PROLOGUE
Liely was breathing heavily. All that remained was to open the sewer cover and...
Finally.
She was outside. Bright sunlight blinded her, causing her to involuntarily close her eyes, still unprepared to face the outside world. A sudden burst of fresh air immediately and intoxicatingly washed over her after the stench of the sewer pipes. Pushing the lid further away and finally managing her way out, she squinted and tried to take in her surroundings as she looked around, but then, she was almost hit by a passing gaunt cyclist who, attempting to avoid a collision, pivoted the handlebars to the right and crashed into the window of an old shop.
There was the sound of broken glass; the alarms of some old cars parked on the side of the road went off. People shouted and screamed, puzzled and lost. Everyone was in shock, and hundreds of questioning gazes turned towards the woman.
Liely, all in cuts and bruises, with torn clothes, fell exhausted onto the pavement, trying to shout only one word, ‘Iaaaaaaaaan!’
Passers-by in masks crowded next to the woman lying on the road, not daring to approach. Fear gripped everyone.
Finally, after a long time of hesitation, a lady with long blond hair pushed aside the onlookers and ran up to the wounded Liely.
‘Don’t go near her, she’s not wearing a mask!’ someone shouted from the crowd.
‘Are you tired of living?’ others asked.
‘She has a death wish, for sure!’
The woman hugged Liely and whispered in her ear,
‘Don’t listen to them. Everything is fine, don’t worry, I’ll help you. What is your name?’
Liely lifted her half-conscious gaze to the blond saviour.
‘Liely.’
‘Right. I see. Liely. My name is Saam. And you can’t be here. Help me take you away from here. Now, the watchers and the Wardens will arrive, and they will take both of us away. Do you understand?’
Liely nodded and tried to get up. She failed. Saam panicked.
‘I’ll help,’ they heard a voice from behind.
A young man in a red tracksuit approached the women and, with one swift movement, picked up Liely in his arms.
‘Mohr,’ Saam breathed out with relief, recognising the lad. ‘Please help me hide her.’
‘Come with me. Quick!’
With these words, the young man gently led Liely to the nearby red car, carefully placing the woman onto the back seat. When Saam took her place in the front, he started the engine.
A real commotion erupted in the centre of the City. Everyone was shocked to see a woman without any protection on the street, alone, in the City of the Infected.
