Maria gave us all one last glance before taking the chickens, fetching a bucket of water, and disappearing into one of the nearby houses.
Without warning, I grabbed Trish by the cheeks, my hand firm and unyielding. Her skin was soft, delicate, but I ignored that.
"So," I said darkly, "what do you think I'm going to do?"
Lorraine opened her mouth to speak, but I cut her off with a harsh slap across the face. She froze, lips trembling. They all needed to understand soon—before they awakened their powers—because after that, control would be harder to maintain.
Lorraine bit her lip, visibly shaken but silent.
They were all thinking the same thing How could that pathetic boy have turned into this?
I had changed. More masculine, more imposing. My emerald eyes, once soft, now reflected something colder, deeper.
Samminah just sighed. She had never laid a hand on me in the past—just looked at me with disgust,.
Trish, still in my grip, looked indifferent. Her amber hair fell in waves, her green eyes lifeless, bored. Suddenly, she grabbed my hand and pressed it against her chest.
"Get it over with already… bastard," she muttered coldly.
Surprised, I didn't pull away. But her lack of reaction did nothing for me. I felt nothing.
In response, I tightened my grip around her throat. Her breath caught, eyes watering, but she smirked.
"Is that all you've got?" she said. The innocent mask she always wore—gone.
I released her, and she dropped to her knees. She wouldn't submit easily.
Next, I turned to Rhian. Her crimson eyes glared as I struck her.
"You think you can treat us like this?" she snapped. "If our families heard—"
Another slap silenced her. She bit her lip, eyes wide.
I smiled and patted her head. "Good."
It was in that moment she realized what I was doing—breaking them. Taming them like pets. The realization stung her pride more than the slap.
But what could she do, even if she escaped? Revenge? Survival?
She bit her lip again—this time until it bled.
Then my eyes found Aria, the one who used to post about me on social media, mocking me. I walked up, smiled coldly. She flinched.
I caressed her cheek, then slapped her hard.
"Don't think that body of yours can manipulate me," I muttered.
Her face fell.
Then came Jasmine—long black hair flowing, silent tears already threatening to fall. I touched her gently… then pinched her skin until it bled.
It hurt—of course it did. But so did getting burned. This was just payback.
As she winced, I pulled away, just before the tears dropped.
Lorraine next. She looked away, scared. I scoffed. She was almost broken already.
Then Samminah. Her cold stare met mine. I slapped her. She gasped.
"What the hell was that for?" she demanded, eyes wide with rage.
"Don't think you can talk to me like you used to," I said, striking her again. "This isn't the past."
"If this were normal days," she hissed, "my family would've had you killed a hundred times—"
Another slap silenced her.
Tears welled up in her eyes. I leaned in.
"You think this is normal?" I asked darkly. "If I wanted to, I could wipe out the government, too."
There was silence. They didn't speak. Couldn't.
I raised one finger.
"Rule one: All of you do the chores."
They said nothing. I summoned piles of filthy clothes.
"Clean them."
They swallowed their pride but remained silent.
I raised a second finger. "Rule two: One of you will accompany me on every zombie hunt."
This time, they almost objected—but the words caught in their throats.
"And the third rule," I said, raising my voice just enough for all six of them to hear, "You can earn Merit Points by killing zombies. The robots will track and record your performance. The more you kill, the more you gain."
"And if you have Merit Points you could exchange it with anything Foods and Enhancement in the body"
Their eyes flickered—some with surprise, others with silent calculation.
Without another word, I summoned crates of supplies. With a casual flick of my wrist, I threw down a week's worth of food—seven whole chickens per person, fresh and steaming, packed in preservation boxes.
They hit the ground with dull thuds, the aroma quickly filling the area.
I watched their stunned faces as I walked past them without a glance. They were lucky. I was still giving them a chance to survive. But deep down… I could feel the frustration burning inside me. The temptation had been real, raw, clawing at the edges of my control. But I had my limits.
There were lines I wouldn't cross—at least, not yet.
I sighed heavily as I entered one of the houses, the door hissing shut behind me.
Today had been… exhausting.
But there were wins. I had Maria. I had the Incubator—an invaluable Trump card in a Dire situation sorry government but i already steals it...
Right now, all I needed was time.
Time to build. Time to grow. Time to become untouchable.
I leaned back against the cold wall of the room, letting the silence take over,
Meanwhile…
Inside another house, Noel sat quietly, her small fingers gripping the edge of her plate, food untouched. Her long lashes trembled slightly, her cheeks puffed in a deep pout. She was overthinking
Could it be… Brother likes those girls?
The thought echoed in her mind, sharp and bitter.
He had changed so much in such a short time. He had become stronger, Kinder and more sweet too her She had always admired him but now that he changed he liked even more of his brother attention..
He smiled at her like he used to but He rarely ruffled her hair anymore. And now, there were beautiful girls around him—mature, grown women.
If Brother marries one of them… what would happen to me?
The fear wormed its way into her chest. Her heart ached in a way she didn't understand. Was this jealousy? Was this fear of being abandoned?
Tears welled up in her eyes, clinging to her lashes. She wiped them away quickly, suddenly angry...
No, she thought firmly, clenching her small fists. I won't let things go on like this. I need to talk to him. Tonight.
She made up her mind. She would confront her brother. Ask him directly. Demand answers.
Who truly is the girls he had just recruit is...