Chapter 122: Chapter 122 – The Smile That Welcos the Queen
The sky was still gray, the silhouette of my castle towering in the middle of a ruined world slowly beginning to take shape again. The zombies were busy with their tasks so building additional guard towers, others cleaning the main road leading to the city center. I sat on my throne, observing them through the large window newly adorned with deep crimson crystal panes.
But the calm didn’t last long.
From the edge of the hall, several figures erged as if born from the shadows themselves. Their slender bodies were cloaked in black robes that seed to blend with the darkness. They were Zombie Shadows, my stealth units and most agile scouts creatures capable of rging into shadows and moving almost without a sound.
I recognized them and I also knew the burden they carried.
They had once been tasked with guarding Sofia, the only human from my original world whom I had given full protection. But they had failed, too focused on their battles and no one could have predicted Viktor’s betrayal.
And now, it was the sa.
They knelt before
with their heads bowed deeply. Their auras wavered, their bodies slightly trembling. They didn’t dare speak, as if my re presence was enough to bring them to their knees.
My eyes narrowed.
A cold, dense aura began to radiate from . The grand hall felt as though it were blanketed in a fog of darkness. The temperature dropped sharply, and even the castle walls seed to hold their breath.
"What do you wish to report?" I asked flatly, emotionless.
The voice was soft yet sharp, like a cold blade slicing a throat without touching the skin. The Zombie Shadows lowered their heads even more, and one of them the squad leader, it seed finally spoke, his voice trembling with fear.
"My Queen... we co bearing urgent news... Lady Sofia... she has awakened."
In an instant, the pressure in the room vanished. My dark aura dispersed like smoke in the wind. My eyes widened for a split second, but I quickly composed myself. Still, my chest felt warm and for the first ti in a long while, I was shaken by hope.
Without another word, I vanished from the throne. A flash too fast for the eye to catch. In a blink, I had used my Void Steps teleportation ability, leaping through space and distance to the place where Sofia was being treated.
When I reappeared, the small room was dimly lit by light from a window. The scent of old wood mingled with the aroma of herbal redies. Healing plants hung on the walls, and there were so worn chairs and a small table with cold cups of tea.
Sofia lay on a simple wooden bed, her body wrapped in a warm blanket. Her eyes were open... and the mont I appeared, she turned to look at .
Our eyes t.
And she smiled.
A gentle, serene smile, as if she had known I would co. Not a surprised smile, but one that welcod soone long-awaited.
My heart sank.
Without realizing it, my steps slowed. I approached, and she tried to sit up despite her weakness. But I gently held her shoulder.
"Don’t strain yourself. Rest," I said softly.
She looked at
without speaking. Her eyes conveyed so much: relief, warmth, and a longing buried too long. My face remained stoic after all, I was still a zombie but inside, I trembled. In silence, I too felt relieved.
In the corner of the room stood Rina and Vivi, both stunned.
They hadn’t had ti to react when I suddenly appeared out of thin air. But after seeing Sofia smile, they glanced at each other and seed to understand sothing. Rina held her breath. Vivi looked at
with a subtle curiosity she couldn’t hide.
There was sothing they realized at that mont: that the relationship between
and Sofia... was not ordinary.
"Sorry for startling you," I said briefly. "Thank you for watching over her."
Rina quickly nodded, and Vivi gave a slow nod. They didn’t interfere. It seed they knew this mont wasn’t theirs.
Sofia slowly closed her eyes for a second, then opened them again, gazing more deeply into mine.
"You ca back," she whispered, barely audible.
"Yes," I replied.
"You look different... but still the sa," she said softly.
I didn’t answer. I simply stood beside her and looked out the window. The world out there was still in ruins, filled with chaos and uncertainty. But in this room, there was sothing whole sothing unchanged.
"Was I asleep for a long ti?" Sofia asked.
"Long enough for many things to change," I replied. "But not long enough for
to forget you."
She was silent. Her eyes shimred slightly with tears, but she let out a faint, weak laugh.
Vivi and Rina quietly left the room, giving us space and peace. I sat beside her bed, and for a while... there was no Queen, no zombie title. Just two people from the sa world, reunited after a long separation.
"I’ll protect you better this ti," I finally said.
Sofia nodded. "I know."
And amid the darkness of this world, for a mont a small light was born anew.
I was still sitting by her bedside, silent as ti seed to slow. My fingers gently clutched the edge of her blanket, making sure she stayed warm. For a mont, the outside world felt so distant. No battles, no blood, no screams. Only the sound of Sofia’s soft breathing... and the faint thump in my chest that shouldn’t even exist anymore.
I told her about my experiences while trapped in the other world, and Sofia smiled as she listened to my story. I didn’t know how long I had been talking, because by the ti I realized it, the sky had already turned dark and Sofia had fallen asleep mid-story, still wearing that gentle smile.
Seeing her asleep with such peaceful breaths, I stopped speaking and carefully tucked the blanket around her. I gazed at her beautiful sleeping face and softly touched her hair and cheek.
"I love you, Sofia."
Then, I left and returned to my castle so as not to disturb her rest.
anwhile, in another world, shortly after I left...
In the realm of the gods, where the goddess had opened the portal for , the smile on her face vanished, replaced by a cold expression. Her once soft voice turned icy, arrogant, and condescending.
She spoke to the other gods
"Let us use this mont to gain faith from those lowly creatures."
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