Theories

Victor glanced up from the stove, a ladle in hand, and greeted her warmly. "Good morning, love," he said, walking over to plant a kiss on her lips.

"Morning," she murmured distractedly, her gaze fixed on Adelina. "How is she even moving?"

Victor gestured toward Adelina and Hiroshi with an amused smile. "It seems she has an extraordinary healing speed. Remarkable, isn't it?"

Azumi tapped his arm lightly before moving toward Adelina, who greeted her with a radiant smile.

"You have this kind of ability?" Azumi whispered, her tone so soft and incredulous that even Hiroshi, standing just a few steps away, couldn't hear her.

Adelina leaned in and whispered back, "I didn’t know I had it either."

Azumi straightened, her voice rising so the others could hear. "But your wound should take at least two weeks to heal completely."

Adelina grinned, her expression teetering on cocky. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"Pretty cool indeed!" Hiroshi chimed in, visibly impressed. "Looks like I won’t even need to assist her anymore."

Victor chuckled from his spot at the stove as he stirred a fragrant pot of chicken adobo. "That makes things easier for all of us. We can leave sooner than expected."

Azumi nodded eagerly. "Yes! Definitely."

As the group sat down for breakfast, Azumi found her thoughts drifting. The realization struck her suddenly, like lightning. Could I have this kind of ability too? It might be some kind of specimen thing...

After they finished eating, Victor and Hiroshi prepared to head out and gather supplies for their journey. The moment the door closed behind them, Azumi wasted no time.

"Adelina," she began, her tone urgent as she leaned in far too close. "Do you think I might have the same ability as you?"

Adelina recoiled slightly, grimacing at the sudden proximity. "I-I have no idea," she admitted hesitantly.

"Can I check your wound?" Azumi asked, her curiosity blazing.

Adelina nodded, turning her back to Azumi and shrugging off the jacket she wore loosely to accommodate her healing injuries.

Azumi leaned in, peeling back the gauze with meticulous care. Her breath caught as she observed the wound. It was healing at an astonishing rate—edges that had been raw and angry yesterday were now scarred and fading, and the length of the injury had visibly shortened by at least a centimeter.

In a matter of hours, what should have taken weeks was nearly closed. "This is... incredible," Azumi murmured, her voice low with awe. She traced the outline of the wound with a tentative finger, careful not to touch the tender flesh directly.

Adelina glanced over her shoulder, her expression a mixture of curiosity and unease. "What does it mean?" she asked.

Azumi carefully pressed the gauze down over Adelina's wound, securing it with the plaster. Her hands moved with precision, but her mind raced with possibilities.

She couldn’t ignore the way her fingers trembled, not from fear, but from the weight of the thought forming in her mind. The makeshift medical kit lay open beside her, its meager contents a stark reminder of how little they had, how much they had lost. The flickering candle cast long, wavering shadows across the abandoned cabin walls, the scent of old wood and damp earth clinging to the air.

When she finished, Adelina turned to face her, a questioning look in her eyes. "Why are you staring at me like that?" she asked, narrowing her gaze.

Azumi hesitated for only a second before blurting out, "What if we can cure the zombies?"

The words hung between them, heavy and almost absurd in the thick silence. Outside, the distant groans of the undead mixed with the wind howling through broken windowpanes.

Adelina blinked, then let out a short, humorless laugh. "Cure the zombies? That’s a bold leap, Azumi."

Azumi leaned forward, her voice dropping to a near whisper, as if afraid the shadows might be listening. "No, hear me out. Someone caused this apocalypse—someone had to create this virus, right?"

Adelina’s smirk faltered, replaced by something more cautious. She shifted against the rickety wooden chair, exhaling sharply. "Oh, you mean us? The specimens? You’re looking at the culprits, my friend."

Azumi’s expression didn’t waver. "Yes, we’re part of it. But aside from us, there are people—scientists, masterminds—who orchestrated this whole thing. The same people who experimented on us."

Adelina’s fingers tightened around the strap of her torn jacket. "And you think they’re still out there?"

Azumi nodded, her eyes sharp with thought. "I don’t just think they’re out there. I think they’ve been working behind the scenes this whole time. Maybe, they separated the specimens on purpose."

Adelina frowned, her skepticism evident. "Okay, I’ll bite. Why do you think they separated us?"

Azumi exhaled, brushing a strand of dark hair out of her face. "If we were kept apart, it must have been for a reason. Maybe they were afraid of what would happen if we found each other. What if we’re not just victims or experiments? What if we’re the solution? The key to undoing all of this?"

The flickering candle cast deep shadows across Adelina’s face as she mulled over the idea. Her posture tensed, her mind racing. "You're saying, we could be the cure?"

"Exactly," Azumi whispered, her voice laced with certainty. "Whoever is behind this didn’t just release us into the wild by accident. They wanted to see what we would do. How we would adapt. And if they’re still out there..." She paused, a determined fire burning in her eyes.

Adelina let out a slow breath, rubbing a hand over her face. "And you hope they are? That’s a dangerous gamble, Azumi. If they’re still alive, they’re not going to be happy to see us."

Azumi’s lips curled into a small, defiant smirk. "Maybe not. But if they’re still alive, it means we can find them. And if we find them, we can find answers. Maybe even a way to end this nightmare."

Outside, the wind picked up, rattling the old wooden walls. The moans of the undead grew louder for a moment before fading into the distance. The world was a graveyard, an unrelenting reminder of what had been taken from them.

Adelina tapped her fingers against the armrest, lost in thought. "You’re talking about going straight into the lion’s den."

Azumi leaned forward, her voice resolute. "We’ve been running for long enough. If there’s even a chance that we can stop this, we have to try. We owe it to ourselves—and to everyone who’s been caught in the crossfire."

A long silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken fears and a glimmer of something dangerous—hope.

Finally, Adelina sighed, running a hand through her tangled hair. "Well, if we’re doing this, we’d better be ready. Because I don’t think the people behind this are just going to welcome us with open arms."

Azumi allowed a small smile to break through her serious demeanor. "Good. Let them try to stop us. They created this mess. Now it’s time they face the consequences."

Adelina chuckled, the sound dry but genuine. "You’re one hell of a gamble, Azumi. But I think I’m in."

Azumi’s heart pounded in her chest, not from fear, but from the sheer thrill of the idea taking root. "Then we start with what we know—and we figure out the rest as we go."

The conversation ended, but the spark of resolve remained between them. The battle ahead would be treacherous, but for the first time in a long time, Azumi felt like they had a chance.

And that was more than she had dared to hope for in a long, long time.

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