Sophia gasped, c her mouth. "That’s Uncle Lee and Aunt Linda..." Seeing a stranger as a zombie was ohing; seeing someone she onew was another. Her face paled.

  “Let’s leave the reunion for aime,” Zack said, his tone cold. He pressed the accelerator harder, sending the vehicle forward. Sophia shut her eyes, but the familiar sound of g bones as they rolled over the undead was unavoidable.

  Overwhelmed, Sophia began to sob. Seeing familiar faces turned into monsters was too much for her. Zack, don’t know what to say, simply muttered, “Let it out,” as he tio drive, cirg the unity to clear any remaining zombies.

  They passed four or five more, mostly former security guards, and he crushed them with little thought. Whereets were clear, he finally parked in front of Mansion No. 9, got out, and forced open the courtyard gate. Sophia’s tears eventually slowed, though her eyes were red and swollen. At that moment, Ego chimed in with ued advice.

  “Sir, data suggests that women are most vulnerable to romantic feelings wheionally distressed.”

  Zack rolled his eyes. “Thanks, Ego. But we have more pressing priorities than romance right now.”

  Grabbing his shotgun, he exited the vehicle. Sophia joined him, wielding the makeshift bat he had crafted for her. Though the on was heavy, it gave her a small sense of security.

  As they ehe Mansion’s courtyard, an arm suddenly bred, pierg the quiet. Sophia Monroe spped her forehead.

  "I fot! This mansion belongs to Mr. Whitaker, a well-known collector. His security system is probably top-notch. We might not evehrough the front door without setting off more arms!" she said, tugging at his sleeve in a panic.

  Zaly smiled. A sed ter, the arm stopped abruptly.

  "Sir, the alert has been cleared, and the system is now figured tnize only your pupils and fingerprints."

  Under Sophia's curious gaze, Zack approached the Mansion door and pressed his thumb against the fingerprint lock. A soft chime sounded as the door unlocked, aepped inside.

  Immediately, Zack took out a gun and began a thh sweep of the Mansion, ensuring that every er was secure. The Mansion was massive, with three floors above ground and two more below. The first floor taihe living areas, like the living room and kit. The sed floor housed four bedrooms and a nanny’s room, while the third floor held a spaaster bedroom, with the remaining space dedicated to showg an impressive colle of artifacts and valuables.

  Desding to the basement, he found that half of the first underground level was a garage with two antique cars parked ly, and a pool table opposite to them. Oher side, he noted a temperature-trolled wine celr, a bar, and a private ema. The Mansion was very luxurious specificity designed for fort aertai.

  The sed underground floor, however, was different. No stairs led to it; instead, it was accessible only by an indepe elevator that required a passcode. Without the code, reag this hidden floor was impossible. Here, a few precious collectibles were stored, though their former value had diminished greatly in the apocalyptic world. Priceless reliow felt like mere decorations in a wastend.

  "I’ll check the basement. y in the s and water from the car?" Zack was halfway to the elevator when he hesitated, gng back at Sophia. "By the way... do you know how to cook?"

  He immediately felt foolish. Someone from Sophia’s background probably had never o cook. But to his surprise, she nodded with a slight smile.

  "You really do?" Zack’s surprised. Not wanting to dwell on it, he tinued, "Good. I saw some vegetables in the fridge. See what you make with them."

  Satisfied, he ehe elevator and simply instructed, “Ego, ive two.” Without needing a passcode, the elevator obediently desded to the Mansion's most hidden level.

  The doors slid open, and Zack was greeted by surprisingly fresh air, thanks to the Mansion's advanced air purification system. Surveying the basement, he found only five or six colles arranged in the vast, open space—two por vases, a suit of European bck pte armor, and a few calligraphy scrolls and paintings. It felt strangely empty for such a rge room.

  "Ego," Zack mused aloud, "I have a idea." Images of a se from his favorite moviefilled his mind. He wondered if he, too, could build a suit of armor here.

  "Think I could make a power armor?" he asked.

  "Unfortunately, Sir, we ck the necessary material for a reactor," Ego replied.

  Zack had anticipated this. Without an Zero Poior, his ambition would hit a wall. "Is there any alternative power source?" he pondered.

  "If you fo flight capabilities, battery power could work," Ego calcuted quickly. "High-energy ste grapheteries are reended for stable operation."

  Zack was intrigued but skeptical. “Where would I even find graphene?”

  "The Mansion owner once collected a piece of graphite, which could be refined into graphehrough honeyb extra," Ego responded smoothly.

  Zack raised an eyebrow. Honeyb extra? This was unfamiliar, possibly aeology form the future. pared to traditional methods, this bck-tech approach bypassed the need for plex equipment and signifitly increased efficy.

  "List the other materials for the graphetery," Zack ordered, fog on the pn.

  "Right away, Sir."

  Ego dispyed the necessary materials, most of which were on. A few items required refining, but Ego vely provided the extraethods. “Good. We’ll start gathering everything tomorrow.”

  Satisfied, Zack thought about Sophia, curious about her progress upstairs. “Ego, show me what she’s doing.”

  The Mansion’s surveilnce cameras, inally installed to monitor valuable art, now under Ego trol. Instantly, a live proje from the kit appeared before him.

  In the footage, Sophia was moving skillfully, washing and choppiables before p oil into a pan. This make Zack look at her with a new light, not just a pampered young dy.

  “Sir,” Ego reported, “after retrieving the s and water, Ms. Sophia quietly ate a of beef and hid the empty uhe wn.”

  “It’s just a . Let her enjoy it,” Zack chuckled. “o report these small things, as long as she doesn’t do anything reckless.”

  “Uood, Sir.”

  As the suhe st dish was brought to the table, filling the room with warmth that sharply trasted the eerie cries of zombies faintly heard outside. Mansion No. 9 was a haven of calm amidst the desote apocalypse.

  “e, sit,” Zack gestured as Sophia pced the final dish oable. The aroma was entig, and as he tasted the food, he raised his eyebrows in appreciation.

  “I didn’t expect it to taste this good,” he said, surprised.

  “Thank you,” she murmured, her eyes downcast, hands fidgeting slightly uhe table.

  Inwardly, her mind repyed Zack’s earlier words, “If you want to follow me, be prepared to bey woman.” A blush crept over her face as the reality of her decision hit her. She was here, sitting with a man she barely knew, feeliions she had never experienced before.

  “Are you... unfortable eating with me?” Zack’s voice broke her reverie.

  “N-no,” she replied quickly, shaking her head, though her flushed cheeks told a different story.

  “Don’t worry. I eat food, not people.” He fshed a rare, teasing smile as he took another bite.

  A small ugh escaped her, easiension. As they tiheir meal, Sophia found herself rexing, enjoying his pany more than she had expected.