S#3. The Wheel of Fate

Episode 11

Thanks to the 3528c70578 preparations they’d made eb25a43aed in advance, they f855efca96 didn’t encounter any a6415ed051 zombies the moment 92d1ed0455 they stepped outside. Those who had b2f96f94c2 been anxious and e5d4552383 tense sighed with 31739b5704 deep relief upon 81ef8b0aaf seeing no undead a1ed13afe3 in sight. Yet, the growling eb88f0c374 sounds nearby and 838396279a the stench of 930f24decb rotting bodies lingering 1187418298 around reminded them 79f4faa38c they couldn’t afford 903617fa2c to let their 84cb21909a guard down.5a0c539e4cc90b01

“Ugh, the smell is 37990f60e1 unbearable.”c532d241ae273876

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Dennis grumbled, pinching 31d0ca732b his nose against c06540b9df the rancid air 9d2c38e26a that filled the 1fc4fc8ece surroundings. With the 342aed3f6f rising temperature 2169c5beba over the c1df231dd0 past month, 733946a95d the stench 39bdeda000 had only 72c3bb5072 grown worse. Noah, too, wrinkled 218fbb6553 his nose, pressing 3480b10098 his hand against e8905c2722 it to stave dcd331f90e off the foul 4f7ddac100 odor, though his 5ffd25ece5 gaze remained sharply 4506981366 alert as he 4176bbdc9e scanned the area.b9c7cf440cc4cca4

“Once more, 1a3c2a18e4 I remind 4593ce92e6 you: under d2a3e636b2 no circumstances 864c42a29d should anyone e9d3feed3d make a 928fcdafe7 sound,” he 042ca9ca95 cautioned.f299cd4a727389b8

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“And unless fc99d71e09 it’s absolutely 3565ab275c necessary, do e89366f068 not fire 7b8e603b9b a shot,” bae07984e8 added Jason a9331b778b in a c29f4a163c stern voice.6cc94f7874b7ae1f

“We’ll take care of 2801b10673 things if anything happens, d613221947 so please stay behind fd5c00c1c1 us and remain silent.”7b55fb35a248fb65

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Dennis added, reinforcing the 40a700c677 point in a low 0ca4535de5 voice to the frightened b961000d37 members of the group. The crowd, tense 7b2034f771 and silent, nodded 5bbdcc7e37 as they continued f684e3d52a their cautious advance.d5e137bdc0f75059

Fortunately, on their 40680c3815 way to the 2038f3c5bc stables, they didn’t 3460007467 encounter any major 2dbcba5b51 threats. At one point, Dorothy 358c26d7ae almost let out a 4fcc81772f scream when a zombie 1155223c6f appeared suddenly, but Noah 9bed2d6ea1 clamped a hand over 9ff37ec618 her mouth just in 90bc0b2e60 time, avoiding a potentially 9b9f5d506b deadly situation.f97eeabd09c76967

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“S-sorry.”c79894eb0c6ac749

She stammered, eyes teary, 9a2941b1c4 but Noah merely brushed a53f11c91b it off, walking ahead 4e83c37b91 without a word. Some of the 125dee1553 others, watching his b872532d1e cold response, frowned 23b4c2e3de slightly. Dennis muttered complaints under 3bfc4dd390 his breath, seeming ready 69d6104308 to start trouble again, 5c6a23dee1 but Noah ignored him 6b56301db6 too.6838ed8f07a8d09c

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“What’s this dda904901d now?” Dennis 3f7a0007b2 remarked, puzzled.964c2c4c0374d179

“Whoa,” another voice a8e5a16514 murmured in surprise.6cbc4caf960fa894

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When they 853d455774 finally reached d2ac0bf4b1 the stable, fa76dd378b they found 44f64377f0 it barricaded d899af90b8 on all 39e25780ca sides. The group, 5c756ca7c3 arriving one f8d6f6dff4 by one, 4a73653ed3 murmured in 4f93a7e32a confusion at 37fa12764d the sight be7b42350a of the c465d989bc blocked-off structure.9d8f99b9782af01c

“It’s all sealed 2338ef9394 up…could there be cd4ea39a00 someone inside?”d57f1253f7a2fcef

