Surviving the Apocalypse: All I Want Is to Find a Husband
Chapter 183: A Forgotten Name

Chapter 183: A Forgotten Name

"You’re right." Lucian averted his gaze, his voice barely above a whisper. "They’re disgusting."

Medeia tightened her grip on his hand, feeling the chill creeping into his skin. His foot tapped anxiously against the floor, faster and faster.

He was panicking.

Without a word, Medeia nudged Bear under the table with her foot, signaling the black wolf to help him.

It immediately climbed onto Lucian’s lap, pressing its paw against him. For a few tense moments, Lucian kept tapping, then, gradually, his movements slowed. He let out a quiet breath, then another, calming himself down.

On the other side, Medeia spoke, her tone thoughtful. "Maybe they were also deceived by the military higher-ups. Maybe they weren’t meant to kill living people." She shrugged. "Who knows what kind of scheme the military used to brainwash them?"

Naomi scoffed. "Still, I hope they rot in hell forever."

Medeia swore on her name that if Naomi said one more word, she’d slap her so hard her soul would try to escape her body.

"The good news is, they’re all dead," Ethan said flatly. "The scientists didn’t give us details about how they died, but does it really matter?"

"After seeing the footage, we decided to let them go," Ethan continued, exhaling sharply. "Then we lied to our general, told him we killed them. But they found out anyway because the General had sent soldiers to spy on us."

Naomi shook her head, giving them a sympathetic smile. "You must have been through hell trying to escape." She glanced at Medeia and Lucian. "At least you met these two."

Ethan nodded. "Yeah. We’re lucky to have found good people."

Medeia barely stopped herself from laughing. Good people? If only he knew.

She and Lucian had closets packed full of skeletons—so full. In fact, that if they ever opened them, people wouldn’t just scream. They’d come running at them with pitchforks.

"Alright. I think I’ve heard enough for now." Medeia suddenly pushed herself up from her seat. "I need to rest for a bit. We can talk more about this later."

Honestly, there was no point in staying. Ethan and Max didn’t have any crucial information about the soldiers trapped in the metal cube, and lingering would only stretch Lucian’s discomfort. The sooner they left, the sooner he could breathe.

She turned to Tian. "Oh, Tian, can you ask Ulrich to stand by near the meeting room? He can absorb emotional pain, it might help stabilize the soldiers’ mental state until we figure out what to do with them."

"Alright, I’ll talk to him. But he won’t be able to help everyone at once," Tian said. "You know ... everyone’s stamina has limits."

"I know." Medeia let out a tired sigh. "Just focus on the ones who look the most stressed."

Then she leaned in toward Lucian, lowering her voice so only he could hear. "Get up. Let’s go to our room."

Lucian swallowed hard. His jaw tensed, his fingers twitching as if he was struggling to shove his emotions back into a place where no one could see them. He reached down, stroking Bear’s head. "I’m okay now," he whispered.

Without another word, he stood up and followed Medeia, with Bear padding along beside him.

But just as they were about to leave, Ethan suddenly spoke up. "Oh, I just remembered something, they said one of the soldiers is still missing!"

Max quickly chimed in. "If I’m not mistaken, his alias is 00?"

The second that name was spoken, Lucian stopped dead in his tracks.

His back was to the others, so no one noticed the way his entire body tensed, no one except Medeia. From where she stood, she saw the way his expression darkened in an instant.

She said nothing.

But she knew that all those painful memories were resurfacing in his mind.

Medeia adjusted Sierra in one arm while placing her other hand on Lucian’s back, gently pushing him forward. Her voice was steady as she responded to Ethan, "That soldier is probably dead. There’s no point in talking about him anymore."

She didn’t wait for a reply. Without hesitation, she walked out of the cafeteria, guiding Lucian along.

But the moment they were far enough away, Lucian suddenly stopped. He leaned against the wall, and before she could react, he slid down to the floor.

His hands shot up to cover his mouth. His breathing turned shallow, erratic—too fast, too uneven. For a terrifying second, it seemed like he could barely get air into his lungs.

Medeia crouched down and pressed her hands over his, gently calming him. "It’s okay," she whispered, her voice softer than before. "You’re safe, Lucian. Just breathe."

