In the middle of the zombie apocalypse, I found myself a massive, dim witted bodyguard. He possessed the strength of a god and the obedience of a golden retriever. He spoiled me rotten, letting me play the absolute worst kind of pampered princess. Just as I threw away the dry ration bar he had risked his life to find, whining that I wanted a strawberry shortcake instead, a stream of floating text suddenly materialized in my vision. [Look at this chick treating the future Zombie King like a stray dog.] [Benjamin is just in his evolutionary phase. His mind is foggy, and he’s mistaking this toxic girl for the sweet kid who lived next door to him growing up.] [Joke’s on her. Benjamin has been secretly in love with the actual female lead for years. Once he finishes mutating tonight and gets his sanity back, he is absolutely going to tear this fake to pieces and feed her to the horde!] I stared at the floating text, my jaw practically hitting the floor. Right at that moment, Benjamin walked back in. He looked like he had taken a nasty fall. Crimson tracked down his forehead, and his jacket was shredded. Yet, his hands were carefully cupping a horribly smashed strawberry shortcake, offering it to me like a sacred relic. “Luna… eat the cake.” The catch? The campus beauty, my beloved sister, was the one named Luna. 1 I stiffly lowered my gaze to the hulking guy crouching in front of me. He was still holding out his prized possession. Because I was taking too long to react, a flicker of panic crossed his dark eyes. “Luna… you don’t like cake anymore?” “Tell me what you want… I will go find it.” My brain violently rebooted. The floating comments just said Benjamin was the Zombie King. And that he was getting his sanity back tonight. Thinking about how I had been acting like a total brat these past few days, demanding the impossible and treating him like dirt, a cold shiver crawled up my spine. I was a dead woman walking. My eyes slowly drifted down to the pulverized strawberry cake. I forced the corners of my mouth up into the most painful smile of my life. “I love it.” I reached out and took the cake, my voice coming out so sickly sweet it gave me goosebumps. “Benjamin, you are so good to me.” Survival rule number one. Stop the abuse immediately and start sucking up. Maybe if I buttered him up enough, he would be slightly less inclined to rip my head off when he woke up tomorrow. Benjamin lowered his head, the tips of his ears turning a bright, burning red. Even smeared with blood and grime, his face was absurdly handsome. Strong brow bone, straight nose. His cognitive fog usually made him look a bit slow, but right now, with his dark hair falling over his eyes, there was something wildly magnetic about him. I swallowed hard. But I snapped out of it a second later. Now was not the time to be thirsty. The man kneeling in front of me was the future ruler of the undead, and I was apparently on his menu. The text was still scrolling in front of my eyes. [Oh, now she’s scared? Too late.] [She’s been bossing him around all week!] [She made the literal Zombie King fetch water, wash her dirty laundry, make her bed, and she even uses his abs as a personal heater at night!] [Treating the apex predator of the apocalypse like a pool boy. Bold move.] I was speechless. Suddenly, the cake in my hands lost all its appeal. Seeing my hesitation, Benjamin asked cautiously, “Luna… is it too dirty? The blood didn’t touch the frosting.” That was when I noticed the back of his head. It was completely coated in blood, with thick red trails running down his neck. I set the cake down and immediately grabbed his wrist. “How did you get hurt this badly?” Benjamin stared at me blankly. He really wasn’t used to me showing actual concern. And to be fair, I had been awful to him. If I didn’t like the crackers he found, I tossed them on the floor and told him to try again. If I thought the tap water tasted weird, I made him risk his life navigating the infested administration building just to get me bottled water. Whenever I got cold, I ordered him to get into my sleeping bag and warm it up with his body. Sometimes I complained that his jacket smelled and forced him to take it off entirely. And Benjamin always listened. He would just blush, pull his shirt up, and let me press my freezing hands against his stomach. Looking back at my endless list of crimes, my vision actually swam. But this was my chance for redemption. I scrambled to find my meager stash of medical supplies and pushed him down into a chair. “Don’t move.” “I am going to patch you up.” Benjamin sat obediently. His massive frame hunched forward slightly, making him look like a very well trained mastiff. I soaked a cotton swab in iodine and gently cleaned the blood from his scalp. The terrifying part was that the wound was already closing. A thin, pale scab had already formed over what should have been a fatal gash. My eyes darkened. The floating comments were right. He wasn’t human anymore. 2 My mind raced, and on cue, tears welled up in my eyes. Benjamin instantly froze. “Luna?” I kept my head down, letting my voice tremble. “Today is my birthday.” I hugged the crushed cake to my chest, letting the tears fall thick and fast. “My family never celebrates my birthday.” “This is the first time I have ever had a birthday cake since I went back home.” “Thank you, Benjamin.” 