The silence of the night was broken by a faint, unsettling sound. Ryo woke with a start, his senses immediately alert. He glanced at the clock on the nightstand; it read 2:00 a.m. He listened intently, straining to identify the source of the noise. His mind immediately went to the creeping zombies he had encountered earlier—the ones with human faces, human bodies, and unnerving speed.
He carefully slipped out of bed, mindful of not waking Sakura and Aiko, who lay peacefully beside him, their naked bodies relaxed and serene. He silently closed the bedroom door behind him, grabbed his MP5, and made his way outside.