The sound of sirens rang out. The city fell silent, stripped of its former bustle. Crows perched high above, the sky devoid of color. Humans who once moved freely aboveground were now hiding underground.

Below the surface, the environment was damp. Rats scurried in search of food. Xu Yi sat in a corner, faint light leaking in through a crack above. A short distance away, Yi Yu returned.

“Want something to eat?” Yi Yu tore a piece of bread in half and handed it to Xu Yi.

Before it even reached his mouth, dust had already claimed it first.

“Did you see them?”

Yi Yu swapped the bread in his hand for Xu Yi’s. “No.”

“Do you think we can survive this dungeon? Outside it’s a horde of zombies, and inside… who knows if it’s people or ghosts,” Xu Yi said.

Yi Yu answered firmly, “With me here, don’t worry.”

At night, the air was filled with cries and cold winds. Xu Yi subconsciously leaned closer, and Yi Yu instinctively pulled him tighter into his arms.

“Tomorrow, let’s go outside to check the situation.”

A voice came from his embrace. Yi Yu, eyes still closed, replied, “Wait for me to come back.”

Xu Yi had expected that answer, so he pulled away and turned his back to him, leaving a distance like a river between them.

“Fine then, I won’t let you hold me anymore.”

He waited a while. Yi Yu really did hold back. Light stung his eyes as Xu Yi woke up to find himself alone. A child squatted nearby, watching him.

“Big brother, you’re awake?” came the innocent voice. Xu Yi came to his senses and reached out to ruffle the hair of this future flower of the nation.

“Where are your parents?”

The little boy beamed. “My mommy and daddy are outside fighting the bad guys.”

As they talked, Yi Yu returned with someone on his back, only to be stopped by the others.

“You can’t bring that person in—he’s bleeding.”

A voice came from the crowd, taking the lead. Others followed:

“Yeah, if he’s infected, we’re doomed.”

Yi Yu lifted his gaze. The person who spoke was a woman Xu Yi had once helped.

“Dad!” the little boy shouted, running to Yi Yu’s side.

Xu Yi was about to intervene, but before he could, the crowd had already forced Yi Yu out. Even the child was knocked over in the chaos. The little one didn’t understand—why were the adults kicking him and his dad out, when just yesterday they were all laughing together?

Xu Yi and Yi Yu locked eyes for just a moment and instantly understood each other. Xu Yi followed him out, leaving the others behind.

Outside the basement, Xu Yi used their only flashlight to light the way. The little boy was worried about his father.

“Daddy, where’s Mommy?”

“My sweet boy… from now on… you need to follow these two big brothers and be good…”

When he finished speaking, the little boy’s hand slowly dropped from his grip. Yi Yu said nothing. Neither did Xu Yi. The little boy burst into tears.

On the way, he cried until he was exhausted. Xu Yi carried him on his back.

“Did his dad force himself to come back?”

Xu Yi nodded.

“When I found him, his wife was already infected.”

Night fell quickly, but the three of them safely reached the research institute. Xu Yi gently set the boy down. Yi Yu came to his side and hugged him without a word.

Xu Yi could feel the breath lingering on his neck, and the helplessness in Yi Yu’s embrace.

Xu Yi patted Yi Yu’s back. “It’s not your fault.”

There were still some canned goods in the institute. The little boy, eyes red from crying, was quiet for a while, then got up and walked over to his father in the corner.

Yi Yu tugged Xu Yi’s sleeve. “Before we left, he told me… about the serum.”

“Where is it?”

A few days later, the little boy watched his father’s body go up in flames. He stood strong like a little adult, while Xu Yi silently wiped away tears in Yi Yu’s arms.

By day, zombies roamed the streets. Xu Yi and Yi Yu rigged up makeshift protection. Blood and corpses lined their path—it wouldn’t be wrong to call it a city of blood.