Shing! A flash of steel—his ear was sliced clean off. The man's nerves went numb. With only one arm remaining, he curled up and clutched his severed ear, gritting his teeth in silence. Sage stood over him, eyes cold, voice commanding. "Pain drags you back from the brink. Remember that next time." "T-Thank you, sir," the man stammered, nodding in terror. Without another word, Sage turned to the one who'd been bitten. That man clutched his own ear, his face contorted in pain, breath escaping through clenched teeth. A heartbeat later, with a metallic shing, his head dropped to the ground. Sage had killed him. "Let this be a reminder to all of you," Sage said calmly. "No matter what happens, no matter when—no screaming." He didn't even spare the severed head a look. Instead, his gaze swept the crowd. Then came the order. "Bury him." And with that, he walked away. No one dared speak. But the fear was unmistakable. Everyone was shaking. Theresa watched in silence, then turned to Quentin beside her. "Now do you see how lucky you are to have me as your leader?" "Meeting you has already used up all my luck this lifetime."She rolled her eyes at the corny line—but when she saw the sincerity in his eyes, she punched him in the gut. Be a little more honest, will you? Just then, Sage returned. "Sorry to interrupt your meal." Theresa glanced past him. The place already looked untouched. The corpse was gone. Even the blood had been washed away. She said nothing, just sat down and resumed eating. But the ribs no longer tasted right. She picked at the sides and quietly slid the ribs onto Quentin's plate. Sage noticed, but smiled as if nothing had happened, continuing to make light conversation. Theresa played along, offering only shallow responses, her guard fully up. Soon, dinner ended and the camp began settling in for the night. The fires died down. The park bathed in silver moonlight. It was a full moon. The moonlight was bright, and Theresa could see the beautiful park around her. They were probably deep inside the park—there were no signs of human development, and the forest remained lush and untouched. She and Quentin slept close to the center of the group, while guards kept watch along the perimeter. Most gathered in tight clusters, drawn together by the need for warmth and a sense of security. A handful of loners leaned against tree trunks, clutching their weapons as they slept alone.Sage lay nearby—just two people over—but an invisible no-man’s land had formed around him. When the moon rose high, Theresa caught the sound of ragged, heavy breathing. "Hiss— "Hiss—" She turned sharply toward the sound. It was Sage. Lying on his side. His back to her. The breathing grew louder—and then the scent hit her. The sharp, metallic tang of blood. It drifted toward her in waves. She frowned, just as Sage turned to face her. He was staring straight at her. Blood stained the corner of his mouth. Moonlight poured across the scarred earth. It lit up the writhing, howling zombies, the desperate humans locked in battle, and right in front of Theresa, a pair of eyes burning with barely restrained bloodlust. "What's wrong with you?" Sage blinked, feeling the blood at his lips. He lowered his gaze and casually wiped it with his thumb—smearing it across his mouth. Then he smiled. It was twisted and wicked. He asked softly, "Can you help me out?" Half a minute later, they sat behind a tree with their backs to the camp—not too close, not too far. Just enough. Sage leaned against the trunk, a cigarette dangling from his lips.Theresa looked at the arm in front of her, the bite so deep the bone was visible, and silently wrapped it in bandages. The bandages and medicine had all been provided by Sage. Clearly, there was no painkiller. Sage could only smoke to dull the pain. Cigarette butts littered the dirt as the bloodlust slowly faded from his eyes. "Do you deal with this every day?" Theresa finished tying off the bandage and looked up. Sage flicked another cigarette away and smiled, calm as ever. "Of course not." "Tell the truth." Just then, a commotion rose behind them. A big guy shot up from the crowd, bolted out of the group, and slammed his head into a rock.