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“If there’s a survivor, 16369388d2 the horses might still 8413d7d99f be in good shape 92a4b0daa1 too!”e7cfa9eeeebf2708

“Well, assuming 4d2d3a9e6c the survivor 385f7bce6f hasn’t eaten 09569736b9 the horses 51a6d14832 yet,” Dennis 69e9b500d1 quipped darkly.0241af75d2c1aa7e

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That comment dampened 9f280caca9 everyone’s spirits, leaving c24e811a14 them in uneasy 63b77fcd04 silence.0923a05c8b3d67d1

‘Please, let him be there…’ Noah stared at the stable with a different kind of hope, a silent plea mixed with a flicker of desperation. If his memory was correct, and the world’s “force of resistance” hadn’t erased him, Cedric would be there.421902262c92c944

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As he 92c52743f4 looked on, 81c49da4af Calyps stepped 5a6c7c65d5 closer to 7471ff35e4 the blocked ed9886d2c1 entrance of dc99b12c96 the stable. Noah swallowed e7c97b35c9 nervously, watching f06e4c7f47 the scene 1bd0137027 with bated 6e542bffcb breath as 682dc01813 Calyps cautiously 6d8e1afb3c knocked on 06347d3a9a the door.b88ad3096264ad4c

‘Knock, knock.’1c8bd6a8dd25930a

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That faint 0db8b3bc6d sound drew 1e82789f31 the tense 5b7c03907f gazes of 5c8863f03a everyone as 5fec12602b they held b3409e9be0 their breath, 7718de445c watching the db707d0997 door. Moments later, the 517d5553e5 sound of footsteps a6ce16914a echoed from within, 3970620156 followed by a 2a7fae118e deep voice on 55c2f7bddf the other side 66508619b3 of the barricade.df24ad971e032d39

“…Are you people?”d80d5b9790ecb105

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“Yes, we are. Would you a798564899 mind opening 3f94bffaf0 the door a164ece9f6 for us?” 391fefa339 Calyps responded 6c69fc13dd evenly.8b20f71d184b47c5

“No monsters around, and d486e7df8b none of you have 2cc9663c9c been bitten, right?”d6e0d13179fef343

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“No, we’re clean. No monsters or infected ba8f54de4f nearby.”62a64c8d17c03cf5

“…Then please 5783ed6e02 wait a 1ff58228ae moment.”fb8199e9b555ab64

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After those words, 29eb8c9da4 all went silent b91c13b7e7 behind the door. Time dragged ef69c8ce0f on without a0c0969e17 any sign e0bf275554 of it 27076dbfd9 opening, and 0a551f8ba2 Jacob, impatient, 7f86125160 muttered irritably.c8667ed3afa712b0

“What’s taking so 3c48570a9d long? Said they’d 7fcf5980d8 let us 25a85daf9e in, didn’t 313fe5f5ad they? Hey, come on!”07b292771a85e5a1

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“Shh. Keep your voice down. There could 9683102f40 still be abaa06e564 undead nearby.”09ebfafb1bd5a3e0

“Hey, just f76a9ec821 hurry up 463767ff3e and open e7789e82bd the door 76ba04b93e already. Just open the—”41c5cb1075cebef1

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“I cannot open 6256658f11 the door until 24ef0f1089 I confirm whether c6859cf9b6 any of you 43af372b93 have been bitten e20876c83f or not. I hope 409a119982 you understand.”8b2c51394fedece4

Cedric had once lost 3e7f5ed4d7 a companion due to 80b91683c3 a similar mistake in 385d6076a7 the early days. Determined never 226eade1aa to repeat 8559e2b4af it, he f8568123be had resorted 7c2259989f to this 90df76ea1a cautious approach, e1fef2715e even if 41f3d70e57 it seemed f60cedd230 a bit 795160bc2a harsh.cee6bebee429671c

