glow of the cabin, and I clung to my father's every word as he began to explain the nightmare that had become reality. His voice was low and heavy, each word weighted with memories and scars that ran deeper than I could imagine.

"It happened almost overnight," he began, leaning forward, his hands clasped tightly as if anchoring himself to the present. "One day, people started... spewing this black substance. It came out of nowhere, like an infection spreading through the city. At first, we didn't understand, thought it was some new kind of illness. But it wasn't. The people who... changed... it was like their bodies went into overdrive. Fight-or-flight response on full blast. They attacked everyone—family, friends, strangers—it didn't matter. It turned them into something else. And wherever that black substance touched, it began to decay everything in its path."

I swallowed, my mind struggling to piece together these horrifying images. "How did... how did you survive?"

He let out a heavy sigh, glancing down at his hands. "I was in the prison when it started. I'd been taken in for questioning the day before—some misunderstanding that got out of hand. By the time I realized what was happening, the black substance had already spread through parts of the facility. Chaos broke out. The guards tried to contain it, but some of us prisoners... we knew it was us or them. A few of us forced our way out after a struggle with the guards. I don't know how many made it."

He paused, his gaze distant as he seemed to relive those moments. "The second I got out, I came looking for you and your brother. I knew you'd both be in danger." His eyes softened as he looked at me. "When I got to the house, it was deserted, but it looked like you'd been there recently. Some of your things were missing. I thought maybe you'd managed to get out before the worst of it hit."

I frowned, trying to reach for the memory he described, but it was just a fog in my mind. "I... I don't remember any of that," I whispered, feeling a strange hollowness as I realized how much of my past had slipped away.

He reached out, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "It's alright. You've been through more than anyone should ever have to. Memories like that... sometimes they come back, sometimes they don't. What matters is that you're here now."

I nodded, trying to absorb his words, but one thought tugged at my mind, pulling me back to the one person who'd seemed to anchor me since I woke up. "And Koda?" I asked, glancing around, half-expecting him to appear with one of his infuriating comments. "How... when did he...?"

My father's expression softened, a look of both respect and pity crossing his face. "I found Koda back at the prison after it all went to hell. He was half-dead, trying to fight through the infected guards to reach his brother. I think he was already different then—stronger, faster. But he was hanging by a thread. I don't know how he'd managed to survive as long as he had." He shook his head, a slight admiration in his voice. "Koda's been through a lot. Seen a lot."

I bit my lip, trying to picture the Koda I'd seen today, the one with that smirk and teasing glint, struggling like that. It didn't quite fit, yet I could almost see the shadow of it in his eyes, the darkness that lingered beneath his playful attitude. "So... how did you get out of the city?" I asked, needing to understand how my father had survived in this world gone mad.

He sat back, eyes distant as he gathered his thoughts. "A few of us prisoners banded together. We armed ourselves as best we could, took whatever weapons we could find. At first, we just tried to get out of the city, but that's when we noticed something strange. Some of the men with us... they started changing too. Not like the infected, but... they were different. Stronger, faster, like they'd been given an edge over everyone else. That's when Koda found us."

My father's gaze hardened, as if recalling a dangerous animal charging through their ranks. "He came crashing through our camp with a few of his buddies, desperate and wounded. He was like a wild animal, holding onto what little control he had left. But I knew him, remembered him, and I could see he wasn't lost like the others. Not yet. He was barely hanging on, but he was still Koda."

He hesitated, glancing at me with a look of quiet resolve. "I couldn't bring myself to kill him, even though some of the others wanted to. He asked for help—wanted to bring his brother here, to keep him safe. I agreed, but on one condition." His mouth curved in a faint smile. "He and his little gang would protect us, keep the hordes away."

I nodded, finally understanding why the creatures had stayed back when Koda was near. "So... they're scared of him?"

"Not just scared." My father's eyes darkened. "They're terrified. Something in him changed. He kept us safe, not because of the weapons or the walls, but because none of the infected dared come close when he was around. His presence alone seemed to keep them at bay, as if they could sense he was different. Powerful."

My heart pounded as I absorbed his words, feeling a strange surge of pride mixed with apprehension. "And... what happened after that?"

He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "Koda didn't stay for long. After making sure his brother was safe, he left. I don't know what he was after, but I think he wanted to grow stronger, to understand whatever was inside him. He was gone for a long time. We barely saw him... until recently, when he came back, tracking you down."

I felt a strange warmth bloom in my chest, a mixture of disbelief and gratitude. "So... all this time, he's been looking for me?"

My father nodded, his expression softening. "Seems so. He may act like he doesn't care, like this is all just a game to him. But I think, deep down, he wanted to make sure you were okay. He's been through hell and back, but he never gave up on finding you."

I looked away, feeling a surge of emotion I couldn't quite put into words. All those taunting remarks, the smirks, the teasing—it was his way of dealing with the horrors he'd seen, the darkness he carried. And despite it all, he'd come for me.

"So... he's different," I said quietly, more to myself than anyone else. "But he's still Koda."

My father nodded, watching me closely. "Yes. And whatever he is now, whatever he's become, he's still fighting. Just like we are." He paused, giving me a meaningful look. "And now, with you here, maybe he has something real to hold onto. Something worth fighting for."

I felt a lump form in my throat, and I swallowed hard, trying to keep my emotions in check. For the first time since waking up in this nightmare, I felt a sense of purpose, a connection that ran deeper than the chaos around us. Koda had risked everything, faced horrors I couldn't even imagine, just to find me.

And as I thought about his smirk, his taunting remarks, his constant teasing, I realized that maybe, just maybe, this broken world had left us with something worth saving—each other.