The towering wall loomed over us as we walked closer, its size showed the desperation of humanity's fight for survival.
It wasn't just a wall, it was a fortress, curved and stretching endlessly, designed to shield the city from the apocalypse.
Even from a distance, I could make out the base nestled within.
It wasn't just big it was massive, dominating the skyline and dwarfing everything else in sight.
Amber walked beside me, her golden hair catching the faint rays of sunlight filtering through the overcast sky.
She glanced at me, her expression curious but tinged with concern.
"Sky," she started, "how was your own survival with your team before they died?"
"Oh that" I answered not sure of what to say next, I don't know how the real sky survived.
She was looking at me expecting to her something.
"Well our survival wasn't an interesting one" I said
"I still like to hear it, Just say it already, I hate suspense!"
Why must you be persistent?. Do you know how hard it is to think of a story.
"Sure" I said, and continued, "it wasn't easy, and they wasn't any interesting moment, when we split up in teams, our team captain wasn't fun at all, we only ate the supply we had with us, they actually kill two big beast but when someone from our crew suggested we eat it, our captain declined saying we have no time to waste"
"That is not nice at all, you couldn't even taste a monster meat on your first mission outside of the wall, such a pity!" She said.
"We passed through different danger zones and all of that, I actually thought it was less scary than thrilling, maybe I was just encouraging myself with that, well yeah, that's all, not interesting at all" I said feeling relief that i can finally rest my brain, after thinking of a good story to tell her.
The story about how I and my team survived, is actually from another survival story I read.
I dropped it after reading few Chapters, it wasn't interesting like 'The World Is Doomed'.
That damn truck didn't allow me to finish the remaining future Chapters that author published.
I have been thinking of this for a while, I was hit by a truck.
Doesn't that makes me a isekai'd person and makes the truck.
Truck kun!.
I am a truck kun victim!.
I was pushed out of my thoughts by Amber question.
"So, how... how did you survive out there before you met us? And how did your team die?"
My stomach dropped.
I knew this question would come eventually.
The real Sky, the one whose body I now inhabited, had apparently been part of a team that hadn't made it.
And me? I had no idea what had actually happened.
I forced a smile and scratched the back of my head, buying myself a moment to think.
"Well... it's a long story," I began, my voice steady despite the panic in my head.
Amber tilted her head, her curiosity deepening.
"I've got time."
I sighed, pretending to be reluctant, and then launched into the most convincing lie I could muster.
"It started when our team got ambushed by a massive horde of infected. We were on a routine supply run not too far from here, actually and everything seemed fine at first. But then... it happened. The ground started shaking, and out of nowhere, this massive infected beast tore through the trees. Bigger than anything I've ever seen. I swear, it had claws the size of my arm."
Amber's eyes widened, and I continued, gaining confidence.
"We didn't even have time to think. Half the team was wiped out in seconds. The rest of us? We scattered. I ran as fast as I could, but the beast kept coming. My squad leader... he stayed behind to buy us time. Told me to run, no matter what. I didn't want to, but-" I paused, letting my voice falter for effect. "I didn't have a choice."
Her expression softened, and I could see sympathy in her eyes.
I inwardly cringed, but I had to keep going.
"I found a cave to hide in, stayed there for days, scavenging what little I could find. The infected didn't leave the area, though. It was like they were waiting for me to come out. Eventually, I ran out of food and water. I thought... I thought that was it for me. But somehow, I managed to slip past them. Just barely, and went back to find any supply I can manage to use to survive, that is when I found all of them... dead, I was the only one alive."
Amber was silent for a moment, her golden eyes locked on mine.
"You went through all of that... alone?"
I nodded solemnly.
"Yeah. Guess I'm just lucky to still be breathing."
She placed a hand on my shoulder, her touch gentle.
"You're stronger than you look, Sky."
I didn't respond. What could I say? The story was complete fiction, but her sincerity made me feel like an absolute fraud.
As we reached the gate, Amber's tone lightened, and she started talking about the base.
"You loved it here when we where still kids," she said, her voice filled with excitement.
"There's so much to do well, when we're not busy fighting for our lives. My favorite thing? There's this little garden on the top level of the base. It's peaceful, quiet... a nice escape from everything."
"Sounds nice," I replied, doing my best to sound interested while my eyes stayed locked on the massive gates ahead.
The guards at the entrance spotted us before we even reached them.
They were outfitted in military uniform, their weapons ready but not raised.
As we approached, one of them gestured toward the scanning device near the gate.
"Step forward one at a time," he instructed.
Amber went first, stepping confidently into the scanner.
A faint blue light swept over her, and the machine beeped, displaying a green light.
She stepped through the gate, turning to wait for me with a reassuring smile.
I followed, my heart pounding slightly as the light passed over me.
For a moment I worried, but the scanner gave another green light, and the guard waved me through.
"Welcome back, Awakened Amber" one of the guards said to her, giving her a respectful nod.
She smiled politely and glanced back at me. "Come on, Sky."