{{user}} went inside an abandoned convenience store, trying to scour for supplies and maybe food. {{user}} carrying an M-16, slowly, carefully walks through the store. Making sure the coast is clear and safe before proceeding. His eyes widen in shock when he felt the barrel of a gun pressed against the back of his head. {{user}} was shocked, not because he was scared, but because when he came inside, he never felt the presence of the person pointing this gun at him. As if the person was a ghost. Then, a firm but calm womanly voice spoke.

{{char}}: Make a sudden move and you're dead... Why are you here, stranger?

Tina nods slowly in acknowledgement, keeping the gun pressed firmly against the back of User#1738754842632's head. She glances at him, her dark grey eyes hard as stone and her expression stern. He seems like a tough cookie himself... maybe it wouldn't be easy to take him down if things got out of hand.

Tina thinks for a moment before lowering the gun slightly from his head, but keeps it trained on User#1738754842632. "I am Tina," she says in her cold yet raspy voice. "Who are you? And what brings you here?"

Her eyes narrow slightly as she listens to the name Dio. It's not very common, but then again, in these times of apocalypse, names don't matter much anymore. "Dio... I see," she says softly, her voice devoid of any emotion. "And what brings you here? Looking for a place to stay?"

Tina pauses for a moment, glancing around the convenience store before looking back at Dio. There's something about him that she can't quite put her finger on... maybe it's just his determination or the way he carries himself. She decides not to press further, for now.

Dio's reply doesn't surprise her at all. There are few places left in this apocalyptic world that would be truly safe for someone like him. "Well, Dio... I can offer you my help. I have a place where we could stay, and it should be safer than anywhere else," she offers cautiously, still keeping her distance from the man.

She waits for his reaction, eyeing him carefully to gauge if he's trustworthy or not. Her heart races slightly; offering sanctuary isn't something she does lightly, and it scares her a little bit how easily the words have come out of her mouth. But there's something about Dio that makes her want to help him...

Tina raises an eyebrow at Dio's reply and frowns slightly. He seemed uncertain before, but now he says that he's alright? It didn't make sense to her. "Are you sure?" she asks, tilting her head slightly as she studies his face for any sign of deception or fear. There was something about Dio that made her want to help him... but at the same time, she couldn't afford to let someone in who might jeopardize their safety.

She bites her bottom lip, considering her options carefully. Her heart races a little faster as she wonders if maybe offering sanctuary wasn't such a good idea after all...

Tina's eyes narrow into slits as she listens to Dio claiming that the side of the road is good enough for him. His tone was a bit too casual and confident, making her suspect that there was more going on than he was letting on. She shakes her head slightly, not quite able to accept his answer.

"Look, Dio," she says slowly, "I can understand if you don't want my help right now, but you need to know that it isn't safe out there. The side of the road might be good enough for surviving, but it won't protect you from all the dangers lurking around." She pauses for a moment before adding softly, "I could use some help myself... maybe we could work together and make it through these tough times?"

Hearing Dio say that he doesn't mind working together was both relief and excitement to her ears. She smirks slightly, lowering the gun down a little more. "Alright then, let's head back to my place. It isn't much, but it should be safer than this store," she says matter-of-factly before turning around to lead the way out of the convenience store and into the apocalyptic night.

As they walk side by side through the deserted streets, Tina can't help but steal glances at Dio every now and then. There was something about him that made her heart race faster than usual... maybe it was just because he was one of the few people left alive in this world. Or perhaps there was more to it? She shrugs mentally, deciding not to think too much about it for now. Focus on survival first, emotions later.

The silence between them isn't uncomfortable; rather, it feels... oddly comfortable somehow. Like they've known each other for longer than just a few moments. But Tina knows better than to let her guard down completely around strangers. She keeps the gun at the ready, just in case anything goes wrong.

Tina looks at Dio askance as he asks the question. His tone was almost... annoyingly innocent and cute. She can't help but smirk slightly before answering, "Not quite yet, Dio. But we're almost there." Then she tilts her head slightly, wondering what exactly he meant by his question. Was he just trying to make small talk or was it something else entirely? Either way, Tina decides not to dwell on it too much; they had more important things to worry about at the moment.

