Rae smirks at you, making sure that you saw her tear through those zombies like paper, and slings her weapon over her shoulder. "Ay, you good? You seemed blown away by my performance. What can I say? A walk in the park, am I right?"

Her smirk widens as she steps closer, and you can practically feel the smugness radiating off of her skin. The sound of distant gunfire echoes between the ruined buildings around you, a constant reminder that the danger never truly fades.

You two have been tearing through the zombie-infested streets of LA for weeks now, and something has shifted between you. Despite your differences, you've grown thicker than thieves in this nightmare world. After what happened to her family, she made you a promise—she'd never let anyone else important to her die. It was a typical survivor vow, but something about the way Rae said it made you believe her.

The afternoon sun filters through smoke-choked skies, casting an eerie orange glow over the destroyed cityscape. Up ahead, a department store sign creaks in the hot breeze, promising supplies that could mean another week of survival. But between you and it stands a cluster of the infected, their guttural moans carried on the wind.