16. Companions
The faint light of dawn gradually parted the thick gray veil that enveloped the earth. A faint pale shimmered across the horizon, gradually dissolving into soft orange and pale gold, dispelling the chill and dead silence of the long night. The dry riverbed, the twisted dead trees, and the battlefield, freshly ravaged by blood, strewn with limbs and blood, all revealed ever clearer and more shocking details in the gradually brightening light. The thick stench of blood and decay in the air, undiminished by the arrival of daylight, intensified in intensity and pungentness, attracting the ominous croaking of large, mutant crows that circled overhead.
Su Lin cleared a small space on the side of a relatively intact abandoned bus where he could barely stand. The bus body was covered with rust and dents, and the window glass had long been shattered, leaving only a twisted metal frame. He supported the almost exhausted and staggering Xingchen and let him sit against the cold wheel hub. The boy was soaked in cold sweat, and his thin clothes stuck to his skin, outlining the contours of his bony bones. His body was still shaking slightly uncontrollably, as if he had just been fished out of ice water. His face was pale without a trace of blood, his lips were cracked and purple, and only his eyes, which looked particularly large due to excessive shock and weakness, still retained a trace of shock and confusion.
Su Lin took out the little remaining water from the space, unscrewed the lid, and carefully handed it to Xingchen's lips. "Drink some water, take your time." His voice was low and gentle, with a strange soothing power that was incompatible with the cruel environment around them.
Xingchen followed his instructions, sipping small sips. The cool liquid slid down his burning throat, bringing a brief moment of relief. He greedily absorbed the nourishment until Su Lin removed the canteen. "You're consuming too much. You can't drink too much at once," Su Lin explained. He then took out a small clean cloth, soaked it, and gently wiped the stains of mud, sweat, and tears from Xingchen's forehead and cheeks.
The cold dampness made Xingchen shiver, and his consciousness seemed to clear a little. He lifted his heavy eyelids and looked at Su Lin, who was close at hand. Under the firelight, his savior had clean eyebrows and clear eyes. Even in such a filthy place, he seemed to have a peaceful temperament that was cleansed of dust.
"Feeling better?" Su Lin carefully observed his expression and asked softly.
Xingchen nodded, then slowly shook his head, his eyes filled with bewilderment and fear. His voice was still raspy, "My strength... seems to be returning a little. But... Brother Su Lin, what exactly happened just now?" He couldn't help but glance at the zombies in the distance, which had resumed their wandering state but still hovered around them, as if blocked by an invisible boundary. His body trembled uncontrollably again, and he subconsciously shrank closer to Su Lin. "Why... why... why do they listen to me? Have I... have I become a monster?" He asked the last sentence with great difficulty, his voice thick with tears and deep-seated fear and self-loathing. In his limited understanding, how could someone who could control those walking corpses still be a normal human? Wouldn't that make them even more terrifying and unacceptable than zombies?
Su Lin held his trembling, cold shoulders, his tone firm and steady, trying to use this determination to dispel the fog in his heart: "You are not a monster, Xingchen. If I am not mistaken, you should have awakened your superpowers."
"Superpower?" Xingchen repeated blankly. The word felt both familiar and distant to him. It was a gift reserved for the strong, a force that divided classes, something that someone like him, labeled "trash" and discarded like dirt, could never even dream of. He had seen those with powers like fire, ice, and enhanced strength. They lived at the top, enjoying resources and status unattainable for ordinary people, and possessed the power to decide life and death at will. But he had never heard of anyone who could... control zombies.
"Yes." Su Lin nodded affirmatively, trying to explain in a simple and understandable way. His voice was steady and powerful, as if he was stating an indisputable fact. "It's a very special and powerful psychic ability. You didn't transform into them, but your mental strength is so strong that you can influence and even interfere with their thoughts and actions." He pointed at the zombies wandering aimlessly in the distance. "Look, they didn't attack us. It's precisely because you subconsciously wanted to protect us that your ability responded to your will and fulfilled your wish. It was you who saved us, Stardust. You used your power to protect the people you wanted to protect."
