"So? How was it?"
"The conditions were wretched. The people appeared as if they had been starved to death, completely malnourished and dehydrated. Even so, they were filled with rage."
Marcus and Sylvia walked alongside one another through the halls of the hotel uppermost floor, heading to what was once Gerard's office.
"How many died?", Sylvia asked - though her voice didn't contain the slightest bit of concern.
"I decided to allow three to live."
"Hmm... and why is that?"
"Two reasons. First, the people of that basement floor were those who rejected any sort of ruler. They were all people who had issues with authority, people who couldn't accept anyone else having any control in their lives."
"Well, that isn't exactly a bad thing given the circumstances. It allowed them to reject Gerard's rule over them."
"That much is true. But these people were all of the same breed as Gerard - people who would take control of everything, were they given the power to do so. The only difference was that they held no power."
As they casually spoke to one another, the two eventually reached the office, heading inside as Marcus opened the door for Sylvia in a gentlemanly manner.
"Please, after you."
"Why thank you."
The two shuffled in, sarcastically playing the roles of well mannered upper class as they entered.
"At any rate, they were people who held tenacity and arrogance, but nothing more. I agree that they could have been given some sort of use, however I also believe that there is no need to keep so many around."
"Which is why you selected three of them?"
"Indeed. The three who were the most... human, I suppose?"
Tapping his fingers to his chin, Marcus entered a state of thought as he voiced his process.
"When people are stubborn to the point of stupidity, it makes them completely unusable. You can't manipulate them. You can't convince them. You can't even bargain with them. They're people who live in their own fantasies, deluding themselves and making themselves more important than anyone."
As Marcus took a seat at the desk, he laid himself back as he looked to the ceiling.
"Pull up a chair for yourself."
"How gentleman like."
"Ah, forgive my rudeness."
With this quick series of jests, Sylvia too pulled up a chair beside the man as they both sat back in relaxation.
"If they had been released upon the world, even if they held no true power - they would take that power. They would manipulate the people around them to view them as some sort of savior, and the foolish masses would believe it without question. They would show off some pitiful skills, killing a few undead or gathering some supplies, and all of a sudden people would flock to them - at which their dictatorships would begin."
Holding up his hand, the man formed a fist as if he were grasping something.
"I've merely crushed such possibilities before they could occur."
"And the three you saved? How do you know they won't go and do the same?"
"I've ensured their compliance."
"How? Did you use the redefined version of reign on them?"
"No. That ability is only temporary. The moment I use another ability, the shackles will dissolve. I merely spoke with them."
"And you're convinced that they won't do anything rash?"
"I'm certain."
As Sylvia prodded Marcus with questions, he responded with confidence, to which she nodded with a sigh.
"If you're that convinced, I won't say any more. So what is the plan from this point on?"
At this question, the businessman grinned.
"Heh..."
Standing up, the man stood before the woman, reaching for his coat pocket.
"It isn't much. Truly, it's nothing. But this is... as much as I could obtain given the circumstances."
Suddenly, the woman sat straight up as she realized the serious tone that the man had taken, at which the man took a knee before her.
"Sylvia Berith. I will take up the position of King in this new Empire that we will form."
Opening his hands, the businessman looked up to the woman as he revealed a piece of an iron pipe that had been sawcut to form a short hollow cylinder.
Or more particularly... a ring.
"Will you take the role of my Queen?"
Shock and awe filled the heart of the woman, who had never been so moved before from such things.
The beating of her undead heart overwhelmed her as the rotten blood coursed through her veins, and she widened her eyes as she controlled her breathing.
Then, holding out her hand, she grinned.
"Sure."
Closing his eyes with a smile, Marcus slid the ring onto the finger of the woman - it's sharp edges cutting her easily rendered flesh as it made its way onto her finger.
At that moment, the woman immediately stood, and Marcus motioned for her to follow him over to a window.
On looking out that window, the two witnessed the courtyard before them - luxurious and well maintained, despite the wretched skyline of the City beyond.
