The day was far spent and evening was drawing nearer.
Elias and Ivy moved quietly, sticking to the alleys and ruined streets. Those places were less dangerous.
They were filled with Tier 0 zombies, TheShamblers. The mindless and weakest zombies. They didn't even bother to approach Ivy because of Elias's presence. He was a Tier 3 zombie but still different and stronger than the regular Tier 3 zombies.
It was as if they feared his aura which he wasn't even letting out yet. For some reason, Elias felt he was on top of the world. Powerful.
If he had been in his original body, he would have been thinking of ways to kill them. They were also the ones who killed him, driving their nasty teeth into his flesh and ripping his body apart. The thought made him almost mad, making him want to kill them for no reason... But that would only increase his CorruptionLevel. He dismissed the thought from his head and focused on finding a place to rest for the night.
Ivy, on the other hand, felt protected, yet useless. She hadn't used her crowbar in hours and the thick blood around it had already dried. She lifted her head to steal glances but paused when she noticed that he was bleeding.
"You're hurt," Ivy said suddenly, reaching for him.
Elias looked down, pretending to notice the shallow gash across his side. Blood welled there, bright against his pale skin.
It didn't sting at all, not enough to care. His body was already repairing itself underneath.
System Notification:
> > [Minor Wound Detected.]
[Auto-Regeneration in Progress.]
[Full Recovery in 00:07:45 minutes.]
But seeing the worry on Ivy's face...
Fuck. He couldn't resist teasing her a bit.
He winced dramatically, grabbing his side.
"Shit... didn't even feel that," he grunted.
Ivy looked furious, yet worried about him.
"You're reckless!" she snapped. "Sit. Let me help."
Elias smirked to himself but dropped down onto a broken chunk of wall.
He spread his legs lazily, watching her kneel between them, fussing with an old first-aid kit.
Her first-aid kit.
Her fingers were surprisingly gentle as she pressed a damp cloth to the wound. She's the only human that would ever take care of a zombie. Maybe, it's because she's used to it.
Maybe?
The touch was almost sweet, careful...
Too careful.
Elias's blood heated for a whole different reason.
Fuck... her hands are so soft.
That was the only thing he could feel. Her touch, not the fucking pain. Not that he could feel pain as a zombie. That's the reason he didn't realise he was bleeding.
She bit her lip in concentration, cheeks flushed, hair sticking to her forehead like glue. Her body was so perfect even as he looked down at her.
And he couldn't stop thinking about how she'd look underneath him, panting and squirming, begging for...
He cut that thought off fast.
Ivy cleaned the blood, muttering about infections and zombies and how he was an idiot.
Infection?
Zombie?
Elias just grinned at her, resting his elbows on his knees, watching every little move she made.
"You're staring," she said without looking up.
"Can you blame me?" he said, voice low and teasing.
"You're cute when you're bossy, Sister."
She blushed furiously.
"I said don't call me that."
"Right, right," he said, chuckling. "Whatever you say... Sister."
She scowled but kept working, wrapping a rough bandage around his waist. Her hands brushed the muscles of his abdomen, lingering longer than necessary.
When she finally finished, she sat back on her heels, blowing a piece of hair from her eyes.
"There," she said. "You'll live. While we walk, let's find you some clothes to wear. I feel uncomfortable walking around with a naked zombie,"
Elias tilted his head, smiling lazily.
"Wanna bet if I'll live?"
Before she could answer, he tugged the bandage loose with one hand.
The wound underneath had already sealed... smooth as it had never been there.
Ivy's mouth dropped open.
"What the hell...?!"
Elias laughed, reaching out to flick her forehead gently.
"Relax, Sister. I heal fast."
"That's not normal," she hissed, grabbing his arm.
"Even for soldiers, it's not..."
"I'm not normal," Elias said, his voice dropping an octave.
"You know that already."
Their faces were close now. Too close.
Ivy's breathing hitched.
She didn't pull away.
For a second, the whole world narrowed down to just them the heat, the tension crackling between a human and a monster.
Elias leaned in a little more, his voice a hot whisper.
"Unless you wanna check... if everything else heals this fast too."
Ivy's face turned scarlet.
She shoved him back roughly, standing up so fast she nearly tripped over her own feet.
"Idiot," she muttered, grabbing her gear.
"Pervert."
Elias laughed harder, stretching his arms lazily above his head.
Fuck.
Teasing her is too easy.
System Notification:
> > [Corruption: +0.1%]
[Total Corruption: 2.3%]
[Lust Status: Active.]
They set off again, the city sprawling endlessly ahead. And just as she said, he found a piece of clothes to steal... No, borrow from an abandoned boutique. Though they were old-fashioned, he didn't mind. A black pants, a black turtle neck long-sleeved top to hide the long scar across his neck and a black cloak.
Black. Black. Black.
They set off again, moving towards whatever direction they were heading to. As they walked together, the moment of warmth between them lingered, burning slowly under their skin.
---
They travelled in silence for a while until the broken skyline gave way to the ruins of an old shopping mall.
Boarded windows. Twisted metal. Dark shapes move inside.
Elias's eyes sharpened. His instincts screamed at him.
"Careful," he murmured, pulling Ivy back against his chest without thinking.
She stiffened, her small body pressed tightly against his.
"There's something inside," he whispered against her ear. She hummed softly, tightening her grip around her crowbar.
They didn't know what was inside, so they slowed their footsteps as they entered the ruined mall.
He grinned, teeth flashing in the dim light like the monster that he was.
'I hope it's a real fight!'
[END OF CHAPTER FIVE]