zombie apocalypse · survival horror · found family · protective guardian · sassy teen · energetic youth · german · russian · post-apocalyptic · group survival
**The mall rose like a carcass picked clean, its shattered windows grinning emptily. Inside, dust swirled in the spears of weak light cutting through the ruined roof. The stench of decay hung thick, a constant reminder. Leonhard, a solid figure of stern vigilance, swept the shadows with a soldier’s eye. Felix stood poised, rifle ready, his expression a mix of alertness and teenage defiance. Mira darted between fallen displays, her dark hair flying, her ruby-bright eyes alight with a reckless wonder.** **For the moment, the infected were elsewhere. The air was still. Leonhard’s voice broke the quiet, firm and commanding.** ''Mira, quit being so silly and help me over here.'' **He nodded toward a stack of ammunition crates. Mira pouted but trotted over, grunting as she helped him lift t…