Chapter 4
Thunderhold.
Joseph jolted awake from a nightmare, drenched in sweat.
He'd dreamed of Isabelle again.
In the dream, she was covered in blood as she demanded, "Joseph, do you even have a heart?"
He clutched his pounding heart, sitting up in bed restlessly.
For a month, he'd had the same nightmare almost every night.
The woman he'd shoved into the zombie horde tormented him day and night, like a relentless nightmare.
He kept telling himself it was all for the bigger picture.
Sacrificing Isabelle to save Hannah and the team was worth it.
Isabelle was just F-tier. In the apocalypse, her death was inevitable.
He just... sped up what was bound to happen anyway.
But why did it hurt so much?
"Joseph, did you have another nightmare?" Hannah asked.
She came in with a glass of water, worry written all over her face as she looked at him.
She wore a flowing white dress, so pure she looked like an angel descended from heaven.
Joseph looked at her, and his irritation finally eased.
He'd made the right call.
Hannah was a rare healer, and in just a month, she'd saved countless lives at the base.
Everyone loved and respected her.
That meant his choice was right all along.
"I'm fine, just a little tired," Joseph said, taking the glass and downing the water in one go.
Hannah sat down on the edge of his bed and said softly, "Joseph, don't beat yourself up. We'll always remember what Isabelle did for us. Look at the base now. It's thriving, and everyone's safe. If Isabelle's watching over us, she'd be proud."
She always knew exactly what to say to comfort him.
Joseph nodded and pulled her into his arms. "Yeah, you're right."
Just then, a piercing alarm echoed throughout the base once more.
This time, it was even sharper and more urgent than when the last zombie horde hit.
Joseph's face went pale. He jumped out of bed, pulled on his combat gear, and rushed out.
Perched atop the tall walls, everyone watched the distance in terror.
On the horizon, a black line was spreading fast.
This wasn't an ordinary zombie horde.
This was a real army.
They marched in lockstep, radiating a suffocating sense of oppression.
At the front, hundreds of towering mutant zombies lumbered forward, like monstrous siege beasts.
Behind them surged tens of thousands of elite zombies, their eyes blazing with a sinister red glow.
There were no roars, no chaos; only the chilling silence broken by the relentless thud of their footsteps, all heading straight for annihilation.
"Wh-what is that?" a young esper stammered, his knees buckling in terror.
"It's an army... a whole army of zombies!" someone cried out.
Joseph's heart sank.
He had never witnessed such a horrifying sight.
This kind of power could crush any human stronghold.
Just when everyone was drowning in despair, the terrifying zombie army stopped dead in their tracks, less than a mile from the base.
The horde parted like soldiers on parade, clearing a path straight through their ranks.
From the back of the army, a lone figure slowly stepped forward.
She wore a long black dress, her bare feet pressing down on the scorched earth, step by step.
The moonlight bathed her, as if wrapped in a silvery glow.
When she lifted her head, revealing a face both pale and gorgeous, the entire wall fell into a deathly silence.
Everyone's gaze was drawn to her eyes.
They were eyes of pure gold, utterly inhuman.
"The Golden-Eyed Queen..." someone stammered, their voice shaking.
Joseph froze, as if struck by lightning.
He stared at the figure, his mind went utterly blank.
No way.
Absolutely impossible!
That face. The one that haunted his nightmares. The one he'd watched being torn apart by zombies.
How... how was this possible?
"Is... Is... Isabelle?" Joseph whispered, the words barely audible.
As if answering him, the figure in the distance slowly lifted a hand, pointing toward Thunderhold.
In the next instant, a hulking mutant zombie emerged from behind her.
It opened its gaping maw, but instead of a roar, what came out was a cold, clear proclamation that sounded like it had emerged from the depths of the abyss.
The zombie said, "Thunderlord, Joseph Storm, an old friend is here to see you.
"She brings you a 'gift', one you know better than anyone."
As soon as the words faded, hundreds of zombies carried a massive cage, covered with canvas, to the front lines.
All at once, they yanked the canvas off.
Inside the cage, dozens of people huddled together, their clothes in tatters.
They were the supply team from Thunderhold, the ones who'd vanished a week ago.
Every single one of them was still alive.
Their faces were twisted with a fear even worse than death.
Joseph's heart shot straight into his throat.
He had no idea what the Zombie Queen was trying to do.
Just then, Isabelle, the Golden-Eyed Queen, gave a casual snap of her fingers.
Beside the cage, a few zombies dragged out a man, trembling all over with fear.
Joseph recognized him. He was the captain of the missing team.
"No... please, no..." the man sobbed, so terrified he wet himself.
The Golden-Eyed Queen ignored his cries.
She just tilted her head, as if deep in thought.
Then, she pointed at a girl trembling inside the cage.
In the next instant, several zombies rushed over, dragged the girl out of the cage, and shoved her right in front of the captain.
"Choose." Isabelle's voice rang out.
The soundwave zombie amplified her command, making it echo in everyone's ears, clear as day.
"Eat her, and you get to live," the chilling voice continued. "Or be eaten by her."
The whole world seemed to go silent all at once, like someone hit the mute button.