- Zombies won’t give you a test run. No “Are you sure you want to continue?” prompt.

  - They’ll throw you into the deep end, whether or not you’ve learned to swim.

  - So when you think you're ready... you probably are. Or close enough. Just go.

  ---

  Maplethorn was good to us. For a while. Quiet enough to survive in. Loud enough to stay sharp. But comfort? Comfort is poison in this world.

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  Time to move.

  Alex actually suggested it first—Alex, the same person who once nearly broke down over opening a can of beans with a faulty manual opener.

  Now she’s the one drawing up supply routes, marking gas stations, rerouting us around heavy zombie clusters like she’s programming a GPS with anxiety and spite.

  We’re heading to Cleveland.

  Yeah, that Cleveland.

  A real city, with real high-rises, real loot, and real problems. More infected. More competition. More chaos.

  But also more answers, maybe. More opportunity.

  And on the way, we train.

  Stick fights behind old diners. Improvised lockpicking contests. Radio repair sessions. Competitive "who can identify roadkill faster" (Elliot’s still undefeated). Sibling energy, chaotic survival drills, and moments that—if you squint—feel like a weird, messed-up version of happiness.