Natalie slipped on her mask and carried a bundle of echinacea to Olivia and Harold's apartment. "There are so many people coughing in the building. I still have echinacea at home. It usually keeps colds away, so I brought some for you too." Harold and Olivia smiled warmly as they accepted it and thanked her. When she got back, Natalie pulled her disinfectant sprayer and bottles of alcohol from her storage space. She sprayed every corner until the sharp, chemical smell filled the rooms. Then she steeped echinacea in steaming water and made herself and her pets drink it. A few days later, the halls of the complex shook with cries and wails. Natalie understood what was happening right away. People were dying. Before everything collapsed, this sickness would have been nothing more than a harsh flu with strong spread. Now, in a world stripped of doctors and medicine, infections that lingered and fevers that never broke were enough to send a person to the grave. In barely a week, Northlorn was overwhelmed by death. Every street rang with coughs and the groans of the sick. One afternoon, while Natalie was disinfecting her place again, a deep roar rolled from far away and grew louder until the windows rattled. She rushed to the glass and froze. A helicopter cut across the skies, flying fast and low toward the complex. Natalie dug through the memories of her past life. There had never been any helicopters that came their way. She clenched her jaw. Something had changed this time around. The blades slowed until the pounding stopped. It must have landed on a roof nearby. Moments later, someone knocked firmly on the door of the 14th floor. Natalie's body went rigid. She grabbed her assault rifle and checked the camera feed. The sight on the screen stunned her. Her heart slammed hard in her chest. She shoved the rifle aside, pulled her mask tight, and unlatched the locks one by one. The door swung open, and sunlight spilled across the hall, wrapping the tall figure outside in a halo of gold. Cassian stood there with a mask over his face, his chest rising and falling. "Natalie, are you alright?" Natalie stared into his familiar eyes, speech caught in her throat. When she didn't answer, Cassian grew restless. He reached forward and pressed his hand against her forehead. "You've got a fever?" His words came muffled through the mask. With a frustrated tug, he yanked it off. "You ... " "Stop!" Natalie slapped her hand over his mouth, panic flashing in her eyes. "Have you lost your mind? The virus is everywhere!" Cassian held her gaze and said nothing. The warmth of his breath spread across her palm. Their eyes locked. His chest rose and fell in short bursts. From across the hall, Olivia's door creaked open. She had heard the voices.Her eyes widened when she saw Natalie's hand on Cassian's mouth while his palm lingered on her forehead. "What is going on ... " Her expression shifted with sudden understanding. She slammed the door shut. "Sorry! Go on!" Natalie's face burned as she jerked her hand away. Cassian let his hand drop too and tugged the mask back over his mouth. "You're fine. No fever." Natalie turned her eyes away, her voice uneasy. "Why did you even come here ... " She heard his labored breathing and saw the sweat soaking through his shirt. He had run all the way. She frowned. "You were running in this kind of heat? You're going to kill yourself. It's 130 degrees out there and the ground is hotter. Nobody can handle that." Cassian's tone was heavy. "I heard the plague struck this place. The death toll's scary high here." He had been living far from the city where the sickness' reach couldn't touch. By the time word got to him, the losses here were already countless. "You didn't need to ... " Natalie's voice cracked, and she couldn't look at him. "You didn't need to be in that much of a hurry." Cassian fixed his eyes on her, steady and unshaken. "Of course I did." Natalie parted her lips but no words came. She studied him closer and felt something different about him. From inside came the sound of claws raking hard against wood.Lucky's barks erupted, wild and sharp, rattling the frame. She had smelled Cassian long ago and had waited by the door, patient as stone. Ah, the cute guy's here. Wonder when my human's bringing him in. But the humans lingered too long in the hall, wasting time, and her restraint snapped. Cassian listened to the noise, a hint of laughter in his eyes. "I came all this way, and you won't even let me in?" Natalie nodded quickly, then froze. "Wait. The place is messy. Give me a second." She shut the door before he could reply. Cassian leaned on the frame, a faint smile curving his lips, waiting with calm patience. Natalie rushed inside and dragged supplies from her storage space. She spread them through the rooms so the place looked lived in. If Cassian saw bare shelves and empty walls, it would ruin everything. After a hurried sweep, she opened the door again. "Come in." Cassian glanced at the layers of locks and smiled. "Not bad. You've got a sharp eye for safety." Lucky sprang forward the moment he stepped in. Natalie snapped, her voice sharp. "Lucky, no jumping!"