“He’s good-looking.”
“That’s not what I ant…”
“And he’s… incredible.”
If I let this spiral, I’d just end up babbling nonsense and totally miss the point. And Rob—bless him—wasn’t Yoan. He wouldn’t get it anyway.
So I decided to keep it short and sweet.
“He’s incredible. So young, but so much… responsibility. Gotta be heavy. Hard. But never gives up. So strong.”
And I didn’t just an strong as in “bench-press-a-car” strong.
I ant the kind of strength that doesn’t crumble under pressure. The kind that keeps standing when everything’s falling apart.
Yoan didn’t waste ti wallowing in fear or despair. He just kept moving forward.
And honestly, who wouldn’t follow soone like that? Soone who kept fighting when the world felt hopeless?
Right now, he was stuck protecting just this little corner of the north. But soday? He’d be the one holding the sword that ruled everything.
“Yeah, that’s exactly the kind of person he is.”
Rob gave a soft smile, his usual smirk replaced by sothing almost fond.
“I’ve been watching his lordship since he was little, you know?”
Oh? I perked up, sensing story ti on the horizon.
“He was impressive from the start. I’m not just saying that. His bloodline’s got… ahem, well, never mind that part. Anyway, even back then, his temper was no joke. But he used to smile more. Laugh, even.”
Rob’s smile faded, like he’d bitten into candy and found it stale.
“Still laughs,” I said. “Doesn’t he?”
“No, not like that.”
I thought about it. Yoan did laugh—but they were mostly small things. Little snorts. Barely-there chuckles. A corner of his mouth twitching before it disappeared again.
Co to think of it, had I ever seen him really laugh? With his whole face?
If Rob had known Yoan as a child, I could understand why it stung to see that light dimd.
“He probably doesn’t say anything, but I’m sure he’s having a hard ti,” Rob murmured. “The reason I’m telling you this is… well, lately, it seems like you’re the person his lordship relies on most.”
“Oh.”
“So take care of him, would you? Please.”
He scratched his cheek awkwardly, trying to play it cool, but his words rang sincere.
Rob might act like a clown, but when it ca to Yoan, his feelings were the real deal.
So I gave him an equally sincere reply. “Mhm. Trust .”
“Good. Thanks.”
But there was still sothing that had been nagging at —sothing from earlier.
“But bloodline… what’s that?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“Oh, just that he was born with it, you know. Nobility and all.”
Rob waved it off, all casual, but sothing about his reaction didn’t sit right. It felt like he’d stopped himself mid-thought.
Did Yoan have so kind of secret origin? A hidden identity?
The original novel definitely hadn’t ntioned anything like that. It wasn’t a mory issue… this just wasn’t in the script.
But as I mulled it over, I sensed sothing.
“Coming.”
“What is?”
“Huge sothing.”
“Which way is it?”
“There. Two.”
Rob followed my gaze and instinctively reached for his sword.
I couldn’t see anything yet, but I felt it too. Sothing was approaching—slowly, heavily.
“Let’s hide first,” Rob said. “We’ve got ti to avoid a fight, and no reason to pick one.”
Agreed. We slipped into a nearby abandoned house and held our breath.
What ca into view monts later wasn’t your standard zombie fare.
They were huge—easily twice the size of a person—with arms like tree limbs and hands the size of stew pots. Their mouths were full of beastlike fangs, and their bulging reptilian eyes darted in all directions.
There were two of them.
Oh, co on. There’s supposed to be an order to when the mutants show up! What are these guys doing here already?
“Are those... zombies?” Rob whispered, frowning. “Were they really human?”
I had no answer for that. And I felt just as nervous as him.
The best scenario would be avoiding them outright. But could we avoid them?
Thud... thud...
The ground trembled with each step.
Graaaaahhh.
They were searching—slowly, but unmistakably on the hunt. And we were probably the prey.
Thud... thud...
Their footsteps passed by, then looped back again. Closer. Farther. Closer.
Please, just keep going. Just leave—
THOOM.
The silence that followed wasn’t relief.
It was dread.
CRASH!
“Eek!”