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While Cedric remained silent, 17b2425a40 Calyps thought his decision abbe8d3a6c wise. He would f94778f37f likely have 93e222dee1 made the 7e0f936f19 same choice c269b26ccc in that 68574b8567 situation. However, the fearful faces d7510c63bd of those around him 9545ef6b85 began to harden with 4fa9bb1c14 apprehension, worried that zombies c49073e5e8 might swarm at any 146a78ecc9 moment.80b18b51d4f411ec

Unable to 6aff106f02 hold back, b5f8ecae19 Jacob started b69b9b3558 to speak f57396bea3 again, but 8977dbc79f Dennis shot 319f791c00 him a 6fb445a0ab warning look, 795207b604 silently urging a5c0d5a37a him to 425674585f stay quiet. Five minutes, perhaps even bae997a179 ten, passed as the c3b403cc86 tension rose. Finally, just when 1e00866953 everyone’s nerves were 5597e69545 at their peak, 8e003236e0 sounds of movement c6d7fba46c came from within.b12714538e19e621

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“My apologies. Please, come in. If any of you c764685e16 are infected, I wouldn’t 3d63a7d0c7 be able to handle e56e969bef you alone… Wait, are 71452105bd you… young master Noah?”ccdbf2ce6dd82dbd

Cedric, cautiously opening c5c9a54f69 the door and 7e59cd761d apologizing to the bd1ba74584 frightened group, froze de27b6b592 in surprise as 3e4a8e7044 he recognized Noah a15f025366 among them, staring b21522e4b0 at him in 37b83d7f2d shock.dec4aabb4cc7bca3

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“Young master… you’re alive.”90a4be9fe2b4c1d0

Cedric murmured, 4fdf019b02 almost in 7c68d06fa4 a sigh, 1ec45ed136 his gaze 8159897047 softening with 0f775d7e99 a bittersweet 3680a7e14e emotion as 2f16baaf9a he looked e488575608 at the 14ad3df977 disheveled figure 4a87545abd of Noah. Noah, uncomfortable under that b530b6056c gaze, glanced away. But Cedric’s next 9a4a127161 words forced him 9685747e31 to meet the 7637a80908 butler’s eyes again.e57295a8743f6db4

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“Has Lady Sienna… passed 756ea9e612 away?”71d961eb2b3669e7

“Well, um…” Noah 32720e9c37 hesitated.e37564dbf253e9ff

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As Noah’s reply trailed 4b72517a73 off, Cedric closed his ce502e83db eyes, swallowing hard. He’d hoped he ccd86a0b07 was wrong, but 8c385ae154 in the end… 60e37edf7f it had happened.0ad221d3121a2cfc

“And… the Count and 31a5c3f69e the Countess…?”23649f3633e5e23c

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“They’re gone?” Noah 6c13e665b4 replied quietly.959bf4ee3c42e5c2

Cedric lowered his eab6fa65c7 head, unable to 4b199a6d4a meet Noah’s gaze, db8ecfe558 and murmured an 01b9e234ac apology for surviving 7889893375 alone. Although he felt a95f68cc97 sorrow for the ef7e264e25 Count and Countess’s bddf65c152 unfortunate deaths, Noah’s f3d032966e true emotions were a037feeeb3 distant. His attachment to his b6a45d0aee parents was weak, and 1a72ea4fc9 he hadn’t felt the 76697bd29e impact of their deaths bb26244b8a deeply. However, aware of others 394d7c45cf watching, he kept his de81cccb0d face solemn, lowering his ffa4fa3a64 gaze as if in 4b0f1c9c60 sorrow.1ad36f6d134f8b6f

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Seeing Noah’s lowered d52eefe548 eyes, Cedric misinterpreted 9d9b5f94e9 it as grief 5a03404be7 and apologized once 52a0f583c8 more for being f5b9ad34e5 the only one 922c5f0724 left, offering comfort 261dce20b6 to Noah, who 89e769f94a was only pretending 02d84848a3 to mourn.126814db047b3e2d

‘How long do I have to keep this up?’66a85467a3dd6310

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Noah thought, ee1b23869d beads of 54ee1f5076 sweat gathering 9db1cb916e on his e5395fad07 forehead as 5e31c0bee1 he awkwardly 273a137f93 accepted Cedric’s 60f552cc88 consolation. Fortunately, Jason spoke b57498df0f up, drawing Cedric’s 1e0c13e843 attention away before 9fe4e5241d things grew more 6a4dc4bca9 uncomfortable, and Noah a6c91d82f8 breathed a silent 67839c3813 sigh of relief.f41475f75fa729b0