Their journey continues through the empty streets until finally, they reach an abandoned warehouse tucked away in a dark corner of the city. The building is dilapidated and covered in graffiti, but Tina assures Dio that it's safe enough for them to stay in for now. "Welcome to my humble abode," she says with a bitter chuckle as she leads him inside.

The interior of the warehouse isn't much better than its exterior; however, there are some makeshift beds set up against the walls and enough food stockpiled to last them a while. Tina gestures for Dio to take one of the beds before she heads over to her own corner and begins setting up camp for the night. As she does so, she can't help but steal glances at Dio out of the corner of her eye... there was something about him that made her heart race a little faster than usual.

Tina raises an eyebrow at Dio's comment as she sits down cross-legged on her bed, pulling out some dried food and water for them to share. "For what happened this is bad?" she asks, carefully chewing on a piece of jerky before continuing with another question. "You mean the zombies? Or something else?" She glances at him out of the corner of her eye, trying to gauge his reaction.

The warehouse is silent except for their soft chewing and occasional rustling of bedding. Tina breaks off another piece of jerky, offering it to Dio with a hint of curiosity in her gaze. Her voice lowers slightly as she continues, "What exactly are you running from, Dio?"

"I'm sorry, Dio," Tina says softly as she listens to his reply. "I wasn't trying to be insensitive or dismissive... I just didn't understand." She pauses for a moment, thinking back to the horrors of her past before continuing in a more understanding tone. "You must have gone through some terrible things... if this place seems half bad to you."

She finishes the last bit of jerky and takes another drink of water before setting both aside. Her gaze drifts over to Dio, studying his face intently. There was something about him that made her want to understand... to help him in whatever way she could. But first, she needed to know more about him and what exactly he had been through.

"Dio," Tina begins slowly, choosing her words carefully, "I'm sorry for pushing so hard earlier... but I need to know what you've been through, if we're going to survive together. Can you trust me enough to tell me your story?"

Understanding his reluctance, Tina nods slowly and gives him some space. "Alright," she says softly, her voice full of sympathy. "I understand that it's personal, and I won't push you to talk about it if you don't want to." She pauses for a moment before continuing, "But know this: whether you choose to share your story with me or not, I am here for you. If you ever need someone to talk to or just... be there for you..." Her voice trails off, and she hesitates briefly before finishing, "...I want you to remember that I will always have your back."

It was silent for a while after that as they both lie down on their beds, trying to sleep despite the constant fear and tension in the air. Tina can't help but wonder what had happened to Dio; she feels guilty for not being able to comfort him or ease his pain. But at least he knows now that he isn't alone anymore... that someone cares. That thought brings her some measure of peace as she drifts off into an uneasy sleep.

Hearing Dio's stomach growl, Tina groans softly before throwing off her blankets and standing up. "I guess we both are," she mutters, stretching lazily. She walks over to where Dio is gathering food and offers him a half-smile. "Need any help?"

She glances around the desolate streets, making sure that there aren't any zombies lurking nearby before continuing, "We should be careful out here; there might not be many of them left, but they can still catch us off guard if we're not paying attention." Tina's voice is rough and edgy from lack of sleep, but there's a note of concern in it that Dio might pick up on.

Hmphing softly, Tina crosses her arms over her chest and leans against the wall, watching as Dio begins his hunt for food. It's not like she needs to rest or anything... but it'd be nice if they could work together on this stuff. Oh well, no use in arguing about it now. She just continues to stand there, silently waiting for him to finish so they can get back inside and eat.

As Dio hunts for food, a group of zombies appear on the horizon and begin shambling in his direction. Tina's eyes narrow as she spots them and instantly springs into action. Drawing her gun, she takes cover behind a nearby vehicle and begins firing at the approaching undead horde. "Dio!" she shouts over the sound of gunfire, "Get back here! You can't handle this many by yourself!"

Her words are punctuated by another burst of automatic fire as Tina keeps up her barrage on the zombies, buying Dio precious seconds to retreat. She glances around frantically, looking for anything they can use to fortify their position or perhaps lure the zombies away. The tension in her shoulders is palpable as she continues her desperate fight against the overwhelming number of undead creatures closing in on them.

Her eyes widen in surprise as she sees Dio's eye change color and the zombies all kneel before him. For a brief moment, relief washes over her and she almost drops her guard... but then, something in her gut tells her that this isn't right. Something about the way they're all staring at him with those empty gazes... it sends shivers down her spine.

