I Got Reincarnated as a Zombie Girl-Chapter 371 - 367 – Night by the Lake

The day grew darker, the sky above the black-grass plain turning into a pitch-black canvas dotted with faint purple crystals. Strangely, the constellations remained the same: Orion still stretched wide with his broad shoulders, Ursa Major still herded her cubs in the north, Cassiopeia still sat upon her tilted throne. Even though Earth had expanded dramatically since the fusion of new landmasses emerged, oceans shifted, ancient mountains cracked and were reborn, the only thing that felt closer was the moon. Its cratered surface was clearly visible without a telescope, its cold silver light illuminating the small lake’s surface like a shattered mirror.

The night wind by the lake was bitterly cold, piercing straight to the bone. Even Sylvia whose skin had never truly been warm since she became a vessel of death felt the gusts bite. Her long black cloak lined with raven feathers swayed gently, her long black hair whipped back. Sofia, far more vulnerable to the cold, was already rubbing her arms while shivering lightly.

"Sylvia... it’s so cold," Sofia complained as she scooted closer to Sylvia’s side, seeking warmth from an aura that truthfully offered very little. "This is colder than mornings in Nocture."

Sylvia glanced at the sky for a moment, then gave a small nod. "Wind from the north. Carrying leftover chill from the newly formed ocean. We need a fire."

She raised her right hand. The Chain of Abyss trembled softly, faint purple runes glowing in the air. From the long-unused inventory system an invisible interface that appeared only in her mind she summoned a tent. She had almost forgotten she still had this system; since becoming Nocture’s queen, she rarely used it except to store important items or summon emergency weapons.

A transparent screen flickered briefly before her eyes, faint green letters scrolling:

[Inventory: Class A Portable Tent – Activate?]

Sylvia nodded inwardly. The tent materialized in midair a rolled bundle of thick black fabric that instantly unfurled into a simple yet sturdy octagonal structure. The material was pitch black with subtle rose patterns, the poles made of lightweight but unbreakable crystal bone. Inside were already a soft floor mat, two sleeping bags lined with phantom wolf fur, and a small lantern that automatically lit with smokeless purple flame.

Sofia clapped her hands in tiny delighted bursts. "Whoa! Your storage space always makes me jealous."

Sylvia gave a slight shrug. "I rarely use it. Too... convenient. Sometimes I forget this world still has rules like that."

They both began tidying the tent even though it was already nearly perfect. Sofia tugged at the guy lines to make them tighter, while Sylvia checked the entrance flap and ensured the air vents remained open. The night wind continued to blow, carrying the cold scent of lake water mixed with damp grass.

Sylvia turned to Noir, who still lay near the lake, his gigantic body covering much of the shoreline. His blood-red eyes glowed softly, watching his master with absolute loyalty.

"Noir," Sylvia called quietly. "Shrink your body. About the size of an adult warhorse. Then fetch some dry branches from the forest behind us. Don’t go far."

Noir rumbled softly, a distant thunder-like sound full of understanding. His body began to contract with the sound of cracking bone and shifting scales. The exposed white bones between his scales fused back together, his torn wings shrinking to more reasonable proportions. In seconds, the zombie dragon was now the size of a large warhorse still terrifying with pitch-black scales and blazing red eyes, but no longer intimidating the entire plain. He shook his head once, like a cat waking from sleep, then trotted lightly toward the small forest behind the lake.

Sofia watched Noir go with a wide grin. "He’s cute when he’s small like that. Like a big flying dog."

Sylvia didn’t reply, but the corner of her mouth lifted slightly.

Not long after, Noir returned with his mouth full of dry branches, some thick logs, some thinner twigs, all perfectly dry as if he knew exactly what was needed. He carefully dropped the pile in front of the tent, then sat like a guard dog, his tail gently swishing against the grass.

"Good," Sylvia murmured. She knelt, arranged the wood into a small pyramid, then flicked a pinch of death flame from her fingertip deep purple fire that felt no heat to her but could burn anything else. The flame touched the bottom twigs, and in an instant a small campfire blazed. Its soft purple light illuminated both their faces and cast long shadows across the black grass.

Sofia immediately scooted closer, holding her hands toward the fire. "Ahh... warm. Finally."

Sylvia sat beside her, legs crossed, her black cloak spread like raven wings. They were silent for a moment, listening only to the quiet crackle of wood and the wind sweeping across the lake surface. The overly close moon reflected perfectly in the pitch-black water, making the lake look like a portal to another world.

Sylvia stared at the too-close moon. "This world has changed. Earth expanded, the moon drew nearer, yet the constellations stayed the same. It’s as if... the old world still clings to the sky, even though the ground beneath us is entirely different."

Sofia nodded. "Maybe it’s a message. That some things don’t change, even when everything else collapses and is reborn."

They fell silent again. The campfire continued to crackle, its light dancing across Sylvia’s calm face and Sofia’s gentle smile. Noir occasionally rumbled softly, as though humming to himself.

After a while, Sofia pulled a sleeping bag from the tent and spread it near the fire. "I’m going to sleep now, okay? The cold has eased, but I’m exhausted from flying all day."