"For better or worse.", Marcus whispered.
"For rich or for poor.", Sylvia added.
As they gazed upon the scenery, the two interlocked their rotten hands, their flesh pale and filled with veins as they said the next words together.
"In sickness and in health."
And then - with their free hands, the two each grabbed each other's throats as wicked smiles overcame them.
"And not even death shall allow us to part."
----
"Name, former occupation, and practical skills. You have two minutes to plead your case. Begin."
Sitting at the conference table, a number of men and women had been gathered.
The two who sat at one end of the table - Marcus and Slyiva - faced a man who sat on the other end with a nervous expression as if he were a potential employee at an interview.
"My name... is Frank Pestonia. I'm an electrician by trade, and I've been maintaining the power in this hotel. I maintain all the generators that we've brought up and running, and have restored most of the electric functions that were broken as a result of the Calamity."
"I've heard enough. You've proven your value. But my next question - where does your loyalty lie?"
Sylvia posed this question to the man now, to which he stiffened himself up in his seat.
"My loyalty?"
The man seemed to have a confused expression, to which Marcus spoke with a deathly tone.
"You can't answer?"
"I... well, if you're asking whether I will serve you, then of course-"
"I've heard enough. Isabella."
"Yes, Master?"
"Have this man assigned to be reeducated. His worth is high, but we can find other electricians if we search. If his reeducation doesn't succeed..."
"Understood. In that case, he will be eliminated."
"W-wait just a minute!! Re-education!? Eliminated!? I... I never said I wouldn't serve you! I'll do it! I'll serve you!"
"Silence."
As Sylvia held out her hand, the electrician found himself unable to speak as his volume was reduced to zero.
He shouted, yet no words came out of this mouth.
"The fact that you can even speak to us in such a manner shows that you have no place in our nation. Isabella."
"Yes, Mistress. I'll remove this trash from your sight immediately."
With this order, the young girl grabbed the collar of the man, who frantically clawed and shouted, though no words were heard.
He was dragged off by the girl, whose strength far exceeded human levels - despite the fact that she held no reawakened abilities.
The door was closed behind them, leaving the seven in the conference room.
"How many left?", Sylvia asked.
"17. We're almost finished. We need to find out the skills that each person will present a week from now at their evaluation, so this is necessary."
"And this reeducation? Is that part really necessary?", Eclaire asked.
"If they treat us with disrespect, we won't be recognized as leaders. But Seven won't let us become heroic leaders that the people love, so we have to use other tactics instead. We'll just have Isabella teach them some manners so they understand who they're talking to.", Sylvia responded with the wave of her hand.
"And if they refuse?", George pressed.
"If they refuse, then they'll be deemed useless and eliminated. But there are few remaining who would refuse. Most of those have already been taken care of.", Marcus responded coldly. "Now then, we have more citizens to evaluate. Bradley. Can you let the next one in?"
"Got it."
Standing up, the red haired man bore a beaming grin as he opened the door, cheerfully heading out to invite the next victim into the room.
"Would the next one please come inside? Yes, you. Don't be so pathetic. Come on in. We're not going to bite you. Probably."
----
[Heh....]
A woman sat on a throne, surrounded by a void of darkness.
The space in which this woman resided seemed to flicker back and forth, as if her very existence were a glitch, and everything around her seemed to switch back and forth between existence and nonexistence.
This woman, whose hair was a dark shade of gray on her left side, and a light shade on the right, sat in front of a table that had been spread out before her with an enormous map of the world.
On this map, a number of pieces had been placed, as if it were the office of a military general.
[And now... the game has begun.]
Holding out her hand, two pieces formed - pieces which appeared to be from chess.
A King and a Queen.
Placing these two pieces onto the figure of a fortress, the woman gazed upon the world before her, and with the wave of her hand, a darkness began to spread from two locations.
The first - from the City of Shortenmire, where the pieces of the King and Queen had been placed.
The second, from a small island off the coast of what was once the Forgestarian Empire.
