John rushed down the stairs and out of the building. The rain had started to pour down, soaking the ground and the ruins, washing away the dust and the blood.
John spotted Jolene and Dalia huddled under a small canopy.
"Here, take Stephanie," he said, handing her Stephanie’s unconscious body.
"Is she okay?" Dalia asked, her voice shaking.
"She’s alive, but she needs help," John replied, his voice strained.
John turned around and continued exploring the buildings around the blast.
The raindrops pattered against the ruined walls, the wind whistled through the cracks, and the sun setting in the west cast long shadows over the ground. The sky was grey and the air was thick, and the silence was deafening.
"Octavia!" John called out, his voice carrying through the ruins and echoing off the broken walls. He needed to find her fast. Octavia was likely to be the most in need of medical attention. He could use one of his Health Potions on her, but it would be all over if she was fatally injured.
As John walked deeper into the ruins, the buildings began to change. They were in better shape, and the debris was less prevalent. He called out Octavia’s name, his voice carrying through the still air and echoing off the broken walls. He didn’t care if any monsters heard him. He needed to find his women.
The rain had stopped, and the air was still. The silence was deafening, and the shadows grew long. He could see the sun setting in the distance, and the sky was growing dark. He stopped to look at the buildings around him. Wandering aimlessly was not yielding any results. He glanced towards the Dire Wolf’s corpse and tried to remember where Octavia was standing at the moment of the blast.
A flash of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the ruins in a brief flash of light. He spotted a patch of red, a few metres away from the beast’s corpse. It could be blood.
John ran towards the red patch and found a large pool of blood, its colour almost black in the dim light.
"Shit."
His pulse raced and his palms were sweaty. He followed the trail of blood and it led him to a collapsed building. He searched the wreckage, his eyes darting from corner to corner and his body tense. He noticed a pile of rubble near the wall. He could barely see a piece of clothing.
"Come on, Octavia, be alive. I know you’re strong."
He moved some of the debris and revealed Octavia’s unconscious body. Her face was covered in dust and blood, and her hair was matted. He checked her neck for a pulse and it was there. She was breathing and her heart was beating.
He carefully lifted her and held her against his chest. She was still warm.
"John!"
John turned and saw Dalia and Jolene running towards him.
"I’ve found her!" he shouted.
"Thank God," Dalia said, her voice trembling and her eyes wide.
They moved their injured companions and took refuge from the rain under a half-collapsed building.
John used the last of his Health Potions on everyone including Jolene and turned toward her, "the rest is up to you. Take care of them, please."
Jolene’s brows furrowed, and she glanced between the injured bodies and John.
John sat down against the wall and closed his eyes. It was a tense moment, but he had managed to find everyone and no one had died. They were injured, but they would survive. He was exhausted, both mentally and physically, and he needed some rest.
"Hey, John. Are you alright?" a familiar voice called out.
John opened his eyes and saw August standing before him, his face pale and his eyes heavy.
"I’m fine. How’s everyone?"
"They’re doing better. The potions worked wonders, and everyone’s recovering quickly. You should get some rest, too."
"Thanks. I’ll be fine," John said, his voice strained and his lips tight.
"Hey, don’t beat yourself up, dude. No one expected this, and you did your best," August said, his tone reassuring.
John nodded, his expression solemn.
"Just rest. We’ll need your strength later," August said, placing his hand on John’s shoulder.
John took a deep breath and closed his eyes, his mind drifting away and his body relaxing.
His mind drifted to Nova’s warning and the need to fortify his base. If their first encounter against the type of monster they needed to defend had gone this awry, how would they defeat the others? His brows shoot up at the mention of the monster. He had yet to collect the materials from his corpse.
He stood so suddenly that everyone glanced at him, their eyes wide with worry.
"John, I took the liberty of collecting the materials for you," Echo said to him telephatically.
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John exhaled the breath he didn’t realise he was holding. The only thing that could’ve made that day worse was for it to have been in vain.
"Thank you, Echo. You saved us," John replied, his voice filled with relief.
"You’re welcome, John," Echo replied.
John turned to the others, his face relaxed and his body relieved.
"We should go," John announced.
The others nodded, their faces tense and their bodies weary.
They gathered their belongings and prepared to leave.
With many of them injured and tired, it took them a long time to arrive back at the base. As they did, other survivors ruhed to tend to the injured. John turned around to look back at them, "good job, today. Rest and recover."
Dalia nodded and took a step towards John, her hand outstretched and her eyes shining.
"Thank you, John, for taking care of us," she said, her voice low and her words heavy. She was grateful, but her heart carried a heavy weight. Deep down, she still felt resentment towards John who wouldn’t reciprocate her feelings.
"It’s the least I could do," John replied, his voice quiet and his smile thin.
"Still, thank you," she repeated.
"Don’t worry about it," John said, his tone gentle and his gaze intense.
"I... I’ll be going then," she said, her voice faltering and her cheeks flushed.
She turned and walked away, her footsteps light and her heart full.
John watched her leave, his gaze lingering on her swaying hips and shapely rear. Any other day, his mind would be filled with images of making her his, but all he could think about was resting.
He shook his head and walked away. His heart still heavy, but unwavering in his resolve.