“Sitting here will only make you colder. The temperature will keep dropping tonight.”
Raiden checked his watch. It was past nine.
“You could freeze to death. That would only weaken your immune system. I’m sure there’s a clothing store around here. We should go there. I also need to find some clothes for my boss. He gets really fussy when he doesn’t get what he wants.”
At first, Nayara refused to listen to him. But considering her condition and the fact that he had helped her, she eventually gave in.
Raiden helped her to her feet.
“What about this door? Do you think it’s safe?” he asked uncertainly, looking at the emergency door he had managed to hold shut with his belt.
“We’ll deal with that later. I’ll come back and add another brace.”
Reassured, Nayara nodded.
The two humans slowly made their way toward the third-floor mall corridor. Raiden struggled to support Nayara’s weight.
The groans below were still audible, horrifying enough to raise the hairs on the back of his neck. Raiden could feel Nayara’s body trembling, whether from fear or because she was beginning to grow cold.
“You should just sleep tonight. Don’t think about anything bad. I’ll keep watch and make sure this floor stays clear of them.”
Nayara said nothing, merely grinding her teeth in silence.
As soon as they passed a row of stores displaying branded clothing, Raiden’s heart immediately lifted.
“Boss really is one damn lucky bastard,” he muttered irritably, then laughed.
Nayara glanced at him with a listless expression. More and more sweat was appearing on her face, and her breathing was heavy and labored.
“What did you say?” she asked in a faint whisper.
“Nothing. Come on, that store looks good and comfortable.”
Raiden led Nayara into a store that specialized in jackets. There were all kinds of jackets and styles inside. When they entered, Raiden was amazed to find that the place appeared untouched by looters.
“We’re lucky to have found such a good place for you.”
He sat Nayara down on a long sofa. It was soft and comfortable.
“Wait here. I’ll bring you a jacket. If your body temperature drops, it could put your life in danger.”
He didn’t know whether her body was struggling with her wound or fighting the changes taking place within twenty-four hours. Her skin was beginning to feel cold as ice.
Just as Raiden was about to leave and choose a few suitable jackets for her, Nayara suddenly grabbed his arm with her other hand.
The man turned around and looked at her in surprise.
“What is it? Are you in pain?”
“You’re not going to leave me, are you?” she asked, her face wan and gloomy. She looked like she could pass out at any moment.
At a time like this, Nayara looked like an ordinary woman—weak and dependent on someone else—rather than the tough, capable woman she had been before.
Raiden gently patted the woman’s hand, then slipped free with a smile.
“Of course not. There’s no way I’d leave you.”
Relief appeared on the woman’s face.
Raiden was a little confused. Did this woman actually want him around or not? Or had being injured made her a little clingy? Whatever the reason, Raiden didn’t want to think about it any further.
“Oh, right. I forgot. I have some medicine here. Take this first.”
He quickly pulled out a pill and a bottle of water that was half empty.
“Take it, then go to sleep. I’ll make sure that emergency door is secure and start making the rounds to check the area.”
Nayara grabbed his hand again, looking reluctant to let him go.
At last, Raiden let out a heavy sigh.
“Okay. You still don’t trust me, do you? Here, you can keep my camera as a hostage. This is my beloved expensive DSLR camera. No matter what happens, I’ll definitely come back to get it from you. Understand?”
Nayara glanced at the camera he had placed beside her. She knew the model. It was obviously very expensive. Suddenly, she gave a weak little chuckle.
“Are you rich?”
Raiden was startled.
“Oh, you recognize the camera model too? No. I’m not rich.”
Nayara closed her tired eyes and laughed mockingly as more sweat gathered on her face.
“So you’re poor? Is that it? Where’d you get it, huh? Did you steal it?”
Raiden burst out laughing.
“More accurately, I looted it for twenty thousand rupiah. Hey! Don’t get the wrong idea. I may be poor, but I’m not some guy who can only rely on his lower half. Got it? I’m a hard worker, even if I’m only an intern. As it happened, I only had twenty thousand rupiah on me at the time. So, in other words, I bought it for that price. I figured that once all humans had become zombies, the owner wouldn’t mind me buying it cheap. Do zombies need money? Do they need a camera? I helped clear out the store, didn’t I?”
Nayara laughed again, thoroughly entertained by his presence. “You’re so damn chatty. What a ridiculous excuse. You can’t call that an expensive camera.”
Once Nayara was convinced and trusted him, and after making sure she was safe, Raiden hurried out of the store to inspect the emergency door. He added more security measures and made sure it was sturdy enough, then began making his rounds.
While Raiden checked the third floor and searched for clothes suitable for his boss’s order, Nayara, unable to close her eyes, finally checked the contents of the camera beside her.
She saw the photos Raiden had taken. They showed not only the chaos when the zombie apocalypse began, but also several beautiful vistas that rivaled the work of a professional photographer.
There were beaches, mountains, parks, and rivers—who knew where he had managed to find them.
For a while, Nayara was captivated by Raiden’s photographs. They made her feel as though she could return to the days before the chaos began.
How beautiful the world outside had been. Life had been busy and exhausting, but fulfilling and reasonably safe. Not like now, when everything was filled with foul odors, blood, and corpses.
A smile slowly spread across Nayara’s face, making her look even more beautiful. Every now and then, she laughed at some of Raiden’s ridiculous shots. Even though they were silly, they were still incredibly artistic.
He had even photographed insects and small animals in various places.
Maybe Raiden’s personality wasn’t as bad as she had thought. How could someone like that connive to steal other people’s food, right?
Maybe she had judged him too harshly.
Photo after photo, video after video, until she finally came across a recording Raiden had made of her.
Nayara’s expression darkened. She wanted to get angry, but in the end, all she could do was let out a heavy sigh.
Hadn’t he still helped her, even while acting like a heartless spectator?
In the final recording, she watched for quite a while as Raiden captured her facing death.
As irritating as he was, she had to admit that his photography skills were excellent.
“That bastard. Good thing I’m injured. Otherwise, I would’ve beaten the crap out of him,” she muttered to herself.
With a small chuckle, she put the camera back where it had been. Holding her wound, she tried to lie down on the floor and waited for Raiden to return from his patrol.
On the other side of the floor, after making sure the third floor was safe, Raiden finally began his leisurely shopping spree.
He picked out several decent outfits to take with him. He also searched for things that could be used for future supplies.
“Wow! This mall is a hidden paradise!” Raiden exclaimed brightly when he found a food court with an intact kitchen.