The base had assured her, again and again, that every single person who entered would undergo strict background checks.
That promise echoed mockingly in Joy’s mind now. Sohow, despite all those assurances, these people had been allowed inside.
Fear wrapped around her chest so tightly that it felt hard to breathe.
Even though the base was heavily guarded, there were no real laws here. No police. No courts. Most people were too busy surviving to care about what happened to their beloved.
Who would, in an apocalypse, even think about helping each other?
That realization struck Joy like a cold blade pressed against her spine.
Then the thug nad Joseph suddenly yanked her backward.
His grip was rough, fingers digging painfully into her arm. He leaned close, his breath hot and sour with the stench of stale alcohol and sweat.
A twisted smile stretched across his face, his eyes glowing with a terrifying, feverish red excitent.
"Well, well... if it is the mouse who had ratted us out. You’re dead this ti," he muttered, his voice dripping with delight.
Joy panicked and began to struggle, her heart slamming violently against her ribs.
Her fifteen-year-old brother, Liam, reacted instantly. He rushed forward and started hitting Joseph blindly, tears of fear and rage blurring his vision.
"Let go of my sister!"
Joseph clicked his tongue in annoyance and casually gestured toward his companions.
In the next second, two thugs grabbed Liam and restrained him effortlessly.
Joseph didn’t hesitate. He tightened his grip on Joy and began dragging her toward his rented housing unit.
’There are no cops here...’ Joseph thought calmly. ’I can do whatever I want.’
Joy’s vision blurred with despair as her feet scraped against the ground.
She turned her head desperately, looking at Liam, who was struggling wildly against the n holding him.
When she saw one of the thugs raise his leg to kick Liam, terror flooded her veins.
"No!" she scread.
The kick landed squarely against Liam’s stomach.
But before the pain could even register, the man who had attacked him vanished.
One mont, he was there.The next mont, he was gone.
The air rippled faintly, and the thug was suddenly teleported outside the base.
For a heartbeat, everything froze.
The remaining thugs stared in shock. Even Joy and Joseph stood stunned, their minds struggling to process what they had just witnessed.
Joseph frowned deeply.
"What the hell just happened?" he muttered. "Did that guy awaken a teleportation ability midway through beating that kid?"
Hope flickered across the faces of the remaining thugs.
"Maybe doing evil triggers powers," one of them said excitedly.
Another nodded eagerly. "That must be it. That’s how he awakened teleportation!"
Driven by greed and curiosity, they tested their theory.
One by one, they attacked Liam.
And one by one, every single thug who hard him vanished, instantly teleported outside the base.
Joseph’s face drained of color.Joy stared in disbelief.
Then, realization struck.
Her eyes lit up with desperate hope, and she struggled violently against Joseph.
Joseph stiffened. He knew it.
’If I harm her, I’ll be teleported too.’
However, instead of panicking, Joseph smiled calmly and leaned closer.
"Stop struggling," he warned softly. "If you don’t behave, I’ll make sure my people deal with your brother once we’re outside."
His voice lowered, cruel and deliberate.
"By the ti you find him again, he’ll be nothing but pieces."
Joy trembled violently.
Fear clawed at her heart, but she still struggled, trying to force him to use violence. Yet the base rule did not activate. Struggling alone did not count as a violation.
Helplessness crushed her. Joseph chuckled quietly.
"I doubt there’s any rule about assault or molestation," he said calmly. "As long as you’re obedient, I will let you go."
Despair flooded Joy’s chest.
Liam broke free and rushed forward, but Joy imdiately shook her head violently.
"Don’t!" she cried. "If you attack him, you’ll be teleported out!"
Liam froze.
His fists trembled uselessly at his sides. Regret, rage, and helplessness twisted inside him until it felt unbearable.
Joseph narrowed his eyes.
"Even if the base protects you today," he said coldly, "it won’t protect you outside. Or when you’re far away hunting zombies. I can do many unspeakable things then."
He smiled darkly. "The choice is yours."
Joy clenched her fists and lowered her head.
’If there’s truly a rule... why isn’t it saving now?’
His threats were conditional. Twisted. Technically, not violations.
Taking a shaky breath, she whispered,
"I heard you."
Joseph smiled in satisfaction.
"Smart choice."
He shot Liam a warning look before dragging Joy inside the housing unit.
Liam’s eyes burned with hatred, but he lowered his gaze and clenched his fists until his nails cut into his palms. He closed his eyes briefly, drowning in despair.
’What kind of brother am I? I couldn’t even protect my sister. If only I had superpowers...?’
The urge to awaken a power exploded inside him.
What he didn’t know was that tiny particles around him had already begun to glow faintly.
Joy was dragged into the bedroom.
Joseph deliberately left the door open.
Liam followed inside, refusing to leave her alone.
Joy shook her head frantically, pleading silently with her eyes for him to leave.
Liam shook his head firmly. "I’m staying."
Joseph burst into laughter.
"If I didn’t know better," he sneered, "I’d think you had so kind of kink."
Liam’s blood boiled.
He stared at Joseph and growled.
"One day, I’ll teach you a lesson you’ll never forget."
Joseph laughed louder.
"If you’re so powerful, why don’t you try right now?"
Liam clenched his fists helplessly.
Joseph turned his attention back to Joy and began removing his clothes slowly.
Disgust surged through her.
Joy squeezed her eyes shut, her entire body rejecting his presence, her heart screaming in revulsion.
Then suddenly... the grip on her arm vanished.
Joy’s eyes flew open in terror.
For a split second, she thought Liam had attacked.
Instead, she saw her brother staring blankly at the empty space in front of her.
The man was gone.
In that mont, Joy understood.
Joseph had been teleported away.
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