Pregnant During An Apocalypse [BL]

Chapter 172: Chapter 172 - At knife point

That night, everyone drifted into a restless, heavy sleep. The air in the warehouse was thick with unspoken tension, as if the darkness itself was pressing down on their lungs. Outside, the occasional groan or shuffle of an undead body dragging itself along the street kept them from ever truly resting.

Yunfeng lay awake, eyes tracing the rusted beams of the ceiling above him. He turned his head slightly to look at Jai, who had curled up beside him. The boy’s chest rose and fell slowly, finally at peace, if only for a few hours.

Then he looked the other way—Muchen was beside him, already awake, staring quietly into the dim space.

”It’s my fault he’s here...” Yunfeng murmured, voice barely above a whisper. ”If I hadn’t told him anything, if I’d just kept quiet... Jai wouldn’t have followed. And now because he’s here, his grandfather will come too.”

His voice cracked slightly at the end. The weight of guilt sat heavy on his chest, like hands pushing him into the ground.

Muchen turned to face him fully, brushing his thumb softly against Yunfeng’s jaw. ”Isn’t it a good thing? If they come, they might actually rescue us. They’re trained. They might know how to deal with this better than we do.”

Yunfeng shook his head slowly, eyes dim. ”They’re trained, yeah. But they were taught to protect civilians. They’ll hesitate. They won’t shoot unless they have no choice. The army relies on structure—on orders. If someone like General Shin dies...” He looked down at his hands. ”It’s over.”

He didn’t say it, but Muchen saw it in his eyes: I’ve seen it. I’ve lived it.

”Even if they do get here,” Yunfeng continued, ”they’ll be overwhelmed. I’ve seen how it plays out. Soldiers start deserting. Cities fall like dominoes. No one’s safe.”

Muchen sighed and wrapped his arms around him, pulling Yunfeng close into his chest.

”Don’t overthink everything. Just for tonight... rest. We’ll figure it out tomorrow. We always do.”

Yunfeng hesitated, then leaned in and let himself be held. The warmth of Muchen’s arms dulled the sharpness of his thoughts, even if only slightly. Slowly, his breathing calmed, and his body sank against the embrace. His eyelids fluttered shut.

Then, the dream came.

A sudden lightness, as if the world beneath him had vanished. He was floating again. The weightless drift through a space he now recognized all too well.

When he opened his eyes, he was back.

The soft pink wallpaper. The slightly chipped bookshelf. The small bunny plushie on the bed.

His sister’s room.

Yunfeng’s heart pounded as he turned to the wall screen and tapped it awake. The interface flickered for a moment before displaying the familiar digital archive of the future.

His breath hitched.

Still the same headline:

”Shin Kailin’s death brought about chaos.”

His fingers moved quickly, scrolling.

 ”With the loss of Commander Shin, the military’s chain of command disintegrated.

Soldiers began abandoning their posts. Some returned to family. Others began looting.

Country C’s strategic defenses collapsed.

The virus spread beyond the initially infected cities.

By the seventh day, five major provinces had fallen.

Refugee zones became slaughterhouses.”

”No... no, no, no...” Yunfeng staggered back from the screen.

Nothing had changed.

He clenched his fists tightly. ”I have to stop it... I have to...”

Yunfeng woke up with a jolt, breath caught in his throat.

The musty scent of the warehouse returned sharply to his nose, grounding him back into the present.

The world around him hadn’t changed—but that dream, or vision, or whatever it was, still burned fresh in his mind.

The words from the archive kept echoing over and over: Shin Kailin’s death... absolute collapse... provinces fallen...

He sat up quickly.

The others were still asleep. Muchen had shifted slightly, his hand now resting loosely on Yunfeng’s arm. Jai was curled up further away, face slack with exhaustion, a faint glimmer of dried tears crusting the corners of his eyes.

Yunfeng stood and paced quietly across the warehouse floor, careful not to step on any debris. His pulse raced.

If they wait here...

If they stayed, the army would come. Shin Kailin would walk right into a death trap. And when he died, the collapse would begin.

They had hours. The army wouldn’t reach the city until late afternoon, maybe evening. But they—they could leave now. They could cross the city and get out before it was too late.

A plan formed quickly in his head. Not perfect. Dangerous, sure. But better than sitting here waiting for history to repeat itself.

He turned, headed straight to Muchen, and gently shook his shoulder. ”Muchen. Wake up.”

Muchen blinked, brow furrowing. ”What? What time is it?”

”Doesn’t matter. Get up. We’re leaving.”

”What?”

