"I'm... I'm scared..."

"Why... why is this happening?"

"What's going on!?!?"

Intense banging came from the door as three women sat trembling in the center of a shoddy dorm, surrounded by filth and rot.

"Rebecca... Irene... Naomi... why... are they all monsters?"

The three girls appeared to be young and beautiful, but each of them gave off an aura of exhaustion, as if they were tired of life itself.

However right now, such exhaustion was replaced by pure terror.

The slamming sounds that came from the door caused the three to turn their heads around, huddling together as they watched breathlessly while they prayed that the thin piece of wood wouldn't give in to such attacks.

"Why... why!?"

Tears streamed from the eyes of a white haired girl, who didn't bother to wipe these tears as she bit her lip.

Then, quietly, the girl whispered as she hung her head low with remorse.

"Why did they get to take the easy way out?"

It was at that moment that a crack in the door appeared, revealing the ugly yellow eyes of a zombified woman who scratched and tore away at the only barrier which separated the three between life and death.

'You know... I've always been a loser.'

Looking up with sadness and fear, the girl bit her lip in remorse as she trembled.

The other two girls held onto her as the three feared for their lives, doing nothing as they watched a number of hands reach in through the cracks, continuing to rip away at the door.

'I lost my life then... and I suppose right now... that life which was no longer mine to own is going to be taken once more.'

Letting out a sigh, the girl stopped her trembling and stood.

"There's nowhere to run.", she stated with a strange calmness, leaving the other two wide eyed as they watched her.

"Hey... what are you-"

"Nowhere to hide."

The girl continued speaking as she walked, immense suffering reflecting in her eyes as she approached the door, which was about to give in to the violent thrashing of the creatures.

"And if I die here... then it's going to be on my terms."

Glancing around her, the girl took note of the situation.

Inside this room was nothing more than three dirty mats to sleep on.

Not a single possession nor anything which could even resemble a weapon was in sight.

"I can regret everything as much as I want... but that won't change what's already happened. Therefore... rather than regret what I did in the past..."

Bending over, the woman took hold of a shard of wood which had fallen from the door, grasping it like a stake as her eyes filled with a coldness.

"Then I'm going to instead focus on making sure that I don't regret what I did at this moment."

And as the girl said this, the door burst open.

Like a wave, the flood of zombies poured into the room as they raised their grotesque arms, aiming at the girl who stood before them.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

Three shots.

Three hits.

Three thuds as the piles of flesh fell to the ground, just inches from the woman who watched with widened eyes as she realized that her attackers had been slain.

Then, stepping into the room was a man.

"My my... to think that so few survived... I suppose we were lucky to be on the upper floors. But down in this place... I suppose infection spreads quite easily."

Entering the room was a large mustached man who resembled a tub of lard, stroking one of his multiple chins as he looked around him with pleasure.

The man bore a pistol which gave off fresh smoke in one hand, an assault rifle on his back and a bulletproof vest covering his sweaty body.

"Well, that much is fine. We can find more. You three. Come with us. There is work to be done."

The two trembling girls behind the white haired girl immediately stood up, fearfully nodding as they obeyed without question.

"T-thank you...", they whispered as they walked back, joining the party of men who seemed to be waiting outside the room.

However the one with white hair instead stood frozen, thinning her eyes as she stared at the man.

'You...'

The woman felt a surge of disgust well up inside her, however she forced it down as she attempted to hide her own disdain for the man.

'Are you going to take away even my opportunity to die?'

"What's wrong? Are you too terrified to even move? Or perhaps... seeing me displeases you that much?"

Turning around, the man seemed to chuckle as he entered the fray of men, who made a path once more for him to walk through.

"Eclaire."

----

"That makes 23 for me."

"What a coincidence. That makes 23 for me as well."

Piles upon piles of bodies lined the hallways.

Of course, rotten bodies.

Members of the undead who were now truly laid to rest covered the walls, windows, ceilings, and everywhere in between.

"Quite competitive now, aren't you?"

"Competing? Haha... how foolish. That you would even suggest such a thing... It's quite laughable. After all... if I were competing..."

With fluid motions that eluded the eyes of all but perhaps one, the gentleman known as Yakov sliced off three heads of a group of approaching zombies with the chop of his bare hand.

"Then there would be no competition."

However at that moment, an immeasurable number of thuds were heard from the hallway around the corner, at which the woman known as Valerie exited with a head in each hand, holding the former women by their hair as she threw them behind her.

"Are you truly so sure about that? After all... that makes 35 for me... and only 26 for you."

Turning the corner to glance around, the man known as Yakov chuckled as he witnessed yet another scene of destruction.

