The early morning was beautiful with its seemingly border-less flow of clarity. It was nearly amazing how a sky could be so empty, yet still hold so much depth. Body infinite, vast and powerful. It had been quite some time since a beautiful day had graced both the living and undead. 

    But not everyone had a chance to admire the view.

    Low growls and gurgles of saliva catching in throats harmonized in the, now, occupied area. The snapping of twigs and shuffles of feet against forest brush also accompanied such sounds - all mixing together to form a sort of horrifying concert.

    Slowly, Jae's eyes fluttered open; a hand, that was not his own, immediately covering his mouth. Peeking up, an alert Sungjin sat rigid against the tree trunk; jaw clenched as his eyes followed the silhouettes of living-dead bodies staggering just outside the branches that currently cloaked them. Gently pushing his brother's hand from his mouth, Jae quietly straightened out his back as he joined the spectating. Without shifting his eyes from the danger lurking beyond, Jaehyung leaned over as he pressed his lips to his brother's ear.

    "What do we do?"

    With pursed lips, Sungjin slowly shook his head. If the two were to emerge from behind the willow branches, whose to say that there wasn't a swarm of undead unknowingly waiting for them? Sure, the brothers were able to see some walkers due to the vague outlines of their frames, but Sungjin had already counted five different zombies tottering about on the outskirts of the tree meaning it would already be a 5v2 battle at the very least.

    The situation was entirely too dangerous.

    "We wait," the younger male's voice was barely audible; his hand gripping the handle of his weapon tighter with each second that passed. Jae nodded, swallowing hard rigidly leaned back against the tree trunk. 

    Time seemed to slow. The growls of starved creatures continued echoing throughout the forest as both of the siblings waited with bated breath. Jaw clenched, Jae glanced at a completely motionless Sungjin who pulsated his hand around the handle of his machete. Outside of their makeshift cloak, the undead stumbled over one another - one in particular tripping as their lanky body sloppily fell onto the ground a few paces before the hidden brothers. 

    Immediately, Jae and Sungjin pulled their knees up to their chests as silently as possible as the zombie sniffed the surrounding air. Through the small holes of the branches that cascaded over their bodies, the brothers watched as the blurred figure slowly crawled closer to where they hid; the sniffs growing more frequent. Transparent hands clasped around the older sibling's neck as swallowed hard, glasses fogging slightly as he exhaled ragged breaths. 

    A low growl rumbled in the back of the walker's throat as it inched forward. Slowly, mud crusted, matted hair began peeking through the veil of branches; dirt streaked, rotting flesh becoming visible as the zombie raised its head. Sungjin unsheathed his machete, but his reflexes were too slow. Just before the tip of the blade barreled through the undead's skull, a high-pitched shriek sounded from its vocal cords. 

    Time slowed, and then fast-forwarded. 

    "Run!" Sungjin yelled as he pulled his older brother by the arm. 

    As they emerged from the willow tree, a small horde of zombies greeted the duo. Without a second glance, both brothers began speeding towards the outskirts of the forest as loud growls and snarls signaled that their undead peers were following behind. 

    "Where are we going?" Jae's voice was strained as the two continued fleeing. Sungjin merely shook his head, "Wherever they're not! Just keep running!"

    The two continued their directionless trek, breathing loud and labored. Fingertips brushed against Jae's arm resulting in the tall male to turn mid-run; eyes growing wide as they made contact with a walker's. Bloody saliva foamed at the creature's mouth as decayed teeth chomped at the air harshly. In an instant, Jae withdrew his weapon and slashed at its neck; a wide incision tearing the flesh as the zombie slowed. 

    "Over there!"

    The older male peered back around towards Sungjin who held his forefinger in the air, eyes shifting to where he pointed. In the near distance, the forest's edge was clearly visible as it lead into the rocky patch of old, abandoned cabins. Pushing his long legs to carry his body faster, Jae grabbed his younger sibling's arm as he hauled both of their bodies to the nearest building; slamming the door shut behind them without a second to spare. Hands clawing and banging at the door echoed throughout the sunlit space. Heaving a sigh, the duo slid down the surface of the barrier - eyes closed as they tried to catch their breath.

    "That was close," Jae's words were staggered, "too close."

    Nodding his head, Sungjin reached into his backpack as he pulled a canteen from the depths. Taking a swig of water, he passed it to his older brother who did the same - both opting to soak themselves in silence until the horde vacated the premises. As Jae pressed his head back against the door, Sungjin peered around the room.

    Dust covered an old leather sofa and matching chairs sitting before a decently sized stone fireplace. Magazines from years prior sat upon the glassed coffee table, the pages sprawled open - one in particular displaying a cheesy quiz deciding whether you and your soulmate were meant for each other. Tattered curtains restricted a bit of vision to partially hide the life inside from those that lurked beyond the wooden fortress. 

     A den closet was placed to the right of the men, its door broken as if a body had smashed into it. Adjacent to that was a hallway whose walls were lined with various family photos, the glass cracked in some spots. Suddenly, Sungjin felt his brother tense next to him.

    "What's wrong?" 

    The younger of the siblings studied his brother whose eyes remained glued to the dimly lit area a few feet before them. Furrowing his brows, Sungjin followed his stare - his heart sinking into his stomach once he spotted the cause for the sudden alert. 

