Chapter 5

Ethan watched the men tremble as he approached, puzzled by their fear. He hadn't even done anything yet. 

"What are you afraid of?" Ethan's voice, cold and commanding, sent shivers down their spines.

"Sir, I didn't know what I was getting into. Please, spare me," Alex, one of the men, begged, dropping to his knees. He couldn't believe they were dealing with someone even bullets couldn't harm.

Ethan smirked. "It doesn't matter. You told me there was food here, after all."

"Really?" Alex asked, hope flickering in his eyes.

"Of course not. How could I let you go?" Ethan replied, his smile turning sinister.

With a swift swing of his axe, Alex's head rolled to the ground. The room fell silent, the only sound the thud of the head hitting the floor.

John, a security guard, could no longer stand the tension. In a burst of panic and anger, he lunged at Ethan with a knife. The blade, however, barely scratched Ethan's skin.

"You're brave, but I don't let anyone who attacks me live," Ethan said, snapping John's neck and discarding him like a broken toy.

The remaining men, realizing resistance was futile, quickly switched tactics. "Sir, we didn't mean to offend you. We can be loyal to you. Do anything you want. There are two beautiful women in the room, all yours," Michael offered, his voice quaking with fear.

Ethan considered the offer. To build a secure place, he needed more people.

Just then, a disheveled woman, Rachel, burst out of the room. "Sir, I'll serve you loyally, just kill these men who violated me," she pleaded, her eyes full of rage.

The men, realizing their plight, were shocked by her boldness. Rachel had been the apple of their eyes, a woman they all coveted.

Ethan regarded her coolly. "Do you think one woman is worth more than ten men in this world?"

Rachel and another woman, Laura, who had been silent, spoke up, "Sir, I have management experience. I graduated from a top business school and ran this large store. I can help you more than these men can. If you want to build a large shelter and restore civilization, you need someone like me," Rachel argued confidently.

Ethan was impressed by her argument. She saw beyond the immediate survival, understanding the bigger picture. "You're not bad," he acknowledged.

Ethan then turned to the men. "I gave her a chance. Now it's your turn," he said, pulling a beating heart from one of the guards. "Eat it," he ordered Rachel.

Rachel hesitated, horrified, but the fear of death and a burning hatred fueled her. She took the heart and ate it, though her body resisted every bite.

"Now, you eleven will fight her. She's armed, you're not. If she dies, you live. Run, and you'll die," Ethan declared, testing Rachel's newfound strength and resolve.

The men agreed, seeing no other option. Rachel, empowered by the heart, prepared herself for the fight, knowing that in this new world, survival required both cunning and strength.

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