Even If The World Ends

                                    

                                          
The rooftop wind whipped at my face, carrying the metallic tang of blood and the stench of decaying flesh. 
Two years. 
Two years since the world turned upside down, and we were still fighting for every breath. 
My archery classmates and I had claimed this apartment building, a fortress in the heart of a zombie-infested wasteland.
Tonight, though, something was different. 
I watched from the rooftop, heart pounding in my chest, as thirteen figures - men, judging from their silhouettes - emerged from the convenience store across the street. 
Their faces were obscured by the shadows, but I could see the desperation in their movements.
Ten zombies lumbered towards them, their rotting flesh glistening under the moonlight. 
More lurked on the opposite side of the street, a horde far larger than the first group. 
A chilling wave of dread washed over me. 
I knew what I had to do.
I grabbed an arrow from my quiver, dipped it in the gas container, and quickly ignited it with the embers of the bonfire beside me. 
The burning arrow whistled through the air as I launched it towards the chemical drum at the edge of the street. 
It impacted with a dull thud, then a bright flash of fire, the explosion booming through the night.
The zombies, momentarily disoriented, turned towards the inferno, their moans rising in a cacophony of hunger.  
My heart hammered in my chest as I watched my friends, Ruka and Kyungmin, silently sneaking towards the convenience store, ready to draw the remaining zombies away.  
My fingers tightened around the bow in my hands. 
I had to get down there, help them, and protect them.
I watched as those thirteen men took their chance,  darting into the apartment building, their movements quick and determined.  
They were desperate, just like us, fighting for survival in this hellscape.
I hurried down the fire escape, adrenaline coursing through me. 
I reached the lobby, the air thick with the scent of fear and gunpowder.  
The barricade we’d built was still intact, but it looked flimsy against the growing horde of zombies.
Ruka and Kyungmin stood guard, their eyes wary.  
The thirteen men huddled near the back of the lobby, their faces still shrouded in darkness, their gazes fixed on us. 
My classmates swarmed them, helping to reinforce the barricade.
I kept my gaze on the newcomers, my face impassive. 
Two years of this had turned my heart cold.  
I nodded at them, a silent acknowledgment of their presence, their shared struggle.
“We’re safe for now.” Ruka spoke, her voice strained. 
She was usually bubbly and energetic, but the constant fight had taken its toll on her. 
“Who are you guys?” She asked.
One of the men stepped forward, his features emerging from the shadows. 
He had a kind face, etched with worry, and a glint of steel in his eyes.