And then, closing her eyes, the woman waved her hand once more - as numerous colors formed around all the various pieces of the world.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
These colors began as mere points, slowly increasing their territories all the while.
However among these colors, some of which were bright and some of which were dark, their shades slowly shifted.
And not a single one became any brighter as they all muddled towards a million different shades of the same color.
Gray.
----
"Sir... is there a reason we're doing all this? Gathering up the undead... it's no easy task. Many men became undead themselves to try and gather so many. And to use them in this manner..."
Two men sat in a semi truck, driving along a road.
One particular man - the driver - voiced his concerns to the other, who gazed out the window from the passenger seat.
"You just don't understand, do you?"
Whispering these words, the man chuckled to himself as the other continued driving.
"If you help people from the shadows, then nobody will ever take notice. They'll continue on with their lives, not even recognizing that they were ever in any danger in the first place."
As the two passed numerous stores, all of which seemed to be littered with undead, the passenger continued to speak.
"If you protect people by preventing anything from going wrong in the first place, then some will show their respect. But others will view you as nothing more than a power hungry institution, an eyesore that protects them from some phantom threat that may or may not actually exist."
Turning to face the driver, the man grinned as he spoke.
"But only when you allow the situation to deteriorate beyond the point of hope... only when you allow the helpless people to fall into despair... only when you swoop in to save those people at the last moment... will you ever be considered a hero."
As the truck came to a stop, the man stepped out, surveying his area as he crossed his arms.
"I have no intention of letting my efforts go unnoticed."
----
"Huff.... huff..."
A boy roughly 14 years of age pulled a metal bat from the smashed head of an undead, flicking the blood and guts from his weapon as he panted.
"Are you alright, Gordon? You don't have to do everything yourself, you know. I can fight too..."
Behind this boy, a young woman of roughly the same age spoke, her blonde hair having been cut short.
"It's... it's alright. We'll fight together, but if it's just one or two, let me take the front."
With a wry smile, the boy caught his breath as he looked back to the two, whose faces hardened at his words.
"I'm so useless, aren't I?", the girl asked as she gripped a metal pipe in her hand.
"That isn't true. You two have both adapted well.", the other boy responded - one who was slightly younger than the other two. "Come on. There should be some food and drink left here. The fact that we haven't met any other people can only mean that these places were either already looted, or that there is nobody left to loot anything."
Taking the lead now, the younger boy pressed forward into a gas station.
"Shane, shouldn't we be a bit more careful? I don't know much about this, but what if the gas station blows up? It hasn't been maintained in months, so..."
"If that happens, we'll deal with it when the time comes. Just stay away from the pumps, and don't light any fires."
With these words, Gordon nodded, at which the two entered the store.
"I'll take the clerk at the front desk. You two handle the customers in aisle three."
"Got it."
As Shane barked out an order to his companions, the others immediately sprung into action as they headed in their respective directions towards the undead.
However, right as Gordon and Stella turned into the aisle, he stopped for a moment.
'Ah...'
For standing in that aisle, turning around to face him, there was a man holding the hand of his daughter.
Both were rotten, scars and clots of blood covering their faces. They both moaned in pain as they turned to witness Gordon and Stella with their heartless eyes.
Yet even so - Gordon grimaced as such a sight.
'This is... so horrible.'
"Hey. Are you going to sit there and cry, or are you going to kill them before they kill us?"
But as the girl stepped in front of him wielding her iron pipe, Gordon too stepped forward with a firm expression.
"I'll take... the father."
"Is that because you don't want me to face the bigger opponent, or because you don't want to kill the girl?"
With a smile, Stella rushed forward, and with a clang the zombified child fell backwards, a dent in her head from the collision.
She let out a screech, and the father gazed upon the attacker with malevolence, reaching back his hand as he snarled viciously.
"Enough of that. Your life is over."
However the zombified man's chest caved in as a bat slammed into him, causing him too to fall backwards as he stumbled over his child.
