(Xyrean Province- Inner Regions)
(The Mermaid's Lake- Forested Outskirts)
A beautiful woman hesitantly walked out from behind the nearby bushes and stood motionless as she stared at Qin Lan.
She was in her mid twenties with a lean and slightly muscular physique with curves in all the right places.
Her skin was a healthy wheat colour and she had sharp angular facial features. She wore an ill-fitting black jacket and a pair of brown track pants.
Her pants were covered in scratches from the thorns that were inside the bushes where she had just walked through.
Qin Lan froze in shock as she stared at the face that she could never forget. It was like time stood still as both women refused to move even a single muscle.
There she was… the mutated zombie who had killed her brother…
Qin Lan felt the weight of the knife attached to her hip and yet her fingers did not move downwards to take out her blade from its sheath.
Over and over in her mind she had imagined how the reunion between herself, and Eve would play out and yet when the moment arrived…
She had no idea how to react.
As she looked at Eve, it was impossible not to get flashbacks of the terrible night where she watched as that creature punched a hole through her brother's stomach.
And then she ran. She ran away.
SHE RAN AWAY.
"No… why… why are you here?" Qin Lan stuttered as her feet unconsciously took two steps forward in the direction of the beautiful woman.
"I…I…" Eve's hoarse voice echoed through the clearing, and she also seemed a bit lost as to what to say.
Qin Lan's fingers curled up into a fist and she continued to walk forward until she was face to face with the monster who had killed her brother.
She did not know where her burst of courage had come from.
There was every chance that this creature was capable of killing her just as easily as it did to her brother.
Qin Lan took in a deep breath and stretched out her hand. She pinched Eve's neck roughly and the monster did not react even as her grip tightened.
"Tell me… why… why did you kill him and then abandon me…" Qin Lan's cold voice entered into Eve's ears.
The zombie empress had never known fear but as she stared at the angry woman in front of her.
Eve somehow knew that her answer to Qin Lan's question could possibly be the most important decision of her life.
"He… he… wanted to hurt you…" Eve confessed truthfully as she looked Qin Lan in the eyes and honestly spoke.
"When you left… he started to whisper that he would kill you… I heard him say it over and over again under his breath…"
"Nonsense! Why would my brother want to kill me?" Qin Lan questioned harshly as her fingers slightly trembled.
"I… I don't know… but his eyes… they were full of hatred…" Eve whispered softly as she saw an expression of doubt and confusion flash across Qin Lan's face.
"No… that doesn't…" Qin Lan's words trailed off as she staggered back, and her hand fell from Eve's neck.
She swayed from side to side and then collapsed on the ground in a state of unconsciousness.
Eve hurriedly rushed over and placed two fingers on Qin Lan's neck to make sure that she was okay.
Qin Lan was breathing normally and appeared to be in a state of deep sleep. No matter how hard Eve tried, her favourite human just didn't seem to wake up.
The zombie empress gently lifted up Qin Lan in her arms and held her warm, soft body against her chest.
She looked lost as she ran her fingers against the side of Qin Lan's cheeks and observed her facial features.
Qin Lan was not a great beauty by any means and yet there was something about her appearance that Eve just could not resist.
The zombie empress walked over to a nearby tree and sat down with Qin Lan still in her arms.
She did not know what had just happened, but she was prepared to wait for as long as possible until her favourite human woke up.
.
.
.
.
(Inside Qin Lan's Head- A Memory From The Original)
Qin Lan opened her eyes to find herself back in a situation that she had only seen once before. A beautiful girl was standing beside a tall muscular man who wore a military uniform.
Both of their facial features were slightly fuzzy, but it was possible to make out their facial expressions through the blur.
Lighting crackled in the palm of the man who possessed an intimidating aura.
Behind the pair was a large group of ability users who seemed to be looking at her with a mixture of fear and hatred.
The girl next to the military man was whispering something in his ear. The memory blurred for a moment and then the scene became a bit clearer.
Qin Lan's eyes widened in shock as she recognised the girl standing next to the muscular man.
She was clearly Liu Yifei who was a few years older.
She still wore a tattered old pendant around her neck, but Qin Lan could not understand why she was looking at the original Qin Lan with such a look of condemnation.
"Qin Lan… your crimes are endless…" the muscular man coldly spoke as lightning danced around his fingertips.
Qin felt her body move automatically and her mouth opened to laugh madly at the muscular man's hypocritical statement.
Who among the ability users in the crowd did not commit unspeakable crimes in the name of survival or just for mere pleasure?
These dirty rapists, murderers and thieves wanted to kill her in the name of justice… that was the funniest joke that she had heard in a long time.
A sadistic grin spread across the original Qin Lan's face as she prepared to channel the warm fuzzy feeling inside her chest.
She recognised the man in the military uniform. His name was Wu Jing, and he was the leader of the number one base in the province.
He would make a useful puppet…
As for the rest… she would make them into her tools and playthings before discarding them once they lost their value.
Qin Lan prepared to unleash the full force of her ability but as she reached for the black threads in her mind…
She felt a wave of exhaustion hit her body.
Qin Lan stumbled and fell to the ground as she felt a surge of weakness flow through her limbs.
Drugs? But who had drugged her?
Everyone that she surrounded herself with were her loyal puppets… it was impossible for them to rebel…
Wait… no… he couldn't…
A skinny handsome man walked up from behind a nearby building and stared down at his sister with a look of casual indifference on his face.
The betrayal and shock in Qin Lan's heart made her cold mask crack for the first time since she had discovered her power.
"Why… why…" Qin Lan managed to force out a few words, but she could feel her eyelids slowly begin to close.
"Because I've always hated you…" Qin Wei spat out in rage as he stepped forward and kicked his sister's body.
Wu Jing walked forward and pointed his palm at the woman who had the most dangerous ability that he had ever come across.
"Die…" the military man harshly spoke
The lightning surrounding his palm surged forward and the last image that the original Qin Lan saw was the relieved smile that flashed across her brother's face.
New n𝙤vel chapters are published on fre(e)webnov(l).com