A cold breeze tussled the torn edges of my shirt, chill setting in as Michael waited for me to speak.

  “Oh,” was all I managed to get out.

  Michael looked me over again. I expected him to call me crazy like the people at the hospital did after the accident. He never did.

  “I believe you,” he said. “That you saw an old man. That everything you said is true.” He glanced at the red sky, the sand, the black trees, his face growing harsh, rigid. “Whatever brought us here, I think they’re watching. I think they’re trying to mess with us.” He plucked up the robes I’d tossed to the ground and handed them back to me. “But maybe there’s more going on than we realize. And until we figure out what this is, what this really is, I’ll choose to believe whatever people tell me, no matter how it sounds.”

  “I…” the words lodged in my throat, sharp and dust covered. “Thank you.”

  He grinned, then clapped me on the shoulder so hard it nearly sent me to the ground. “You might put those on if you want to fit in with the rest of us.” He said, gesturing at the robes in my hands. “This too.” He handed me the crystal tipped staff.

  Basic Staff

  Item Class: E

  Description: A regular length of wood used to house a magic amplifier.

  Amplifier: Desert Crystal

  Amplifier Effects: + 2 Focus. + 2 Arcane.

  “We all got similar gear in orientation, but you missed out,” Michael said. “Maybe this mystery guy is trying to help you out?”

  I let the walking stick I’d been using fall to the ground. The staff was thinner, harder to lean on. But it gave me a small arcane bonus, and if I could change the amplifier out, it would definitely be worth keeping.

  “Who knows,” I said, doing my best to dispel the tension building in my chest. The old man, the orb, the fact I’d missed orientation. They were all connected somehow. But I could worry about that later. I had to find Avery first.

  Someone started calling for Michael and so he turned for the clearing. “Talk to me again before you leave, I have a favor I need to ask.” Then he was gone.

  I looked down at the slip of paper with my name on it. It had blown into the side of a tree, and was now snagged on some roots. I kept telling myself the old man had been real. Even if I hadn’t taken my medication in months, I couldn’t have imagined him. I just couldn’t have. And even if I had, someone had to put those items into Michael’s inventory. If not the old man, then who?

  The robe flashed blue after I slipped it over my clothes. A notification appeared telling me my mana regeneration had been increased by five percent. Another useless buff to join the others.

  After slipping on the looter’s muddy boots, I looked once more at the tower in the distance. We had to be hundreds of miles away, but the thing was so tall that it split the sun down the middle, shrouding us in cold shadow. Somewhere inside was the final boss, the thing we had to kill for this to be over. If the voice is even telling the truth. There was so much we still didn’t know. Maybe the information kiosk would help.

  By the time I strolled back into the clearing, people had gathered what supplies they could and were preparing to leave. Only five people were on the side that led toward the kiosk. Everyone else was going the opposite direction, hopeful they could find this “Dune Town” place. They were likely hoping they could find food there. I only had two protein bars left and no water. This made me and all the others heading to the kiosk stupid, suicidal, or desperate. Likely all three.

  The woman who’d been calling for Charlie the day before stood vacant eyed at the edge of the forest. Near her were a group of three teens, the oldest maybe eighteen. One was a girl, the guy beside her probably her brother. He had the same tan skin and curly brown hair. Plus, he had the watchful eyes of an overprotective sibling. Something I was a little too familiar with. The other guy with them appeared to be their friend. The trio were arguing with someone as I approached.

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  “Sorry, sorry,” the short Asian kid said, backing away.

  The two teen guys scowled at him, then started walking into the forest, the girl soon shuffling along behind them. The adult woman, who I think Michael called Clara, absently followed them. The Asian kid walked up to me before I had the chance to ignore him.

  “Hello!” he said with a smile and a little too much excitement.

  I tried shuffling past him, but then he started following me.

  “Do you need something?” I asked. By the way he spoke, I figured his English wasn’t the best.

  He shook his head but then kept pace with me. We stopped as we reached the trees.

  “You’re heading to the kiosk?” I asked, worried perhaps he was confused. But he nodded and brought up his map. The words were all in Japanese.

  “Yes,” he said, pointing at the arrow. He stood there like he was expecting something.

  “Ugh, are you wanting to go with me?” He nodded with enthusiasm at that. “Sorry but, you’re probably better on your own.” I patted my permanently ruined leg.

  Truth was I just didn’t want the extra baggage. Even if it’d only been for a night, I was ready to be away from people. My head was fuzzy, and I needed to focus. Other people would just get in the way.