With a gulp, Gordon stood over the man now, raising his bat as he brought it down upon the man's head - and even as the zombie looked to him with fearful eyes, he slammed the weapon down as the head exploded like a cantaloupe.
"The greatest pity we can give you... is death."
Immediately, the girl let out another high pitched cry, grabbing the father in a heart wrenching scene - one which made Gordon wonder whether these zombies still contained some of their humanity.
'How.... how can this be?', he wondered.
"You're right. Don't let this scene disturb you."
With a similar motion, Stella added her weapon to the mix, crushing the girl's head between it and the ground with a blow.
As she lifted up the bloodied pipe, the girl looked to the boy with a serious expression, devoid of any mercy.
"Even if they do have some humanity left... they're only going to cause more suffering if they continue to live. For themselves, and for everyone else."
"That... that's right..."
Averting his eyes, Gordon couldn't help but feel guilt - even if he understood with his mind that this was the only option.
They were undead.
Their bodies and minds had been overtaken.
'But... those people were undead as well...'
"You're thinking about Marcus and Sylvia, aren't you? But you already know that they're special. They're the only ones who could remain intact because those experiments overtook them."
From behind, Shane spoke up, his shirt bloodied from what was likely the store clerk.
"It's as Stella said. We can't show mercy to those who have already been lost. Letting them live would only be more painful."
"I get that.", Gordon stated with a bitter expression.
"Speaking of which... it's been a while since they left. We even had to start coming outside ourselves to find food and supplies... do you think they're alright?"
"They're fine."
Without a moment's hesitation, Shane responded to Stella's concerns.
"They wouldn't die so easily, and even if something killed them, they wouldn't die. They're probably just caught up with something and haven't had time to return. It's a dangerous world out here. But with their power, we don't need to be worrying about them."
"But they did tell us not to go out... and that they would do it because they can afford to die. Don't you think they would have returned by now if they could?", Gordon pressed.
"Like I said, they must be held up on something. Maybe they got caught up in something dangerous and didn't want us to be involved."
"Isn't that really bad if that's happened!?"
"Not really. Even if it's something dangerous to us, to them it wouldn't be anything special. They probably just needed time to take care of things, and they didn't need useless people like us to hold them back or provide some opportunity for their enemies to use against them."
"What if it's because of the experiments inside them?", Stella asked.
"Hmm... that's highly likely. If they distanced themselves because they were too unsure about the dangerous existences within them, then maybe they left for good.", Shane muttered.
"So... they abandoned us?"
As Gordon posed this question, the expressions of the three became stern, however Shane immediately nodded no.
"That isn't it. They wouldn't do that unless they were legitimately concerned for our safety. After all, what would you do if you had a monster inside you that you couldn't control or understand - and that monster started saying or doing things to threaten you?"
At Shane's words, the other two became silent, their concerns growing all the more.
"Regardless of their situation, we need to be able to fend for ourselves. We can't just rely on them for everything, which is why we're out here in the first place. Gordon, haven't you been training yourself?"
Stepping closer to the boy, Shane looked his comrade dead in the eyes.
"For what purpose have you been doing so?"
"So that... I can survive."
"And then what?"
"So that... I can protect the people around me."
"And what would you need to protect them from?"
As Gordon was posed this question, the boy's expression stiffened, and with a grin, he responded to his comrade.
"From anything that threatens them."
"That's right."
Turning around, Shane moved forward with a smile.
"Let's get a cart. There's a whole bunch of stuff here, so it looks like nobody made it to this place."
However, right at that moment, a banging sound was heard on the glass, at which the three looked over to the front of the store.
Then the banging became more frequent, coming from multiple locations as the undead surrounded the gas station.
"Eh?"
"Hey... this..."
As the three turned to witness it, their jaws dropped as fear overcame them - and they suddenly realized the terror of the outside world - and the reason why they had been ordered not to go out on their own.
"There... are so many..."
"How... are we supposed to escape this?"
In that instant, despair enveloped the three.
----