Xingchen listened in stunned silence, struggling to digest this incredible information, like someone who had walked too long in endless darkness and suddenly saw a faint starlight guiding them. He...had awakened his powers? No longer a burden to be slaughtered and discarded at will? And...had he saved Su Lin? He...had protected Su Lin?
A vast, unprecedented wave of emotions washed over his young, traumatized mind. It was no longer pure terror, but a mixture of shock, bewilderment, disbelief, and a faint, cautious, burgeoning sense of hope and... an indescribable, nascent feeling of power. He tried to focus his dwindling energy, like a candle in the wind, to sense that ethereal, yet real, power. He felt weak, exhausted, as if his soul had been drained by the sheer force of the previous outburst. A stabbing pain pierced the depths of his consciousness, and his thoughts seemed mired in a quagmire, struggling to function. Yet, he seemed to vaguely "sense" the presence of the zombies around him. They were like dim, cold, signal sources emitting chaotic and deadly fluctuations, numb yet persistent. And he... seemed to possess the "switch" to disconnect or connect, or even forcibly inject simple commands into these chaotic signals. This realization made his heart beat faster, and a strange, unfamiliar feeling washed over him, a mixture of fear of the unknown and a vague sense of... control?
He raised his head, gazing at Su's face, which was so close, filled with concern and affirmation. His clear eyes held no disgust or fear, only calm understanding and a hint of encouragement. This gaze was like a shot of adrenaline, injecting Xingchen's anxious heart. His gaze gradually grew incredibly serious, even taking on a desperate solemnity, as if he were making a life-changing decision. His voice, though still weak, was clear, each word, as if he were making an unbreakable oath before a sacred altar:
"Brother Su Lin... I... I don't know if this ability is a good thing or a bad thing... It scares me..." He confessed his fear, a real and intense one, stemming from a panic about the unknown and the changes in himself. But then, his tone became incredibly firm, even carrying an almost devout, all-consuming fervor. His eyes shone with a startling light, as if burning with a flame of faith. "But! If... If this ability can protect you! Then I'm not afraid! I'm willing to use it! No matter what it is, no matter what it turns me into! As long as it allows me to protect you!"
The boy's emotions were passionate and pure, untouched by any worldly considerations or refinements. He completely tied this sudden, unsettling, and seemingly ominous power to his loyalty and protectiveness for Su Lin. Su Lin was his salvation, the only warm and solid light he could grasp in a dark and hopeless world. Thus, the existence of this power seemed to have a unique and sacred meaning and destination. It was no longer a terrifying curse, but a sword of protection.
"You let me live, Brother Su Lin." Xingchen's voice was still weak, but with an unmistakable determination. He stretched out his cold and slightly trembling hand, wanting to grab the corner of Su Lin's clothes, but he was a little afraid. In the end, he just tightly grasped his trouser legs, "From now on, my life is yours. I will use this ability to protect you. No matter where you go, no matter what you face, I will follow you! As long as you don't leave me again... don't leave me..." In the last words, there was still a subtle, humble plea that came from the trauma of being abandoned. It was a mark deeply engraved in his soul.
This is a confession, but also a vow. It is the most direct and passionate expression of a lonely and desperate boy who, after gaining unimaginable power, unhesitatingly dedicates the entire meaning and value of it to the only person who has given him warmth and hope.
Su Lin, observing the near-obsessive dependence and unwavering resolve in the boy's eyes, felt a whirlwind of emotions, a whirlwind of emotions. He was genuinely happy for Xingchen's awakening; it meant at least that the boy would have greater self-preservation in the future, more resources to survive in this cruel apocalypse, and perhaps even become a force to be reckoned with. But he also felt with uncanny clarity the weight of this promise, the sheer, extreme emotion that almost considered him his entire world. This weight left him somewhat overwhelmed.
