Ross tilted his head slightly, studying her more closely.
The corners of her eyes were damp, the faint glimr of tears threatening to spill, yet she refused to give herself fully over to despair.
There was a fire in her, quiet but undeniable—a persistence that intrigued him.
"I guess it’s ti to make her mine... again," he muttered under his breath, his voice low and laced with amusent.
There was a certain thrill in it—the anticipation of conquest, not rely of the body, but of the mind and heart.
He enjoyed the ga, the tension, the subtle dance of power and persuasion.
"It’s funny how it’s going to be like I’m basically stealing a woman from my own self." Ross muttered because Lyric was also him in disguise.
For a long mont, he simply observed, letting the thought settle.
The world outside could burn, collapse, or drown in chaos—it mattered little.
Here, in this mont, the only thing that mattered was the woman in his eyes and the question of how he would claim her attention, once again, in a way only he could.
A slow, almost imperceptible smile curved his lips.
***
"Are you okay, Mom? Has Dad finally contacted us?" Daniel asked, his voice trembling slightly.
The handso seventeen-year-old tried to mask his worry, but it was clear in the tight line of his jaw and the way his hands fidgeted nervously.
There was nothing he could do to reach his father, and the helplessness weighed heavily on him, a constant reminder of the danger that had overtaken the world.
Ashley forced a smile, though it was brittle and fleeting.
"Not yet," she said softly, trying to keep her voice steady. "But I know he will. Your father is okay. I can feel it in my heart, Daniel."
Even as she spoke the words, a single tear slipped down her cheek.
She quickly brushed it away, unwilling to let her son see just how fragile she felt.
When the chaos had first erupted—the streets overrun by the undead, the dead rising from the ground—her world had fallen apart in a matter of hours.
She had feared for Daniel’s life and her husband Lyric’s survival, but Ross’s n had arrived just in ti.
Claiming that Lyric was a friend of Ross, they had rescued her and her son, whisking them away to a safer location.
It was a miracle, and one she had been silently grateful for every day since.
Yet now, more than a week had passed since the outbreak, and still, no word had co from her husband.
Each day felt heavier than the last, filled with uncertainty and fear.
The world outside their temporary sanctuary had beco a nightmare: buildings burned, streets emptied, and the groans of the undead echoed faintly even in places that had once seed safe.
Hope was a fragile thing in these desperate tis, easily crushed by the weight of reality.
Daniel noticed the faint tremor in his mother’s hands and the tightness around her eyes.
"Mom... I know you’re worried," he said gently, squeezing her hand. "But we’re okay. We’re alive. That has to an sothing, right?"
Ashley took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.
She looked at her son, his dark eyes shining with determination that mirrored the man he was becoming, and felt a swell of both pride and fear.
"Yes, Daniel. That ans a lot," she whispered.
"Being alive... it’s a chance. A chance to keep hoping, to keep waiting for him. We just have to hold on a little longer."
The room they were in was quiet, the air thick with tension and faint traces of fear.
Outside, the distant moans of zombies reminded them that the world beyond these walls was anything but safe.
The once familiar streets and neighborhoods had beco hunting grounds, filled with danger at every turn.
Supplies were scarce, and each day required careful planning and cautious movent to survive.
Daniel leaned against her shoulder, seeking comfort in her warmth. "Do you think Dad’s thinking of us too?" he asked softly.
Ashley pressed her lips to the top of his head, letting herself feel the weight of her son’s trust.
"Of course he is, Daniel. I know it. He’s fighting just like we are. He wouldn’t give up on us—not ever."
A long silence followed, broken only by the occasional distant sound from the streets outside.
They both knew it could be hours before they heard anything new.
But even in the quiet, Ashley held onto hope. She had to.
For her son, for herself, and for the man she loved.
No matter how dark the world beca, she would not let despair take them.
She would remain strong, a steady anchor for Daniel, until the day Lyric returned—or until they found a way to fight back against the nightmare that had consud everything.
***
Night fell, and still there was no word. Ashley sat by the side of the bed, staring into nothingness.
She missed him.
Though she had only seen Lyric on weekends because of the nature of his work, those precious days together had always been filled with laughter and warmth.
He had been a devoted husband, thoughtful and kind, the kind of man who could make her smile even on the hardest days.
No matter how long he’d been away, he always ca back with that sa gentle grin and the promise that everything would be all right.
Now, that promise felt so far away.
Ashley brushed away a tear and lay down on the small bed, the soft light from her phone screen casting pale reflections across her face.
She had checked her ssages countless tis throughout the day, hoping for sothing—anything—from him.
But there was only silence.
Just as she began to drift toward uneasy sleep, her phone suddenly beeped.
The familiar chi startled her heart into a frantic rhythm.
She snatched it from the nightstand, her breath catching in her throat.
A ssage.
Her eyes widened as she opened it in haste that she almost dropped her phone.
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