An echoing shriek of dread coming from the zombie that had gone into thin air has rippled throughout the place.
The rest of the undead found the scene quite amusing in their rotten eyes.
All of a sudden, the undead erupted in applause and celebration when the zombie who attempted to harm Mira had disappeared in a matter of a split second, leaving a few tiny flares out of his ashes. Their facial expressions showed as if they had all been wanting to witness something horrific like this but also wishing that it would not happen to them.
Mira could see how pissed Bella was, yet there was a glimmer of hope that she could see right through her. It’s either Bella was concerned or somehow… terrified.
When Bella turned around to face Mira, she noticed that Mira slightly raised the corner of her lips.
Mira had a sly grin on her face.
Bella’s pupils narrowed as she pondered what Mira was thinking and fixed her ruby red eyes through her deep ocean blue eyes.
“Amazed?” Bella asked with a scornful tone in her voice. One of her brows arched, and the corner of her lip was slightly lifted as she sneered.
Mira reacted with a series of small nods of the head. “Yeah,” Mira uttered, prompting Bella to provoke. A huge grin formed on her mouth as she placed the blade of her sword between her left palm. Her countenance then shifted, displaying a solemn expression on her face. Mira swallowed the lump in her throat with her jaws clenched tight.
A part of Mira wasn’t confident whether or not her plan would work, but she still chose to trust her instincts and take the risk even though the chances of success were slim.
As soon as Bella got a glimpse of what Mira was about to do, her demeanor drastically altered. The sneer on her lips was gradually fading away. Her enlarged eyes quivered as she felt restless for a split second, but she quickly regained her composure so as not to make it obvious.
While maintaining an air of indifference, Bella hesitantly asked, “W—what are you doing?” Bella uttered, trying not to sound nor act anything suspicious.
Mira’s deep ocean blue eyes were drawn to Bella’s ruby red eyes. She stared at it sincerely, trying to dislodge Bella’s emotions and connect with the real Bella who was trapped deep within.
“Remember when I told you I’d always protect you?” Mira spoke with a strong sense of conviction in her voice. “You see, I can’t defeat that evil controlling you.”
Bella chuckled faintly, making it less evident that the real Bella, who was imprisoned inside her own body, was slowly being swayed by Mira’s words.
“I… I’m sorry if I can’t protect you at times like this. I know… I know you’re in there, Bella.” Mira sobbed, struggling to keep her emotions stable and prevent her tears from streaming down her face.
“She’s not listening.” With her fingers swaying in the air, Bella hummed nervously, as if she didn’t give a damn about what was happening.
“The truth… I know...” uttered Mira. “I understand... I... I can’t afford to lose you,” Mira cried, her voice breaking. “You’re the only family I have, Bella.” Tears began to stream down to her cheeks.
“Come back to me... Please!” Mira pleaded, and without hesitation, she cut her palm with the use of her blade.
The wound was quite deep. Mira let go of her sword and tightly pressed the lesion on her palm, gushing with blood. Mira grimaced in pain.
Bella hissed at Mira. Her eyes widened with what Mira had done.
“Now...” Mira took a deep breath as she tried to conceal the ache in her throat. “Protect me, my little sister.” Mira clenched her teeth in agony before forcing a faint smile. She then raised her wounded hand for all the zombies to smell her blood.
Blood flowed from her wounded palm down to her arm and trickled onto the ground in a constant flow.
Upon hearing the ravenous grunts of the undead, Bella became restless.
“STOP!!!” Bella demanded. “Who dares?!” Her ruby red eyes emitted a dull glow of crimson light as she warned the zombies not to lay a single hand on Mira.
A zombie’s attraction to the smell of blood and the pheromones released by sweat is particularly strong. On the other hand, Mira’s blood is different from the rest. The aroma is sweeter and is very addicting, making it hard for the undead to turn a blind eye.
The zombies made jerky movements with their bodies as they tried to keep themselves under control. Their eyes were rapidly fiddling from wanting to get a taste of Mira’s flesh.
When the zombies took a few steps backward after Bella warned them, Mira acted quickly to ensure that her plan would not go to waste. Her brows wrinkled, and she bit the lower portion of her lip when she impulsively clenched her fist to increase the amount of blood dripping from her hand. When the cut grew deeper, pain could be seen all over Mira’s face.
The zombies could no longer hold back their patience until a hideous appearance, and a dreadful stench of a horrible death arrived from a distance. It was the female zombie whom Mira encountered earlier. The woman who took the first jab of the vaccine, Alicia.
Alicia’s eyes twinkled from afar. Her tongue protrudes from the corner of her mouth with the thirst for Mira’s flesh. She lunged towards Mira with lightning speed, scraping the rotting flesh on her shoulder when Mira used her blade to deflect her long, sharp teeth that looked like a line of broken tombstones. Alicia furiously snarled, rotating her head 180 degrees to face Mira. Her eyes were twitching as she laughed eerily.
Mira scraped her shoulder with Alicia’s sudden attack. Alicia then screamed in agony after wounding Mira and continued to lunge at Mira.
“STOP!!!” Bella cried hysterically.
Murky blood was dripping from Mira’s deep cut on her left palm.
After smelling Mira’s blood, the zombies went out of control and ran amok, disregarding their Queen’s orders.
The undead all charged at Mira simultaneously, attempting to seize her.
Mira managed to get away from the zombies who were chasing after her. They were a little sluggish, just like how zombies are supposed to be. Her sole concern was Alicia and a few other zombies who acquired the curse directly from her.
According to how Bella interpreted her other half’s statement, Alicia’s speed and strength were different from the rest, probably because her soul had already turned into an evil being just before the red bead was found.
Out of the blue, Bella screamed out in frustration. “NO!!!” she yelled and pulled her hair to resist herself.
Bella and her other half were switching over the body. Her other half has finally imprisoned Bella and successfully taken control of the mind and body for a long time now. She was only waiting for the clock to pass until 12-midnight ticks, where Bella’s 18th birthday would be over, and the bead would fully have control over her body as stipulated by the pact they had made. If any of them failed to fulfill the bind and broke the contract, the agreement will be null and void.
When Bella and her other half came to an agreement, Bella had one condition.
Flashback...
“Then let’s have a binding vow.”
“A binding vow?”
“I have two conditions. One, when you reach the age of eighteen, the red bead will have complete authority over your body. Two, you’ll completely forget about this pact and everything that has happened here, including this place and me.”
“W—what?”
“That’s my condition for you to leave this place.”
Bella was hesitant at first, but at that time, all she wanted was to return home to be with the ones she cherishes and cares about the most. “Okay. But on one condition...” Bella attempted to strike a pact with her other half, but she was unsuccessful. Her other half initially refused, but when Bella refused to back down, keeping her expression with the look that she somehow also had the authority, her other half agreed to listen to what Bella wanted in exchange.
“Whatever you do with my body, do not hurt Mira. If you do, this bind or whatever it is will be over.” Bella stated, maintaining her expression neutral and sincere.
When her other half knew that she could no longer amend the condition, she agreed with the terms of the agreement, and both of them has sealed the pact.
End of flashback...