“Uh, Zack… these things are alive!” Erza shouted, her voice ced with panic. “Do something! Burn them or something!” “Isn’t this an Armory? What if it explodes?” Erza hesitated.

  “Shut up and burn them!” Zaapped.

  “Fine! But if we blow up, it’s on you!” Erza flicked the lighter. Instantly, the fme swelled unnaturally, growing into a bzing fire dragon nearly a meter in diameter.

  The fire dragon roared dowunnel, engulfing the vines in its fiery maw. The dark space lit up like midday as the fmes ed the pnts. The crag of burning vines echoed through the tunnel, apanied by the acrid smell of smoke and scorched greenery. “Your powers seem stronger,” Zack remarked, pausing his guo gnce back at Erza.

  “Maybe,” she replied, watg the fmes with a mix of fear and pride. “I think my abilities are like muscles—the more I use them, the strohey get.” As she spoke, the remaining vines recoiled, retreating deeper into the tunnel like a predator that had met its match.

  The temperature iunnel rose sharply, beads of sweat f on Erza’s forehead. “Maybe I’ll make you a heat-resistant suit when we’re done here,” Zack muttered.

  “Really? You’d do that for me?” Erza’s eyes lit up, her exhaustion momentarily fotten.

  “Only if you keep your mouth shut and don’t annoy me,” Zack added, deadpan.

  “Deal! I’ll be the quietest person you’ve ever met!” Erza promised eagerly.Zack smirked but said nothing, clearly doubtful of her newfound silence.

  The pair tinued deeper into the tunnel, stepping over charred vihat still smoldered faintly. The air was thick with the acrid st of smoke and an underlyiallig that made Zack’s nose wrinkle. “Ego, earlier you said the sap had traces of human tissue. What’s up with that?” Zack asked.

  “Yes, Sir. The pnt sap also tains corrosive properties,” Ego firmed. “It’s highly likely these vines are part of a ivorous pnt. They kill anything that gets close, theheir sap to dissolve the bodies for nutrients.”

  "You mean to tell me this thing is just a giant pitcher pnt? Except instead of bugs, it eats humans?" Zack’s voice was cold as he spoke.

  "Yes, sir," Ego affirmed.

  Zack shook his head in disbelief. "No wonder we haven’t seen a single zombie siting off the pne. Not even a mutated animal dares to e his pce."His tone was ced with sarcasm as he muttered, "Okay, this world has officially gone insane."

  Pushing the thought aside, he refocused and pressed on. Before long, the tunnel led them to the Armory. At the end of the dimly lit path, a massive gate loomed, partially blocked by a truck wedged in the opening. "Is that a zombie?" Erza asked, pointing to the truck’s cab.

  Zack didn’t even g it before replying, "Skeleton."

  When they moved closer, his observation proved correct. Ihe cab sat a skeleton, its clothes corroded as if doused in acid. Everuck’s leather seats bore deep marks of decay. The sight firmed Ego’s earlier hypothesis. "Step aside," Zaanded, effortlessly shoving the truck out of the way.

  The pu stench that greeted them i like a physical blow. "Ugh, what is that smell?" Erza gagged, her face pale. "It’s… it’s awful!"

  Zack calmly disabled his suit’s odor feedback system and turo Erza. "If it’s too much, head back out. The smell’s bad now, but trust me—you might lose your lunch when we find what’s causing it."

  Erza, defiant as ever, tore a piece of fabri her shirt and covered her nose and mouth. "I’m not going back. It’s worse being alone in that creepy tuhan dealing with this smell."

  Zack shrugged, respeg her resolve. "Suit yourself. Let’s keep moving."

  As they ventured deeper, the eerie silence of the Armory became even more uling. Other than the skeleton iruck, the massive building was devoid of life—or death. No bodies, no zombies. Nothing. The emptiness felt wrong.

  Meanwhile, back at the Mansion, little Annie was humming cheerfully as she busied herself i, preparing dinner for Sophia. Her movements were smooth and practiced—clear proof she wasn’t bluffing about her cooking skills.

  "Annie, you don’t o do this," Sophia called down from upstairs. "I manage. Your brother isn’t here to nag me, so I’ll be fine."

  "No!" Annie snapped, waving a spatu in the air as if Sophia could see her. "If you dare e down here, I’ll tell Zack!"

  "Fine, fine," Sophia replied with an exasperated chuckle. "I’ll stay put." Despite her pliance, Sophia wasn’t lounging. She didn’t want Annie overexerting herself and had been pnning to help out. But before she could dwell ohoughts, a faint burning smell wafted upstairs.

  "Annie, do you smell that? Did something burn?" Sophia called, waiting for a reply.Silence. "Annie?" Her voice greer. "Annie!"

  Armed, Sophia quickly threw on a coat and hurried downstairs. What she saw froze her in pce. Annie was lying motionless on the floor, her small frame curled up he stove. Whatever had been cooking i was now a bed mess, its smoke curling into the air. "Annie!" Sophia rushed to turn off the stove and k beside the little girl. Her heart sank as she touched Annie’s forehead—it was scorg hot. Grabbing a thermometer, she checked Aemperature: 40.1°C.

  Sophia’s face went pale. "Oh no," she whispered. "I ’t give her medie without knowing what’s causing this fever." Panic began to cw at her. A fever this high could cause sting damage if left ued.

  With trembling hands, she picked up the unicator. She hesitated, knowing Annie didn’t like Zack being disturbed over "small" matters. But just as she was about to press the call button, the device lit up with Zack’s ining call. "Sophia, I already know," Zack’s voice came through the line before she could speak."You do?" she asked, stunned.

  Ego’s monit system had alerted Zack about Annie fainting moments before Sophia discovered her. "Yes, don’t worry. Annie isn’t sick. This fever… it’s actually a good sign," Zack reassured her.

  Sophia’s brow furrowed in fusion. "A good sign? Zack, she’s burning up and pale as a sheet!"

  "Trust me," Zack said firmly. "The fever should break in an hour or two. Just take her upstairs to rest and use a cold towel if it gets too bad. She’ll be fine." His calm toed like a balm to Sophia’s frazzled nerves. "Alright," she murmured, cradling Annie’s fragile frame in her arms. Though Annie was light, carrying her upstairs was no easy task.

  Ba the Armory, Zack hung up the call, his expression darkening as he turo Erza. A suffog, ominous aura rolled off him, freezing her in pce. "If anything happens to Annie," Zack began, his voice icy, "I’ll make yret it. I won’t just detohe neckce you’re wearing. I’ll rip you apart with my bare hands."

  His calm delivery only made the threat more terrifying. Erza swallowed hard. "I-I swear! Nothing will happen to her! This is where my abilities inate,” she expined, her tone firm. “She acted just like I did back then. The process will probably take over an hour… and then, nothing happened.”