"My... that was quite quick, even for my eyes. But I suppose you were merely lucky that you encountered so many at one time."

"Enough."

Speaking up with power, the man wearing a bulletproof vest seemed to be annoyed at the antics of the two.

"Can you two be a bit quieter?"

"Ah, forgive us Sir."

"We seem to have been... carried away."

The two seemed to bow to the man with respect, blood covering each of them which they didn't bother to wipe off as they stood at attention.

"Now then... it would seem that we've finally arrived, haven't we?"

Stepping forth as the man turned yet another corner, a large pair of doors presented themselves before the man as he entered without reserve.

"At the main hall, that is."

And upon stepping through those doors, the man looked around him with pride - however such pride was shattered in an instant as the room presented itself.

It was grandiose, as large as a resort, and the group entered from what would have been the fourth floor to a balcony covered with red velvet and golden handrails.

A staircase spiraled down the four stories to what was a reception hall, though to even call such a place a reception hall would be a massive understatement.

Restaurants, pool tables, bowling alleys, card tables, roulettes, a swimming pool, a stage for performances, and in the center of it all was a giant statue surrounded by fountains of flowing water.

However this place which would normally have appeared as if it were a paradise looked anything but.

The water which flowed from the fountains was as black as tar with mold and algae flowing through it, not to even speak of the chunks of rotten flesh that floated about.

Zombies walked around the floors aimlessly at every station, and the walls were ruined with deterioration. Tables had been smashed due to whatever fits of rage certain members of the undead may have had, and the reception desk was beyond a mess.

Papers were everywhere, and not a single piece of equipment seemed to remain functional.

And centering this scene, the head of the statue which was formed in the figure of a certain man was removed from the body, smashed into pieces as it lay within the fountain - eroding away.

A vein burst on the forehead of the one known as Gerard Stirling upon seeing such a disgraceful image of himself, however gritting his teeth he turned back to the people behind him who entered the place with haste.

30 men dressed in suits - people who worked for Yakov as his subordinates. Their duties were to ensure order remained within this hotel and that there were no unruly customers nor any rebellious employees.

A total of 15 women dressed like whores - prostitutes who had all been found within their rooms hiding from the menaces that were the people who had not survived through the infection.

Among these women were the three who had been in the room of Gerard at the time - the elites who he had chosen to directly please and serve him.

And finally, a total of 4 men and 2 women who were clients at this hotel.

Faced with this crowd which had been gathered up from those who remained alive, Gerard quickly adapted his expression as he turned away from the scene below, instead facing the people who he now led.

"As the owner of this Paradise Hotel... I suppose it is my DUTY to take charge of this... highly unexpected situation. Therefore... I wish for everyone to listen closely."

Stepping forth, the man began to pace as he eyeballed each and every person present with a greed filled grin.

"First. Is there anyone present who wishes to object to my leadership?"

Silence filled the hall, and the only sounds which could be heard was the shuffling of the undead below.

Moments passed, however it was then that a man stepped forward.

"I object."

A brown haired gentleman with a cane and glasses stepped forward, making his way through the crowd as he presented himself.

"You claim that you should be the leader merely because you were the proprietor of this establishment... however I believe you are greatly underestimating the situation."

As the man made his way next to Gerard, he used his cane to point towards the floors below, speaking without reserve as he gathered the attention of all.

"Good people! Do you not understand what is going on here!? This is not a mere disaster... This is a complete catastrophe. Everything which we do from this point on is critical! And putting the decision making power in the hands of a single leader... I cannot accept that."

Pushing up his glasses, the man stood before all as he made his proposal.

"I suggest that we form some sort of hierarchy. Perhaps we will have a set of representatives who will vote when important decisions are made. Having a single person in power is simply too... how should I put it... too prone to derail into CHAOS."

"I see."

Speaking up as he nodded his head, Gerard seemed to agree as he approached the man, placing his hand on the shoulder of the guest.

"Henry Williams... you were a profound politician if I recall correctly. A man who held great power. All due to your skill to appeal to those around you, no less. You were able to sweep up the people below you, aligning their hearts in your favor while pursuing YOUR OWN INTERESTS."

Thinning his eyes with a victorious grin, Gerard chuckled as he rebuked the man.

"Am I wrong?"

His hand having been slapped off the man’s shoulder, Gerard was met with a fierce frown as the man spoke in a rude tone, no longer showing any respect for his opponent.

"You've completely ignored everything I just said and instead attacked my person. Is that all you can do?"

"No, that isn't."

Responding immediately however, Gerard grinned deviously as he faced the audience, motioning towards them grandly.

