"No! Dad… I swear I saw her smiling at me!" Naomi cried, her brows furrowed tight with fear.
"It's okay, sweetheart. We're leaving right now," Hiro said, pulling his daughter into his arms. He gently stroked her hair, trying to calm her down.
"Mm-hmm…" Naomi nodded, but the unease in her eyes didn't fade.
Just then, a faint pink mist began to drift out from deep within the forest, light and gauzy like silk, slowly wrapping around the group.
A sweet, almost intoxicating fragrance filled the air, slipping into their noses.
"What's that smell? It's… really nice."
"Probably just wildflowers from the woods."
"Yeah… smells kinda amazing…"
"…"
Everyone started murmuring, caught off guard by the sudden freshness. After living so long in the stench of blood and decay, the scent of flowers felt like a breath of life—like hope blooming in the middle of the apocalypse.
Even Naomi felt her nerves settle a little as the scent washed over her.
But then—crack.