The wall shattered like paper. Dust and rubble exploded everywhere.
They’d found us.
Rob and I split instantly, darting in opposite directions like we’d rehearsed it. One-on-one was better than two-on-two anyway.
Apparently we were on the sa page.
“Sasha! Don’t die! If you do, his lordship’s gonna kill !”
Even now, he was cracking jokes.
“Ugh.”
I faced off with one of the creatures and heaved a sigh. My arsenal? One gun, courtesy of Yoan, and two hand axes.
Okay. What now?
***
Elsewhere, Yoan and Derek weren’t exactly chatty companions.
Yoan wasn’t big on small talk to begin with, and Derek—abandoned at birth and raised by people who barely qualified as human—was just as reserved.
The one topic they shared? Sasha.
Derek broke the silence.
“Hey. What are you planning to do with Sasha?”
Yoan gave a quiet chuckle. “Why do you want to know?”
“Because what I do depends on your answer.”
“What, you wanna be her bodyguard?”
“I do.”
“Well. Your devotion’s impressive.”
Derek knew he couldn’t beat Yoan. But his feelings were sincere, and he wanted to know exactly where Yoan stood.
Yoan was always protective, but his attitude was maddeningly vague.
“Well,” Yoan said, “as long as she doesn’t turn into a regular zombie, I’ll keep her around. She’s cute, after all.”
“She’s not a pet.”
“Oh? Is that how it ca out?”
Derek bristled at Yoan’s flippant tone.
“Anyway, what you’re worried about probably won’t happen. She’s a valuable fighter. And more than that, I like her. She’s reckless and oblivious, but she’s got spirit—and she’s cute.”
Was this guy heartless or not? Derek couldn’t tell anymore.
“So, we’ll stick together. At least until this ss ends.”
“...Yeah. Got it.”
Derek let the conversation drop.
But one question lingered.
What would happen if Sasha ever stopped being to his liking?
***
“Just! Die! Already!”
I scread as I launched myself at the creature, bringing my blood-slicked hand axe down on its shoulder.
Keeehhk! Keehk!
It howled and swiped blindly.
I ducked and rolled back, firing my gun as I moved.
“Darn it!”
Hitting a moving target while also moving? Not easy.
I really needed a crash course with Yoan when we got back.
Bang! Bang!
Miraculously, I managed to hit one of its eyes.
Grrraaargh!
It shrieked, spinning and flailing, blinded on one side.
“Ugh!”
Each swipe kicked up dust and shattered everything nearby.
But it was slowing down. It was weaker than before.
I couldn’t take it head-on. I needed to blind it completely, then use the opening to decapitate it.
I gripped my axe harder, trying to calm my nerves.
I’d done this before. I’d survived worse. So why couldn’t I stop shaking?
“I can… do this. I can.”
I chanted it like a spell, never taking my eyes off the beast.
“Hey, Sasha.”
“Gahhhh! Shit!”
“Whoa!”
Rob jumped back, eyes wide. He’d apparently finished off his own monster and dropped in to help… without warning, the nace.
Look at him acting all surprised… when I nearly had a heart attack!
“S-s-surprised !”
“Whew. You still held up fine, though.”
Despite the obnoxious timing, his presence was surprisingly comforting.
I let out a breath and reset my stance.
“Sasha, promise one thing. Don’t just blindly follow his lordship’s orders. You gotta help too, okay? No ditching now.”
With that completely serious nonsense, Rob dashed in to strike the monster again.
With a fighting cry, I followed close behind, aiming for the neck.
Slice!
Our blades struck in tandem, and the head ca clean off. Blood gushed out like a fountain.
“Eeughh!” Rob leapt back without a drop on him.
I wasn’t so lucky. The blood sprayed all over .
“Ptoo! Ptoo!”
It even splashed in my mouth.
“Ughh. Stay back from , will you? Real far back.”
Rob looked horrified. So much for being glad he was here.
“Shut it! What, y’think I didn’t wanna dodge? I’m telling Yoan everything!”
“Huh?”
“Eh?”
Wait… why was I suddenly speaking so smoothly?
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