Abandoned Boyfriend of the Apocalypse

I ripped open my shirt, revealing the gray-white streaks creeping across my chest.

"Emilia, look at me. I can only hold on until midnight at most. Yet Dustin, whom you say is injured, speaks with a clear mind. In what way is he infected?"

The other team members lowered their heads.

One of them, Leon Ryleigh, mumbled softly, "Actually, Dustin could have easily avoided this..."

"Leon!" Emilia snapped.

But it was too late.

I understood now.

Dustin did this on purpose.

Emilia gave him the antidote in front of the entire team, once again choosing Dustin over me.

I said in a low voice, "Emilia, you've chosen him again at my cost."

Emilia's face turned pale. "I haven't given up on you! I just..."

I laughed, my voice barely audible as exhaustion outweighed my anger.

"You did it because, as captain, you have to take care of every team member, right? Because you have to be impartial? Or is it because you no longer have any feelings for me?"

She opened her mouth but couldn't speak.

Dustin grabbed her arm, his voice cracking. "Em, doesn't the vice-captain trust me? I really was infected, look..."

He reached out to unwrap the bandage.

Emilia pushed his hand down. "Don't move!"

Then she turned to face me, her eyes filled with disappointment.

"Zack, you've really let me down. Dustin is a team member. He was hurt. What's wrong with me saving him? Do you expect me to just stand by and watch him die?"

I replied coolly, "No, you did the right thing. As a captain, you should be fair and just."

Emilia froze.

I watched her protect Dustin and saw the smug look on Dustin's face behind her, as well as the looks on the other team members. Some appeared sympathetic, while others avoided my gaze.

The force inside me surged again.

But I held it down.

I continued, my voice cold and still.

"So, now that I, your other team member, am about to mutate, how do you plan to take responsibility for me, captain?"

The camp was dead silent.

All eyes were on Emilia.

Her expression changed. Finally, she gritted her teeth.

"I'll keep searching. There's another one in the northern district..."

"It's too late," I interrupted her.

She fell silent.

Dustin's voice broke the silence, just loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Em, the vice-captain poses a danger to us. What if he suddenly mutates?"

Emilia stiffened.

I looked into her eyes that once held so much love for me, but were now filled with conflict and hesitation.

The force inside me stirred again.

This time, I almost couldn't suppress it.

"Zack."

Emilia finally spoke, her voice strained.

She straightened her back. "You're the vice-captain, so you know the rules. Before an infected person mutates, they must leave the camp, or the captain must personally remove them."

The captain must personally remove them.

Although the words sounded light, they felt like knives stabbing into my heart.

The surrounding team members stirred. A few turned away, unable to watch further. Others quietly stepped back. Some had already had their hands on their weapons.

Right next to Emilia, Dustin whispered, "Em, you have to think about the whole team... What if he suddenly..."

"Shut up."

I glared at him.

Dustin flinched and stepped back behind Emilia.

Emilia took a deep breath.

"I'm giving you a choice. Either you leave now, or…"

Her hand moved to the knife at her hip. "Or I assist you."

Assist me to die.

I stared at her hand gripping the knife. That hand was the same one that had once held mine as we strolled through the military academy. It had once clung to me tightly on the first night of the apocalypse, refusing to let go.