As soon as the door swung open, the group realized that whatever had been locked inside wasn't what they expected.
There were no snarling monsters waiting to lunge at them.
Instead, two humans stood in the dim storage room.
Two girls.
One looked to be in her late teens or early twenties. The other couldn't have been older than eight—around Ash's age.
The moment the door opened fully, the older girl pulled the younger one into her arms, shielding her instinctively. Her back hit the shelves behind them as she stared at the boys in fear.
Johnathan felt a twist in his chest.
Would they save them?
Would they bring them along?
Would they protect them?
The answer formed almost immediately.
No.
He couldn't afford to play hero again.
It had already been impulsive enough saving Ash. Taking in two more people—especially ones who couldn't fight—would mean more mouths to feed, more people to protect, more risks. They were already walking a thin line between survival and death.
"We're not zombies," Danny said quickly, raising his hands slightly. "The ones outside are already dead. You're safe."
The older girl hesitated. "Are… are they really gone?"
"Yeah," Ivan answered confidently. "We handled them."
Johnathan shot Ivan a glance. He almost sounded like he was bragging.
But it wasn't hard to understand why.
Now that the fear had lessened, Johnathan could see the older girl clearly. She had long chestnut-colored hair that framed her face, hazel eyes, and a small birthmark beneath her left eye. She wore a black sweater and a pink skirt, both slightly dusty but intact. Even in a situation like this, she stood out.
She was beautiful.
That, however, didn't change anything.
Johnathan hardened his thoughts.
Beauty didn't equal usefulness.
"Finally… we're finally safe, Darla," the older girl whispered, tears streaming down her face as she hugged the younger one tighter.
Up close, it was obvious they were sisters. The younger girl had the same chestnut hair—shorter, brushing her shoulders—and the same hazel eyes. Without the birthmark, she could've been a smaller copy.
"Are we safe, Sophia?" the little one asked quietly.
Before the moment stretched too long, Mark spoke up.
"We should leave before more zombies show up."
The reminder snapped everyone back to reality.
They escorted the sisters back to the bike shop without incident. Once inside, they headed upstairs to the apartments.
Johnathan unlocked the neighboring apartment door with the key Mark had given him.
As soon as they stepped in, Ash came running toward them with open arms. Relief flooded his face as he threw himself at Johnathan and the others.
They knelt and hugged him.
"We're good, Ash," Johnathan said softly, ruffling his hair. "No need to worry."
After a moment, Johnathan stood up.
"We need to talk," he said quietly to Ivan and Danny.
He turned to Sophia and Darla—and to Mark. "Can you step outside for a minute?"
Mark didn't hesitate. He simply nodded and stepped out into the hallway.
The sisters exchanged uneasy glances. They clearly sensed what the discussion might involve, but after a second of hesitation, they followed Mark out.
The door closed.
Ivan frowned. "What's this about?"
Johnathan didn't sugarcoat it.
"We need to decide what happens next. We can't keep taking people in. Ash will be the first—and last—for a long time."
Danny stiffened. "Bro… we can't just leave two helpless girls out there. Can we?"
"Danny, we already took in Ash," Johnathan replied evenly. "If we keep doing this, we'll turn into an orphanage. We're barely managing as it is. We still have our families to find. We can't save everyone."
"But we're strong now," Danny argued. "We can handle zombies. We can get supplies."
"And waste them?" Johnathan shot back. "On people who can't fight? Who can't contribute? This isn't a movie. We don't get rewarded for being heroes."
Danny stared at him. "Why are you being so cold?"
"Because they're useless to us," Johnathan said bluntly. "Every resource we use on them is something we can't use for our families. For ourselves."
The words hung heavy in the air.
Ivan rubbed the back of his neck. "He's not wrong, Danny. This isn't some drama where saving someone makes everything better. We've got priorities."
Danny's jaw tightened. "So that's it? We just turn them away?"
Ivan exhaled. "Look, the only reason I even hesitated is because the older one's attractive. But what does that matter right now? Attraction doesn't keep you alive. Food and strength do."
Danny shot him a look. "That's messed up."
"I'm being realistic," Ivan replied. "We can't afford to carry people who can't carry themselves."
Silence fell between the three.
Johnathan's voice lowered.
"Danny… if it came down to it, would you choose strangers over your family?"
Danny hesitated.
"No."
"Exactly," Johnathan said. "Heroes die first. They sacrifice everything and end up with nothing. If being the 'bad guy' is what it takes to keep my family alive, then I'll do it."
Ivan nodded slowly. "Same."
Johnathan looked directly at Danny.
"So what's it going to be? You with us… or are you playing hero alone?"
Danny swallowed.
"I—"