Chapter 6 After traveling for two long days and a night, we finally made it to the safe zone. Everyone barely had a wink of sleep throughout the journey. Right after getting off the helicopter, I requested the best accommodations for my teammates. When it came to Noah and Esmeralda, I casually told the soldier, "They're not important. Just give them a place to sleep. There's no need to give them special treatment." As soon as her words fell, Noah snapped, "Skyla! Are you even listening to yourself? I'm your boyfriend, and you're fine with dumping me in the cheapest mixed dorm?" I snorted and questioned him, "Didn't you say you'd never leave Esmeralda? Now, you two can sleep together in the mixed dorms. How convenient." His cheeks flushed crimson when he heard that. He glanced at the tents a short distance away, where people in grimy, foul- smelling clothes milled about and showers were out in the open. "Don't do this to me, Sky..." His tone softened right away. "I-I just want to look out for Esme. It's not what you think!" "Then, what is it? You wasted my last vial of serum. Now, I have to go out to gather ingredients again, not knowing what danger I might run into. "How dare you call me your girlfriend? You've never once cared about me in your life!" Suppressing my anger, I motioned for the soldier to take him and Esmeralda away. "Noah, I've already given you a chance to live, so cherish it. Don't push your luck. "From this moment on, we're done! You're not my boyfriend anymore. You're on your own now." After drawing the final line, I followed the soldiers to the main conference room without so much as a glance behind me, leaving Noah frozen where he stood. He stammered a few times but never came after me. "Noah, we're lucky we even have a roof over our heads. Don't just stand here. Let's get our rations before they run out," Esmeralda urged. However, his thoughts were elsewhere. That evening, he realized he'd only been given a piece of bread and a small bowl of oatmeal, and he almost lost it. Back when he was with me, no matter how rough things were, I always made sure he had the best I could find. If anything fell short, I would rather go without than let him suffer. Yet now, he was reduced to sleeping on the ground in a makeshift camp jammed with dozens of people, plagued by mosquitoes and endless snoring. The contrast alone was enough to make him feel suffocated. The next morning, the safe zone was shrouded in mist as I checked our gear with my teammates and prepared to head for an abandoned research facility half a dozen miles away. We heard that was where we could find the last ingredient we needed to make the new anti-virus serum. As soon as we were about to set off, Noah suddenly showed up with Esmeralda in tow. "S-Sky, let me come with you." He stood before me, nervously twisting the hem of his shirt. He looked much more haggard than he had a few days ago, with dark circles under his eyes. "I... I'm trained in first aid. If anyone gets hurt, I can help!" Esmeralda, who was next to him, chimed in shakily, "I don't really have any skills, but I'm quick on my feet! I can help you carry things."