novelzi Chapter 36: Daphne
Chapter 36: Daphne
Athena and Mors pressed forward. The thick canopy overhead, combined with the clouds, made it almost impossible to distinguish morning from night.
The forest was eerily quiet except for the occasional crack of branches underfoot and the persistent drumming of rain.
Athena glanced at Mors. "If Daphne’s nearby, she’d have taken shelter. We need to check the higher ground, the flooding would have forced her there."
Mors nodded, his expression stoic. "Agreed. Let’s head toward that ridge to the east. If she’s smart, and I believe she is, she’ll be somewhere defensible."
The camera bots hovered closer, capturing every determined step they took as the storm continued to rage.
The viewers, glued to the unfolding drama, waited anxiously to see if the missing participant would be found before the next disaster struck.
Something feels weird...
How can the area remain silent?
Animals should have moved by now.
The flooded area shimmered under the pale, muted light filtering through the storm clouds.
In the middle of the waterlogged field, a woman stood eerily still, her back facing them. Her hair hung limply, dripping with rainwater, and her clothes clung to her lifeless frame.
Athena’s sharp gaze caught the strange angle of her stance. "Look at that..." she murmured, her voice laced with unease. A woman...
"What a weird angle." Mors narrowed his eyes, his tone cold but deliberate. "She must be dead."
The two moved cautiously closer, their boots squelching in the mud. The camera bots hovered around them, capturing every tense moment.
[Wait, what’s going on? Who’s that woman?]
[Is she alive? She looks so... off.]
[Don’t go closer! This feels like the beginning of a horror movie.]
[What if she’s a monster pretending as a human? Stay back, Athena!]
[This is so creepy. The way she’s just standing there, it’s not normal.]
[Major Mors, be careful! Something’s wrong with her!]
"Wait!" Athena suddenly raised her hand, halting Mors mid-step. Her voice dropped to a whisper, barely audible above the rain. "She’s moving..."
The viewers collectively gasped through their screens as a maniacal, guttural laugh echoed through the air.
[I was worried about her earlier, but now? She’s a goddess with that sword!]
[That blade... is it absorbing something from the beasts? It’s glowing darker every time she kills one.]
[Is that sword an ancient thing? I heard big families have them.]
[Forget the beasts, Mors is handling that creepy Daphne! She’s like a zombie queen commanding an army.]
[Did you see her laugh earlier? Chills. Actual chills.]
[Why aren’t they retreating? This is too dangerous. Just let the military handle it!]
[No way. Athena and Major Mors are insane. They’re out here saving everyone, and it’s live for us to see!]
[Did anyone notice how in sync they are? It’s like they’ve fought together for years.]
[That’s love. Fighting side by side, risking everything.]
[Am I the only one who thinks this variety show is way darker than advertised?]
Athena leaped onto a fallen tree, her movements fluid as water. Her blade sliced through another infected beast, its core disintegrating into a swirl of red light.
She glanced toward Mors, her sharp eyes assessing his progress. Mors, meanwhile, faced a new wave of infected creatures sent by Daphne.
Her twisted laughter echoed through the forest as she spread her arms, controlling the beasts like puppets.
Mors dodged a lunging wolf-like creature, his blade slicing cleanly through its neck. He barked into his comm, "Athena, I need two minutes to contain her."
Athena smirked, a flicker of mischief in her gaze. "You’ve got one."
[Did you hear that? She’s teasing him in the middle of this madness!]
[One minute? Is she serious?]
[Athena, you’re amazing, but maybe don’t sass the guy fighting a zombie sorceress.]
[They trust each other so much, though. It’s kind of romantic in a weird, bloody way.]
[Romantic? They’re fighting for their lives!]
[I don’t know, something about the way they work together feels... connected.]
[Stop overthinking.]