They didn't stop again.
Even when they slowed, even when they adjusted their direction, there was always movement. A step forward, a turn, a shift to the side—something to keep them from settling into a pattern.
Arjun could feel it in the way everyone moved now. No one walked straight for long. No one stayed in the same line. Every few seconds, someone changed position, creating small, uneven gaps between them.
It wasn't comfortable but it was necessary.
The city around them had changed again,
The streets here were narrower, older. The buildings leaned closer together, their upper floors almost touching in places, blocking what little light filtered through the sky. Broken wires hung low, and debris filled the edges of the road, forcing them to watch every step.
"Keep it tight," Nisha said quietly,
Not too tight but just enough to stay connected.
Arjun stayed slightly behind Meera, keeping one hand near the injured man in case he stumbled again. The man's breathing had grown heavier, more uneven, and every few steps he slowed just enough to become a problem.
"We can't keep this pace," the man said, his voice strained.
"We're not stopping," Raghav replied.
"I'm not asking to stop. I'm saying I can't keep up."
Arjun glanced at Meera and it seemed as if she already knew.
The wound was getting worse.
"We'll adjust," Arjun said. "Short turns. Short paths."
Nisha heard him. "Fine. But no staying still."
They shifted direction again, moving through a narrow side passage that opened into a smaller courtyard. It was partially collapsed, the ground uneven, chunks of concrete scattered across the space.
They crossed quickly as Arjun kept scanning.
He didn't found anything obvious but that didn't mean safe.
They exited into another street.
This one was quieter.
Too quiet.
"Something's off," Meera said.
Arjun nodded. He felt it too.
Not danger or movement but just… absence.
No wandering infected and nor any distant sounds.
Nothing.
Raghav frowned. "This is worse than before."
Nisha slowed slightly. "Stay alert."
They moved carefully through the street, their steps quieter now, their spacing tighter.
The injured man stumbled.
Arjun caught him before he hit the ground.
"Easy," he said.
The man winced, gripping his side. "I'm slowing you down."
"No," Arjun replied. "We're moving together."
But even as he said it, he knew the truth.
They were slowing down.
And something out there—
Would notice.
"We need to move faster," Raghav said.
"He can't," Meera replied.
"Then we have a problem."
No one argued with that because it was obvious.
They reached the end of the street and stopped just short of turning.
Nisha raised her hand.
They froze.
Arjun tried to listen but heard nothing.
But—
That feeling again.
Like something was just out of reach.
Watching.
"We change direction," Nisha said quietly.
Before anyone could respond—
A sound came from behind them.
Not loud.
Not sudden.
But controlled.
Arjun turned.
At the far end of the street, a figure stepped into view.
Then another.
Then a third.
Not wandering or slow but moving with purpose.
"They found us," Raghav said.
"Move," Nisha ordered.
They didn't wait as they turned the corner and moved fast, abandoning careful pacing for speed.
Arjun pulled the injured man forward, forcing him to keep moving.
"Stay up," he said.
"I'm trying—"
"Try harder."
Behind them, the footsteps didn't rush but they didn't stop either.
"They're not speeding up," Meera said.
Arjun understood what that meant.
"They don't need to."
They turned again.
Another street, then another.
Trying to break the path.
Trying to lose direction.
But the footsteps remained consistent, following.
Nisha slowed slightly, scanning ahead.
"Options?"
"Left or straight," Raghav said.
"Straight is open," Meera added.
"Then left," Nisha decided.
They turned.
The passage narrowed sharply, forcing them into a tighter line.
The injured man stumbled again but this time harder as he almost fell.
Arjun caught him—but it cost them time.
"Go," the man said suddenly.
"No," Arjun replied.
"You have to."
"We're not leaving you."
The man shook his head, breathing hard. "You don't understand. I'm slowing you down."
"We adjust," Meera said.
"You can't adjust this," he replied.
Behind them, the footsteps grew closer.
Arjun felt the pressure building.
Not panic.
But something worse.
A decision.
A decision of life.
Nisha stopped, turned and looked at all of them.
"We don't have time."
No one spoke.
Because they knew what she meant.
The man leaned against the wall, barely standing now. "I'll hold them."
"No," Arjun said immediately.
The man met his eyes. "You said it yourself. They're tracking movement. I change the movement, they follow me."
Raghav clenched his jaw. "That's not a plan. That's—"
"It's the only one," the man said.
Silence fell.
The footsteps grew louder.
Closer.
Arjun's grip tightened.
He didn't like this.
Didn't want this.
But—
He understood it.
Meera looked at the man. "You won't last."
The man gave a weak smile. "I don't need to."
That was enough.
Nisha nodded once,
"Do it."
Arjun looked at her. "We don't know if it will work."
"We don't have time to know," she replied.
The man pushed himself off the wall, forcing his body upright.
"Go," he said.
This time—
No one argued.
Because they couldn't.
They moved.
Fast.
Not looking back.
Arjun forced himself forward, even as every part of him resisted it.
Behind them—
A sound broke the steady rhythm.
A sudden shift.
Faster movement.
Not all of them but some.
"They took it," Meera said.
Arjun didn't turn.
He didn't want to see.
The footsteps behind them split as some continued forward while others changed direction following the new movement.
It worked.
Partially.
"They're dividing," Raghav said.
"Good," Nisha replied. "We only need some of them off."
They turned again.
Another street.
Another shift.
Arjun's breathing grew heavier, but he didn't slow.
Not now.
Not after that.
After a few more turns, the sound behind them began to fade.
Not completely but enough.
Nisha raised her hand again.
They slowed and then stopped as silence returned and real silence this time.
No footsteps, No movement.
Just the city.
Arjun leaned against the wall, catching his breath.
No one spoke or looked back because they all knew what had just happened.
Raghav broke the silence first.
"…we left him."
No one corrected him.
Meera looked down for a second, then away.
Nisha remained still, her expression unchanged.
"We made a choice," she said.
Arjun didn't respond because it didn't feel like a choice.
It felt like something that had been decided for them.
He closed his eyes for a moment,
Then opened them.
"We keep moving," he said with his voice steady.
Even if he wasn't.
Because stopping now—
Would make it worse.
And whatever was out there—
Was still learning.