Dearest backstabbers,
I hope your miserable life has brought you some reprieve. Much to your dismay, I have found you again. This time, there will be no escape. Not with Min’s speed, nor with Neha’s outdated knowledge.
However, being the benevolent, kind-hearted existence that I am, I’m giving you a choice.
A choice to limit unnecessary bloodshed.
Now, I speak directly to you, Neha.
The corpses planted outside your gates died of an infection. It’s deadly, with a 100% mortality rate within twenty-four hours.
I didn’t create it, but I did create the antidote.
Surrender yourself to me, and I will release the antidote. Don’t do so, and I’ll still have your head, along with everyone else’s.
You have three hours to decide.
Neha crumpled the note, tossing it away in frustration. Min stood watching outside the window. An anxious crowd had already gathered outside, curious to learn what was written in the note.
"It’s him," Neha mumbled, running her hands through her hair. "Blaze..."
"How can you be sure?" Min asked.
He knew it, but was clinging to the false hope that the cannibals were playing tricks on them. It made sense, in a way. Zera already knew about Blaze, but he didn’t know his name.
It would make sense that Zera told other cannibals about it, and they planned this out. Since Min and Neha were the driving force behind the separation, so it also explained why they were targeting her specifically.
As much as that theory made sense, Neha knew it wasn’t the case.
How could she forget the handwriting that had pulled at her heartstrings in the past? The countless love letters Blaze wrote to her were imprinted on her mind.
But how did he get his hands on a super-disease?
Back in the past, it took nearly a year for the first outbreak of such a disease. Yet, it had barely been three months into the apocalypse, and it already appeared.
What she didn’t know was that the disease had been found through a portal, conquered by the cult. In the past, the blightlord had no interest in controlling humans, so it remained unreleased.
Blaze didn’t share the same thoughts. He would use any and all arsenal he had at his disposal. The super-disease was just a convenient tool to him.
Does he really have a cure? Last time it took him and Professor Alaric several months to find the All-cure.
All-cure was a vaccine capable of countering most super-diseases. It also led to the research on creating super-evolvers. That’s what Neha was concerned about.
If Blaze had the all-cure, then it was only a matter of time before he evolved into a super-evolver.
But how is he doing all this with Professor Alaric?
She had seen the professor’s severed head herself. Even if he were alive by some miracle, she didn’t think he’d work with his dead and deranged son.
Neha got up. The scraping of the chair caught Min’s attention.
"Where are you going?" he asked, though he knew exactly where.
Neha stopped in her tracks before turning around and running into Min’s arms. He wanted to dissuade her, but she kissed him before he could.
"You’re a nice guy, Min. Despite your weird quirks..." Neha said, smiling through tears. "Promise me you’ll take care of everyone here—"
"No... I’m not leaving you. If he wants you, then he can take both of us."
"Min, try to understand! He’s a psycho—"
"That’s all the more reason to not leave you alone with him."
Before Neha could protest anymore, Min pulled her in, kissing her like there was no tomorrow... which perhaps was true. Clothes flew off as they rolled on the floor, exploring each other’s bodies.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t any time to waste.
Neha got up, dressed quickly, and walked out without sparing Min another glance. The seed had been planted. Now she could only hope it would sprout soon. The source of this content ɪs n͟o͟v͟e͟l͟f͟i͟r͟e͟.net
As she stepped out of the building, the survivors surrounded her. It was to be expected since they had been waiting for a word while the two were busy screwing around.
"Miss Neha, what should we do regarding the corpses?"
"Leave them be and get inside. Lock all doors and windows," Neha replied emotionlessly. "Do not come out for a day or two. I’ll have food delivered to your rooms."
The people stared at one another before leaving. They understood something big was going to happen, or Neha wouldn’t be so stern with them.
As they left, Neha let out a sigh.
Forget about food, she wasn’t even giving them a drop of water. She only said that so the survivors would willingly quarantine themselves.
That way, the super-disease would kill the infected, and the others would survive, and may even develop some immunity from the disease, just like in her past life.
"This is the only way," she thought, opening the main door.
With one look at the corpses, she knew they had died from illness. Min’s theory crumbled instantly.
"So you do have some good in your heart. What a shame."
Blaze’s unfamiliar voice caught Neha’s attention. She looked ahead, and he walked out from behind Dexter’s corpse.
"I was hoping you wouldn’t believe me," he said, looking at Dexter’s corpse. "It would have given me an excuse to create more of these art pieces. A field full of rotting scarecrows. It has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?"
"Stop talking," Neha scoffed. "Your voice gives me the creeps. I’m here. So release the cure."
Blaze snapped his fingers, and someone shot into the air from behind. Marrow spread her wings, and a fine golden powder rained all over.
It wasn’t the all-cure, but before she could object, even the sores on the corpses scabbed and fell over. She found it strange.
It’s not the all-cure, but it’s more potent? What is going on here?
"Now then," Blaze said, interrupting her thoughts. "Shall we leave? I have a lot to do."
"About that," Neha smirked, spreading her arms. "I’m not going with you."
Before Blaze could react, a gush of wind hit him, shoving him backwards. He dug his claws and tendrils into the ground, ceasing his momentum, and looked ahead.
Min was standing between him and Neha.