    There, behind shabby-chic, saloon-esque doors, stood the silhouette of a stationary body. 

    Simultaneously, the brothers' fingertips grazed the handles of their weapons as they prepared themselves for a battle. Hearts beginning to race, their pulses grew audible in their ears as the sudden blood-rush cause their skin to flare. Swallowing hard, Sungjin nodded towards the figure, "Who's there?"

    There was a pause before a voice spoke up, "Are you PABA's, PAT's, or Nomads?" 

    The brothers exchanged a glance as Jae spoke up, "Reveal yourself." An audible sigh sounded from the entry-way as a body emerged from its depths. An average height man stood with a bowl of cereal resting in his palms. Thick, sable hair parted at the bangs framed his features as he stood with a slight hunch; a sniper rifle slung over his back as two combat knives rested in holsters on his hips.

    "Done, now answer my question."

    Shaking his head, Sungjin gripped onto the handle of his machete, "Nomads, you?" The corners of the mysterious male's lips twisted upwards into a smile as he swallowed a bite of his snack, "Same. I'm Younghyun, but you can call me Brian." 

    A relieved sigh escaped Jae's lips as he gestured towards himself, "I'm Jaehyung, but I go by Jae. This is my younger brother, Sungjin." The bear-like male nodded his head once at the newcomer, eyes glued to his every move. 

    "I see you brought company with you," Brian spoke as he glanced at the horde outside of the domain. Slowly, the walkers had begun thinning out, but a few remained as they continued to tiredly bang their hands against the door. "What brings you two here anyways? I haven't seen living humans in awhile." 

    Jae glanced at Sungjin whose eyes remained fixated upon the man before them. Furrowing his brows, the older male shook his head, "Just passing through, really. We're trying to make it back into the city."

    Brian cocked a brow, "Why?"

    This time, it was Sungjing who spoke up, "Why not?"

    A low chuckle emitted from Younghyun's throat as he raised a flat palm into the air, "Easy there, big bear. I'm not looking to pick a fight or anything. I'm just curious because there's nothing there." Brian paused for a moment before continuing, "Well, unless you're looking to reach Resurrection Order. If that's the case, well, good luck."

    Jae tilted his head in curiosity, "Why do you say it like that?" 

    As he finished his bowl of water soaked cereal, Brian made his way towards one of the chairs sat before the fireplace. Placing the dish onto the coffee table, he took a moment to hoist the gun from his body as he carefully situated it onto the floor. A slight groan of relief fell from his lips as he plopped into the chair; dust particles puffing into the air.

    "No outsiders are allowed inside," Brian stated with a shrug. "If you weren't there when Resurrection Order was established, you aren't welcomed unless you're a significant person - like a doctor or a farmer. A couple of Nomads, though? Good luck. You'll be lucky if you're not shot on sight."

    Sungjin nodded towards the slightly younger male with furrowed brows, "And how do you know so much?"

    "Because I was like you once," Brian retorted. "I had hopes and dreams of getting into the safe-land, but all of those were shot down once bullets began whizzing by my head." He chuckled bitterly, "You'd be amazed how grateful you become once you taste near-death." 

    Jae felt his heart sink into the pit of his stomach, fingertips growing numb as Sungjin shook his head; eyes narrowed into crescents as he folded his arms across his broad chest, "And how do we know you're not lying? As a matter of fact, how do we know you're not lying about all of this? You may very well be a PAT or PABA or just some Nomad trying to dissuade us from safety."

    Another chuckle escaped Brian's lips, but this time it was less bitter and more humorous. Leaning back into the chair, he merely shrugged, "Believe what you wish, I don't really care. If you want to do what's best for you and your brother, though, I suggest you both listen to me. RO isn't friendly. You're better off continuing as you are, or following me."

    "Following you?"

    Nodding his head, Younghyun stretched his back before resting his forelimbs onto the armchair, "There's a small settlement north of here. According to what I've heard, they have lots of food, a tiny medical staff, and various gardens. Other Nomads are saying the community is like Resurrection Order, but friendly in the sense that everyone is welcomed so long as you aren't a PAT or PABA."

    "How do you know it's real, though?" Jae queried before gnawing on his plump lower lip.

    in a breath, Brian shook his head, "I don't, but it wouldn't hurt to check it out and see whether the rumor is true or not." Raising his arm, he utilized his forefinger to point to the walkers still stumbling around outside, "What do we truly have to lose?"

    "Our lives," Sungjin mumbled as he rolled his eyes.

    Younghyun merely stared at the older male for a moment before rising to his feet with a shrug, "Let me know your decisions by tonight." 

    Running a hand through his hair, Brian began making his way to one of the back bedrooms causing Jae to raise a brow, "Where are you going?"

    "To sleep," the newcomer smiled before temporarily halting to turn on his heel to face the brothers who remained sat upon the floor. Pointing towards his rifle that remained by the fireplace, Brian winked, "Don't steal it. Whoever's on watch duty first can use if it need be, but I'm trusting you both to not take it and run."

    With those words, the mysterious male disappeared into a nearby room as Jae glanced at his brother. Immediately, Sungjin nodded towards the hallway, "Go sleep. There's no way in Hell I'm letting you take watch again."