Riku's eyes snapped towards the door and saw that the door was slightly ajar. That's not a good sign.
"Is that really your house?" Riku asked, wanting to make sure that they got the right one.
Miko simply nodded with a terrified look on her face.
"Okay, just stay behind me, we are going inside," Riku said and began walking towards the door.
Upon arriving near it, Riku pressed his shoulder against the door and applied pressure on it to slowly open the door. Inside was a mess, as expected.
Furniture had been overturned. Picture frames lay shattered on the wooden floor, glass scattered like sharp snowflakes.
"Mama? Papa?" Miko called out weakly from behind Riku.
There was no response.
Riku stepped inside first, M4A1 at the ready, muzzle sweeping left and right in tight arcs. The interior of the house creaked with every movement. The air was stale and carried the faint, unmistakable stench of blood.
"Stay close," he muttered.
Miko stayed behind him, clutching her phone with both hands, her eyes darting to every shadow, every overturned cushion, every trace of a life that had gone wrong in just a few days.
They searched the living room—nothing.
Kitchen—empty, save for a broken dish on the floor and a streak of blood across the fridge door.
The hallway—silent.
Riku's grip on the M4 tightened. Something felt off. Too quiet.
Miko turned toward the stairs, lips trembling.
"I'll check upstairs," she said.
"No," Riku cut in. "I'll go. You stay down here. It's not safe."
Before Miko could reply, a noise made them both freeze.
A shuffle.
Then a low groan.
It came from the hallway leading to the back of the house. Riku slowly raised his weapon and moved forward.
The sound grew louder.
Then—
"Mama…?" Miko whispered, eyes locked on a figure slowly stepping into view.
It was a woman.
Hair tangled, wearing a bloodstained blouse and skirt that once looked expensive. Her face was partially hidden behind strands of matted hair, but the way she limped forward, dragging one foot behind the other…
Miko gasped.
Her hands flew to her mouth.
It was her mother.
But her eyes—those weren't the eyes of the woman who used to kiss her goodnight or cook her favorite curry.
They were pale. Clouded. Dead.
The zombie let out a hiss, suddenly jerking forward and sprinting straight at Miko.
"Miko, get back—!" Riku barked, springing into action.
He shoved himself between them and delivered a brutal kick straight to the woman's chest. The impact sent her crashing against the hallway wall, a vase falling and shattering beside her.
Riku raised the M4A1, safety already off, finger slipping to the trigger.
But suddenly, Miko grabbed the barrel and shoved it upward.
"No! Stop!" she screamed, her voice cracking. "That's my mom!"
Riku's heart stopped.
He looked at her in disbelief. "What…?"
Tears were now freely rolling down her face. She stood between Riku and the creature, trembling, but refusing to move. "It's her. It's really her…"
Riku's jaw clenched. He glanced at the twitching, growling figure trying to crawl toward them again.
"No, Miko. That's not your mom anymore. Whatever she was… she's gone."
"You don't know that!"
"She would've hugged you. She would've called your name. Look at her. She tried to kill you. That thing isn't your mother."
Miko shook her head slowly, sobbing. "Please…"
Before either could say another word.
Two more figures stumbled out from the adjacent room. One was a man in a button-up shirt soaked with blood, jaw slack, shirt torn open across the chest. The other was a girl—maybe in her early twenties, with long brown hair and a gaping wound on her neck.
Miko's eyes widened. "Papa… Onee-chan…"
Her knees buckled. She almost dropped to the floor.
"No—no no no no—" she muttered.
They groaned and began to advance.
"Shit," Riku hissed, stepping back and pulling Miko behind him. "We don't have time."
The mother was getting up.
The father snarled.
The sister lunged.
Riku took aim again.
Miko grabbed his wrist. "Don't! I—" She choked on her words. "Please…"
He turned to her, eyes cold but not unkind.
"You have to choose, Miko. Either I stop them… or they stop us."
She looked up at him, her eyes red, her hands trembling. Her legs refused to move.
"Please… I can't…"
But then she saw it. The way her sister's mouth opened, revealing jagged teeth. The way her father's eyes stared blankly, inhuman. And her mother… no longer reaching to embrace her, but to feed on her.
Her breath hitched.
And then, almost in a whisper, she said something.
"Do it."
Riku nodded.
He raised the M4.
Three quick bursts.
PFFT—PFFT—PFFT.
Each one hit clean.
The mother. The father. The sister.
They dropped.
And for a moment, the house was silent.
Miko collapsed to her knees, shaking, screaming into her hands.
Riku stood there, rifle lowered, eyes grim.
There was nothing left to say.
He kneeled beside her, pulled her into his arms, and let her cry.
She had made a difficult choice and he understood the emotions going through her now. Even he would be devastated if he were to find out that his parents turned into zombies.
[Mission Failed: You didn't get there in time. No rewards given.]
The system notification appeared, as if to mock him. He quickly dismissed it. He doesn't care about the rewards at this point.
He turned his gaze downward.
She was still trembling in his arms. Her breathing was uneven, shallow gasps in between muffled sobs. The sound of it stabbed into him deeper than any screamer's howl or horde's growl ever could.
"I'm here," he muttered, gently running a hand through her hair. "You're not alone, Miko."
And finally, as if those words had given her permission to break down completely, she wrapped her arms around his torso and sobbed harder.
She buried her face in his chest. "I didn't want to say it… I didn't want to believe it… But I saw their eyes, Riku. I saw it. They weren't my family anymore."
"I know," he whispered. "I know."
Riku let her cry. Time didn't matter right now. The world outside could wait.
He slowly adjusted his stance, sitting with his back against the hallway wall, Miko curled against his side like a child lost in a nightmare she couldn't wake up from.
They stayed there for minutes. Maybe longer.
Eventually, her sobs began to die down. Her grip on his shirt loosened.
She sniffled and slowly looked up. Her eyes were swollen red, her face stained with tears, but she was calmer now—numb, perhaps.
"I'm sorry," she said in a hoarse whisper.
"Don't be." Riku shook his head. "You have nothing to be sorry for."
"I froze," she said, her voice cracking. "I just stood there. If you weren't here, I would've… I'd be one of them."
Riku reached forward and placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "You did what anyone would've done. We're humans after all."
She looked away, lips trembling.
"I don't even know what to feel anymore."
"That's normal too."
"They won't be able to infect other people right?"
"Yes, they can't harm anyone."
"Can we stay here for a moment?" Miko asked.
"Why would you want that?"
"Because…I will come with you…and I…need to prepare my things."
"Ah, so you want to pack your things?" Riku said and continued. "I have no problem with it. Take all the time you need. I will cover the body of your parents while you are at it."
Her face turned melancholic again, and answered in a nod.