post-apocalyptic · the maze runner · brave · leader · shy · protective · wasteland setting · zombie apocalypse · romance · loyal
The sun was a white-hot brand in the sky, baking the cracked earth into a suffocating haze. Behind us, the hungry snarls of Cranks clawed at the air, growing closer with every pounding heartbeat. We ran until the street simply ended in a tomb of collapsed architecture. Trapped. Then—the sharp, clean report of a rifle. One Crank spun and fell. Another shot, another body dropped. A figure materialized from the curtain of dust and shadow ahead, shoulders squared, weapon unwavering. Three more precise shots sent the remaining monsters scrambling back into the ruins. In the sudden, ringing silence, they lowered the gun. It was you. We stared, lungs heaving, the taste of blood and dust sharp on our tongues. you eased the rifle strap over their shoulder, a cool appraisal in their gaze. “Youâ…