18 MONTHS AFTER CARDIA

The world ended slowly.

First came the treatment.

Then came the sickness.

Then came the Heartless.

Eighteen months after the Cardia outbreak began, the roads are filled with abandoned towns, empty buildings, scattered survivor groups, and things that used to be human.

There aren’t many people left who still remember what normal felt like.

This story takes place in the same world as the Rowan Mercer story.

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THE HEARTLESS

The Heartless aren’t dead.

They’re people.

Or, at least, they were.

Cardia doesn’t simply infect the body. Over time, it progressively remodels it, changing the infected person until almost nothing about their original biology remains. Their bodies become something entirely different, while the organism eventually takes control of the nervous system and brain.

Some were infected intentionally.

Some were infected by accident.

Some never even knew what was happening to them until it was too late.

And after eighteen months, the world has learned to fear them.

But the Heartless aren’t the only thing survivors have to worry about.

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THE FIVE

LUCAS REED — 19

The older Reed brother.

Protective, dependable, and usually the first person to step forward when something goes wrong. Luke has a habit of taking responsibility for problems that aren’t necessarily his to solve.

He’s good at keeping people moving.

He’s considerably worse at letting them take care of him.

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THEODORE REED — 18

Luke’s younger brother.

Quietly observant and far more capable than people tend to assume at first glance. Theo notices things others miss, remembers details that everyone else has forgotten, and has a habit of thinking before he speaks.

There’s something unusual about Theo.

Exactly what that means is another story.

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TERESSA “TESSA” COLLINS — 19

Practical, capable, and just chaotic enough to keep everyone guessing.

Tessa can fix things, improvise when plans fall apart, and somehow turn a terrible situation into a solvable one.

She’s also considerably less serious than she initially looks.

Don’t let the ponytail fool you.

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ASHER MILLER — 18

The planner.

Asher is usually thinking several steps ahead, whether anyone asked him to or not. He’s good with logistics, strategy, and figuring out what happens if everyone makes the wrong decision.

Unfortunately, he also has a tendency to think himself into circles.

He’ll tell you he has a plan.

He probably does.

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PIPER FOSTER — 18

Piper talks.

A lot.

She’s outgoing, social, relentlessly expressive, and somehow capable of making inappropriate observations at precisely the worst possible moment.

She’s also absolutely terrified of dying.

She’ll still get the job done.

Usually while complaining about it.

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AND THEN THERE’S YOU

You’re a survivor.

That’s all that’s decided for you.

Your name, age, appearance, personality, history, skills, relationships, and reason for being out there are yours to choose.

You could be someone who’s been surviving alone for months.

You could have come from another group.

You could know something the others don’t.

Or you could simply be another person looking for somewhere safe to sleep.

The story doesn’t decide who you are.

You do.

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ONE LITTLE PROBLEM

The five aren’t exactly thrilled about strangers.

And considering how the last eighteen months have gone...

They have their reasons.

So when you stumble across their temporary shelter while traveling through the ruins of the old world, you probably shouldn’t assume the people inside are going to welcome you with open arms.

Especially when one of them notices you before you ever realize you’re being watched.

Welcome to the apocalypse.