Page 19 of The Last of Love

8

FLEUR

Fleur woke to the first light of dawn creeping in through the dusty office blinds, her body still curled against Lena's. For a moment, the warmth and stillness of their bodies lingered, but reality quickly set in.

Today’s the day.

She carefully disentangled herself from Lena, her mind already racing. They would finally make it to the lab. After all the running, the close calls, and the uncertainty, the moment had arrived. This was her chance to finish what she’d started, to find the cure. Save humanity. Or whatever was left of it.

Fleur glanced at Lena, still asleep, and felt the weight of what lay ahead. She knew everything could change today. And she knew she still had to tell Lena the full story. She couldn’t hide it from her anymore.

Fleur shifted carefully, trying not to wake Lena as she sat up. The world had fallen silent, but Fleur’s thoughts were anything but.

Lena stirred beside her, her dark eyes fluttering open. She glanced at Fleur, a slight smile tugging at her lips, recallingthe closeness they had shared just hours before. But that smile quickly faded as she sensed Fleur’s tension.

“We need to get moving soon,” Lena murmured, her voice still soft from sleep. “The lab isn’t far now. We’ve nearly made it.”

Fleur nodded but couldn’t meet Lena’s eyes. Her heart pounded in her chest, and the words she had been holding back for so long were rising, too heavy to keep inside any longer. As Lena stretched and packed their belongings, Fleur’s mind spun with the weight of what she had to say.

“You’re right,” Fleur finally said, breaking the silence as they prepared to leave. Her voice was tight, betraying her inner turmoil. “But before we get there, there’s something else you need to know. And please just hear me out.”

Lena froze mid-step, her gaze sharpening as she turned toward Fleur. “What is it? You’d better not be playing with me,” she warned, the ease of their earlier moments quickly replaced by worry.

Fleur swallowed hard, her hands trembling slightly as she took a breath. “I haven’t told you everything. The research I was doing... It’s not just about finding a cure. It’s more than that. I wanted to tell you before, but we got into trouble and one thing led to another.”

Lena stepped closer, frowning. “What do you mean? Just tell me.”

“The scientists I worked with... they didn’t want to save everyone. They wanted to take complete control of the cure. Only those loyal to them, the people they saw as valuable, would have access to it. They were planning to use it as leverage, to decide who was worth saving and who wasn’t. They want to create a new world where they have control, and the cure can only be given to those who bring them value. People with highly trained skills. People in power from the old world. The others…well… they are nothing to them. They want to destroy the small communities. They want to destroy everything and dictate the new world.”

Lena stared at her in disbelief, her jaw tightening. “So they want to rebuild the world, but only for the powerful? The rest of us are just… collateral?”

“Exactly,” Fleur whispered, her voice laced with bitterness. “It’s all about control. If you didn’t play by their rules, you were left to die. It’s how they see survival—an opportunity to reshape the world in their image. A sick image.”

Lena paced a few steps away, running her hands through her hair as she tried to process everything. “But you worked with these people. You said you were trying to find the cure and do something good.”

“I was!” Fleur’s voice cracked as she interrupted. “At first, I didn’t realize what they were planning. We were all focused on stopping the virus. But as the world fell apart, their true intentions came out. They didn’t care about saving humanity. They cared about who would be left to rule. By the time I understood, I was in too deep. I was tangled in it all.”

Lena’s eyes narrowed, anger flashing in her expression. “And that’s why they’re hunting you? Because you walked away from their twisted plan?”

Fleur nodded, her throat tightening. “I took everything with me. The data, the formulas, everything they need to finish the cure. I couldn’t let them use it to control people. That’s why they’ll stop at nothing to find me. They don’t just want the cure. They want to make sure no one else can use it.”

Lena exhaled sharply, the weight of Fleur’s confession sinking in. She stepped closer, her voice softer but no less determined. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

Fleur looked down, guilt shadowing her features. “Because once you knew, you’d be a target too. And I didn’t want to dragyou any deeper into this than you already are. I didn’t want you to think I was one of them.”

Lena’s gaze hardened, but there was a fierceness in her eyes now. “I’m already in this, Fleur. We’re in this together. And if we’re going to make it, you have to be honest. I said this before. I wish you had just told me.”

Fleur nodded. “Then there’s one more thing you should know. This lab we’re going to... it’s the last chance I have to complete the cure. If we don’t succeed here, the people after us will win. And if they do... they’ll use the cure to rebuild a world no one should live in. They will get to me, they will keep me tied up, and they will force it out of me.”

Lena clenched her fists. “Then we have to stop them. No matter what it takes.”

They both stood in silence for a moment, the enormity of the task ahead looming over them.

As they descended from the building and made their way through the empty streets, they remained silent. The closer they got to the lab, the more dangerous the path felt. Every corner, every alley, felt like a potential trap. The city’s eerie silence was oppressive, making them hyper aware of their surroundings.

“Up ahead. We’ve got a gang of lurkers,” Lena whispered.

“I swear you use a million different names for those guys. You could just say zombie, y’know?” Fleur replied with a sarcastic smile.

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