The sound of a soft knock on the door, followed by the warm voice of Thiago's mother, pierced the veil of sleep, but the reality unfolding outside was a much more brutal wake-up call. Thiago opened his eyes, his body still heavy with exhaustion, but his mind already on high alert, every fiber of his being vibrating with the awareness of the hell that had arrived. He felt Sofia's weight beside him, her soft breathing against his back, and for a brief moment, the normalcy of the scene hit him with an almost painful force. But the memories, the whirlwind of images and sounds from twenty years of apocalypse, came rushing back, a cold reminder of the new reality. He stood, the movement fluid and silent, and Sofia stirred too, a soft moan, blinking in the golden light that slid through the curtains.
"Mom?" Sofia murmured, her voice still hoarse from sleep, confusion in her eyes.
"Good morning, my loves!" Sofia's mother, Harumi, called from outside the room, her voice soft and sweet, an almost surreal contrast to the distant roar of the city. "Come, breakfast is on the table. We must eat well for the day ahead!"
Thiago and Sofia looked at each other, a silent understanding passing between them. The world outside was in flames, but inside that suite, for a brief moment, normalcy still reigned. They rose from the bed, their bodies a little sore, but their minds focused. The day had arrived. Hell had arrived. But this time, they would be ready. And they wouldn't be alone.
As they entered the living room, the aroma of fresh coffee and toast filled the air, a familiar and comforting scent that seemed an anachronism amidst the chaos. The luxurious and spacious dining table was set with a variety of foods that would soon be an unimaginable luxury: scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, fresh breads, colorful fruits, and natural juices. The families were gathered, their faces a mixture of exhaustion, apprehension, and a desperate attempt to maintain normalcy. Thiago's parents, Lucas, Gabriel, and Sofia, Hiroshi, Harumi, Akemi, Kenji, Yumi, and the children Takeshi, Akari, and Hana. Twenty-something people, all there, an unlikely refuge amidst the storm.
Sofia's mother, Harumi, a woman with a kind face and expressive eyes, stood at the head of the table, serving coffee. She looked up when Thiago and Sofia entered, and a faint smile played on her lips, but her eyes revealed a hint of concern. "Good morning, dears. Did you sleep well?" Her voice was soft, but there was an unspoken question in her eyes, one that Thiago knew needed to be answered.
Thiago felt Harumi's gaze, and a faint blush crept onto his face. Sofia's presence in his room, though innocent, wouldn't go unnoticed by a mother's watchful eyes. He sat at the table next to his own father, and Sofia sat on the other side, next to her mother.
"Auntie, it's not at all what you're thinking," Thiago said, his voice calm but urgent, trying to dispel any misunderstanding before it took root. He knew discretion was vital, but the truth, even if veiled, needed to be conveyed. "Sofia couldn't sleep. She was... very scared by everything that happened yesterday. By what I told her. She just needed some comfort. I was just trying to help her calm down."
Harumi looked from Thiago to Sofia, her eyes searching both their expressions. She saw the honesty in Thiago's eyes, the vulnerability in Sofia's. A soft sigh escaped her lips. "I understand, Thiago. It's a difficult time for everyone. And Sofia has always been very sensitive." She gave a small smile, a smile of understanding and acceptance, and went back to pouring the coffee. The topic was closed, but the tension in the room remained, a constant reminder of the reality surrounding them.
Breakfast passed in almost reverent silence, punctuated only by the clink of cutlery and the distant growl of the city. No one dared turn on the television, but the outside world lingered through the windows, even through the heavy curtains. Shafts of light revealed a sky tinged with an oppressive red, crimson, and scarlet, as if the firmament itself were bleeding. And through those slits, the view was a nightmare in slow motion.
New York, the city that never sleeps, was in flames. Distant buildings, once towering skyscrapers piercing the sky, were now smoking skeletons, their twisted structures exhaling dark smoke that rose in dense spirals, blotting out the sun. The smell of burning, of melted metal, and of something else, something organic and putrid, began to seep through the cracks in the windows, mingling with the aroma of coffee and bread, a nauseating combination that assaulted the senses.
Cars, once vehicles of transportation, were now twisted carcasses, many still ablaze, their melted bodies oozing like wax, their tires exploded in clouds of burning rubber. They lay strewn across the streets and sidewalks, some overturned, others piled in grotesque heaps, silent witnesses to desperate collisions and failed escapes. The asphalt was cracked, covered in debris, shattered glass, and a dark, sticky mess that Thiago knew was a mixture of blood and bodily fluids.
Some stores, once gleaming showcases of luxury and consumption, were now black holes, their doors broken, their windows shattered, their interiors looted and destroyed. The desolation was palpable, a war zone stretching for miles, a brutal reminder of the speed with which civilization had crumbled.
Everyone at the table, even the children's, stared at the windows, peering through the gaps in the curtains, absorbing the sight of the hell unfolding outside. The silence was broken only by muffled gasps, murmurs of disbelief, and the occasional stifled sob. It was the first time they saw the true extent of the chaos, the stark reality of what Thiago had tried to describe. Television, which had once broadcast alarming news, now seemed an unnecessary luxury; the truth was out there, visible and undeniable.
"It's... it's real," Lucas's mother whispered, her voice a thread, her eyes wide with horror. "Everything you said, Thiago... it's real."
Thiago nodded, his expression serious, but with a hint of determination. "Yes. It's real. And it's just the beginning. But we're safe here. For now. And we're prepared."
The conversation at breakfast wasn't about pleasantries, but about the new reality. The adults spoke in whispers, their voices thick with fear and uncertainty. Questions about what would come next, how long the chaos would last, the possibility of outside help. Thiago responded with the calm of a veteran, sharing just enough details to avoid revealing the System's secrets, but enough to maintain hope and determination.
"The zombies... are they everywhere?" Gabriel's father asked, his voice hoarse, his eyes fixed on smoke rising from a distant building.
"Yes. And they're evolving," Thiago replied, his voice low. "Slowly at first, but each kill makes them stronger. We need to be vigilant. And not make any noise. Sound attracts them."
The children, oblivious to the gravity of the adults' conversation, watched the burning world with morbid curiosity. Takeshi pointed to a burning car. "Look, Daddy! Fire!" His innocent voice was a stark contrast to the scene of destruction.
Sofia's mother, Harumi, who had recovered from the initial shock, looked at Thiago with an expression of gratitude and concern. "Thiago, what do we do now? How long can we stay here?"
"Not much," Thiago replied, his voice serious. "The hotel is a temporary refuge. Soon, the electricity may go out, the water may run out. We need to move to the bunker I mentioned. But first, we need a plan. And we need more information about what's happening out there."
Breakfast, once a comfort meal, became a war council. The coffee cups grew cold, the bread remained untouched, and the food, once appetizing, now seemed tasteless. The reality of the apocalypse had invaded the suite, transforming luxury into a gilded cage. With every passing minute, the growl of the city outside seemed louder, closer, a constant reminder that peace was an illusion, and that the real fight was just beginning. They were alive, yes. But survival was a daily battle, and the day had only just begun. Thiago felt the weight of responsibility, but also an unshakable determination. The night had been long, and the dawn had brought hell. But this time, they would be ready. And they would not be alone.