"Then, why don't we have a vote?", he exclaimed.

At this sudden change of mood, the people looked to one another with confusion, however Henry seemed to step forward to object.

"Wait just a minute. The majority of people here are your-"

"Ahem. That is correct. The majority of people here are MY subordinates. Ah! I see now. The reason you suggested having representatives was so that you could stack the seats with people who would agree with you, promoting your own interests rather than those of the MAJORITY."

Stroking his mustache, Gerard clicked his tongue as he closed his eyes.

"Tsk tsk tsk.... that you thought nobody would see through such a ploy... you truly are a politician. But you know... as crafty as you are, it’s people like you who are always good to have on my side. It’s because of people like you that I've been able to come this far... therefore I should give you a chance, shouldn't I? Ah... I know."

Facing the man straight on, Gerard stroked his chin as he made a proposal.

"How about we take a vote in which my subordinates are not allowed to vote?"

At this suggestion, the eyes of the brown haired man went wide before quickly thinning into a stingy expression.

'The fool... he's gone and stacked the deck against himself... I'll show him exactly what it means to be a politician.'

"Very well. However there will be no taking back of the terms you just stated. And whoever wins such a vote will be forced to comply. Is that fair?"

"Oh, of course. I would never back out of a deal."

As Gerard made this statement, it took everything within Henry to keep his expression calm, though victory flooded into his mind.

'Among the other clients of the hotel, those who are surrounded by the subordinates of this man will agree with myself on the matter... we cannot trust them not to use us as bait or abandon us... and as such we need some sort of insurance to ensure our survival. If he wanted to, he could use violence against us to get us to comply with his demands... therefore we need to set these rules here and now to act on equal footing with this man. Most importantly... we will need to be given our own weapons to defend ourselves. This is the most crucial matter.'

"Then... let the vote begin."

With this statement, the man stepped forward as he motioned for the five who were customers at the hotel to step forward.

However it was at that moment that Gerard snapped his fingers.

"Yakov."

"Understood, Sir."

And in that moment, the man known as Henry found himself looking at the ceiling.

"Eh?"

"Now then... let's hear the votes. Please raise your hand clearly so that we can all see."

With these words, Gerard stepped forth as he made a crushing motion with his hand, at which the man known as Henry found himself falling.

"Wha- agh!!! What are you- ugh!!!"

The people watched with horrified expressions as the man was thrown off the balcony, landing on the floor four stories below with the cracking of numerous bones.

"AGH!!! UGH!!! URGH!!!"

The man shouted in the pain, barely able to move yet alive enough to scream out in his torment.

"You... you bastard!!!"

However these screams were short lived - for as he shouted a number of zombies began to approach him.

"Wait... no... stop... STOP!!!!"

Each and every person watched breathlessly as the creatures approached the man, slowly making their way towards him as they surrounded the helpless man.

Unable to even move in his peril, he could do nothing more than shout as the creatures began to crunch on his limbs.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!! HELP!!! HELP ME!!!!"

The expressions of the people were filled with terror far beyond anything they had ever seen as they watched the grotesque display, pieces of flesh ripped from the very body of the man and feasted upon by the masses.

"NO!!!! AGH!!! MAKE IT... MAKE IT STOP!!!! UGH!!"

And then, one bit into the trachea of the man, cutting off even his screams as he drowned in a rain of blood.

"GHG!!!"

The gnawing continued, and the people could do nothing more than watch as a realization slowly overcame them.

"Now then... let's have that vote. Who here... agrees with that man?"

Perhaps it was because of how stunned they were, or perhaps it was because they were too terrified to even move, or perhaps instead it was that they knew in their hearts that raising their hand would be fatal.

Not a single person made any motion.

"Is that so? Then everyone here must agree. I suppose that's that."

Shrugging his shoulders, the man flipped out a cigar as he snapped his fingers once more, at which Melissa immediately rushed forth to light it for him.

Taking another puff without looking back at the others, the man stood now before the spiral staircase as he took in the sight of the ruined parlor.

Yet despite the rotten state of the place which he worked so hard to build, this man felt not the slightest bit of discouragement.

For in his heart, he knew that he could now build something far greater than anything he could have had in the previous world.

"As of this moment... I'm in charge here."

----

Whipping a sniper rifle off his back, Gerard gazed through the scope as he surveyed the situation below.

"150... no... 200... maybe 250."

Motioning with his hand without so much as glancing back at his men, each of them lined up along the balcony as they presented their own rifles, taking aim.

"Gunfire will almost certainly attract attention and is not a preferred method to use... however this situation is different."