”We can’t wait here for them to come. They’ll walk into this city and they’ll die. And if they die...” He crouched beside him, tone urgent but soft. ”The army falls. The infection spreads. The world burns. We cannot be here when they arrive.”

Muchen sat up, startled. ”Are you serious?”

Yunfeng nodded. ”We have maybe three or four hours before they get here. If we leave now, we can make it to the edge of the city in time. We just need to avoid main roads and stay hidden.”

Muchen stared at him for a long second before he nodded.

”Okay.”

They quietly woke the others. Hana grumbled but stood without question once she saw the seriousness in Yunfeng’s eyes. Shao frowned, rubbing the sleep from his face. ”What the hell is going on?”

”We’re leaving,” Yunfeng said simply.

”What? Now?”

”Yes. Now.”

Jai looked up slowly, eyes bloodshot and hollow. ”You mean... we’re running away?”

”We’re surviving,” Yunfeng said gently, crouching beside him. ”And we’re giving your dad and grandpa a better chance by not being here. You said you didn’t want anyone else dying for you. This is how we stop that.”

Jai stared at him, then slowly nodded. ”Okay.”

They gathered their things, sparse as they were. A few canned goods, water bottles, handmade weapons, and cloth armor tied together with hope.

The rusted back door of the warehouse creaked open slowly as Yunfeng pushed it with his shoulder, scanning the narrow alleyway outside.

The early morning was damp, mist curling up from the ground like the breath of the dead city.

The air was quiet—too quiet—but it gave them hope.

The street just beyond was mostly empty. No movement. No groans. Just a long, eerie stillness.

Yunfeng signaled for the others to follow, and one by one, the group slipped into the gray morning. Muchen stayed close behind him, Hana, Lu Zhi the little girl and Jai in the middle, while Shao and Jiang hao kept to the back, makeshift spear in hand. Every footstep was calculated. Every breath held tight.

But just as they reached the edge of the alley, just when they could almost see the open street that would lead them to the back road exit—something sharp shattered the moment.

A scream.

Hana’s scream.

Yunfeng spun around so fast it made his vision blur, and his heart nearly exploded from his chest when he saw her.

Jiang Hao—quiet, sullen Jiang Hao—had somehow slipped behind them. One arm yanked Hana’s head back by the hair, the other pressing a knife, jagged and rusted, against the soft skin of her neck. Her eyes were wide, her hands trembling mid-air, unsure whether to fight or freeze.

”Don’t move,” Jiang Hao hissed, sweat beading on his forehead. ”Don’t come closer, or I’ll slice her open.”

Muchen gasped. ”What the fuck?!”

Yunfeng’s entire body locked up. ”Jiang Hai—what are you doing?! Let her go!”

”No,” the boy snapped, voice high-pitched and cracking. ”I’m done asking nicely. I told you! I told you my mom’s out there! You said no. You said you wouldn’t go—like she’s not a person too! Like she doesn’t deserve to be saved!”

”You think this is the way to make us help?!” Shao growled, stepping forward.

”Back off!” Jiang Hao tightened his grip, and Hana whimpered as the knife pressed closer to her skin. A thin line of red began to form.

Yunfeng’s hands lifted, palms open. ”Okay. Okay. Calm down. Just talk to me.”

Jiang Hao’s eyes flicked toward him. Desperation was written across every inch of his face. ”I’m not going to lose her too,” he whispered. ”You don’t know what it’s like. She... she’s the only one I’ve got and She’s alive!!! And you—you all want to just walk away?! Like she’s nothing?!”

”I get it,” Yunfeng said, voice low and steady, inching forward. ”You’re scared. You’re hurting. But this isn’t the way. Hana’s didn’t do anything to deserve this.”

”She’s just like you!” Jiang Hai spat. ”Selfish! Always thinking of yourselves—never about others!”

”I’ve risked everything to keep people safe!” Yunfeng’s voice cracked, his own emotions bubbling to the surface. ”I’ve bled for them. I’ve nearly died for them. But I won’t let you hurt my sister.”

Jiang hao trembled, eyes flickering between them, torn between fury and fear.

”I’m not asking you to give up on your mom,” Yunfeng continued softly. ”I’m asking you not to become the kind of monster that kills an innocent girl to make a point.”

Shao took a quiet step forward, weapon still down. ”Let her go. We’ll talk. You and me. You want to find her? Fine. But not like this.”

For a long moment, the alley was still. Just the sound of everyone’s breath. Just the knife against skin. Hana’s fingers trembled as tears slipped down her cheek.

And then—

Jiang Hao’s hands began to shake. His grip tightened.

”I just... I just want her back...”