Chapter 83: Meeting old friends

“We need to find a place to sleep,” Ember said casually.

She linked Aiden and asked him to pull up the map. A new feature for the CE. It covered the entire city. They were able to find any place they needed in the shortest time. Thankfully, the earthquake did not happen in this city. So it was easier for them to navigate.

The further away from Mount Pleasure they went, the more they noticed the people. These people were obviously not pampered. Some were dirty and, in Ember’s opinion, smelled terrible, but they were all survivors. They could see people killing zombies, ransacking empty houses, and supermarkets.

In Ember’s eyes, these people were true survivors. They understood that there are some things you cannot avoid, even if you want to. She wondered if she would be able to find someone to join their ranks.

Not that she would try to find them now. It would have to be on the way back.

Ember drove according to Aiden’s instructions. As she slowed, she noticed the hotel they stopped at was one of the most luxurious hotels in City S. Unlike the hotel in City D, which was in ruins, the City S hotel stood tall and proud. Ember promptly made her way to the underground parking.

Exiting the vehicle, the three noticed that there were no zombies or plants. Frankly, there was no sign of anything except cars. Some had been recently moved. The dirt a reminder of where they used to be. Others were covered in dust. The underground parking lot was peaceful.

This did nothing to instill happiness in the three. Rather, it made them wary. Ember walked to the back of the SUV. Since they would be staying the night, they needed to appear as though they had things hidden all this time.

She and Aiden decided to wait until tonight, when they would come back down and get the SUV. It would not be as easy to steal the SUV as it would be to steal a normal car.

Walking into the hotel, they did not try to take the elevator. The stairs were their safest option. As they climbed the stairs cautiously, they realized that, like the parking lot, the stairs were clear. There were splatters of dried blood on the walls and the floor. But nothing else indicated an issue.

Approaching the door to enter the lobby, Aiden raised his gun. Amara swiftly opened the door. Nothing jumped out. This made them even more cautious. The lack of activity did not bring joy. It told them there was something here that might be a danger to them.

Entering the lobby, they could see how opulent the hotel used to be. A grand piano sat in the corner, covered in dust. The furniture was in disarray, some overturned. The air was heavy with the smell of dust, and something else.

Ember noticed that despite the lobby appearing dirty, there were footprints. Tilting her head to the prints, she made Amara and Aiden take note of them. The footprints were walking in and out of the lobby. They were recent.

Stopping in place to listen, they heard nothing. Either the people are not here, or they are on higher floors.

They continued to move cautiously. Their footsteps echoed in the empty lobby. They made their way up the stairs. Staying too close to the lobby was not an option; they needed to be able to move higher or lower, should the need arise. Cautiously opening the door to the third floor, they heard voices.

“We only stay for the night,” a resigned male voice said.

The three communicated silently at the door. Meeting allies would be good. Meeting enemies would be trouble. And since they knew the floor they were staying on, they could avoid them. After coming to a consensus, they quietly closed the food. Unfortunately, this was the moment they were caught.

One of the persons caught sight of the door moving.

“Who’s there?” they exclaimed.

Knowing their cover was blown, they stepped out from behind the door slowly.

Three faces meet ten faces.

Among the ten faces, a girl shouted in surprise, “Ember?!”

Ember’s head turned to the woman looking at her intently. She tried to place the face. Sifting through memories, she finally found the person. Cassandra. She and Ember went to the same school together, but never really got along.

Not because they disliked each other. They simply did not have much in common. They ran in different circles.

“Cassandra,” Ember said, smiling. “How have you been?”

Cassandra’s smile was wide. Ember could clearly see that she was happy to see a familiar face. Even if they never had much in common, it’s like seeing a friend in a foreign land.

“I’m good,” she said, walking towards Ember.

As she approached, Ember’s posture relaxed. However, a relaxed posture did not mean she was not ready to fight if necessary. She allowed Cassandra to hug her as though they were long-lost friends.

Aiden watched their every move.

The nine people standing opposite them watched the spectacle.

“I’m glad to see you survived. You look good. The apocalypse suits you, I guess,” Cassandra said. Her tone made it seem the apocalypse was an everyday occurrence.

“Looks like you’re doing better than me. I’ve never seen somebody smiling so brightly in the apocalypse,” Ember retorted.

“It’s because I’m happy to see you. Frankly, I’m happy to see just about anybody who won’t kill me,” Cassandra sighed.

“How do you know I won’t kill you?” Ember laughed.

At that statement, a man walked up to Cassandra, pulling her away from Ember. He moved quickly, which showed he was on alert against Ember and her group.

“What are you doing?” Cassandra asked, struggling in the man’s arms.

He held her tightly. “Didn’t you just hear her threaten to kill you? Haven’t you learned anything from before?”

Cassandra stopped struggling. Whatever happened before definitely had an impact on her. Ember saw her body tremble. She stopped resisting and lay in the man’s arms.

The reaction made Ember curious to know what Cassandra experienced. But she would not ask. Rather, Ember looked at the man holding Cassandra. He was handsome, with a nice jawline, muscular, and beautiful eyes. Ember was a sucker for a nice pair of eyes.

Aiden saw her looking and pulled her to him.

Ember laughed, “Don’t be jealous.” She patted Aiden’s chest.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep