Colonel Reyes led the National Guard back toward the Safe Zone, his boots crunching over broken asphalt as his thoughts churned.

"Colonel," one of his aides murmured behind him, "you thinking about how to explain this to Mayor Marks?"

Reyes let out a long breath. "Yeah. Elliot's death is going to be a problem."

"If you ask me," the aide said, voice low, "we should just break off and go independent. Why keep playing along with them?"

"Exactly," another chimed in. "Mayor Marks… he's got his own agenda. Always has."

Reyes didn't answer right away. Then he said, "That's a conversation for another time. Right now, our job is to keep rescuing civilians. His job is to get the infrastructure back online and keep the city from falling apart. As long as no one crosses a line, we need to avoid infighting."

"Understood," the aide said, though not without a sigh.

"Uncle Reyes," Mia spoke up suddenly, her voice quiet but firm. "You should still be careful around Mayor Marks. Not everyone thinks like you do."

Reyes paused, surprised by her tone. But then he nodded seriously. "I hear you. I'll keep my eyes open."

...

When the National Guard returned to the Safe Zone, Reyes went straight to Mayor Marks's office to report.

He laid out everything—Ethan's strength, the confrontation, Elliot's death.

He braced for the explosion.

But Mayor Marks didn't explode. He didn't even raise his voice.

"I see," he said calmly. "Thank you. You've done your part. Go get some rest."

"…Yes, sir." Reyes left, frowning. The Mayor's reaction was too smooth. Too quiet.

And sure enough, the moment the door closed behind him, Mayor Marks's expression darkened like a storm cloud.

"So," he muttered, "there's no longer any need to keep him alive."

A few minutes later, a knock came at the door.

Victor Harlan stepped inside, the current head of the Harlan family—what was left of it.

"Victor," Mayor Marks said without preamble, "it's time. Let's move forward with what we discussed."

"Should've done it sooner," Victor said, though his tone was more cautious than smug. "But we took some heavy losses yesterday. My people might need—"

"Three Tier 5 crystal cores," Mayor Marks interrupted. "Payment for the job."

Victor's eyes lit up. "Done. Leave it to me. It'll be handled."

"Make sure there's no trail," the Mayor said coldly.

Victor gave a tight smile. "Don't worry. Nothing will trace back to you."

"Good."

...

Meanwhile…

After several hours of travel, Ethan and the others arrived at another gated community nestled along the foothills, overlooking a shimmering lake.

This was Silver Lake Ridge—Starlight City's other luxury enclave.

But unlike the last place they'd stayed, this one had clearly been fortified. The gates were reinforced, the perimeter walls lined with jagged spikes. Four armed guards stood at the entrance, and beyond them, shadows moved—dozens, maybe hundreds of people.

Ethan activated his True Sight and swept the area.

Over a thousand people inside. This wasn't just a neighborhood anymore—it was a full-blown mini Safe Zone.

He hesitated, considering whether they should move on. A place this organized might come with strings attached.

But before he could decide, one of the guards spotted them.

"Hey! You folks looking for shelter?" the man called out.

Ethan blinked, then set the iron cage down and walked forward with the others.

"You guys take in survivors?" he asked, curious.

"Of course," another guard said, grinning. "Our captain believes that in times like these, you help who you can."

"You've got enough supplies for that?" Ethan asked, raising a brow.

"Supplies?" the man laughed. "If we run low, we go out and get more. With our team's strength, we're not exactly worried about scavenging."

"You're lucky you made it here," another added. "Once you're inside Silver Lake Ridge, you're safe. Period."

Ethan nodded slowly, eyes scanning the walls, the guards, the people moving inside.

So someone had already started building their own Safe Zone—and they weren't shy about expanding their influence.

"What do we need to do to get in?" Ethan asked, keeping his tone casual.

"Not much," the guard replied with a grin. "If you're willing to go out and kill zombies, you can join the scavenging teams. You'll get a share of the crystal cores when you come back. If you're not up for fighting, there's plenty to do inside—maintenance, logistics, cooking, whatever. Once you're in, you're safe. No more running, no more starving, no more worrying about getting eaten in your sleep."

He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice like he was sharing a secret. "Come on, I'll take you to meet our captain. He's a good guy—saved a lot of us himself. And between you and me, he's a Tier 5 Awakened. Lightning-type. Can wipe out any zombie that gets too close. You've got nothing to worry about here."

"Awakened?" Ethan's eyes flickered with interest.

"Yeah! Lightning-type, man. I saw him fry a Tier 5 zombie with a single bolt. Boom—thing dropped like a sack of bricks. It was badass."

With that, the guard turned and led them deeper into Silver Lake Ridge.

The place was surprisingly alive. They passed men and women of all ages, some carrying supplies, others chatting or working on repairs. No one gave them a second glance—new arrivals were clearly a regular thing here.

Eventually, they reached a large luxury home near the center of the community. The guard knocked on the door.

"Captain, we've got some new folks. Thought you might want to meet them."

"Door's open. Bring them in," came a voice from inside.

The guard pushed the door open and ushered them in.

The living room was spacious and well-kept, with five people seated on plush couches, deep in conversation. As Ethan and his crew entered, the group looked up, curiosity flickering across their faces.

"These are the new arrivals," the guard said quietly.

"Thanks," said the man in the center. "You can get back to your post."

The guard nodded and slipped out, closing the door behind him.

For a moment, both sides just studied each other.

Ethan's gaze swept the room. All five of them were Tier 5—he could feel it. And one of them, sure enough, was a lightning-type Awakened. The air around him practically hummed.

"Not bad," Ethan thought. "They've got some real power here."

The man in the center stood and walked over, offering a relaxed smile. "No need to be tense. You're one of us now. I'm Calvin Shaw, captain of this place. And you are?"

"Ethan," he replied. "These are my teammates."

"Surviving out there this long, I'm guessing you're Enhanced?" Calvin asked.

"Yeah. I'm Tier 4. The others are Tier 3," Ethan said smoothly.

"Impressive," Calvin nodded. "Where'd you all come from?"

"We've been moving around. No fixed base. Just lucky to stumble across this place."

"Well, you stumbled into the right spot," Calvin said proudly. "We're not some ragtag camp. This place is every bit as good as the government's Safe Zones—maybe better."

Ethan tilted his head. "So… you planning to go head-to-head with the government?"

"…"

Calvin's smile twitched. "That's not how I'd put it. They've got their thing, we've got ours. We don't interfere with each other. No need to talk about 'going against' anyone."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "You've got ambition, but you're still playing it safe. That's not how you build something big."

"…"

Calvin cleared his throat. "Let's not get into politics tonight. It's late. I'll have someone show you to your quarters."

"Great," Ethan said. "We'll need a standalone luxury home. Something spacious."

"…"

Calvin hesitated. "Ethan, you might not realize—we've got over a thousand people here. There are only so many luxury homes in Silver Lake Ridge. Most are packed to the brim. A lot of folks are in temporary shelters."

"This one," Ethan said, gesturing around, "seems to be housing just the five of you."

"…That's right."

"Then maybe you five should move out," Ethan said, deadpan.

"…"

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