After walking up the stairs to the third floor of the mall, they reached a few shops that were mostly untouched.
Dusty. Silent. Broken signs hanging off their hinges. The wind from the broken window blew in, making the hanging signs creak.
Elias found an old abandoned boutique; the front half collapsed, but the back room was still solid.
It would do.
"Here," he said, pushing the broken door open with his foot.
Ivy followed, glancing around with sharp, wary eyes. She still didn't know why she was following this man... zombie? Whatever he was. She just... wanted to. It was like he knew everything about her. Her needs. Her urges for him, still...
Her crowbar never left her hand.
Smart girl.
Even if she was trembling slightly, knowing fully well that she was a Tier 3 zombie, a strong one at that, she didn't want to leave his side for a second.
Elias dropped his bag on the floor, stretching lazily.
The bag didn't belong to him but to the girl following him. He pulled the cloak from his body, leaving his black turtle neck.
His muscles bulged under the turtle neck, broad shoulders brushing the narrow doorframe.
Ivy tried not to stare.
Tried and failed.
"Stop gawking, Sister," he said with a smirk.
"You'll make me think you like what you see."
Ivy scowled and turned away quickly, pretending to check the broken windows.
Elias chuckled under his breath.
Cute.
He found an old mattress shoved into a corner and kicked it flat. Dust filled the air, but at least it was soft.
"I'll take the first watch," Ivy said stiffly, trying to keep their distance between them.
"No need," Elias said, sitting down with a grunt.
"I don't sleep."
"You should," she snapped. "You're wounded."
Elias looked down at his side.
The torn flesh had already knitted together halfway.
Thanks to Regeneration (Lv.1), he healed faster than anyone could.
Still, he couldn't resist teasing her a little.
He let out a fake groan, grabbing his side dramatically.
"Fuck, Sister," he muttered.
"You gonna come over here and patch me up? Maybe kiss it better?"
Ivy flushed a deep red.
"Don't be disgusting," she snapped, but her voice wavered.
Elias grinned wider, lying back on the mattress, arms folded behind his head.
He made sure to flex a little, just enough for her to notice.
He caught her peeking.
Again.
"You know," he drawled lazily, "for someone so scared of me... you sure do look at me a lot."
Ivy whipped her head away, muttering curses under her breath.
Elias laughed.
A deep, rough sound.
God, it felt good to tease again.
To live again.
Even if he was technically... dead.
He closed his eyes, listening to the distant moans of zombies outside.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
The world outside was broken and rotten.
But right now...
Here, in this small broken room...
It almost felt normal.
Almost.
---
Later that night, the fire was just embers.
Ivy sat across from him, cleaning her gun with careful hands.
Elias watched her, bored.
Then, without warning, he moved.
One second, he was lying down; the next, he was behind her, crouching low.
Ivy stiffened.
"What are you..."
He leaned in, his breath brushing her neck.
"You keep looking at me like you want something," he whispered.
"I don't," she snapped, but her voice broke halfway.
"Really?" Elias murmured.
He slid a hand around her waist, slow but firm, pulling her back against his chest.
She gasped, stiffening.
But she didn't pull away.
He smirked, lowering his head to her ear.
"Your heart says otherwise, Sister."
His fingers brushed her hip, the edge of her thigh.
Slow. Just testing.
Her breath hitched.
He felt the tremble run through her body.
"You're scared of me," he said softly.
"But you're more scared of how bad you want me."
Ivy let out a shaky breath, her hands gripping the gun tighter.
"I'm not human," he whispered.
"You know that, right?"
"I know," she whispered back.
"And you still want me."
Silence.
Elias chuckled low.
He dragged his fingers up her side, over her ribs, up to her boobs, and palmed it, squeezing gently through her thin shirt.
Soft. Warm. Fucking perfect.
"Fuck," he muttered under his breath, fingers tightening a little.
Ivy gasped again, finally pulling away from him and stumbling to her feet.
"You're a bastard," she whispered, face flushed, chest heaving.
Elias sprawled back lazily, grinning like a wolf.
"Yeah," he said easily.
"But you still want this bastard, Sister."
She turned and fled into the shadows of the store, muttering curses, heart racing.
Elias chuckled to himself, lying back on the mattress.
This world was shit.
But maybe... just maybe... it wouldn't be so bad.
Especially if he kept finding pretty little things like her.
---
System Notification:
> > [Corruption decreased by 0.2%.]
[Lust increased.]
[Bond Progress: Sister Ivy – 30% Affection / 20% Loyalty.]
Elias blinked at the system window, then grinned wider.
"Guess teasing's good for the soul," he muttered.
He closed his eyes, feeling the low burn of excitement in his blood.
Tomorrow, he'd figure out his next move.
'Maybe I should dream of Sister Ivy breaking while beneath me. Zombies are allowed to dream, right?'
Maybe...
.
The next morning, the smell of fresh blood woke him up from his slumber. The room was bright, thanks to the sun.
Elias sniffed hard. He could taste the blood in his mouth. It wasn't anything like the zombie's blood that smelled rotten and looked even worse.
It belonged to a human.
Human?
Elias looked around and his eyes flared when he noticed Ivy's absence.
Fuck!
Without hesitation, he rushed out and got into the hallway. There was a pile of bodies, both busted zombies and humans awakening as fresh zombies. Their eyes turned white, and their bones creaked loudly. They all rushed towards one person with a crowbar and a gun.
"Someone who claimed he doesn't sleep much... You're finally awake, sleepy beauty," She said, throwing a gun at him. He caught it effortlessly, without moving his foot.
"Four bullets left, use it wisely," she yelled.
He smirked.
"Yes, sister..."
Ivy rolled her eyes, using the crowbar to protect herself.
[END OF CHAPTER SEVEN]