Chasing Truth

"NO!" Victor’s voice reverberated through the room, so loud it nearly startled Adelina from her sedated sleep.

"You can't leave, Azumi! You can't! You just can't!"

Azumi’s lips trembled, her eyes filled with unshed tears. "I know, b-but I have to, love. I have to, or I might lose my mind."

Victor’s expression hardened as his eyes narrowed. "Are you serious right now? How do you think you’ll survive out there?" He waved his hand vaguely toward the world beyond their safe walls. "We built this place to shield ourselves from the dangers outside, and you’re just going to step out there willingly?"

He paused, realizing his anger had flared too quickly, and his words had been sharper than intended. Taking a slow breath to calm himself, he approached her, his expression softening as he noticed how fragile she seemed in that moment.

He gently placed both hands on her shoulders, kneeling down in front of her so they could meet eye to eye.

"Love," he said quietly, his voice laden with concern, "I know how badly you want to remember, but we don’t know what kind of danger is out there. I... I can’t protect you all the time. And with that, I could never let you go outside."

Azumi shook her head, her frustration and determination evident. "You don’t understand," she sighed, gently taking one of Victor’s hands in hers. "This isn’t just about me remembering, love. My memories... from what I can piece together, they hold a key—a key that could unlock the mysteries of this God-forsaken world, the one filled with the undead."

Her fingers traced the lines of his hand, a quiet plea in her touch, as though trying to convince him. "You said you’ve never been to the hospital I worked at. I believe that's because... I wasn’t even a nurse."

Victor’s heart dropped at her words. The revelation hit him like a punch to the gut, and he was frozen, unable to respond. His mind raced, the truth dancing just out of reach, something he had always known—at least a little—but had desperately tried to bury.

Azumi’s words only deepened his silence. He had promised himself that he would forget it all—that he would ignore the things he'd seen, the things that didn’t quite make sense. But now, as her memories returned, and her curiosity began to push beyond their sanctuary, he was terrified. He couldn’t risk losing her to the truth. Not like this.

But what else could he do? There was no stopping what Azumi was about to do. Victor knew this moment had been inevitable—the day she remembers. The day the truth resurfaces.

He had overheard a conversation of hers three days before the outbreak, a moment that now felt like a distant memory. At the time, he hadn’t thought much of it. Azumi had always been obsessed with zombie and alien movies, often weaving fantastical scenarios into her conversations.

He assumed it was just one of her eccentric skits—something she would eventually turn into another quirky video for her collection.

In the days leading up to this, Victor had begun to notice the strange behaviors Azumi exhibited in the garage. At first, he brushed it off as nothing more than quirks or hobbies, but the feeling of unease never quite left him. He had even stumbled upon remains sealed in glass jars—something he convinced himself were just from animals. But something about the meticulous care with which she kept them always nagged at him.

Then there was the discovery of the multiple IDs—each with a different name—hidden away among her things. It struck him like a cold wave, the thought that perhaps Azumi was living a double life. Was she a spy? Or something more sinister? When he confronted her, she quickly dismissed it with the same flimsy excuse she always used—"It's for my vlogs."

Victor, ever trusting, stupidly believed her. It felt like one of those bizarre things Azumi often did, a part of her eccentric nature that he could never quite understand. The strange things she collected, the cryptic explanations—it all seemed harmless at the time. A silly obsession, something she might eventually move on from.

But now, as the pieces fell into place, the truth became undeniable. Those oddities—those experiments—were never meant to be a part of some harmless hobby. They had been building blocks, steps leading to something much darker. Something Victor had never imagined. What he had thought were just oddities, were in fact the seeds of an apocalypse he could never have foreseen.

Victor closed his eyes in defeat, the weight of the decision settling heavily on his shoulders. It was a risky idea, but deep down, he knew that if anyone could help them unravel the mystery of the three-year outbreak, it would be someone who truly understood what was happening.

"Fine!" he hissed, opening his eyes to meet Azumi’s grateful gaze.

"But only after Adelina recovers. You said you worked with her before—let's say you could be wrong, but she found this place, so she should know more."

Azumi smiled, nodding in agreement. But that smile was quickly wiped away when Victor’s next words cut through the air.

"What happened earlier, before you pass out? I know she must have said something that triggered your memories and caused you to collapse."

Azumi hesitated, her lips trembling, her hand scratching the back of her head.

"I-I don’t really remember," she said sheepishly, forcing a grin. Victor’s patience thinned, and he rolled his eyes.

"Promise me you’ll tell me once you remember," he insisted, leaning in closer, his gaze piercing as he searched her face for any sign of hesitation. He needed the truth—no more evasions, no more distractions. "No more lies, Azumi."

Azumi leaned back slightly, her eyes narrowing. "Did I ever lie to you?" she asked, her tone a little sharp. Victor grimaced, his jaw tightening.

"Oh, love. If you didn’t, maybe this zombie apocalypse shit never even happened."

Azumi's brows furrowed, her voice rising with irritation. "Oh, so you're saying all of this is my fault?" The question echoed in the room, catching Victor off guard and making him lose his balance for a moment.

"N-No, of course not," Victor stammered, quickly correcting himself. "I’m just saying, maybe things could’ve been a little different—maybe this apocalypse wouldn’t have happened—if you were more honest with me from the start." His words came out with a sense of frustration, as if they were the only way to explain the weight he had been carrying.

"Wow," Azumi chuckled bitterly, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "That sounded so different. Besides, if I'm really a part of this apocalypse that killed thousands of people, I refuse to believe I didn't do anything to stop it."

Her gaze dropped to her lap, but before she could retreat further into herself, Victor reached out and gently held her chin, lifting her face to meet his eyes once more.

"Of course," he reassured, his voice softening. "I also believe you didn’t tell me to protect me from whatever or whoever you were working with."

Azumi’s eyes flickered as she absorbed his words. "You think so?" she asked, her tone uncertain.

Victor hesitated for a moment, a rueful smile tugging at his lips. "Not really," he admitted, "but that’s the most cliché reason there is."

Azumi let out a small sigh, her shoulders sagging slightly. "Oh."

"But don't worry. I'll be with you on this, okay?" Victor smiled, his tone playful yet sincere. "I'm really against it, but I'll be with you because I have no choice—aw!"

He flinched as Azumi playfully hit his bicep.

"But jokes aside," he continued, his voice softening, "I'll protect you even if it costs me my life." He leaned in and gently kissed her forehead. "Once everything is over, we'll start over again. Have kids, build something good."

Azumi raised an eyebrow. "But I thought we didn’t want to have kids?"

Victor chuckled, a lighthearted glint in his eyes. "I changed my mind," he said, standing up and stretching. "Now, I’ve gotta go out to the garden and gather us some fresh veggies and fruit for lunch. It’s late, goodness me."

Azumi watched Victor's well-toned back as he left the room, his every step a reminder of the weight of her decision.

If she were being honest with herself, she had already considered escaping—to spare him from the danger she was about to face in order to reclaim who she was and unravel the mysteries surrounding the outbreak. But deep down, she knew it would only put Victor's life in jeopardy.

Victor wouldn’t just stay behind, waiting for her to return. She could already picture him hunting her down, searching tirelessly, never giving up. And Azumi knew herself too well—without him by her side, she wouldn’t last a day.

The thought of facing the chaos alone, without his steady presence, threatened to shatter her. She had come so far, but the uncertainty of what lay ahead made her question if she could bear it without him. Without Victor, she might lose herself entirely, consumed by the weight of everything she couldn't control.

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