Chef in the Apocalypse

The group fanned out in search of Heath’s wife, their footsteps muted by the lush forest floor. Each step took them deeper into the heart of uncertainty. Jayce, however, couldn’t help but be distracted by the man named Heath, who was his mentor in his previous life. It was a strange twist of fate that they would meet again, under such different circumstances.

A hint of melancholy brushed against Jayce’s heart. He knew that he would never share the same camaraderie and experiences with this man as he had in their past life. But in the next moment, Jayce’s expression brightened, a smile curling on his lips. He had become the embodiment of Heath in this new life, evolving into a leader and a role model for his faction.

Before he could delve deeper into these reflections, Zane’s whistle pierced the air, pulling their attention. He stood beneath a massive tree, pointing to a hole beneath its gnarled roots. "Macie!" Heath called out, his voice filled with relief, and he rushed forward to embrace the woman who had hidden there.

It was a scene of pure, heartfelt reunion that Jayce had never witnessed from him in their past life. Heath, typically reserved and stoic, now wore an expression of raw emotion. Jayce couldn’t help but smile, seeing this heartwarming moment unfold. Any lingering regrets he had about the disparity between the two versions of Heath vanished.

In a quiet voice, almost drowned out by the joyful reunion, Jayce whispered to himself, "I’m happy for you, Leader."

Macie, still covered in dirt from her hiding place, suddenly looked up from Heath’s shoulder. Her eyes, once a warm brown, transformed into an eerie white, locking onto Jayce’s gaze. It was as if she were peering deep into his very soul, and Jayce involuntarily recoiled, a shiver running down his spine.

’W-What is this?’ Jayce felt the hairs on his neck rise, as if a higher power was staring directly at him, making him feel cold and insignificant.

Before he could utter a word, the feeling retreated. Macie’s eyes returned to brown, still locked onto Jayce. In the next moment, she fainted, going limp in Heath’s embrace.

However, Jayce was shook. He wasn’t sure if he was imagining things, but the look that the woman gave him before fainting seemed to hold a deep emotion, directed at him.

"Ah." Heath was startled for a moment, feeling his wife go limp. However after quickly checking her vitals his face could finally relax, "She must have been exhausted." he said in a relieved tone.

After placing her down he looked over at Jayce whose mind was still racing from the earlier situation. "Thank you Jayce, you’ve done us a great service today." Heath bowed, his voice filled with gratitude.

Jayce waved his hand dismissively, "It’s fine. We have heard there is a beast tide that had come from the East, so we came out in search of survivors."

Heath’s eyes hardened, "Yes, they breached Qinling city. If we hadn’t acted fast enough we would have also been caught up in the destruction."

"Are there any more survivors?" Jayce asked.

"I-I don’t know." His face looked a little guilty, likely due to prioritizing only his and his wife’s lives. "However, if there are, they will likely be further along the path we traveled from." he said, pointing to the East.

"Okay good. We’ll travel along this path to look for survivors. Heath, head west until you reach the mountainous range. Follow the path South and you’ll find a town called Bastion. Tell them that I sent you and to ask for Colin." Jayce set out his instructions, his tone not allowing for any objections.

Heath stared blankly and blinked a few times, his gaze switching between his wife and the young man in front of him. For some reason he felt a compulsion to join Jayce in his search for survivors, however logic eventually won out.

He would just be putting his wife and possibly the entire party in greater danger by tagging along. After a moment he nodded solemnly, "Thank you Jayce. Be safe out there."

With that, he stood up tall and gently hoisted his wife in a fireman’s carry before turning towards the west and leaving. Jayce watched on as the two left, inwardly happy that Heath had not objected to his decision. He wasn’t quite sure if he would be able to turn down his old Leader just yet.

"Okay, let’s go." Jayce turned around and dashed further into the forest with Zane in tow.

***

In an hour or so, Heath had made it to the forest where the party had met the spider monsters. With Macie on his back, he slowed down gradually, his eyes widened at the sight that stood before him. The carcasses of the gigantic spiders, and the devastation that had affected all of their surroundings made him feel a slight bit of fear.

He subconsciously turned back towards the East, wondering if it had been Jayce and his friend that had caused this mess. However, he shook his head after a moment. ’The kid held a dagger, there’s no way he’s a mage.’

Before he could continue, he felt his wife stir on his shoulder, prompting him to set her down. With a large smile he said "Morning Beautiful."

Macie’s eyes fluttered open with confusion for a moment, wondering where she was. Heath moved a piece of her long blonde hair out of her face, and smiled, "I’m so happy you’re safe." he said in earnest.

Feeling his warmth and tender words, she smiled in response, lighting up her features. "Honey, don’t be so embarrassing in front of others."

"Others?" Heath questioned, looking around oddly.

Macies face fell a little, "Where is J– I mean, where are those two young men?" she almost faltered.

Heath scratched the back of his neck, "The young man Jayce told me to take you to Bastion which is in the west. I left about an hour ago." he responded a little embarrassedly.

Hearing these words, Macie’s face darkened, "How dare you leave such a dear friend by himself when its so dangerous!" she admonished him viciously.

The large man blinked a few times, ’When had Jayce become a dear friend to him? Sure he was a benefactor, but they had only met today.’

However, seeing the expression on his wife’s face, he knew better than to argue that point. "Honey, there was no way he would have listened to me. You should have seen his expression."

She shook her head, "You are wrong."