I stumbled out of the tent and into the night air, desperate for a reprieve from my tumultuous thoughts. I couldn’t understand why Rei had reacted so harshly to my proposal – what had been wrong with it? Why did I feel like I was the only one who cared about Miya and Ayato? With the medical instruments here, we could take better care of Ayato in his comatose state, but why wasn't anyone else suggesting this? The questions raced through my head as I cursed the moonlight.

I wandered around the stadium, a strange mix of paradise and terror. The moans of zombies echoed from outside the walls, but I felt safe knowing that there were four guards stationed at each entrance and exit. Further inside, I stumbled upon a makeshift park that was probably created just for children to enjoy a distraction from the zombie outbreak. The moon illuminated every corner of the stadium with its glowing light.

I sat alone in the majestic park during the silent night, lost in thought considering Rei's concerns. I couldn't refuse Takumi's invitation to stay. I didn't have the capability to protect everyone on my own, and this place had the capacity to give individuals here a sense of normality that was taken away when the apocalypse hit. Still, I found Rei's trepidation strange; there must have been something causing her lack of faith in others, even towards me, concerning this matter.

Looking around the park I could see a DIY shed turned into a castle for the kids to play in, a slide and ladder on the side of the castle making it fun. A homemade seesaw with wood and stones, a sandpit with sand buckets and spades. I got up and played around in the sandpit, my mind couldn’t get away from our dilemma though and I was stubborn to the point where I couldn’t agree with her. I made my decision to stay, I would go with her back to the boat and then try to talk to Miya about it and see what she thinks, perhaps that way she can persuade Rei.

I sighed and lay down on the makeshift swings that were built out of tree branches and rope. I watched as the stars sparkled in the night sky like a million little diamonds, their gentle light calming me with its beauty. The moon shone brightly above me, illuminating everything around me with its soft glow. I breathed in deeply, enjoying the crisp night air which was filled with the sweet smell of pine needles.

The peace and tranquillity enveloped my being as I felt at one with nature, completely unaware of time passing by. Thoughts and ideas began to form in my head, a plan for us to stay here at this paradise just like we had done previously before all this happened. With our skills and determination we could make this place a safe haven for us all—a place where our families could be together again without fear or worry—a place we could call home once more.

My thoughts were interrupted by a faint sound coming from the council tent. I squinted my eyes in the darkness, trying to make out what was going on. As I focused my gaze, I could see three figures slowly making their way towards the council tent. One of them was unmistakably the leader Yamanoi. The other two figures seemed familiar too; it was then that I remembered them from our scuffle with Galleyho weeks ago. My curiosity was piqued as I felt confused by their presence, I decided to stay and observe for a little while longer before heading back to my tent. Next to Yamanoi was the pink-haired lady walking just behind him, her presence was obvious as she excluded authority, Yamanoi looked like a henchman compared to her. The third person walking behind the lady was

a tall, muscular man with a shaved head and tattoos covering his arms. He walked with a confident stride, his eyes scanning the area as if searching for something.

I watched as they entered the council tent through the flaps, their voices too low for me to hear what they were discussing. However, I could sense an air of tension and unease emanating from the tent, and I wondered what could be causing it. My gut began to twist as a sense of dread settled over me. I knew that something was not right.

I quickly got up from the swings and made my way towards the council tent, my footsteps silent on the grass beneath my feet. As I approached, I could hear raised voices coming from inside, and I knew that I needed to act fast.

Yamanoi and the woman with pink hair were conversing as I watched from nearby. The muscular man was by her side, while seven more people were arranged on the other side of the table. As I listened in, it appeared Yamanoi was trying to negotiate a tax payment. “This should cover all the taxes we owe...”

"Very good. Your community is one of our best. The next tax payment is next week." She replied still excluding authority while a muscle man stood next to her. Yamanoi seemed almost afraid of them and the other 6 councilmen were also silent and standing behind their leader.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Miss Taceco, we must discuss the issue of these taxes. They are unsustainable for us. We must provide food and support for so many people, and with such an exorbitant tax rate, it is becoming impossible." Yamanoi spoke his mind respectfully as he stood before her. He hoped that their conversation would lead to a fair renegotiation to alleviate some of the burden on his community. However, she appeared indifferent and gazed at him without expression.

I watched from the shadows, my heart pounding in my chest. These people seemed dangerous, and I couldn't help but wonder what their true motives were for coming here. The tension in the air was palpable, and I could feel it weighing heavily on my shoulders.

