There was still a long road after this, a long fight waiting for them, but in that moment Bai Li felt something she didn't want to name too loudly. Maybe having a teammate really was useful. Maybe this woman beside her was not just someone she had to protect, but someone who could actually stand there and keep moving when the world tried to swallow them whole. That thought stayed with her as they pushed toward the top, the iron stairs groaning beneath their feet, the zombies still chasing from below.
