Ethan, Chris, Henry, Sean, Big Mike, and Skinny Pete strolled into Lakeview Estates without breaking a sweat. The gates were wide open, and the upscale neighborhood lay quiet—eerily so.

The place was littered with zombie corpses and the telltale wreckage of a recent battle. Bullet holes in garage doors, blood smears on pristine driveways, a flipped-over golf cart still smoldering. No doubt about it—the National Guard had already swept through.

Even in the apocalypse, rich neighborhoods got first dibs. The people who lived here were the kind who had senators on speed dial and private choppers on standby. Of course they'd be the first to get rescued.

Still, that worked out just fine for the six of them. The zombies were already cleared out, and the houses? Ripe for the picking.

They spent a good while combing through the neighborhood before they finally found what they were looking for: a luxury home that was both untouched and unoccupied. Spotless inside, not a single bloodstain or overturned chair. Whoever lived here either got out early or wasn't home when the world went to hell.

Probably the latter. Rich folks tended to collect houses like sneakers—this was probably their third or fourth.

Rather than busting the front door, they climbed up to the second floor and slipped in through a half-open window.

"Whoa…" Sean breathed, eyes wide as they stepped into the master bedroom.

The place was ridiculous. Marble floors, crystal chandeliers, a walk-in closet bigger than their old apartment. The kind of house that made you feel poor just by standing in it.

"Damn," Henry muttered. "We really were living on a different planet."

"I'm pretty sure a month of my part-time gigs wouldn't even cover one of these tiles," Skinny Pete said, crouching to tap the polished floor.

"Honestly?" Sean said, glancing around. "The apocalypse might be the best thing that ever happened to us. Back then, we were bottom of the food chain. I could've worked three jobs till I died and still never afford this."

"Yeah," Chris added, voice tight. "Before all this, the rich just kept getting richer. We bust our asses for a lifetime and still can't match their monthly allowance. It's enough to make you sick."

"And they always got the girls," Henry chimed in with a bitter laugh. "You give your heart and soul, and she still runs off with the guy who drives a Benz and smells like imported cologne. That's the power of money, man."

"Henry!" Chris snapped. "Say that again and I swear I'll knock your teeth in."

Henry grinned. "What? I didn't say it was your girl."

Chris glared but didn't answer.

Ethan stepped in, voice calm but firm. "Money's worthless now. The world's reset. From here on out, power's what matters. Strength. Skill. That's how you get what you want in this new world."

"Damn right," Big Mike said, cracking his knuckles. "Once we're strong enough, we'll have the rich working for us."

"Don't underestimate them," Ethan warned. "They didn't get to the top by accident. They've got vision, connections, and resources. Even in the apocalypse, they'll find a way to stay ahead."

"Maybe," Chris said, "but with you leading us, I know we'll catch up. Surpass them, even."

Sean and the others nodded in agreement.

"Alright, enough ass-kissing," Ethan said, smirking. "Did any of you manage to grab high-tier crystal cores?"

Chris reached into his pocket and pulled out two glowing stones. "One Tier 4, one Tier 3."

"I've got two Tier 3s," Sean added.

"I snagged one," said Big Mike.

One by one, the others produced their loot. They hadn't had time to scavenge the lower-tier cores, but they'd managed to snatch a few Tier 3s in the chaos.

Ethan added his own haul—three Tier 3 cores he'd grabbed after that Tier 5 zombie finally went down.

They laid everything out on the marble kitchen island and took stock. One Tier 4 core. Nine Tier 3s.

Not bad at all.

The fight had been brutal, no question. But the payoff? Worth every drop of blood.

Ethan handed the Tier 4 crystal core to Chris without hesitation. Chris was already at the peak of Tier 3—this core would push him straight into Tier 4. Besides, he'd earned it. That Tier 4 zombie had been his kill, solo. No one argued.

As for the nine Tier 3 cores, Henry took three, which bumped him up to Tier 3 peak as well. The remaining six went to Sean, who was still catching up.

