While the zombies were utterly taken aback as they took in the beauty of the setting sun casting an orange glow across the sky, Mira recognized she had a short window of time to flee before the zombies snapped back to their senses.
She jumped off the tree on the spur of the moment, striking a zombie in the face, but it didn’t seem to care. In order to get away from the zombies, Mira moved her way as fast as she could and attempted to make her way to the mountains, where the people’s haven is located.
Mira was able to make it out of the forest.
All of the zombies still froze in place, and their eyes were ablaze with red as they stared more profoundly into the sunlight.
Mira took off running in the direction of the mountains, where all the people were taking refuge, including Bella and Mirabella. She strolled by the zombies, who were still staring their rotten eyes at the sun.
A few moments later, rain began to fall in torrents before the sun could completely hide below the horizon.
Mira came to a complete stop when droplets made contact with her skin. She raised one of her palms in the air and glanced up at the sky, which was beginning to turn into a drab shade of gray. When she heard the snarl of a zombie behind her, Mira's eyes widened, and her body tightened in response. With great caution, Mira turned to face the zombies. After a few moments of careful observation, she leisurely began walking backward to maintain her distance from the undead. A small group of zombies stood in front of her but were unable to detect her presence at that time.
Mira managed to establish a twenty-eight-meter separation between herself and the undead. Their senses of hearing and smell have been weakened since all scents got mixed in the rain. She was only about eight to ten more feet away from the mountain's path when she heard a snapping sound under her shoes. Mira paused and took a low deep breath, attempting to fathom whether or not the zombies had perceived the noise.
There were no reactions from the undead until the rain stopped in conjunction with Mira lifting her foot. There was a distinct sound.
"Crap!" Mira muttered a curse under her breath.
The zombies in the area all faced Mira. Their vision and mobility are sharper than they were previously.
Mira knew that the situation she found herself in was not favorable. She had no other way but the mountains from where she was standing. Mira began sprinting in the hill direction but in the opposite way from where the people were.
This time around, the zombies are more agile. On the other hand, Mira is well aware that mountains can slow down the zombies as their bodies aren't built for it and would make it more difficult for them to ascend. She made sure to let the zombies follow the same trail as hers and not to the opposite direction of the mountain. Mira had rigorous physical training and is accustomed to mountain climbing, yet her stamina is nearly depleted after sprinting around in circles.
The undead had caught up with Mira. They are stronger, faster, and a little wiser every after sundown.
A few minutes later, Mira got burned out. She could no longer move a muscle and decided to stay low.
The zombies were unable to locate Mira until one of the packs, standing at a distance, sniffed the air and snarled upon finding Mira. The zombies near Mira's location have heard the zombie and circled the area.
"I went through hell for this," Mira said with a sly grin.
Mira didn't put up much of a fight. She's exhausted and can't seem to lift even a strand of her hair. She found herself surrounded by zombies, all of whom were hostile toward her. Each zombie moved at a moderate pace as they closed in on her.
Mira was pinned to the ground by the zombies in the blink of an eye. A few of them grabbed her arms, and the others seized her legs from behind. Unlike in previous instances, the zombies didn't argue which body part to consume.
Realizing that it would be fruitless to fight back against the hordes of undead, Mira closed her eyes when the zombies circled around her and were clamoring to feast on her flesh.
"Hey!" The sound of a child yelling from behind drew the attention of the entire zombie in the area.
As the zombies turned to confront the child who was hurling pebbles at them, they snarled and grumbled in frustration.
"Leave her alone!" the boy demanded after throwing another pebble.
It was the townspeople. All of them came for Mira bringing not a single weapon with them.
"G... Guys," Mira managed to say with what little effort she had left.
When the zombies saw a massive number of people to feast on, they broke out into a sinister smile and reveled.
Mira winced when she tried to move and block the zombies from racing to where the people were, but her body couldn't keep up with her movements.
"R—run..." Mira strained to yell, but she couldn't get anything louder than a whisper out of her mouth.
The crowd had come to a complete standstill and had a look on their faces that showed, 'we are not afraid!'
When the zombies were only a few meters away, the people took a few steps back, clearing the way for someone to pass by.
After Mirabella snarled, she let out a long, piercing howl that could be heard for miles.
The zombies halted with dread contorted on their features.
It was Bella who appeared in the background of Mirabella.
"I propose you a choice, fall on your knees and come with me. Together, we will build a society where the mortals and the undead can live in harmony. Refuse, and you will perish!"
Bella's hair danced in the wind as she stood tall and brave. With the baybayin markings on her skin, her crimson eyes gleamed brightly with a bloody-red tint at the same time, creating a dramatic effect that added to her ethereal appearance.
A gleeful grin lit up on the townspeople’s cheeks when all of the undead lowered their heads and kneeled on one knee at once.