The faint sound of a small heartbeat. J followed it as if he were under a spell, barely noticing when his feet sank into the swamp.

He didn’t know how long he had walked, but eventually, a building that had remained mostly intact, despite some damage, came into view. The sound was coming from there. J began to clear away the debris.

‘Why?’

His rational mind questioned him. Even if he saved this person, they would likely die soon anyway. Did he really want to experience another death in his arms? Yet, his hands didn’t stop clearing the wreckage. In …