The cracks flared bright, then collapsed inward, reality snapping back together with a thunderous boom that shook the cathedral. The golden light surged into the bride’s chest, exploding outward in a blinding wave. Sid shut his eyes against the brilliance, his hand never leaving her heart.

When the light faded, the zombie bunny bride’s chest rose again, slower, smoother. Her once white eyes shimmered with color, life returning where there had been none. Sid opened his eyes and stared, his voice breaking into a whisper, disbelieving but filled with awe.

"I... I actually did it. I broke the rule. I brought her back."

Sid kept his hand pressed against her chest a second longer, just to feel her breathing. Then, slowly, almost in disbelief, he pulled back and leaned closer. His eyes roamed over her face, searching. The rotted flesh, the vacant white eyes... they were gone.

[CONGRATULATIONS!]

[You have successfully revived your first Zombie Girl!]

[MISSION COMPLETE: Slay the Zombie Boss: The Protective Groom and Revive her Undying Bride.]

A flash of memory hit him, the vision the system had forced into his head the day he entered this Dead World. The chaos, the screams, how everyone was swallowed by death until all that was left were the undead. And now here he was, staring at a zombie he had just brought back to life. The echo of that first system voice stirred in his mind.

[As the chosen player, your mission is simple... revive the Dead World.]

"So this is what it meant... revive the Dead World. Is to bring back the zombie girls."

He glanced at the bunny bride again. His eyes drifted to the red gem at her neck, glowing faintly, its hue mirroring the color of her new irises. Her eyes, now a deep ruby, shimmered with an almost unreal beauty. Yet even with that spark of color, something felt off...

There was no reflection of life in them. And her skin... worse still, it remained green, the pallor of the undead clinging stubbornly to her like a curse that refused to fade.

"Wait... her skin. Why is it still green? Why does she still look like a zombie?"

Sid’s words trailed off as a sound cut through the silence.

Thump... thump... thump...

A heavy, dragging heartbeat echoed through the cathedral, too loud, too unnatural to be his own.

"What the hell? A heartbeat? Argh! It’s so damn loud! Wait... it’s coming from here—"

His hand shot to his chest in panic, expecting to feel his ribs rattling under the pressure, but his own pulse remained steady. His eyes widened, darting across the cathedral, searching desperately for the source... until he saw it.

Hovering just above the bunny bride’s chest, glowing faintly against her pale skin, was a symbol. A heart. Black. wrapped in thorn-like that pulsed with each beat. It throbbed slowly, as if every push of sound came at the cost of its own strength.

"The hell... what is that? That’s not her real heart. It’s like... an icon. A symbol. But it’s beating. And...oh God— it looks like it’s dying."

His hand hovered over it, trembling, before he forced himself forward.

"Screw it, I’m touching it!"

Before his fingers met the strange symbol, his HUD blinked open and cut him off.

[Black Heart]

[State: Her body is fully restored but skin remains pale, cold, and corpse like. A beautiful yet lifeless shell.]

Sid’s jaw tightened as he read the words.

"So... this is why. She’s back, but not really back. Her body’s restored, her eyes are colored, she’s breathing. But her skin? Her warmth? She’s... just a doll."

He pressed his palm against her arm. The sensation chilled him to the bone. Her flesh was smooth, yes but cold as marble, stiff like something carved, not grown.

The system chimed again.

[This is part of the revival process. The return of natural eye color marks the first step of emotional awakening. It is the signal that her human heart may awaken again.]

Sid leaned back, staring hard at the message. He gave a short laugh, but it lacked his usual edge.

"Her eyes are the first step? That’s it? Then what? She gets a little humanity back in pieces, like a patch update? Damn it... you couldn’t just make this simple, could you?"

The system’s tone remained steady.

[There are different stages of the heart. As their savior, it is up to you to fully rebirth the human heart by completing tasks, building bonds, and making choices.]

Sid rubbed his face with one bloody hand, smearing a streak across his cheek. He groaned, leaning forward until his elbows rested on his knees.

"Tasks, bonds, choices... you’re telling me I don’t just bring them back, I have to EARN them back? Like leveling up trust in a dating sim? This isn’t just revival, it’s... it’s parenting, babysitting, and gambling rolled into one nightmare!"

The next words slid across his sight.

[Always note: Each stage of the heart carries risks and weaknesses. Failure means loss. Once lost, they cannot return... forever.]

Silence crushed the space around him. Sid stared at the bride, the flicker of ruby in her eyes, the cold skin under his hand, the faint rise and fall of her chest.

"Forever... huh? So if I screw this up, I don’t just lose a chance. I lose her. For good."

His fingers tightened unconsciously on her arm, the coldness burning against his warmth. He swallowed hard, looking straight into those glass like ruby eyes.

"Damn it. I didn’t ask for this responsibility. But if you’re giving me a shot... then I can’t walk away. Not now. Not after breaking the rules to bring you here."

He exhaled slowly, his lips curling into a shaky smirk, though his eyes betrayed the weight pressing behind it.

"Guess this is it then. A five-star SSR zombie waifu... and I’ve got to be the idiot who figures out how to make your heart beat HUMAN again. This bitch system orders me to revive you and now it’s dumping this on me— this insane responsibility. And what the hell does it even mean when it says YOU ARE MY FIRST ZOMBIE GIRL?! "