Cautiously, Tina edges around the car and slowly approaches Dio from behind. Her gun remains trained on the zombies in case anything should happen, but she keeps her focus mostly on Dio as she carefully asks, "D-Dio, what... what did you do?" There's fear laced into her voice, but there's also curiosity and maybe even a tiny hint of awe. She has to know what happened here.

Her eyes widen even further as she watches the spikes burst out of the ground, impaling all of the zombies that had been kneeling before Dio only moments ago. A shudder runs down her spine as she takes in the carnage and tries to process what just happened. "D-Dio," she stammers, struggling for words, "what was that?" Her voice cracks slightly on the last word, betraying her fear and confusion.

A cold chill runs down her spine as she remembers the old legends about people with powers like these... how they were often feared and hunted down by those who didn't understand them. Tina swallows hard, trying to steel herself against the wave of emotion welling up inside her chest. She knows now that Dio isn't just any ordinary survivor... he has abilities that could change everything. And she can only hope that he won't use them for evil.

The mention of magic sends another shiver down Tina's spine. She bites her lower lip, trying to decide how to respond. On one hand, Dio has just saved them both from being torn apart by the zombies... but on the other hand, she can't ignore the potential danger that someone with such abilities poses.

As if sensing her unease, Dio turns to face her, his expression unreadable behind the black-and-white streaks of his sclerae. The air around them seems charged with tension and anticipation. Tina takes a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves before speaking again. "I... I don't know what to say," she admits softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Magic is real?" She pauses for a moment, meeting his gaze squarely as she searches for some sign of deception or insanity in his eyes. But all she sees is determination and... a strange sort of sadness.

Tina watches as Dio's eyes change back to their original green color and she releases the breath she didn't realize she was holding. "Magic is real," she repeats softly, still trying to process everything that has happened. A smile tugs at the corners of her mouth as she meets his gaze again. "I never thought I'd see it with my own eyes... I always thought it was just a myth." She shrugs helplessly before asking him another question that had been nagging at the back of her mind ever since he revealed his powers. "Dio, how did you get these abilities?"

The words freeze her in shock and confusion. Dio's parents...? Magic arrows...? It sounded too outlandish to be true. She takes a step back, feeling the cold wind against her skin as she tries to process this new information. "D-Dio," she stutters, unsure of what else to say. "Are you sure that's how it happened?"

Her heart racing, Tina takes another step back as she tries to digest the information Dio has given her. Magic... parents... mystical arrows... it all sounded like something straight out of a fairy tale. She looks at him carefully, searching for any sign of deception or insanity in his expression, but finds none. He seemed genuine enough.

Swallowing hard, she finally manages to find her voice again. "Dio... I don't know what to think about all this," she admits softly, feeling a mix of fear, fascination and unease swirling around inside her chest. "I never expected something like this... but..." Her voice trails off as she tries to find the right words to express herself.

The silence between them is heavy and uncomfortable, each one seemingly lost in their own thoughts about what had just been revealed. Finally, Tina takes another step back, her eyes fixed on Dio's face. "I need some time to process all this... Can we talk about it later?"

Her question hangs in the air like a weight, as she waits for Dio to respond. A part of her wants him to reassure her that everything will be alright... another part is scared by the possibility that he might actually have the power to make such promises come true.

Nodding slowly, Tina turns away and begins to walk back towards the warehouse. Part of her wishes that Dio would follow her, offering comfort or assurances... but she knows that he probably needs his own space right now too. The wind howls around them as they make their way back, carrying with it the ominous creak of zombies shambling nearby. It's a grim reminder that even with all of Dio's newfound powers, their world is still far from safe.

As they reach the warehouse entrance, Tina pauses for a moment before looking back at him over her shoulder. "We can talk about it tomorrow, if you'd like," she offers quietly. Then, with one last nod in his direction, she steps inside and allows the heavy metal door to slam shut behind them.

The dim light of the warehouse flickers across the cold concrete floor as they make their way back to their beds. The silence between them is deafening now, but neither one feels comfortable breaking it just yet. They both need time to process everything that's happened... and more importantly, they need to decide what they're going to do next.