Blood and Ashes: The Road to Lakeside
*When storm season tears the Midwest open, a small lake compound becomes a lifeline-and a target. Bailey, Alex, Eryk, Bayleigh, Kyler, and Noah fight to hold their fragile home against the Toll Road raiders and the dead that won't stay down. A crackling radio hint points north to "Lakeside," where salvation-or another trap-might wait. As humor and love keep the group stitched together, the infected begin to move in unsettling ways, the weather turns feral, and every run for supplies feels like a dare. Hope is a map written in blood and ashes-and the only way out is through.*
### Meet the Survivors
- **Bailey** - A cook with a quick wit and a hidden darkness. His jokes keep the group sane, but behind the humor, he hides scars that could split him open.
- **Alex** - A former dancer turned medic. Fiercely protective and brave in ways she doesn't realize, her determination to find her mother drives her forward.
- **Eryk** - The steady leader, disciplined and unyielding. His love for Bayleigh anchors him, but leadership forces him to carry burdens no one else can.
- **Bayleigh** - Once shy, now the group's planner and scribe. Her artistic eye and nurse's training help her turn chaos into structure.
- **Kyler** - Bailey's hot-headed brother, reckless but bold. Always quick with a grin or a shove, he risks everything to prove himself.
- **Noah** - The opposite of Kyler: calm, tactical, and disciplined. He tries to be the voice of reason, but rivalry with his brother pushes him toward the edge.