As he fluttered the crosshairs from one target to another, the tone of Gerard lowered as he grinned to himself.

"This hotel will become our home. And if it is to become our home... then we cannot allow any pests to remain."

Bang!

The immense sound of a sniper rifle firing rang in the ears of all the people, at which a zombie below fell to the ground with an explosion as its head was reduced to bits of flesh.

As soon as this shot sounded out, all the zombies in the entire area seemed to glance upwards, landing their gazes on the man who stood above before they rushed forth.

"Gaargh!!!"

"GRR!!!"

And with the growling and snarling that came with them, the hordes began to make their way from their seats and games, from the pools and fountains, towards the stairway.

"Open fire. Everyone."

At that moment, a flurry of gunshots lit up the floors as the zombies fell one after another.

The man holding the sniper rifle turned his back on this scene, instead approaching the people without weapons who remained watching.

"If the pests make their way into this place that I call my home... then they will be exterminated. And when all the pests have been eliminated... we will rebuild this place."

The hordes flooded forth despite the immense firepower which rained upon them, and eventually they had reached the bottom of the staircase.

"Sir, they've exited our line of sight! We will have to wait for them to ascend further to take care of the ones at the front.", one man stated as he continued to fire towards the ones still in his sight.

Gerard turned around to look at the man, however before he could even reply his words were cut off with another response.

"Worry not, Sir. There will be none that are allowed to make their way up to this place. After all..."

Stepping onto the staircase with nothing more than a pistol in his hand, the gentleman known as Yakov flipped his hair gently as a violent grin overcame him.

"I am here."

Opening his jacket, the man revealed an immeasurable number of magazines, and loading one immediately he rushed down the stairs with haste - disappearing from the sight of the men.

The gunfire continued and the hordes down the stairs continued to drop one by one, however little by little the men's expressions became more and more pale.

"I... am out of ammunition."

"Me as well."

"There... there are still so many left..."

However the expressions of two people in particular did not waver.

The first was the man in charge.

And the second was the murderous woman known as Valerie.

'As if that man would die so simply.'

Soon enough, one by one, the men who stood on the balcony stopped firing.

Hordes of zombies had been taken out down the stairs, but even so perhaps 50 or 100 still remained.

And little by little, these zombies took positions which were out of sight of the men.

'Is Yakov... still alive?'

'He hasn't come up yet...'

'Is he going to throw his life away fighting instead of retreating back here?'

These thoughts filled the minds of many men, however answering them was none other than the one in charge.

"We will slaughter all the pests... remove any threats... and we will rebuild this place so that it will match... no... so that it will surpass its former glory."

Speaking these words with confidence, Gerard walked to the side, straying away from even his own men as he tried to get a better view.

However it was then that a number of popping sounds were heard.

So rapid that one might think it were a minigun firing off.

12 popping sounds, and for a fraction of a second these sounds eased up.

However this was only a fraction of a second - barely enough time to register before 12 more popping sounds were let off in the matter of moments.

This process repeated itself.

Three, four, five, six, seven times.

And then - after approximately ten seconds of this rapid fire - silence overcame the world.

As if not a single living being existed within this decimated place, even the breathing of the people ceased for just a few moments.

And then, they saw it.

Ascending those stairs, covered in blood with a pistol that gave off fresh smoke, was a grinning man.

"Forgive me for taking so long, Sir. After all... I have grown a bit rusty with age."

It was at that moment that even the slaughter of the politician who had stood forward seemed to be nothing more than a prelude.

For the people present in that hotel truly understood now that they held no rights.

Their opinions meant nothing.

The people here were wealthy elites.

Big shots who could afford fancy vacations, hotels and resorts.

People with luxurious cars, extravagant parties, and more.

Yet these people were now faced with a reality that they could never have imagined themselves in.

Everything they had ever taken for granted was now gone.

"No no, not at all Yakov. Now... where was I? Ah. That's right."

Stepping forth with immense footsteps, these steps now carried a weight to them unlike before.

One of overwhelming authority.

"We're going to rebuild this place from the ground up. And within this rotten world... this hotel will become a place where all may seek refuge from the horrid torrents of life. So long as they obey my rules and follow my directions... any will be welcomed with open arms."

Thinning his eyes in delight as the man looked down on the horrid scene below, a vision overlapped his sight.

One where the hotel below was no longer grimy and rotten, but filled with life and parties once more.

"This place will become a true paradise - one in which I will reign over."

Turning back to the people, the man spoke with grandeur.

"And you are my first guests."

Pulling the bolt on his sniper rifle, the man loaded the weapon as he gripped it with pleasure.

"Have a nice stay."