Jeffry glanced at his watch several times, restless. They had agreed to have dinner together at 8:00 PM. However, by 8:30 PM, there was still no sign of Karina.
"Could Karina regret accepting his proposal because the ring he gave her was made of grass?" The thought swirled in his mind. Or perhaps something had happened that prevented Karina from coming—or worse, maybe she had simply forgotten.
Resolving himself, he decided to go to Karina's room. After knocking for a long time without getting any response, his worry grew deeper.
Without hesitation, he stopped a building cleaner who happened to be passing by.
"Have you seen the occupant of this room?" Jeffry asked, startling the cleaner.
Nervously, the cleaner replied, "The last time I saw Miss Karina was this morning with a young woman she often meets with." The answer made Jeffry's worried expression even more evident.
Jeffry quickly ran to Building B, suspecting that the woman mentioned earlier was Eila. After knocking impatiently, the door opened, but it wasn't who he was looking for.
"Good evening, sir. Can I help you?"
"Are Karina and Eila inside?"
"I'm sorry, sir. I haven't seen them since this morning."
"Do you know where they might be?"
"I'm sorry, sir, I don't know," the woman replied nervously, intimidated by the fact that she was speaking to the head of the base.
Unfulfilled by the answer, Jeffry turned and left.
Panicking, Jeffry pulled out his communication device to contact the security division. After reviewing the CCTV footage, he and his team rushed to the last location where Karina and Eila had been seen—a nearby market.
o0o
Darkness enveloped the rooftop of a tall building, sparsely lit by a few lamps. In the middle of the rooftop stood a man, smiling at her and four others beside him.
"You will all be blessed," he said.
Rather than providing reassurance, his words made Gisel shiver. The four others, however, displayed expressions of hope.
Slowly, several people dressed in white approached her, holding a piece of cloth to blindfold her. Her hands trembled slightly.
A week ago, while she was having her morning meal after praying, she accidentally found a strange image etched onto a piece of meat in her bowl. Overcome by curiosity, she wiped the meat with her shirt.
Upon seeing the image, her eyes widened in shock. It was a tattoo—a tattoo she had seen before. Many of the building's guards bore the same tattoo.
It seemed impossible that the beef she was told came from Mr. Cores would have such a tattoo.
Feeling a liquid rise in her throat, she rushed to the toilet.
"Huek! Huek!"
A formless liquid spilled from her mouth. Weak and breathless, she leaned against the bathroom door, still unable to believe she had just eaten human flesh.
As she tried to regain her composure, Gisel sensed someone approaching. With her eyes tightly shut, she couldn't see who it was. Suddenly, she felt a grip tighten around her neck, choking off her airway.
With her hands bound, Gisel struggled against the force strangling her. She flailed, landing a blow on her assailant's head.
"You damned woman!" the assailant shouted, striking her head and causing her to collapse to the floor. Pain surged through her.
Unsatisfied, the assailant grabbed her chin harshly, amplifying her fear and hopelessness.
"Ed, finish her off. Don't forget to collect her blood. As for the rest, distribute it as usual to the faithful," came the cold command.
Obediently, Ed unsheathed his sword.
As the sword was raised—
"Boss,"
Suddenly, a man entered, reporting that the building had been attacked. Gisel silently wept with relief. At least now she had a chance to escape.
"Repel them immediately," Cores commanded. They hurriedly left, abandoning her tied up. She exhaled in relief.
Tap, tap, tap!
Footsteps echoed in her ears, rekindling her fear. The shadow drew closer. With her remaining strength, she tried to inch away.
She closed her eyes, bracing herself as the figure approached. But instead of what she feared, the ropes binding her loosened, granting her some freedom.
Quickly, Gisel opened her eyes and looked around. What she saw made her skin crawl—piles of bodies scattered around, some of them people she had known.
Before she could scream, a hand covered her mouth, silencing her.
"Shh,"
Looking up, she saw the woman who had been taken by Cores yesterday—the lover of the base commander. Seeing her now gave Gisel a glimmer of hope. Tears streamed down her face silently.
0o0
Karina quickly descended from the rooftop to the front of the building, anxiety gnawing at her. Although Jeffry had brought a strong team, his impulsive approach was worrisome.
While the ten individuals with them had power, they didn't fully control it yet. Karina knew the danger if they lost control and became tools for the zombie king.
After all, the cores embedded in them came from zombie brains, meaning the zombie king could potentially control them.
Closing her eyes, she sensed a horde of zombies heading toward them, heightening her unease. Upon reaching the ground floor, she saw Jeffry facing the zombie king.
Rushing toward Jeffry, she grabbed his waist and hugged him tightly. "Where were you? I missed you. Huhuhu," she exclaimed loudly, ensuring others could hear. Her embrace was reciprocated by Jeffry.
"Where have you been? Are you hurt?" Jeffry asked, his concern evident. Karina shook her head lightly in response. After holding each other for a while, she loosened her grip.
Then, she turned to the zombie king.
"Forgive me, sir. My boyfriend thought this was a kidnapping. He doesn't know anything," Karina said, bowing slightly. Jeffry's eyes widened at her statement.
"What are you doing, Karina? Look at me. Don't trust him—he wants to hurt you," Jeffry said, worry evident in his tone.
"Don't speak carelessly," Karina scolded, glaring at Jeffry before whispering, "Play along with me."
"Sir, please don't kill him. I promise to explain everything to him," Karina pleaded with the zombie king.
"I always welcome those with good intentions, but make sure your boyfriend doesn't cause trouble here," the zombie king replied with an outwardly sincere smile.
"Thank you. I promise to make him understand," Karina said with a fake smile.
"Your friend seems to be sleeping soundly inside. Would you two like to stay the night? You must be tired after such a long journey," Cores offered with a tone of veiled menace.
o0o