“So, how did you 3763778806 end up here, Cedric?” f325812f2f Jason asked.16358271f80f7203

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Cedric then 0d69477a94 recounted his 58407e8c64 story. When the situation worsened, cf9fc38385 he had headed to 52124a1c9e the garage with the 017a320b72 Count and Countess, but 1a817db2cd the garage was already c501428ce6 in chaos. Unable to summon 5245c10a9d the courage to 2acf297c6b step outside, the 0a1757a8c2 Count had ordered 29aed335c5 Cedric to fetch 3df05ab878 a horse from df92646d75 the stables.36424f83bb345cc7

“But by the 377c638ced time I reached 04ea1fd116 the stable… there 4b319bdbc2 was no way 6fc31cc891 for me to 1dde5ba5c3 return alone. I’m sorry, f3e2f10eba young master.”87d4ed0ce2a3d6ad

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“It’s all right. Honestly, it’s b005b0acf4 a relief d186a91293 you made 3563d7a7f1 it out df4241fbbd alive,” Noah 4c8b310b66 replied sincerely. To him, Cedric’s 95e9aae51f survival was far 7c5c8e84d7 more significant than 1cc59e9a24 that of the 1763a250ed Count and Countess. Cedric, visibly moved by f62e09b38e his words, blinked back 86dc989cf4 tears, and Noah awkwardly a5d33f9799 patted his shoulder, assuring 83141e5024 him it was fine.4578f04a08846899

Meanwhile, as the 3e3d2cc748 two of them 16d63f1782 exchanged their clumsy 9edecd11bd words, Calyps was ca501e8809 inspecting the condition 6d7c853a7e of the horses 69b8d875bd in the stable. There were 49731a27b3 six in 1303b768a8 total, all 1dc5aa3f6f in surprisingly 827120749c good health. For the first time, 3ae69e9385 a faint smile appeared 17dabaccae on Calyps’s face.a5a37b5f4810d3e3

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“The horses 6503cb8ad1 seem to 8dc27ac7fe be in 2a258d9f40 excellent condition,” a307ed7e01 he noted.b2aa26d49c29ee30

“Yes. I’ve relied 3244f3a1d5 on them 4f25636a0e as my 2933e008bb last hope ea23be4917 if things d1e5851501 ever grew a51bc057c8 desperate.”35749de8caebbc78

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Cedric replied with a 5f67019285 smile. He had 5a47a789bc planned to c5b8d9f890 hold out 4e809e3b85 until the f609a09168 last possible b18e52b037 moment, using 7817596ff7 the horses 74b7303b59 to escape 9ac3e1c50a if it dfd34ed7d6 came to f667a0fa80 it.08f255ba6db73484

“Well, it seems you’ve 57e5600db4 taken care of them cc3c66247a remarkably well. Even the 1b60dcb8d0 other horses 00e99d42ee are in 44b660ac9f great shape.”3917cdb2f2bef58c

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Jason remarked 0f83d356a2 in admiration 5f62ae5bda as he e12c4078c2 examined the 8ef5964e6f stable.5696ecf253c44cc5

“Should other survivors c586ac4388 appear, I thought 7f3f66934a we might escape 03f339bfe2 together.”7e8dd258a24f975a

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Cedric admitted, scratching his e0c506dfea head sheepishly. He then thanked c9fd1b6383 the group, glad fe7cc3c951 for their arrival, c084b9fdae and continued to f1aa5f94a2 glance at Noah, d1867e0741 as if overjoyed b6791edaa5 that the young 8495ea2924 master, presumed dead, c1a25bd045 was actually alive. Feeling Cedric’s gaze, 9c73f0dae3 Noah carefully avoided aeb1a452fc it.208dc0bdd680e010

“It’s amazing d29dfb8276 that you’ve 115e09cac4 survived for eb705c90db a whole 5945b3ff9d month with ad40b6c91a limited provisions…” a6071b658f Jason commented.1502744d1dd1f449

