Chapter 2

I let out a laugh.

It sounded hollow and broken, but nobody cared.

"Captain's right, Luna. You're tough as nails. You can handle two days out here."

"Chloe got infected trying to find water for all of us. We have to have a conscience..."

"It's just two days! It'll pass in a blink. When has Garrett ever broken a promise?"

Carter avoided my gaze, pretending to inspect his gear.

Leo, the youngest member of the squad, shuffled over. Three months ago, mutant rats had swarmed him; I nearly died dragging him back to safety.

Now, he couldn't even look me in the eye. "Luna... don't make things hard for Garrett. Chloe's coughing up blood. Her necrotic spots are spreading. Your radiation... it isn't fatal right this second. Garrett loves you. He just... has no other choice."

I stared at him until he shrank back into the crowd, muttering an apology.

Slowly, I pushed myself to my feet. Almost instantly, Garrett's hand dropped to his holster—resting on the vintage modified handgun I gave him as a wedding gift when we first teamed up.

He gripped it, hesitated, then relaxed his fingers, but his gaze remained razor-sharp and guarded.

"There's only one dose of antidote serum," I said, enunciating every syllable. "And I'm not giving it to you."

Garrett's pupils constricted. "Luna, stop throwing a tantrum. Chloe really—"

"I said no," I cut in. "I traded my parents' relics for this. I traded half my life for it. If you want it, Garrett, you'll have to take the rest of my life along with it."

The air turned dead quiet.

Ten yards away, the Sanctuary checkpoint guards raised their rifles slightly.

The team exchanged uneasy looks, subtly shifting their footing to encircle me.

The last shred of guilt on Garrett's face vanished, replaced by an icy resolve I had never seen before.

It made my head spin. Was this really the man who had held me close against the freezing winds, promising we'd build a real home together?

"You can't be this selfish!" he raised his voice, ensuring everyone could hear. "Chloe risked her life to find clean water for our team! She could have stayed safe in the outer zone! And what about you, Luna? All you’ve done this entire trip is calculate your own gains and losses! Without me, you wouldn't even know which way the gates of Eden opened! If Chloe dies out here, none of us will ever forgive you!"

"So," I heard my own voice come out terrifyingly calm, "it's my fault she's dying?"

"You're forcing our hand!" he snarled, throwing his arm out. "Carter! Leo!"

Carter and Leo lunged forward, pinning my arms from both sides.

They didn't hold back. The sheer force ripped open the unhealed gash on my right arm. Hot blood soaked through the bandage, blooming dark across my filthy hazmat suit.

"What the hell are you doing?! Get off me!" I screamed, thrashing with all my might, but more teammates swarmed me.

The very people I had shared rations with, stayed up on night watch for, and pulled out of mutant jaws... they pressed down on my shoulders and legs without an ounce of remorse, slamming me against the frigid armor plate of the transport truck.

My cheek grated against the rusted metal. The metallic stench of rust and dust filled my nose.

Garrett knelt down and reached for my combat boot—where my father's titanium dagger was strapped. Engraved with the words "Everlasting Moon", it was one of the few pre-collapse melee weapons still intact.

"I'll hold onto this for now," he said smoothly, slicing the strap and pulling the dagger free. His fingertips brushed over the dried, ancient bloodstain on the hilt—my father's blood. "It's dangerous out here. You'll just act rashly if you keep it."