The sky had never been clear since the apocalypse began, and today was no exception. A thick haze blocked out the sun, casting a cold, gray pall over the landscape.

Dawnbringer Base had once been a small city, but the outbreak of the apocalypse had turned it into the Dead City.

After lying vacant for some time, it was repurposed as a survivor base for humanity.

But now, it had been abandoned once more.

Following Marcus Monroe and the others into the undefended base, Paige Summers scanned her surroundings with vigilance. She had already tactfully reminded everyone that this environment was likely to harbor zombified animals. The others had agreed, so they were all on high alert. But a crucial problem remained unsolved. Erin Quinn could read minds, but she couldn’t pull a map out of someone’s head. ’So where the hell are those cellars and hideouts with all the supplies?!’

Paige felt a pang of despair.

’Looting other people’s stashes really is hard work!’

Just then, Marcus Monroe began giving orders. The twelve of them split into four teams, each heading in a different direction to scout. If they ran into anything they couldn’t handle, they were to use signal flares to get in touch.

Two minutes later, each team had taken a signal gun loaded with three flares—each color for a different situation—and departed. The last team to set out consisted of Marcus Monroe, Howard Everett, and Paige Summers.

As they started moving forward and to the right, Sweetie once again took on the role of scout. It flew into the sky, circled a few times, then descended. Its relaxed calls indicated there was no major danger, as if to prove just how capable it was.

Paige kept an eye on their surroundings and gave Sweetie an approving nod, popping a First Order Crystal Core into its beak as it nuzzled against her, begging for a treat.

It was clear people hadn’t been gone for long, yet the place already looked dilapidated. The stone path underfoot was cracked and worn, and the already crude buildings lining the street emanated a desolate chill, some with doors barely hanging on their hinges. Other areas showed signs of fierce fighting—scorched walls and half-collapsed houses. It was a scene of utter ruin.

Paige sighed and scratched her head. ’Not a single person in sight. This is the apocalypse for you—the moment people hear "Beast Tide," they run for the hills!’

Soon, the three of them reached a fork in the road.

Just as Marcus Monroe was about to head right, Erin Quinn suddenly spoke up, pointing to the left path with her chin. "Paige, let’s go that way."

Paige stopped short. "What’s over there?"

Erin nuzzled her shoulder contentedly. "The goodies you’re looking for."

Huh?!

’And who was it that said she was just a little kid who always hid at home, didn’t know the city layout, and had no idea where those cellars were?!’

Since she couldn’t yell, Paige just grabbed Erin’s head, turned it to face her, and glared.

Erin pouted unapologetically. "They’re looking at you."

Paige puffed out her cheeks, quickly turned Erin’s head back to its original position, and said to the two men staring at them, "Evie knows a place where there might be supplies. Should we go check it out?"

Marcus Monroe paused for only two seconds. "Alright." ’How could he turn down a potential windfall? Besides, places with supplies tended to be more "lively." And on top of that, he was curious what the two of them—the woman and the little girl—were up to...’

And so, the group quickly took the left path.

The further they walked, the more built-up the area became.

Not with people, of course, but the buildings on either side grew denser. This area must have once housed many residents.

The road wasn’t long. At the end, they took a left and then a right, the street narrowing into an alley. There was still no sign of anyone.

Just as they reached a very nondescript courtyard, Erin suddenly called out for them to stop.

"This should be the place."

’So she didn’t just know, she knew the exact spot! She was totally lying to me before!’ Paige screamed internally. ’Damn it, I got played by a little kid. I refuse to believe I’m that dumb!’

What Paige didn’t consider was that when it came to lying or faking expressions, Erin was in a league of her own. It was a side effect of her awakened superpower. After all, she had read far too many thoughts from people who would praise her to her face while thinking, ’What a burden. How is she still alive? She’ll drag her father to his death sooner or later...’ She had gone from initial anger, heartbreak, and even lashing out, to consciously hiding her true feelings. For Erin, it was a path she had been forced to walk.

Fortunately, Paige was good at rationalizing.

’It’s fine. At least she told me now. That must mean she trusts me!’

Pushing open the courtyard gate, she took the lead.

Before her were houses on three sides, all partitioned into small rooms. They were utterly silent; not even the sound of breathing could be heard. Enclosed by the buildings was a small, messy clearing, littered with discarded wooden basins and other trash.

There was no backyard, contrary to what Paige had expected.

’In a setup like this, the cellar entrance must be in one of the rooms.’

Erin claimed that was all she knew. The men had hunted with her father before, which was how she knew their team’s address. Paige picked up where she left off, briefly explaining the situation with the supplies and, of course, attributing the intel to Erin’s father.

Howard Everett didn’t look convinced—of course, Paige would have found it strange if he had. He looked like he wanted to voice his doubts but held back, turning to Marcus Monroe instead.

Marcus, however, just gave Erin a casual glance before saying, "Then let’s search the rooms first."

That was what Paige was thinking, too.

The three of them got to work. There were only a dozen or so rooms, all simply furnished, so they finished quickly. The problem was, even after stomping on every single flagstone in every room, they hadn’t found anything that looked like a cellar entrance...

The three of them gathered back in the small clearing, falling into a brief silence.

Marcus mulled it over for a moment, then suddenly looked up. "Are you sure about this?"

For a moment, Paige wasn’t so sure herself.

’A cellar entrance means it has to be hollow underneath. It should feel completely different from solid ground. So what’s going on? Were those men delusional, so far gone that they just imagined it all? No, no, that’s impossible. And Erin... she wouldn’t joke about something like this, would she...?’

’So where did we go wrong?’

As she was thinking, a sharp pain shot through her shoulder.

Erin’s small, sharp canines bit down on her through her clothes before slowly, deliberately letting go. "Are you doubting me?" 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Paige’s face paled. ’That really hurt, you know! Besides, if you’re going to read my mind, could you at least do it properly? I’m trying to work through the possibilities here!’

Her conflicted expression didn’t escape Marcus’s notice. He tapped his fingers thoughtfully, then took out his signal gun. "Looks like we’ll have to call Cillian over. He’s the expert in this sort of thing, after all."

He said it casually, but Paige realized this was both a crisis and an opportunity.

Along the way, thanks to Erin’s commentary, Paige had learned that quite a few others shared Howard Everett’s opinion. They felt Marcus was too lenient with her, practically indulging her, and they weren’t happy about it.

While nothing major would happen, they still had to travel together for a good while, maybe even face enemies side-by-side. Walking away wasn’t an option, which meant she had to build a good rapport. She didn’t want to waste energy constantly watching her back for trouble from her own team!

Therefore, failure here could become the catalyst that ruined their group dynamic. But if she succeeded, for the sake of the supplies, the others would have no reason to hold anything against her and Erin.

It all came down to one crucial question.

’Did she believe Erin?’

’The answer was yes!’

’The kid was smart. She wouldn’t have brought them here if she wasn’t certain. The only issue was whether they could find it!’

She nodded at Marcus. "While we wait, I’ll take another look around."