Sid sank into a deep, dreamless slumber, or so he thought. He found himself standing in a space of pitch black darkness, a void where no light existed. He was a shadowy silhouette, his body a strange shade of dark blue flickering with internal white light. Confused, he muttered questions to the empty air, wondering where he was and why his body felt so abstract.

"What the hell...? Where am I? What happened to me? Why do I look like this?"

Sid look around, his voice echoing through the endless void.

"Oh, shit— did I die again? No, no, no, that can’t be right!"

He looked down at his strange, glowing silhouette and groaned.

"Evelise did something to me... it was just supposed to make me sleep, right!? She didn’t... she wouldn’t actually kill me, right!?"

He clutched his head, panic and disbelief mixing.

"Unbelievable! Did she seriously off me right after I— after I literally satisfied her with my freaking mouth?!"

He shouted into the dark, his voice bouncing back at him.

"That’s cold, Evelise! Real cold!"

Suddenly, dozens of bright points, like distant stars in a galaxy, burst into existence around him.

They flew in chaotic but beautiful orbits, swirling and converging as a familiar, mechanical voice echoed in the darkness.

[SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT]

[Congratulations, Sid!]

[You have successfully reached the GREEN Heart Stage with your zombie girl companion. This is a pivotal moment in her evolution back to humanity. Furthermore, you have unlocked a rare and intimate milestone by consummating your relationship.]

Sid’s shadowy form stiffened in surprise. He hadn’t realized their intense moment had been an official mission, and the announcement felt jarringly impersonal.

"A pivotal moment? Even in the afterlife, I can’t escape cringe system updates."

He thought, his abstract voice barely a whisper in the void. He certainly hadn’t expected to be graded on intimacy, especially after being poisoned by the very woman he was celebrating with. The metallic voice continued, delivering news of the unexpected benefits of his forced sleep.

[New Feature Unlocked: Night Time.]

[Whenever you and your zombie girl engage in intimate activities, you will now gain access to her past memories - her "Dead Chapters." By exploring these fragments of her former life, you’ll gain valuable insights to help guide her transformation back into a human.]

"Memories?"

The concept felt both intrusive and profoundly important. Sid was astonished that physical intimacy was the key to unlocking the dark history Evelise had kept hidden.

"Now the system wants me to... what— go sightseeing inside her memories every time something happens? That’s not creepy at all. Still... if it helps me understand her better, maybe it’s worth it."

He knew she had a past, but to literally walk through it felt like a terrifying privilege. He now understood why she had drugged him; she must have known this feature existed, a bizarre form of forced exposure therapy for his sake.

[New Feature Unlocked: Dead Chapters.]

[Through the veil of sleep, a doorway to her memories will open. Step into her past, relive her experiences, and deepen your understanding of the person she once was. This knowledge may prove crucial in determining whether to restore her humanity or leave her as she is.]

Sid felt a cold wave of dread wash over him, even in his ethereal state. He knew he had to understand the woman she had been to truly help the monster she had become. However, the last part of the system’s message gave him serious pause, leaving him with an immense weight of responsibility.

"Leave her as she is...? What the hell kind of choice is that? After everything we’ve done to bring her back, you’re telling me it’s optional?"

The message tasting like ash in his phantom mouth.

"Hey, what would happen if I actually chose to leave her as she is? I mean— not that I would, but I’m just curious."

[Zombie girls who are not fully restored to human form may revert to their zombie state—or worse, become feral. Without their master’s presence, they gradually lose sanity and return to what they once were.]

Sid’s expression softened.

"Damn... that’s exactly like when I left Evelise for a moment and she turned feral again. That’s... really sad, actually. Leaving someone right after you revived them— especially when they never even wanted to come back to this world."

He let out a quiet sigh.

"Some of them just wanted to stay dead... just like Evelise once did. This is harder than I thought."

Sid hadn’t realized that the choice might come down to whether he could live with the zombie or if he was ready to destroy the person she became.

"Where... where am I, then?"

Sid demanded, his shadow-form swirling with sudden anxiety. He didn’t like being in this in between place, a silent witness to his own strange evolution. The voice responded instantly, its tone unchanged by his urgency.

[This space is called the Memory Graveyard , a metaphysical space— a liminal world that exists between life, death, and memory.]

"The Memory Graveyard, huh? Sounds like a place for unfinished stories... or forgotten people. If this is what connects her world to mine, then I guess I’m standing in the middle of her soul."

Sid mused, finding the name morbidly fitting for a place dedicated to a dead woman’s past. The system then directed his attention to one of the star like points swirling around him. It had suddenly solidified into a tombstone shape, glowing with a soft, multi-colored light.

"Is this it?"

Sid whispered, stepping closer to the galaxy-colored tombstone. He saw Evelise’s name etched across the face and a title directly beneath it: The Undying Bride. He took a deep, spiritual breath, steeling himself for whatever horror lay within that first memory.

[To enter your first Dead Chapter of Evelise, interact with the tombstone inscribed with her name and the title.]

Sid approached it carefully, his steps silent. The stone glowed softly under his touch, and he stared at the words carved on it.

"’The Undying Bride,’ huh..."