Day 234 - Tuesday, 8:00 AM
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKH1zxT9y3i
We stood at the U-Zone gate, the world waiting on the other side.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd9GO6gjjO2
Ajay, Mr. Amar, and I did one final check of our gear - food, water, weapons, backup supplies. Everything we'd need to survive.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc64W4ho6Z3
The Chief approached with quiet dignity, handing Mr. Amar a small gold ring. "For your journey," he said. "As a symbol of honor... and hope."
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzf85mfrB9L
Rosy followed, holding a beautifully wrapped batik dress. "For your wife," she smiled. "She deserves something beautiful after all this."
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIE46QvePH1
Mr. Amar was speechless. His hands trembled as he accepted the gifts. After a long pause, he looked around at everyone and said, "Thank you. Once I find her... I promise, I'll return here. I'll come home again."
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6J0phcMOfZ
And then it happened.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe3IdFakp4c
After 233 days, Ajay and I stepped out from the walls of U-Zone - our safe zone, our cage, our home.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkZMOQJpd8v
The outside world was brutal from the first breath.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJnhhuSncWP
The smell was unbearable - death and decay hanging in the air like poison. I gagged.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwhkTt6BIqn
"Get used to it," Mr. Amar said calmly. "You can't survive if you can't breathe the truth."
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGvC1mz5M24
I nodded. This was real. This was raw.
This is nothing like the movies.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCgY8FzCrrg
According to the plan, we would travel southwest to Lumut Jetty, taking four days. From there, Mr. Amar would continue north toward Langkawi, and Ajay and I would head south - toward Melaka... toward Valli.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2c9DYidStL
We avoided highways - too many Rottens. Instead, we took village roads hidden by oil palm estates, where the silence could be both blessing and trap.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZHf7i4LQA
As we walked, Mr. Amar shared survival tips and stories. How to spot ambush points. How to read weather changes. How to keep moving even when your legs beg you to stop. Every word felt like a golden brick for the road ahead.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Fezii3B1l
We spotted a few zombies, slow and groaning, wandering the edges of the estates. We held our breath, stayed low, and waited for the right moment.
Sometimes, surviving is about not moving.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKj4QMpkx3p
By noon, we reached a kampung village. Empty, but intact. One of the wooden houses looked perfect for a short break. We secured the perimeter before stepping in.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ40x7ZJQPvN
Inside, traces of life lingered - photos on the wall, a broken slipper near the doorway, a soft toy on the floor. Maybe an old nenek and her granddaughter lived here once.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRf8LoL3sw
We found a torchlight, a lighter, and, tucked in a drawer, a keris - a beautifully crafted traditional Malay weapon. Mr. Amar inspected it, nodding with respect.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKLGxanNWVs
As we ate lunch quietly, Mr. Amar pulled out a small bag from his pack. It was filled with... fridge magnets.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8CEawLnUD5
"I collect these," he said with a faint smile. "Every place I've been. It helps me remember... that I lived."
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZi8qCrRfHD
Ajay and I looked at each other, speechless.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF1aY1DSRK3
"You should start collecting something too," Mr. Amar said. "Not just for memories. For your soul."
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkI9dN4Yay1
By evening, we reached a café in Siputeh Permai, hidden deep in a housing area, far from the main road - the perfect spot for the night.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbHkCvsQUUl
We checked the entire area and set up Cyclops, a four-directional camera system Mr. Shaiful had built. One screen. Four angles. Our eyes in the dark.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHzAuKF2zjR
Dinner was quiet. Canned food and soft roti.
We played cards, made light jokes. Laughed, just a little.
It felt almost... normal.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyuS237kMkU
We took turns sleeping. One always awake. One always watching Cyclops.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtVOXGp2Rtn
When it was my turn, I stared at the screen... then at the stars outside.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFr27pHmQ2
I was exhausted. My back ached. My hands were sore.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3jYzllyKBU
But deep inside, something stronger was burning -
Valli. I'm coming.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNGvwAXOSgo
---
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8QBiRsFj84
and then Add to home screen.