"I..." His voice cracked. His whole body trembled. "I killed them."

"I know." Medeia leaned in, her forehead nearly touching his. "But we both know that you’re not doing that on purpose. You’re nothing like them, my love."

His lips parted, but no words came. A storm raged behind his eyes.

"What if they find out?" He finally spoke. "They would hate me and disown me."

"They won’t." Medeia cupped his cheek, brushing her thumb over his skin. "I won’t let them."

She couldn’t erase his past. She couldn’t undo what had been done.

But she could make sure no one ever used it against him.

As Lucian struggled to regain control of his breathing, a tiny hand suddenly reached out.

Sierra.

She gripped his fingers tightly, her small body trembling. Her eyes shimmered with tears, glistening under the dim lights.

Medeia stilled. Tears?

Lucian froze too, watching her with wide eyes.

The little girl made no sound, but those delicate drops of water clinging to her lashes had already spoken everything.

She was finally allowing herself to feel.

She wasn’t afraid to cry anymore.

Lucian swallowed hard, he whispered "Are you sad because I’m sad?" He brushed his thumb over her tiny hand, his movements were so gentle. "It’s okay. You can cry if you want to."

Medeia let out a soft laugh. "How about the three of us cry together?" she suggested, pausing before holding Sierra out toward him. "Do you want to hold her now? Maybe this time, she won’t push you away."

Lucian gently took Sierra from Medeia’s hands. Just as she had predicted, the little girl didn’t resist. Instead, she clung to his shirt with tiny, trembling fingers and buried her face against his chest, seeking comfort in his warmth.

A quiet chuckle slipped from Medeia’s lips. "Looks like I have a little competitor now."

She reached for him, curling her fingers around the back of his neck and pulling him closer until their foreheads touched. Her breath was warm against his skin.

"Don’t be afraid," she whispered. "I’ll make sure no one ever dares to throw a r at you."

• •

Medeia was the first to wake. The room was quiet, the air filled with warmth from their shared sleep. Lucian was still deep in slumber, his arms wrapped securely around Sierra. The little girl had curled up against his chest, clinging to him like a tiny koala.

Medeia frowned. ’So that’s why I couldn’t hug him all night.’

She reached out and gently poked Sierra’s cheek. "You little gremlin," she whispered. "I swear, I’m getting you, your own room so you can’t keep stealing my man."

Sierra moved slightly but didn’t wake.

Medeia stretched, rolling her shoulders before slipping out of bed. The moment her feet touched the floor—

"Woof."

She startled slightly and turned to find Bear sprawled out in the corner, lazily stretching his body before walking toward her.

Medeia sighed, rubbing her temples. "This room is getting way too crowded." Crouching down, she ran her fingers through Bear’s thick fur. "Want to come with me to check on the soldiers? Let’s leave Sierra and your Papa to sleep in peace."

Bear let out a small, agreeable bark.

Medeia smiled. "Alright. But first, I need a quick bath."

Fifteen minutes later, she and Bear slipped out of the room as quietly as shadows, careful not to disturb the ones still sleeping. After everything Lucian and Sierra had been through, they deserved every second of rest.

As she walked down the hall, she checked the time. Five hours of sleep. Not bad.

That left her four before the soldiers would start waking up. This time, she wouldn’t let them panic and she’d make sure no one lost their mind and became the Lost.

[Ding! Ding! New Mission Alert!]

[New Mission: Identify the type of mutated monsters lurking near the base.]

Medeia came to an abrupt stop in the middle of the corridor.

"You mean those big white creatures that have been lurking around since yesterday?" she muttered. "The ones just walking around, but not doing a damn thing?"

She and Lucian had planned to check them out the moment they got back to base, but with the chaos of newcomers, they hadn’t had the time.

[Yes, Host! Isn’t it easy?!]

"Well, that’s surprisingly easy," Medeia mused as she strolled down the hallway. "Is this another reward for bringing a bunch of survivors into my base?"

[Maybe yes, maybe no.]

She narrowed her eyes. What the hell was wrong with this system?

It couldn’t even give her a straight answer. Suspicious.

"Hey, aren’t you supposed to know everything about this world?"