CHRONICLES OF THE LAST SURVIVOR

Chapter 38

Scouting and New Allies

The morning sun broke through the thick clouds, casting a pale, washed-out light across the desolate landscape. There was a strange calm about it, the sort of silence that stretched on for miles in every direction, broken only by the wind carrying dust and whispers of the devastation that had come before.

I adjusted the strap on my pack, scanning the broken skyline of what was once the town of Fairbank. Abandoned buildings stood like grave markers, silent and still, each one holding its own story of whatever last stand, last struggle, or final failure had taken place. Now, they were nothing but remnants, waiting for someone—or something—to reclaim them.

Eli was a few paces behind me, eyes sharp and alert. His movements were quieter now, more controlled than they had been even a few days ago. Out here, you either learned fast, or you didn’t last long. Hana, our head of reconnaissance, scouted ahead, her figure small against the empty streets but every step delib