Suddenly, the woman with pink hair stood up from her chair, slamming her hand down on the table. "We came to a decision. The tax rate remains the same, and if you can't sustain it, then maybe it's time for your community to find another way to survive." Her voice was cold and calculating, leaving no room for argument.

Yamanoi's face turned pale as he realized the implications of her words. The other council members looked equally terrified.

“Perhaps you need to send out more scavengers. The more you dispatch, the more will die - meaning fewer mouths to feed. And enough with the formalities - no need for Miss or Ms. My name is simply Taceco.” She held her gaze downward at Yamanoi and remained emotionless for five seconds before looking up at one of the council members. She pointed to a random person in the room - a young man with freckles and glasses - who nervously shuffled towards her. She then gestured to her muscle man, who kicked him down in front of Yamanoi and the other five councilmen and started beating him to death. His screams echoed around the tent as Taceco still sat on the table, facing Yamanoi, her loyal henchman murdering someone right in front of them. There were loud cracks and squelches as the victim eventually went silent.

The scene was unbearable to witness. I had never seen anything like this before, and I was filled with dread. I felt a chill run through me as Taceco's icy gaze met Yamanoi's. He had no choice but to accept the terms of taxation, and silently nodded his agreement. The other five council members followed suit, terrified of what would happen if they refused to comply.

The muscle man then grabbed the lifeless body of the young man he had just killed and dragged him out of the tent. It was a gruesome reminder of what would happen if anyone dared to disobey Taceco's orders.

Yamanoi then stepped forward and bowed before her in respect, despite her cold heartedness. "Thank you for your time, Miss Taceco," he said solemnly. She simply nodded in response and walked out, followed closely by her henchman.

The meeting had gone beyond what any of us expected; we were all shaken by it, in shock at the violence that had just transpired before our very eyes. Everyone remained silent until Yamanoi finally spoke up again: "We must pay these taxes on time every week from now on." His voice was filled with sadness but there was also a strong determination behind his words; he knew that this was their only way out of this situation alive.

With that, they all filed out of the tent, trying their hardest to forget what they had just witnessed but still unable to shake off the feeling of unease that lingered in the air around them. I had just witnessed something insane. Perhaps this wasn't the paradise I thought it was. I was so infatuated with the positives I failed to even think there would be negatives.

I retreated, what I just witnessed had convinced me that Rei had some reasoning to her although I didn’t want to abandon this place just yet. I needed to find out why Yamanoi and the people just blindly listened to Taceco and what was stopping them from disconnecting from those brutes. I turned and saw Taceco and muscle man leaving, I decided it would be a good decision to follow them and learn more about who they were and what they were doing, especially about Taceco since she seemed to be connected to Galleyho and if I could find him, I would do anything.

I slowly made my way behind them, ensuring I followed them with the utmost of caution to remain hidden, no doubt if they found me I would be brutally killed, just as that other guy was and I couldn’t determine both of their skills so fighting them would be stupid. The two made their way out of the stadium and were let out by the four guarding one of the exits, I also needed to find a way to get past the exit without the four guardsmen blowing my cover or Muscle man and Taceco finding me following them. As the two left through the gates, i hid behind a crate and slipped past the guards as the automatic gates were closing, I noticed I was noticed by one of the guardsmen who was clearly surprised at my presence but the gate shut before they could alarm the two I was pursuing. I was finally out and continued to follow them.

As I continued to follow them, I observed their behaviour closely. Taceco walked with a confident stride, her pink hair swaying behind her as she led the way. The muscle man followed closely behind her, his sharp eyes scanning the area for any potential threats. It was clear that these two were not to be taken lightly, and I knew that I needed to be careful if I wanted to uncover their secrets. They made their way to a rundown building on the outskirts of the stadium, one that I had never seen before. It was clear that this was a hideout of some kind, and my curiosity got the better of me.

The hideout was a two-story building with a bright red door. It was set in the middle of a block, and the building next to it was only a few feet away. From my vantage point, I could see that the windows were boarded up. I moved in closer, my heart pounding as I approached the building. I heard voices coming from inside, but they were too low for me to make out what was being said.

The area smelled like sulphur and rotting meat. The voices inside were low and unintelligible, but they were speaking in a language I did not recognize. I could hear the jangling of keys hanging from a nearby guard shack and the steady thump of a nearby generator. I tried to remain hidden as I skulked closer to the building, avoiding scraps of metal and piles of rubble as I went. The building itself was in bad shape, with holes and loose panels in the walls, boarded up unprofessionally.