Chapter 18: The End of the Storm

It was indeed weird. However, the fact was just like what Zerra had said. Strangely, the centipede had followed her command and then it was gone.

"That's how it happened…" Zerra trailed off, and she went sitting on a nearby chair. They both were all messy from the fight. 

Nyra's expression crumbled as she took another deep breath, still appearing unconvinced. "Where did that thing even come from?"

"I don't know." Zerra muttered, and before she knew it, Nyra already walked toward her and clutched both her shoulders, shaking them fiercely.

"I want you to tell the truth, Zerra. Grandma is also your elder! Can you imagine what your father would think if he found out the truth?" Nyra hysterically yelled.

Zerra didn't speak, keeping her silence until Nyra's emotional burst receded a bit. Her shoulders were a bit sore because of how much force Nyra had been using to shake her. Then, she opened her mouth, "If you are suspecting that I have done something, it's useless. Where can I get a centipede from? That thing also scares me. Moreover, even if I did that, isn't that akin to harming myself?"

She spoke very logically that even Nyra couldn't refute anymore. Nyra scrutinized her younger sister from head to toe and let out a sigh. She took a few steps back, running her hands through her hair as she collapsed back to the floor.

Zerra looked like an ordinary person at this moment and from her previous life, she only awakened a weak space ability. How could she control a mutated zombie centipede?

Still, Grandma's growls, which had gotten even more ferocious since the two of them started speaking, were like a jab to her heart.

"I failed… first…" Nyra let out an incoherent, broken murmur.

Zerra gazed at her sympathetically. The first blow was necessary for the female lead so that she would strive for more power. But… looking at that expression, her heart stirred. Nevertheless, she did nothing to comfort Nyra.

She just let her be, allowing the female lead to process what was happening. To some extent, she also understood how she was feeling.

Zerra went to her own room, leaving Nyra alone in front of her room. The situation would be awkward if she stayed there for too long. 

Locking her door, she collapsed to her bed, and after she regulated her breathing, she checked her inner space.

Just as she guessed, it had been unlocked. There were a lot of supplies there, grains, medicines, canned food, and many more. The time in her inner space remained stagnant, so those things wouldn't spoil. 

She still wanted to return the grains she had taken from Cassias to him.

The problem was, she didn't know how to say it to him. Clicking her tongue, Zerra shook her head. She should think about it later. Now she needed her sleep more. With that, she drifted off to dreamland because of severe exhaustion.

When she woke up again, she found Nyra in the kitchen with a blank look on her face. As soon as she entered, her pair of black eyes trained on her.

Zerra was startled, and she swallowed while putting a confused and scared look on her face. "Eldest sister… what is actually happening? Grandma and that centipede…"

Oh, she almost exposed herself by acting too calm before. Now, she acted like she had just recovered from shock.

Nyra pursed her lips. Her hand reached for the faucet and she turned it on, expecting some water. Nothing came out. 

Zerra didn't speak, waiting for Nyra to answer her first. She noticed that there were some plastics and foreign packaging of food on the trash can, but she pretended as if she hadn't seen it. After being unconscious for a long time, she must have been starving like crazy, too.

She opened a cabinet and took out a package of bread, and began munching on it. Her stomach also had been empty, but since she was in front of Nyra now, she couldn't openly take something out of her inner space.

Why did she act like this even after she decided she didn't want to care about playing her role as a cannon fodder too much?

Because, in some of her reincarnations, Nyra was an absolute demon. She thought that this youngest sister of hers had caused people closest to her some harm, so she didn't show mercy at all in her torture. No matter how uncaring she was, Zerra still wanted to avoid a prolonged, painful ending.

She preferred a quick death and pain.

"It's the end of the world…" Nyra muttered faintly. 

Zerra widened her eyes, pretending to be surprised and scared. "End of the world? Then-then… Grandma… zombies."

At the mention of Grandma, Nyra's expression soured again. She no longer responded to Zerra. 

It was the next day that the sky cleared a bit, and everything subsided. Zerra looked at the dark sky with a look of marvel. This was the power of the female lead, huh?

"Eldest sister, where are you going?" Zerra asked curiously when she saw Nyra dragging a backpack. Most likely, she had taken it out of her space and planned to disguise it as supplies.

Nyra's movement faltered when she saw Zerra's curious eyes. With a complex expression, she finally just sighed. "We need to… go..."

Nyra's tone became heavy at the last word, somewhat hesitant. Her eyes peered at her former bedroom, which had now turned oddly quiet.

"Grandma can't be saved?" Zerra asked.

Nyra merely shook her head. Her gesture signaled she did not want to dwell on the topic any longer.

"... go…" 

Zerra was stunned when she heard the word from inside Nyra's bedroom. Her eldest sister's body stiffened, and she turned her head away, not wanting her face to be seen by Zerra. 

It was no wonder that Nyra finally decided to go. 

"Let's go." Nyra roughly pulled Zerra toward the door. "We are going to meet Darren."

The darkened sky welcomed them as soon as they opened the door. Marks of rain that had battered the surrounding area were still palpable, cold, and humid.

Just as they stepped outside, the signal of danger rang in Zerra's head. Nyra was quick to shove her inside and close the door again. However, the figure of the dog ran and pushed the door open. Nyra's strength fell short against it.

In its mouth was a human's head.

Zerra recognized the dog to be the golden retriever she had met a few days ago.