"They are. The people you asked for are currently in room 438."
"They are! Thanks."
Without waiting for his friends, Danny ran towards the elevator and pressed the buttons impatiently. Johnathan and Ivan, seeing this helplessly, sighed before smiling. They were happy for Danny. At least one of them still had family left.
The two turned around and thanked the receptionist before running towards their friend. Once they reached him, the doors to the elevator opened. 'Perfect timing.' Johnathan thought as he entered the elevator with his two friends and other unknown people.
Danny quickly pressed the fourth floor and started tapping the floor impatiently. The elevator stopped between floors, so Danny's tapping continued. Anxiety was eating him alive. Constantly tapping his foot and biting his nails, the two of his friends and the others in the elevator couldn't help but be annoyed. But considering how excited and anxious he was to see his parents for the first time since the apocalypse started, they couldn't blame him.
Once they reached the fourth floor and the doors opened, Danny sprinted out and made his way through the halls, searching for room 38. Johnathan and Ivan followed behind him and helped him look around. Finally, after a minute of searching, they found the room. They stood in front of the door, but Danny was hesitating to knock. So being good friends, Ivan and Johnathan knocked for him.
"Hey! Wh-" Danny was cut short when a short Filipino man opened the door.
The man inspected from head to toe. His gaze was especially focused on Danny.
"H-hey, dad."
"D-Danny!"
The man ran and gave Danny a bear hug.
After a long hug, he released Danny and looked at the other two. With a sad smile, he welcomed them into the apartment. But not before pulling the other two into a quick hug.
Inside the apartment, the three boys sat on the wooden floor. After all, it wasn't like Danny's father could've brought his furniture along with him.
"Where princess?" Danny asked.
"She's sleeping in the other room right now. She was terrified all night long and couldn't sleep."
Princess was the nickname Danny and his family gave his little sister. Her real name was Angela, but she always acted like a spoiled princess.
"What about mom? Is she in the room too?" Danny asked, standing up and turning around to walk to the room.
"Danny. S-s-she's gone."
Danny turned around and with tears. "How did she d-die?"
His father looked down, not wanting to look at Danny's face. "I-I did it. I-I, k-killed her."
Danny wiped his tears and rushed forward to hug his father. He knew his father must have been going through a lot.
"I didn't want to kill her! She-she was going to hurt princess, so I had to!" With tears falling down his face, he embraced his son and explained what happened.
He didn't want his son to see him as a monster. 'Princess is already afraid. I can't have him hate me.' He thought while explaining what happened.
"You're strong sir. My father went through the same thing as you and he gave up and killed himself. You stayed alive to make sure you would be there for your daughter and son." Ivan said praising Danny's father.
Ivan didn't hate his father for that. But he thought of him as weak. However, he couldn't blame him. 'I probably would've done the same as him.' Ivan thought, wondering what he would do if he had to kill his family.
Danny's father stopped crying and got up. He walked to Ivan and gave him a hug. In between sobs, he said, "Ivan. Your father was a strong man. I don't know what happened for him to kill himself but I know, from the time I conversed with him, he was a strong man who loved his family."
Ivan smiled and hugged back. "Thank you."
He couldn't say anything else.
After a couple of minutes, the father and son duo calmed down.
"So what are you guys going to do from now on?" Johnathan asked.
"I'm going to work. They already told us that to stay here we would have to take on jobs they give us." Danny's father said.
"What! No way in hell I'm gonna let you work. What if they make you do something dangerous or something hard for your body." Danny stated.
"How could I not? I can't just let my family be kicked out into a monster-infested city."
Then a thought came to Danny. He remembered what the soldier said earlier. 'If you join the military, we would excuse your family from hard labor jobs.'
"I'll join the army. If I do, they'll excuse you from working any hard jobs."
The keyword has hard jobs. Joining the army still meant that his father would still have to work, but at least it would be easy on his body.
"I can't let you join the army. It's dangerous!"
"Dad, please. Trust me when I say I'll be okay. I have them with me." Danny said, pointing at his two friends.
"You can't just bring them into this."
"It's fine, sir. Ivan and I already decided to join them.
We have nothing better to do."Johnathan said.
"Plus dad. I got this." Danny said, putting out his hand and drawing mana out. His hand then turned demonic, shocking his father.
"W-what the fuck. How did you do that?"
"Shhh. Don't tell anyone I can do this. I'll explain it later, but please let me join. I want to help you guys."
His father stopped talking and thought for a bit. 'He grew up so well. I'm glad we raised such a capable young man, honey.'
"*sigh, fine. But I'm pretty sure your mom will haunt me in my dreams, so you better be careful."
"Thanks, dad. I promise I'll be careful and come back safe."
Danny got up and started walking to the door. "I'll be back."
He looked back and noticed the other two were still sitting so he said, "What are you guys waiting for. Let's sign up."
Johnathan and Ivan sat up and followed him.
With a determined look, Danny marched towards the elevator. 'I swear on my life that I will come back safe and well. No matter what.'