Sylvia nodded. "Sleep. I’ll keep watch."

Sofia crawled into the sleeping bag, curling up like a child. But before her eyes closed, she turned her head. "Thank you for bringing me along, Sylvia. This... has been the best day since everything."

Sylvia didn’t answer immediately. She simply reached out and briefly touched Sofia’s golden hair, a cold but gentle touch. "Sleep."

Sofia smiled, then her golden eyes closed. Her breathing became steady within minutes.

Sylvia remained seated, gazing at the fire, at the lake, at the too-close moon. Noir shifted closer, resting his head in her lap. She slowly stroked the dragon’s cold scales, as though petting a gigantic puppy.

"It’s been a long time since we were like this," she whispered to Noir. "Just sitting. No enemies. No plans." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Noir rumbled once soft, almost like a contented purr.

Sylvia looked up at the sky again. The constellations were unchanged. The moon was closer, but still the same moon. The world had transformed, yet some things Noir’s loyalty, Sofia’s constant presence at her side remained unshakable.

She let out a small sigh, cold breath mingling with the purple campfire smoke.

"Tomorrow we continue west," she murmured to the night wind. "There’s still so much I want to see."

The wind answered with a gentle gust, carrying the faint scent of lake water and wet grass. The fire burned on, its soft purple light illuminating the tent, the sleeping girl, the watchful queen, and the loyal zombie dragon.

Beneath the secret-filled sky, by the small lake reflecting an overly close moon, Nocture felt distant yet safe. And for this one night, Sylvia allowed herself to feel something long lost: peace.

Noir rumbled softly again, like a lullaby for his queen. And the fused world continued to breathe quietly around them.

Sylvia stayed awake long after Sofia’s breathing grew deep and even. The death flame danced steadily, its deep purple never dimming even as the wood thinned. She added one more branch with slow movements, as though reluctant to disturb the night’s silence. Noir shifted his head slightly more comfortably in her lap, his cold scales feeling like living obsidian chilly, yet reassuringly present.

She gazed at the lake surface, now almost completely black, lit only by the moon’s reflection and the faint glow of the campfire. The water was still, but occasionally small ripples appeared without cause like the slow breath of the world itself. Sylvia extended her hand, fingers nearly touching the water, then stopped. She knew this lake wasn’t ordinary water; after the fusion, many such places held remnants of old energy, trapped memories, or even small spirits not yet ready to leave.

"What do you see in there?" she murmured to the darkness, her voice barely audible.

There was no answer, but the Chain of Abyss on her wrist trembled once softly like a whisper. Sylvia withdrew her hand and hugged her knees. For the first time in an extremely long while, her mind wasn’t filled with war strategies, perimeter reports, or threats from the northern sea. There was only the night wind, the campfire, the peacefully sleeping Sofia, and the ever-loyal Noir.

She remembered the time before the fusion when she was still an ordinary human, before the Chain of Abyss chose her, before Phantom Bloom grew in her chest. Back then, nights like this felt ordinary: cold, quiet, but never truly painful. Now the cold felt different, not an enemy, but an old friend returning to visit.

"Have I changed too much?" she whispered to Noir.

The dragon only rumbled softly, the sound like distant earth vibrations. He needed no words; his presence was answer enough.

Sylvia glanced at Sofia. The girl’s golden hair glowed faintly under moonlight, her face calm and unburdened. Sylvia gave a faint smile, one that rarely appeared, cold yet warm at the corners of her lips. "You always said I was too serious. Maybe you were right."

She rose carefully so as not to wake Sofia, draped her cloak over the girl as an extra blanket, then walked to the lake’s edge, standing right at the waterline. The moon reflected perfectly in her pitch-black eyes, making her pupils look like tiny portals into darkness.

"If this world keeps changing," she murmured to the moon, "then I must change too. But not everything. Some things... I want to keep the same."

The wind answered with an even gentler gust, carrying a faint scent of black roses from somewhere far away, the aroma of Nocture somehow reaching here. Sylvia closed her eyes, letting the wind caress her face.

Behind her, Noir lifted his head, red eyes glowing as he watched his master with full attention. He didn’t move, only guarded, as always.

Sylvia returned to the campfire, sat again, and pulled her own sleeping bag closer. She didn’t truly sleep. She rarely slept deeply since becoming the Queen of Death but she allowed her body to rest, eyes half-closed, mind drifting gently.

The night passed peacefully. The fire continued burning, the moon slowly shifted, and the night wind eventually softened into a gentle caress. Among the blinking purple crystals in the sky, the fused world kept breathing and for one full night, Sylvia let herself become part of that breath, no longer the ruler who had to control it.

When dawn began to break on the western horizon, the first faint light touching the lake surface, Sylvia fully opened her eyes. Sofia was still asleep, Noir still on watch, and the world felt just a little lighter on her shoulders.

"Wake up," she whispered softly, gently shaking Sofia’s shoulder. "New day. There’s still so much we have to see."

Sofia stirred, her golden eyes slowly opening, then broke into a wide smile when she saw Sylvia’s face.

"Morning, Sylvia. Ready for more adventure?"

Sylvia gave a small nod, her faint smile returning.

"Always."