" The Brace of Shadows"

His mind was fixed on one thing: Carter, the man who had destroyed everything, taken the children, and now sought to finish what he had started.

"I'm coming for you," Alex muttered, gripping his radio tightly. With one last glance at the shelter, he set off toward the bridge—a decaying structure eerily similar to Roosevelt Island's famous span.

The bridge stretched out before Alex, its battered structure swaying slightly in the wind. The sun had dipped below the horizon, casting a dull orange glow across the scene. At the center of the bridge stood Carter, calm and confident, his figure illuminated faintly by the dim light of a rusted minivan.

Alex spotted Sam and Chloe inside the minivan, their hands tied and faces pale with fear. His stomach churned at the sight, but he forced himself to stay focused.

"Carter!" Alex's voice echoed across the bridge. "Let them go!"

Carter turned slowly, his lips curling into a sly smile. "You are predictable, Alex. Always rushing in to save the day."

"This isn't a game!" Alex growled, stepping closer. "What do you want and why did you cause all this destruction? "

Carter raised an eyebrow, amused. "Isn't it obvious? I want your bracelet." He gestured to Alex's wrist. "You've been walking around with something far more valuable than you realize, and I'm here to collect."

Alex's hand instinctively covered his bracelet, his heart pounding. "How do you know about this?"

Carter chuckled, pacing casually near the minivan. "Because I have one too." He pulled back his sleeve, revealing a sleek metallic bracelet similar to Alex's, but etched with faintly glowing lines.

Alex's breath caught. "You… you've had one this whole time."

"Of course," Carter said smugly. "Though mine is a little different from yours. It's not as versatile, but it has its perks. I've known about these things for a while, Alex. And I'm not the only one."

Alex's stomach twisted. "What do you mean, 'not the only one'?"

Carter smirked, leaning against the minivan. "You think you're special?

There are others out there, Alex. People like us, wearing these little miracles. Some are stronger, smarter, and faster. But me? I've been hunting them. Taking their bracelets. Yours is just the next step."

Alex's mind raced, the implications of Carter's words hitting him like a tidal wave. He wasn't alone—there were others like him, maybe some of them came from the same earth as him. But Carter had been hunting them, turning survival into a cruel game of power.

"You're insane," Alex said, his voice trembling with anger. "You'd kill people for this?"

"Spare me the morality speech," Carter said with a sneer. "The world ended, Alex. The rules don't matter anymore. Power is all that's left, and those bracelets? They're the ultimate currency."

Alex took a step closer, his voice sharp and full of resolve. "Let the kids go. They have nothing to do with this."

Carter tilted his head, pretending to consider it. "I'll make you a deal. Give me your bracelet, and I'll let them walk away. Refuse, and... well, I don't have to tell you how fragile kids can be, do I?"

Alex's jaw clenched, his fists trembling with restrained fury. "You're a coward, Carter. Using children as bargaining chips?"

Carter shrugged, unfazed. "Call me what you want. The fact remains, you don't have a choice. Hand over the bracelet, Alex."

Alex glanced at the minivan. Sam and Chloe were watching him, their eyes wide with fear but filled with trust. He couldn't let them down and he didn't want to let them down.

"Even if you take it," Alex said, his voice steady, "it won't change who you are. You'll always be a coward who couldn't survive without hurting others. You are just a psychopath, who destroyed innocent lives and sought to gain something you lost. You've become even more of a monster than these zombies. "

Carter's smirk faltered for a brief moment, replaced by a flicker of rage. "You don't understand, do you? This isn't about survival. It's about winning. And in this world, there are no prizes for second place and you can't even realize what I've been through and you are in no measure to judge me, Alex."

Plus that, Carter leaned closer, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "Did you ever stop to wonder where these bracelets came from? Why do they exist?"

Alex froze, his heart pounding in his ears. "What are you talking about?"

"There's more to this than you think," Carter said, his tone mocking. "You think these bracelets just appeared? Someone—or something—made them. And they're watching us, Alex. Testing us."

Alex's mind reeled. He had so many questions, but Carter wasn't interested in answering them.

"You can keep asking questions," Carter continued calmly, "but it won't matter. You're not ready for the truth. And frankly, you won't live long enough to find out."

Carter stepped back, pulling out a knife and pointing it toward the minivan and putting back in . "Enough talking. Either give me the bracelet or these kids suffer."

Alex's muscles tensed as he weighed his options. He needed to stall Carter long enough to think of a plan.

"You're making a mistake," Alex said, his voice firm. "You think taking my bracelet will make you stronger, but it won't fix what's broken inside you."

Carter barked a laugh, shaking his head. "You're wasting your breath. The only thing broken here is your sense of hope."

As Carter approached the minivan, Alex's heart raced. He couldn't let Carter win—not now, not ever.

" But Carter I must say that you're right about one thing," Alex said suddenly, his voice cutting through the tension.

Carter paused, turning to face him. "Oh? And what's that?"

Alex's gaze hardened. "This world doesn't have room for people like you."

Alex charged, his fists clenched and ready. Carter anticipated the move, dodging to the side and drawing back the knife from his belt.

The two men clashed violently, their enhanced abilities pushing their bodies to the limit. Alex's raw strength made his blows powerful, but Carter's agility and cunning allowed him to stay one step ahead.

"You think you're the hero?" Carter taunted as he slashed toward Alex. "Heroes die in this world, Alex. And you're no different."

Alex blocked the knife with his forearm, ignoring the sting as it grazed his skin. "You're wrong," he growled, landing a punch that sent Carter staggering. "Heroes fight for something. You? You're just a coward."

Carter's sneer widened into a grin, his knife gleaming faintly in the moonlight. 

"I told you, Alex, Carter taunted, circling him like a predator. "This world isn't for the weak. It's survival of the fittest." 

"And you think strapping explosives to a bridge makes you the strongest?" Alex shot back, his voice steady despite the anger boiling inside him.

Carter lunged, his knife slicing through the air. Alex sidestepped, grabbing Carter's arm and twisting it sharply. Carter winced but countered with a brutal kick to Alex's side, sending him stumbling backward. The two clashed in a flurry of strikes and counters, each move driven by a mix of rage and 

desperation

Alex's enhanced strength gave him the upper hand in grappling, but Carter's agility and cunning kept him in the fight 

Carter ducked under a punch and delivered a sharp elbow to Alex's ribs, forcing him to step back. "You're predictable, Alex. Strong, yes, but you fight with someone whose morals no longer matter.