He couldn't reciprocate this equally intense emotion at the moment. His heart was still weighed heavily by his lost teammates and the deep, complex bonds he had formed with Lei Qing, A Yan, and Mu Lin. The life and death they had shared, the silent protection and tacit understanding they had shared, had long since left an indelible mark on his heart. But he couldn't, didn't have the heart, to reject a young man who had just emerged from the abyss of despair and placed his entire trust and future in him. This dependence itself was a responsibility.
Su Lin sighed softly, a sigh laced with so many emotions—pity, responsibility, a hint of helplessness, and a resolute desire to protect her. He reached out and gently ruffled Xingchen's soft, sweat-soaked hair. His tone was gentle yet solemn, as if he were making an important, irrevocable promise: "Don't talk about life or death. Let's survive together and protect each other. You're not my appendage, Xingchen. Remember, you're my companion." He deliberately emphasized the word "companion," attempting to establish an equal and stable relationship.
He paused, then continued, his voice dripping with unquestionable seriousness and admonition. He looked at Xingchen sharply, ensuring he absorbed every word. "But, Xingchen, you must also remember that this ability is very special and powerful, but it can also be very dangerous. Not only will it drain your mental energy, it may also attract unnecessary trouble and covetousness. Therefore, you must use it with caution, and don't expose it to outsiders unless absolutely necessary. From now on, we must gradually become familiar with it, learn to control it, harness it, understand its limits and costs, and not be confused and controlled by its power. I will help you, and we will face this unknown together. Do you understand?"
"Yes!" Xingchen nodded vigorously. His eyes instantly warmed at Su Lin's recognition, at the warm and equal word "companion." A warmth surged through his body, dispelling some of the chill and fear. He was filled with a profound sense of contentment and belonging. As long as he didn't leave Brother Su Lin, as long as he was needed and recognized, he would do anything, even if it meant learning to harness this terrifying, double-edged power. He pursed his lips tightly, trying hard to hold back the tears, but the slightly reddened eyes and the sparkling water in them betrayed his excitement.
The sun finally broke free from the horizon, casting a golden glow across the earth, illuminating the small, temporary safe zone near the bus wreckage. The zombies, temporarily frozen by Stardust's power, seemed to have lost their sustained mental guidance and energy support, and gradually began to resume their aimless wandering. They slowly, stiffly, and aimlessly dispersed, no longer interested in the living creatures within reach, as if the bizarre scene of last night had never occurred.
The crisis has been resolved temporarily.
Su Lin helped Xingchen, still frail but with a different look in his eyes, to his feet. He felt the boy's full weight resting on him, a complete trust. "We need to get out of here as soon as possible," he said, his brow furrowed slightly as he glanced around, keenly aware of movement in the distance. "The noise just now was too loud, and the smell of blood was too strong. It might attract something more troublesome, or... other malicious individuals drawn here by the scent of blood."
Xingchen struggled to steady himself. Though his steps were still unsteady, his body hollowed out, and waves of dizziness washed over him, his eyes were brighter and more resolute than ever. He glanced at the gradually dispersing zombies, returning to "normal." Though he still felt an inexplicable fear and a sense of unfamiliarity with the changes in himself, as if he had suddenly gained a dangerous limb that didn't belong to him, he also felt an inexplicable sense of confidence and a vague hope for the future. He was no longer the burden, passively awaiting protection, ready to be abandoned as "useless" at any moment.
He had power, and while it was unsettling, it was real. He could protect those he wanted to protect, he could... guard the light in his life. This realization, like a seed, quietly took root in the barren soil of his heart.
Su Lin checked the direction and found it was still north. "Can we go?" he asked, his tone full of concern.
Xingchen took a deep breath, forced himself to ignore the extreme fatigue of his body and the throbbing pain in his brain, and nodded vigorously: "Yes!" Although his voice was not loud, it revealed a stubbornness.
The two packed up their few remaining belongings, and Su Lin once again confirmed that the marks they had left were intact. Then, supporting each other, they stumbled away from this riverbed filled with death and strangeness, embarking on the journey north again. However, this time, their team included a young man with forbidden powers and a heavy and persistent oath.
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