With that, the team's overall strength took a solid leap forward.

"Alright," Ethan said, stretching his shoulders. "Everyone find a room and get some rest. We head out for Walmart in thirty minutes."

"Got it."

The luxury home was massive, with more rooms than they needed. Each of them picked one, took a long-overdue shower, changed into fresh clothes, and collapsed onto beds that felt like clouds compared to the stiff slabs they'd been sleeping on.

A high-end Simmons mattress beat the hell out of a dorm bunk any day.

Most people were scraping by in the apocalypse—eating canned beans, sleeping in abandoned cars. But these six? They were living better than they had before the world fell apart. It was almost obscene.

Of course, three hours ago, they'd nearly died. That kind of brush with death had a way of sobering you up. Ethan, especially, felt the weight of it. He'd been lucky. Next time, he might not be. He'd have to be sharper. Smarter. No more close calls.

Meanwhile, across the street in another luxury home, two men stood by a third-floor window, watching Ethan's group through a pair of binoculars.

The National Guard had come through, sure—but not everyone had gone with them to the Safe Zone. Some people had their own plans.

These two were among them.

"I thought all the residents here had cleared out," said the man in front, a sharp-featured guy with movie-star looks and a cold glint in his eye. "Figured I'd have free rein. Didn't expect outsiders to show up."

"Probably just a bunch of broke nobodies who've never seen a luxury home before," the younger man beside him said with a sneer. "Now that the Guard's cleared the zombies, they're here to play house."

"Let's hope they don't screw up my plans," the first man muttered.

"Ray, want me to just…" The younger man tapped two fingers against his neck, miming a kill.

Ray shook his head slowly.

"They climbed to the second floor like it was nothing. That means they're at least Enhanced. Maybe even Awakened. Don't make a move until we know what we're dealing with."

"Come on, Ray. You're a Tier 3 peak Awakened with a power. Even if they are Awakened, so what? You could wipe them out easy."

"Don't get cocky," Ray said, voice like ice. "How do you know none of them are Tier 4?"

"That's… I mean, come on. No way. Outside the military, who the hell has a Tier 4 Awakened?"

"Never assume," Ray said flatly. "Assumptions get you killed."

"…Yes, Ray. You're right."

"This is a critical moment. As long as they stay out of our way, we avoid conflict. Once the Tier 3 zombie in the backyard finishes evolving into Tier 4, I'll break through too. With my ability, I won't have to fear anyone."

"Damn right. That's badass, Ray."

"Oh, and Mia—she went to the Safe Zone too?"

"Yeah."

"Have my father pull some strings. I want her under control. Her ability's too valuable to leave in someone else's hands."

"Understood."

Back at Ethan's place…

Half an hour later, the group headed out, leaving Pumpkin—their orange tabby—behind to guard the house. He was curled up on a velvet armchair like he owned the place.

They didn't bother taking the car. Walmart was only three miles away, and the walk would do them good.

Lakeview Estates was surrounded by carefully manicured greenbelts. No buildings for two miles in any direction. The whole neighborhood had been designed for peace, privacy, and prestige.

Which also meant: no zombies nearby. The Guard had cleared the area, and the isolation helped. If it weren't for the food situation, they could've stayed here indefinitely and lived like kings.

They walked for over ten minutes before the next residential area came into view.

Ethan activated his True Sight and scanned ahead. His face darkened.

"Skinny Pete," he said, voice low. "Tell me we're not going through that neighborhood to get to Walmart."

"Not necessarily," Pete replied. "There's another route. Bit longer, but we can loop around."

"Good. Let's take the long way."

What Ethan had seen wasn't pretty. That neighborhood was crawling with zombies—dozens, maybe hundreds. No way they were getting through there without a fight they couldn't afford.

The National Guard had prioritized Lakeview Estates. This area? They hadn't even touched it.

Even in the apocalypse, some people still got special treatment.

...

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