The oil lamp flickered, the shadows in the room shifting around them. Sid kept his hand moving slowly through her hair, more out of instinct than thought. The simple rhythm seemed to calm her; even her faint, sleepy sobs began to fade. He stared down at her, lost in thought.

"Food... water... both tasted rotten to you. That’s not some bug. That’s something in your body. Maybe the system didn’t fully ’revive’ you. Maybe it made you half alive, half something else. Or maybe..."

His thoughts drifted back to that first moment she woke, the way she slapped him, eyes wide with fury and pain.

"Why did you bring me back to life?!"

He exhaled slowly, the breath forming a thin mist in the cold air.

"Maybe you wanted to be dead..."

Evelise stirred faintly, her hand twitching before resting again against his leg. The touch made something twist in Sid’s chest. He looked at her face, peaceful now despite the faint trail of tears still glistening on her skin. For a moment, she didn’t look like a resurrected girl from some broken world. She looked human. Just... broken.

"So that’s what the system meant, huh?"

[Main Mission: Awakened Her Heart]

[Objective: Make her black heart advance to the next stage by spending time with her beyond issuing commands.]

He blinked twice, activating his HUD Overlay. A faint holographic shimmer appeared over her chest— the same black heart symbol pulsing weakly.

"The black heart... It means she’s still part zombie. I have to awaken it... make her less of a monster, more human again."

The thought hit him harder than he expected. He clenched his jaw, his voice breaking with bitter laughter.

"F*ck you, system... Why’d you have to make me do something like this? This is making me cry, damn it..."

He looked at her again, this strange, tragic girl lying beside him and for once, he didn’t feel like a player completing a mission. He just felt... human.

A cold wind swept through the broken window, snuffing out the lamp’s flame. The cabin fell into darkness, the last trace of light fading into the sound of rustling leaves outside. Sid gave a quiet sigh, his back against the wall, his hand still resting lightly on Evelise’s hair.

He had meant to stay awake, to guard her while she slept, but exhaustion crept up faster than he expected. Before long, his eyes drifted shut, and the soft rhythm of her breathing lulled him into sleep.

Morning came gently. Birds chirped in the distance, and sunlight streamed through a crack in the roof. A thin veil of mist lingered in the air, curling through the light like pale smoke. The beam of sunlight crept slowly across the floor until it landed on Evelise’s face. She stirred, her nose twitching as if catching an unfamiliar scent.

Her ears flicked. She frowned and shifted slightly, feeling something solid and oddly positioned near her head. Still half asleep, she blinked against the light, her eyes focusing upward. A large, dark shape blocked part of her view. She squinted at it, confused, her nose wrinkling as she sniffed once.

"What... is that?"

Curiosity piqued, she squinted at the mysterious object. As she shifted slightly, she felt something solid and oddly positioned near her head. Her ears perked up as she sniffed again, trying to identify the strange scent.

Evelise’s curiosity grew as she examined the peculiar object. With a tentative hand, she reached up and gently touched its surface. Her fingers met with an unexpected hardness, unlike anything she had felt before. Intrigued, she explored further, tracing the shape with her fingertips.

"It’s so... hard.

She whispered to herself, her brow furrowing in confusion. As a rabbit girl, her instincts told her to investigate this strange new sensation. Unable to resist, she leaned in closer and gave the object a cautious lick with her tongue.

"Mmm...? Taste muddy, like a freshly dug carrot from the earth."

The taste was unfamiliar but not unpleasant. Encouraged, Evelise licked again, savoring the unique flavor that coated her tongue. Her natural instincts took over as she opened her mouth wider and sank her teeth into the firm yet yielding surface.

Suddenly, a loud groan echoed through the cabin. Startled, Evelise froze mid bite and looked up to see Sid stirring awake above her, mumbling something incoherent. Evelise froze, realization slowly dawning.

"Yaaawn... Is it morning already? Damn, I fell asleep."

Her eyes darted down, and her whole body stiffened when she saw where she was resting, her head was in Sid’s lap, his arm hanging loosely over her shoulder. Her face turned bright green with embarrassment. Before Sid could wake fully, she jolted upright and shoved him hard in the chest.

"W-What are you doing?! Why was I— on you?!"

Sid’s eyes snapped open as he tumbled backward, hitting the wooden floor.

"Ow! What the— hey, you were the one sleeping there! I didn’t move an inch all night! I can’t even feel my legs right now, you were out cold and comfortable the whole time!"

Evelise’s ears twitched furiously as she scrambled to the far end of the room, her hands clutching her skirt.

"You— you should’ve moved me!"

Sid rubbed the back of his head, wincing.

"Yeah, sure, because I totally had the energy to do that after fighting a dozen ghouls and keeping you from eating poison beans."

He sat up, looking at her incredulously.

"Seriously, that’s the thanks I get for giving you the comfiest pillow in this apocalypse?"

She glared at him, her face still red.

"You’re insufferable..."

"Yeah, yeah!"

Sid muttered, stretching his arms and yawning.

"Next time, I’ll let you nap on the floor. How’s that sound, princess?"

Evelise folded her arms but didn’t answer. Her cheeks were still tinted a soft green from embarrassment, and her gaze flicked away. Sid watched her for a moment, then sighed quietly, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

At least she was talking again.