Apocalypse: Building And Hoarding My Way Through.
Chapter 54: Reborn In Blood.

Chapter 54: Reborn In Blood.

Ethan trudged through the desolate landscape, Garvin’s limp form slung over his shoulder. Each step was a battle, not only against the physical burden but also against the crushing weight of his actions.

The silence around him was oppressive, broken only by Garvin’s occasional groans and the distant, haunting growls of monsters prowling the horizon. Ethan’s thoughts drifted to Scarlett, his heart heavy with guilt and grief. He had done what needed to be done, but the ache of it lingered, gnawing at his resolve.

After hours of walking, he spotted a faint light flickering on the horizon. Hope and dread warred within him as he trudged forward, his legs trembling with exhaustion.

As the light grew closer, it resolved into a makeshift camp. A small group of figures huddled around a fire, their faces illuminated by the warm glow as they roasted fish over the flames.

Ethan’s chest tightened as he recognized the familiar faces of Larry, Maya, and Louise. Relief flickered in their expressions as they spotted him approaching.

"Ethan!" Larry called out, rushing toward him. "Thank God you’re alive! We knew you’d come this way, so we decided to wait here for you."

"Where’s Scarlett?" Louise asked with a light chuckle, unaware of the tension in Ethan’s hunched shoulders. "Still busy slaying monsters? That woman never..."

His words died in his throat as his gaze fell on Garvin’s unconscious form. Maya’s eyes widened in alarm as she stepped forward, her voice sharp with concern. "What happened to Garvin? Is it his injuries? I told you it was a mistake for him to follow you to get Scarlett."

"That’s not important right now," Larry interjected, his eyes darting toward the horizon. "What’s taking Scarlett so long? We need to leave before the monsters track us down." He turned back to Ethan, his tone firm. "Set Garvin down. We’ll handle him while you explain."

Ethan’s legs gave way as he lowered Garvin onto the ground. His hands shook as he wiped sweat from his face, his expression twisted with anguish. Tears, which he had kept at bay, now rolled freely down his cheeks.

"Scarlett..." His voice broke. "She..."

Maya leaned closer, her brow furrowed. "Scarlett? What about her? Did something happen?"

"What’s with the tears?" Louise asked, his tone shifting from teasing to serious. "Explain yourself. What happened?"

Ethan sank to his knees beside Garvin, his hands trembling as he buried his face in them. "She turned," he choked out, his voice barely audible. "I had no choice."

Louise stared at him, his face a mixture of shock and disbelief. "You... what?"

"I killed her," Ethan blurted, the words ripping out of him like a physical wound. His shoulders shook as sobs wracked his body.

The group froze, the weight of his confession crashing down on them like a tidal wave. Louise’s face twisted with fury, and he took a menacing step forward.

"What did you just say?!" he roared, grabbing Ethan by the collar and yanking him to his feet. Without waiting for an answer, Louise punched him hard in the face, sending him sprawling onto the ground. "Why the hell would you kill her just because she turned?"

"Louise, stop!" Maya cried, rushing forward to hold him back. Larry quickly joined her, grabbing Louise’s arm as he tried to lunge at Ethan again.

"She turned!" Ethan shouted, his voice raw and desperate. "She was going to kill Garvin! I... I didn’t have a choice!"

"Didn’t have a choice?" Louise spat, his voice trembling with rage. "You’ve wanted her gone from the start, haven’t you? And now she’s dead, because of you!"

"That’s not true!" Ethan shouted back, his face streaked with tears. "I didn’t want this! Garvin told me she might come back to her senses, but she didn’t! She was gone...completely gone! The monsters tore her apart, ate her flesh, ripped her insides out! She wasn’t regenerating, Louise! She wasn’t Scarlett anymore!"

"She would’ve come back if you’d just waited!" Louise yelled, his voice breaking as tears began to stream down his face. He slumped in Larry’s grip, running a hand through his hair. "Her powers were weak...that’s why she couldn’t regenerate fast enough. You didn’t even give her a chance!"

"I knew we couldn’t trust you. The church got wiped out the moment, I, Scarlett, Garvin and the Andersons arrived. You once said Victor are after the chosen. Are you one of Victor’s dog? Are you in charge of killing the chosen and now Larry might be next?" Louise yelled with anger etched in his tone.

"No!" Ethan replied with tears in his eyes.

Maya’s voice was soft, trembling. "Is she... is she truly gone? You killed her?"

Ethan nodded slowly, his voice barely above a whisper. "I buried her. I made sure she was at peace."

Larry let out a long, heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping. "What’s done is done. We can’t stay here arguing about it. The monsters will find us if we don’t keep moving."

Louise straightened, his expression hard and cold. "I can’t stay with him. I’ll go on my own."

"You’ll die alone," Larry said bluntly. "You know that. Stick with us until we reach the safe haven. After that, you can go your own way if you want. Atleast you’ll get to take some weapons with you."

Louise hesitated, his jaw tightening. Finally, he gave a curt nod. "Fine!"

"Garvin mustn’t wake up until we reach the haven," Ethan said hoarsely. "If he does... he’ll try to go back. And we can’t let him."

The others exchanged uneasy glances but nodded in agreement. The tension between them was palpable as they gathered their supplies and began their journey.

______

The moon hung bright in the sky, casting a pale glow over the rain-soaked ground. Thunder rumbled in the distance as rain fell in heavy sheets, masking the sounds of prowling monsters.

In the grave Ethan had hastily dug for Scarlett, the earth began to stir. Suddenly, the ground erupted, and Scarlett’s body was lifted upward. Her form was twisted and monstrous, her crimson eyes glowing with an eerie light. Her wounds were visible, though no longer bleeding.

A bird flew by, and with supernatural speed, she snatched it from the air. Her claws tore into its flesh, and she drank deeply of its blood. Slowly, her monstrous features began to fade. Her glowing eyes softened into their familiar blue, her wounds dissapeared as her skin regained its fair complexion, and her claws and horns disappeared.

Scarlett gasped as she fell to her knees, clutching her head. Memories of her death flooded back, vivid and agonizing.

Ding!

{Congratulations, host.}

{You have been reborn through the acquisition of a second system.}

"What...? What does that mean?" Scarlett whispered, her voice trembling. "What exactly is the system up to now?"

{Unlike others who lose their memories upon rebirth, you retain yours because you are unique, the only female chosen among them.}