  He scrunched his eyebrows at my leg. “Sorry.” He backed away but didn’t go anywhere.

  I kind of wanted to tell him to fuck off, but he was just a kid. Probably scared. He had the same leather armor as most of the others, but instead of a sword or something he just had two tiny daggers, one at each hip. I couldn’t imagine fighting something with those would be easy.

  People on the other end of the clearing started marching into the woods. I watched them as they went. Even spotted Vinessa and Lyra as they blended into the crowd and then disappeared. I hoped they’d be okay. It looked like Michael and Darren were leading them, so I figured they were in decent hands. Still, a part of me wanted to go with them. But the idea that Avery could be out here was almost more than I could handle. She’d have been with Grandma when everyone was snatched up. I wasn’t sure if Grandma being with Avery still would be a better or worse outcome.

  After most of the crowd were shepherded into the forest, Michael came jogging over. He’d said something earlier about a favor, but I didn’t really want to hear it. I supposed I owed him for his help with the looter, but still, favors had a bad habit of going sideways. At least when I’m involved.

  He pulled a bottle of water from his inventory as he approached. “It’s not much, but I wanted you to have this.”

  I looked over his shoulder at the dwindling line of survivors. “Sure you shouldn’t be saving it for them?”

  Michael shrugged. “Someone found a few this morning, with a bit of rationing, it should be enough to reach the town.” He frowned. “Hopefully. But where you’re headed, who knows what you’ll find. But if…when you find this kiosk and your sister, I want you to return to us. Then I want you to tell me everything you learned from the kiosk.”

  His request sounded simple enough, but we both knew it would be anything but.

  “Maybe,” I responded. “I’ll think about it.”

  “That’s all I can ask, in the end.” He turned toward the Asian kid. “New friend of yours?”

  “Hardly,” I grunted, taking a long sip of water.

  “I’m Riu,” the kid said, touching a hand to the center of his chest.

  Michael told the kid his name, then gave me a nudge.

  “I’m Arthur,” I said, accidently mimicking the kid’s overly optimistic tone.

  Michael gave the kid a bottle of water. “Wish I could give you more, but this is all I can spare.”

  “You do what you got to do,” I said, turning for the kiosk.

  “I saw that woman, Clara head this way,” Michael called from behind. “You make sure to take care of her out there.”

  I chuckled. “One favor at a time, man.” Then I walked into the embrace of the forest, Riu right behind me.

  They didn’t call this place “Red Hills” for nothing. The ground was agonizingly uneven, sloping up and down like waves in high tide. My entire body was drenched in sweat after only a few hours, and it was only through stubborn pride I hadn’t taken a break yet.

  My bad leg burned so badly I thought maybe it was on fire. But I gritted my teeth and focused on the next step, each motion drawing me closer to answers, closer to Avery’s side. This pain was nothing compared to what I’d put myself through in training. Even my coaches thought I was nuts back then. They had been right.

  The three teens were still a long way ahead of me. I had been loosely following their tracks in the sand, but the longer I went, the further they drew away.

  The same could not be said for Clara.

  Despite getting a head start, the straw haired, middle-aged woman was only a few dozen yards down the next hill. Before long, I’d pass her by.

  Or we, I guess.

  Riu was a few feet off to my right. He’d not said a single word since we left, and his smile had melted away. He had a focus in his eyes that told me he was after someone, someone he needed to find. In that at least, we were the same.

  We bottomed out the next hill, then slipped past Clara.

  She was muttering something to herself, a song, I think. Shit was creepy as hell. Worse was that blank stare of hers. She wasn’t even looking ahead, but right at the ground. She was shuffling now, face sweat smeared and pale. Looked like maybe she’d pass out soon if she didn’t stop.

  Riu came up beside me and tugged at my sleeve. “We will stop?”

  I shook my head. “Kid, I’m not sure if you can fully understand me, but people like that?” I threw a thumb over my shoulder. “They get you killed in situations like this. It’s best if we leave her behind.”

  That certainly was something the world’s biggest asshole would say, but it was the truth. Michael might be fine with watching the sheep, but when the wolves inevitably came, I had no intention of playing Shepard.

  Riu stopped suddenly. I thought maybe he was about to argue with me, but then he drew his daggers.

  “What?” I turned, then saw them.

  There was another group of people headed our way.

  Then I got a better look at them.

  “What the fuck?”

  Those weren’t people. Not anymore.

  They were zombies.