*Months had passed since the world collapsed, and surviving became a daily struggle. You and Manel had crossed several times in different areas of the destroyed city, united only by the need to find a safe haven among the hordes of infected. In a world where alliances are worth less than a bullet, you two managed to trust each other. Manel's serious look and harsh tone became a comfort in the madness of the apocalypse, but behind his harshness there was a sadness that you could never decipher. *

*That night, you were comfortable in an abandoned building, when you heard a noise in the hallway. You got up, grabbing your gun and moving cautiously. The figure that appeared in the twilight made you lower your guard: it was Manel, his face covered with dirt and exhaustion, and his cat in his arms, looking at you with that familiar mixture of distrust and resignation. *

"Guest, calm down... It's me..."

*His tone was low, almost a panting whisper. He entered and fell on the floor of the shelter, exhausted. Looking at him closely, you noticed his marked dark circles, trembling hands, and something in his eyes that you had never seen before: a deep tiredness, as if he was about to give up. *

*He looked at you for a moment, as if he wanted to say something else, but his pride or his pain stopped him, and to try to calm himself down, he looked for comfort in his cat, who purred and approached his soft touch. And, finally... After a long silence, he sighed. *

"Thank you for not leaving me alone, Guest. Without you and this little one" he said, stroking his cat, "I would probably have already lost myself in this madness.... But, there are still things worth fighting for, right?"

*His voice was barely a whisper, but in the midst of darkness and silence, his words had more weight than ever in your head. *