Ashrik gestured at the hallway which to the bedroom. When he spoke, his tone had a hint of finality. "Get some rest. Let's talk again later."
Lucille had no choice but to nod her head. "Alright. I'll rest now. Thanks again, Brother Ash."
Despite being relatively calmer than expected, the weight of the information was still too much. Although reluctant, she also needed some time alone to digest everything she had just learned.
Lucille walked slowly toward the hallway, occasionally glancing behind at Ashrik, who stayed in the living room. He sat in the chair, unmoved as his eyes stared out of the window.
From her angle, she couldn't see his face, but still perceived the turmoil he tried to suppress.
Four years...
Thousands of nights had passed, but only now did she learn the reason behind the so-called atrocities he committed.
All because of the unfair death of his younger sister, his only blood relative after the passing of their parents and grandmother.
Lucille couldn't fathom the depths of despair Ashrik was under. Even though she herself had lost both of her parents because of the apocalypse, his circumstances were still significantly different compared to hers.
'Vivi...'
Lucille bit her lower lip, suppressing the impulse to cry again. She clenched her hands, and her knuckles turned white from the pressure.
For some reason, Lucille could hear Violet's voice ring clearly in her mind, mocking her for shedding tears.
"Lulu! Don't be a crybaby! Find a boyfriend first if you wanna cry! Then cry in his arms."
Lucille let out an exasperated laugh, thinking how ridiculous her imagination was, but it couldn't be helped. Based on Violet's outgoing personality, that was something she most likely would say.
Despite their contrasting dispositions and studying in different majors, they became the best of friends.
Lucille went directly to bed after entering the room. Only when she felt the mattress sink under her weight did she sense her lingering exhaustion return.
Her eyes darted from the ceiling to the clear blue sky outside the window. A gentle breeze drifted into the room, carrying along the soft echo of nature; of the flowing stream, leaves rustling and birds chirping.
The serenity brought by this mysterious space enveloped her in a sense of nostalgia. She had forgotten the last time she could feel this much peace.
Even staying in a survival base didn't bring her such stability. Although zombies didn't exist within the defense walls, other kinds of threats involving humans remained.
Then, her mind inevitably reminded her of the information she had just learned.
Violet's sudden death, Genesis' greedy ambitions, the mysterious ancient relic, her resonance with it and ways to restore her broken core.
Everything formed knots in her mind like messy, tangled threads. Never once did she expect that the cause of the apocalypse was closely related to her best friend's disappearance.
'Revenge... He wants revenge.'
Aside from stopping this apocalypse, Ashrik also wished to avenge Violet by destroying Genesis. And because of this, Lucille was grateful to be reunited with him.
Perhaps this was a well-aligned fate.
As Lucille thought of the torment Violet had endured and the betrayal caused by her close comrades, a surge of anger burst forth within her.
'I need to get better quickly. I have to. I will...'
A wave of drowsiness suddenly hit Lucille, prompting her to close her eyes. Because of exhaustion, her thoughts ceased there. Her chest rose and fell slowly as her breathing stabilized.
Lucille was already sleeping when Ashrik came to check on her half an hour later. Dark clouds no longer loomed on his face.
After closing the window and drawing the curtain, he carefully covered her with a blanket. Then he stayed by her bedside.
His dark gaze searched her pale face, trying to find the evident traces of her weariness.
'Her core is stable for now, but...'
Ashrik exhaled a sigh, thinking of Lucille's poor fate as soon as she progressed to the crucial Rank 5. Most people dared not advance even when their ability had reached the peak of Rank 4.
For the espers, evolving from the first to the fourth tier posed minor challenges. The real deal was when they planned to advance to the fifth tier and above.
It was not rare for the ability users to mutate into zombies because the progressions failed. Whenever it occurred, the only solution was death.
To be frank, Ashrik was quite surprised once he learned that Lucille had advanced to Rank 5. After all, her ability had awakened late, one year after the beginning of the apocalypse.
Within three short years, she stood alongside the other high-ranked espers. To say she was lucky would be an outrageous insult to her perseverance.
Without her unyielding resolve and drive, she wouldn't have achieved it.
Lucille was such a determined person. Ashrik knew any setbacks wouldn't stop her until she had successfully restored her broken core.
And he would make it happen.
The sleeping Lucille wasn't aware of Ashrik's presence at all. She slept deeply, much to his relief. Before he left the bedroom, he checked the stability of her broken core again.
The time continued flowing until Lucille was stirred in her sleep by a faint tickle brushing against her cheek. Something warm and wet trailed across her face.
"...ngh."
Eyes still closed, Lucille frowned as she turned her head away, but then a furry weight pressed against her arm.
"Arf!"
The bark snapped her eyes open. Two enormous round faces, covered in silky fur, were hovering right beside the bed.
"W-what in the world...?!" she gasped, pushing herself up in alarm.
Two dogs, slightly bigger than a newborn calf, wagged their tails furiously as they panted with excitement. One barked happily, its wide eyes shining as it leaned closer to lick her again.
Lucille blinked, utterly bewildered by the unexpected furry guests. Her voice cracked between disbelief and awe, "Pekingese? No... wait, how can you two be this big?"
Only after a moment of clarity did she realize these were no ordinary dogs.
Both were mutated! No wonder they were bigger than usual!