Chapter 185: Where’s He Right Now?

"Bruh."

Max let out a dry breath as a clear, feminine chatter began to drift down through the open stairwell, instantly catching everyone’s attention.

The fourth-floor corridor had finally settled into a temporary, uneasy calm. Most of the mutilated zombie carcasses had been hauled aside and shoved into utility closets or empty side rooms. The dark, sticky bloodstains on the patterned carpet were still fresh, and the lingering stench of rot was heavy, but the direct threat had been cleared. The group of survivors was just beginning to breathe easy when the loud, careless voices from above broke the quiet.

Aside from Fredrinn and Jenny—who were still secluded in Room 308—no one in the main group had any clue who lived on the upper levels.

Max frowned, rubbing his chin as the gears turned in his head. "Wait a second... That Billy guy down in the lobby mentioned some guests were holed up on the seventh floor, right?"

He cast a cautious glance toward the concrete staircase. Judging by the echo, there were two distinct voices. One was light, airy, and slightly slurred, while the other sounded like a sharp, annoyed child. They were descending quickly—probably passing the fifth-floor landing right about now.

Ash blinked innocently, his posture relaxing as curiosity took over. The older girl’s voice sounded remarkably soft and melodious, like wind chimes in a breeze.

Vivienne, Naomi, and Rhea stopped their conversation and turned around together. In a ruined world overrun by flesh-eating monsters, every survivor knew the default reaction to strange noises was terror. Yet hearing people chatter so casually, without a shred of fear or stealth, was baffling. Still, finding more living, uninfected humans was always a welcome relief.

Within moments, soft footsteps tapped down the final flight of concrete risers.

The pair stepped out onto the landing, and the entire hallway seemed to freeze.

The duo looked like they belonged in a peaceful countryside painting rather than a bloody, apocalyptic war zone. The taller woman had long, flowing hair the color of fresh pistachio green, tumbling over her shoulders in loose, gentle waves. Her eyes were a soft, mystical blue, resembling clear morning skies, and her skin was smooth, pale, and fair as fresh milk. She had a tall, well-proportioned figure that moved with an effortless, fluid grace.

Just a single look was enough to leave both Max and Ash completely paralyzed, their eyes wide as they stared at her ethereal face.

An old, infamous internet meme from before the world collapsed instantly flashed through their heads: ’She was a fairy!’

Back then, people used the line as a joke, but standing here right now, Sophia looked like an actual forest spirit that had somehow wandered into a ruined hotel. Her presence carried an angelic, pristine glow that immediately seized the room. While Rose’s beauty was dark, overwhelming, and dripping with dangerous demonic temptation, Sophia’s charm felt warm, serene, and naturally breathtaking.

Right beside her walked a little girl who looked no older than eight. She was dressed in an adorable pink sundress, paired with a wide-brimmed straw sunhat that bounced with every step she took. Her bright, azure eyes were startlingly sharp, carrying a strange clarity that didn’t fit a child her age. She surveyed the small crowd of survivors gathered on the landing with calm, measured calculation.

Sophia, on the other hand, didn’t seem to care about the crowd at all. She was clutching her temples with both hands, groaning softly as if every step sent a spike through her skull.

"Ugh... how far is the cafe already?" she complained, her voice trailing off in a sleepy whine. "My head feels like someone dropped an anvil on it."

"A couple more floors down, sis," Carmen answered with an exasperated sigh, adjusting her sunhat. "I told you to drink water last night instead of finishing that bottle, but did you listen? No."

"Tsk... why isn’t the elevator working?" Sophia grumbled, waving her hand dismissively at the dead metal doors down the hall. She blinked against the dim lighting and squinted at the row of numbered suites. "Wait a minute... isn’t this the floor where that handsome guy and the blonde girl were hanging out? The ones with the scary demonic girl?"

"Yes, sis," Carmen confirmed, nodding patiently.

The little girl let her gaze drift down the hall, scanning the closed doors. Her supernatural vision seemed to pierce right through the solid wood of Room 308 for a split second. Almost instantly, her small face scrunched up into pure disgust. A visible shudder ran through her small frame, and she violently ripped her gaze away from the door, looking down at the carpet as if trying to scrub a horrible image from her retinas.

Nobody knew what terrifying, lewd sight her perceptive eyes had just picked up, but she clearly regretted looking.

Vivienne, who had been listening intently to their banter, stepped forward. Hearing them describe Fredrinn, Jenny, and Rose caught her attention immediately.

"Excuse me," Vivienne said politely, offering a gentle smile to break the awkward silence. "I’m sorry to interrupt, but it sounds like you’re talking about Fredrinn, Jenny, and Rose?"

The sound of Vivienne’s voice drew their eyes toward the survivors.

As Carmen’s sharp, piercing gaze swept over Max and Ash, both boys instantly coughed and averted their eyes, pretending to inspect the wallpaper. The little girl looked barely past elementary school, yet her cold, perceptive stare felt like an X-ray cutting straight through their shallow thoughts. Getting judged so thoroughly by an eight-year-old child was downright humiliating.

Sophia, however, paid zero attention to the two boys.

The moment she heard Fredrinn’s name, her sleepy, hungover expression vanished. Her mystical blue eyes lit up, and she clapped her pale hands together in pure delight.

"Ah... Fredrinn!" she exclaimed, nodding enthusiastically as a bright smile spread across her face.

She skipped lightly down the remaining two steps, moving past Max and Ash without a second glance as she walked straight toward Vivienne, Naomi, and Rhea.

"That was his name! I remember now!" she cheered, looking immensely proud of herself for recalling it.

She stopped right in front of Vivienne, tilting her head to the side like a curious puppy, her green locks swaying gently against her collarbone.

"Where is he right now?" Sophia asked with wide, expectant eyes.