(Xyrean Province- Inner Regions)
(The Mermaid's Lake- Forested Outskirts)
"Don't… don't you think that I'm a monster?" Eve hesitantly asked as her fingers continued to tremble ever so slightly in Qin Lan's palm.
"You are definitely a bit scary… but I'm not afraid," Qin Lan warmly spoke as she raised up her left hand and brushed it against Eve's skeleton-like face.
"What those scientists did to you was unforgiveable but… you don't need to let your pain define the rest of your life."
"Most people will be terrified, but their opinions don't matter. I… I can't respond to your feelings yet, but I hope you know that I will consider your confession seriously."
Qin Lan subconsciously took a few steps forward until her body was pressed against the zombie empress who looked down at her with a gentle expression on her face.
"You…" Qin Lan opened her mouth to speak but heard voices coming from the distance.
"Sister Lan! Where are you?"
"Are you sure that thirty minutes have passed?"
"I… I think so? I mean I'm pretty sure that Sister Lan told us to meet her here…"
Qin Lan recognised those voices since they belonged to the two teenage girls who were done with their break.
She had completely forgotten that she had told Liu Yifei and Gong Li to meet her back at their usually training spot after thirty minutes.
Qin Lan let go of Eve's hands and took a few steps back.
She stared into Eve's inhuman pitch-black eyes and could somehow sense the love that was hidden inside her gaze.
"I have to go back before the girls get suspicious," Qin Lan quietly whispered.
"Can we meet back here tonight and talk some more? I just need some time to process everything over the next few hours…"
"Sure… take as much time as you need," Eve gently spoke as she leaned against a nearby tree.
Qin Lan shot her a small smile before turning around and walking towards the training site.
Eve's eyes followed the slender figure until she vanished deeper into the forest.
The zombie empress took in a deep breath and slowly her monstrous appearance reverted back to her human disguise.
Her shrivelled skeleton-like appearance slowly filled out, her pitch-black eyes returned to normal, and her pale sickly skin reverted to a healthy wheat colour.
The encounter with her favourite human had gone much better than she had expected.
Eve was convinced that she would be immediately attacked or rejected by Qin Lan but instead she was treated with kindness and empathy despite what she had done.
Qin Lan may not have accepted her feelings just yet, but Eve understood that she needed time to process all this new information.
Still the future was looking bright!
A silly smile spread across Eve's face as the colours of the forest suddenly appeared to be more vivid and alive.
The corners of Eve's jacket had partially ripped after her transformation, so the zombie empress walked over to the nearby bushes and reached for her bag that she had hidden away.
Inside the bag were additional jackets and track pants in case of emergencies or just for general daily use.
The zombie empress took off her clothes in the middle of the forest without shame and changed her outfit.
After being trapped in a container for as long as she could remember, Eve was comfortable with nudity and did not see it as anything particularly special.
The zombie empress brought one of the sleeves of her jacket to her nose and sniffed it twice to make sure that it did not smell.
She was meeting Qin Lan later and didn't want to show up smelling awful. Maybe she should find a nearby river and take a bath?
Eve hummed a cheerful tune as she slung her bag over her shoulder and headed for a river that she had seen on her travels around the lake.
The zombie empress walked for around ten minutes before she stopped in place as a nagging feeling entered her mind.
Had she forgotten something?
Eve furrowed her brows and tried to think about what she had forgotten. She had met Qin Lan, talked about her reason for killing her brother and confessed her feelings…
Wait… she didn't mention Subject 001 or the fact that Qin Lan's brother had somehow returned to life!
The zombie empress immediately turned around and was about to rush over to Qin Lan when she realised that she was meeting her favourite human later tonight.
A few hours later would make no difference and it would probably be for the best not to show up in front of Liu Yifei and Gong Li.
.
.
.
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(Near The Lakeshore)
Qin Lan walked through the forest with numerous thoughts running through her mind. The memories from the original Qin Lan had now been fully absorbed into her own memory.
Now she understood why the original Qin Lan had made such a brutal request.
The original Qin Lan had discovered her powers three weeks into the apocalypse when she was attacked and almost assaulted by a gang of former military soldiers.
Awakening her special ability in such traumatic circumstances had affected her psyche and sent her down a dark path.
She no longer believed that humans had any capacity for goodness and the brutal survivors that she encountered in the end times only served to reinforce her beliefs.
They were selfish… greedy… lustful…
The original Qin Lan no longer saw humanity as people but as mere puppets that she could bend to her will.
And as her power grew so did her sadistic tendencies…
It was not that she was a complete monster but there was a lack of empathy in her heart for those who used the end times as an excuse to brutalise others as well as their victims.
She saw everyone as monsters…
The only exception was her brother. She had encountered her brother and immediately took him under her wing.
Perhaps Qin Wei reminded her of a different time before she had closed off her heart to the outside world.
She sheltered him, gave him food and security, and protected him from the ability users in the outside world.
And how did he repay her?
With betrayal.
Qin Lan's expression twisted to one of hatred and grief as she felt the bitter emotions inside the memories of the original Qin Lan.
She took in a few deep breaths to relax and calm down her agitated state.
That version of events had not happened to her, but it was impossible not to be affected by what she had seen and felt.
"Sister Lan…" a cheerful voice called out.
Qin Lan raised her head and saw Liu Yifei waving at her with a happy smile on her face. She stepped forward towards the young girl and gritted her teeth in pain.
For a brief moment the teenage girl in front of her appeared as her much older self in the original Qin Lan's memories.
Why? Why did she fight against me?! Why did she join those monsters to bring me down?!
SHE WAS JUST AS GUILTY AS THE REST OF THEM!
Qin Lan felt the warm and fuzzy feeling in her chest gradually get stronger as her ability responded to her unstable emotions.
No… no… don't lose control…
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