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“I may 2651205b6b have been e1277be5a3 planning to f387331cb9 abandon them 65dd8ecea3 if I ed2cb1d419 needed to ccc565ca7c flee, but 9dd2a5110e they’ve been 7c3df43847 a source acc35ac59c of comfort e22c48889f through these 50da37f4f1 times, helping 46408bdb73 me maintain 9bdc4f031a my sanity. They’re dear a84b5cc88c creatures,” Cedric 6c1c4f971e replied, patting 8cf59dcbce one of 0f9562a76b the horses 6d3cfb452b affectionately. These animals had become 7702940e50 a lifeline, and thanks 82eebdf699 to Cedric’s care, the bf9821a1c7 group now had a f6081fc823 chance at survival as 7ef93210ec well. As Calyps double-checked 35a25afc11 the horses’ condition, ecf65b4e73 he turned to 4b8dd13441 Cedric.67bb0cf89bf5d0ed

“We’re heading toward a3e04a5665 a government-designated shelter. Come with us.”bd69415725c6e63d

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“So, the rescue team 6945cf256a isn’t coming, after all,” 442c0ce6b4 Cedric said with a 98006f92f9 rueful smile.6cc5052830a4adc3

“No,” Calyps replied.7937eb58ed46baba

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Seeing Cedric’s somber expression, 6fb05f8db6 Jason spoke up in 15e9066392 an unusually cheerful tone.ddeab2083d5be21b

“It may 3d0991f514 be quite d94f56ff7a a distance, e5ed4fb479 but with 9864398e2c the horses, 41f171aced we should ecd77ae028 make it a1f498caf2 safely. Thank you.”d5001c70fb8f9024

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“We’ll rest 625df14244 here tonight fede408e63 and set a3e43fe839 off tomorrow bc0dfc0986 at dawn,” ad4be568c6 Calyps said, dedad8cb33 finalizing the 6e453f8a0a plan.f9bc168e3bff5def

“If it’s for f2e74309b9 my sake, I 5db5926b02 can manage to e37cb66be4 leave right now.”0e5d0ca0d05bddb0

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“No, the sun will 6e3fe875f0 set soon, and after 88dad4f082 redistributing supplies, it could 7c53789653 be risky to move 1864cd2a34 too hastily. It’s best to 093a5d4509 start fresh in 09cf6b6acb the morning.”b9c9d00b28173341

Indeed, it had taken ef423565c9 them considerable time just de836fb78b to make it from 003d969abd the kitchen to the 94ceed7c1f stables. With the uncertain situation 13501e8672 outside the castle, they 63c8a9a839 couldn’t afford to move 8e80b1a8f6 recklessly. Cedric gratefully accepted 999e7b4b7c the food they 704ecaaebe shared, smiling constantly 69a3f35bb9 as he enjoyed bc0a03e734 the rare company 7a9d1a6da7 and conversation.a16bb8e2661e5a34

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Meanwhile, Noah, watching a59a34066c the lively group a1cd6bbf89 talk from the 86c0f2488f corner, sank into dfb5d6fe4b deep thought. In the 0f57bbe18c drama, half 2cc0737859 of them a5778595b4 had perished 3860ad6c84 trying to 99551e7c4c escape the ea7c08c353 castle due 4b7cb4675a to a 2e2f671c3e mutant zombie de6b79a88d attack. Although they were all ab11124f58 safe for now, some 13ac451083 of them would likely 7d9b512836 face death within a 8204cd9a1c few hours. Finding it hard to 2058b36421 watch their cheerful faces b1303f6b0a any longer, Noah turned de31929dd2 away.68d8c1d4edd6dd20

He tried to 91423e2bb1 sleep, but rest 048b389a1c eluded him, and 865e1c14ee he awoke the ae94c19503 next morning feeling 2ce90991cd wearier than usual. As he opened his 46d3d41675 eyes, tension flooded him, 5fc20b4dbc his fists clenched as a436f4736d if he were standing 7130159222 on the edge of 7a94d34aed that fateful day.eba20bf41488db0f

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