3 I wasn’t actually lying. Everyone at school knew the campus sweetheart, Luna, and I were twin sisters. But the truth was, we shared no blood. When I was seven, I wandered off and got abducted. My mother wept day and night until her mind nearly broke. To save her sanity, my father adopted a girl from the local orphanage and gave her my name. Luna. The bright, beautiful moon. The fake Luna was naturally gorgeous, outgoing, and charming. She quickly smoothed over my mother’s grief and completely took my place. Eventually, no one ever spoke of the lost child again. Eight years later, the police brought me back to my family’s doorstep. I was dangerously skinny, tanned dark from working in the sun, and socially stunted from years of abuse. I was wearing a pair of filthy canvas shoes with holes in the toes. I stood in front of that beautiful suburban mansion, too terrified to take a step inside. My parents stared at me for a long time. It was as if they had suddenly remembered that the perfect, shining daughter standing beside them wasn’t actually theirs. The next day, the family released a statement. The twin sister who had been stolen at birth was finally found. They named me Niki. A star. Just a tiny, insignificant star meant to orbit the moon. Luna insisted on keeping the day she was adopted as her birthday. Naturally, as her supposed twin, my birthday had to be the exact same day. Whenever I mentioned wanting to celebrate my actual birthday, her eyes would well up with tears. “Does Niki not want to be my twin anymore?” she would ask. “If our birthdays are different, everyone will know I am a fake.” My parents hated seeing her upset. From that day on, my real birthday was strictly forbidden in the house. No cake. No flowers. I wasn’t even allowed to mention it to my friends. Eventually, I just stopped celebrating altogether. Honestly, I didn’t care that much. I bumped my head during the kidnapping and lost most of my memories before age five anyway. I didn’t remember what it felt like to be loved by them, so losing it didn’t hurt. Plus, my life now was infinitely better than when I was taken. I had food. I had warm clothes. Nobody beat me. I was satisfied. But right now, I needed to play the ultimate victim card. I needed Benjamin to remember I was a miserable, tragic little thing when he woke up, hoping it would dilute his murderous rage. I cried like my life depended on it. Which it did. “Benjamin.” “You are the very first person to ever buy me a birthday cake.” Benjamin’s heart practically shattered on the spot. He clumsily raised a hand, wanting to touch me but terrified of breaking me. Finally, he used the sleeve of his shirt to gently wipe a tear from my cheek. “Luna… please do not cry.” “I will get you one… every single year.” I buried my face in his chest and wailed even louder. Faking it, obviously. Benjamin held me awkwardly, his large palm patting my back as if I were made of glass. Pressed against his chest, I inhaled the crisp, cool scent of him. There was absolutely no rotting stench like the other zombies outside. Glancing up, I caught a glimpse of the sharp lines of his chest through his torn collar. Lower down, those abs were definitely still there. Lord have mercy. 4 To be fair, there was a reason I ended up relying on a dim witted guy for survival. The day the outbreak hit, the campus descended into absolute chaos. Students started awakening special abilities right and left. Some could throw fireballs. Some got x ray vision to see zombies through walls. Others got super strength and could punch through metal doors. And me? Nothing. Not a single spark. Luna was the center of attention. She had awakened a healing ability. Even though she could only fix minor scratches at the moment, it made her royalty in the apocalypse. She stood in the center of the classroom, comforting everyone with her gentle voice. “We cannot stay trapped in here forever.” “I think we should form a group and go look for rescue.” Everyone immediately agreed. Someone cast a sideways glance at me. “Niki doesn’t have any powers. It is a warzone out there. What if she drags us down?” Luna bit her lip, looking incredibly torn. “Niki… why don’t you stay here where it is safe? Once we find the military, we will come right back for you.” And just like that, they all left. They left me with a single pack of crackers and half a bottle of water. I waited for days. Nobody came back. By the third night, I swallowed the last crumb of my crackers. My stomach was cramping with hunger. I had to risk going out. I shoved aside the desks blocking the classroom door, gripped my baseball bat, and squeezed out into the hallway. The sounds of dragging footsteps echoed through the dark school. I didn’t dare waste time. I made a beeline for the campus minimart downstairs. But just as I rounded the corner, I heard a low, guttural snarl. Three zombies were hunched by the entrance, tearing into something on the floor. I panicked and spun around to run. My foot slipped, and I crashed right into a metal trash can. The noise was deafening. The zombies whipped their heads up. I froze, my body completely paralyzed by terror and starvation. Just as the closest one lunged at me, a wooden desk flew out of nowhere. It smashed into the zombie, sending it flying backward. It didn’t get up. I slowly turned my head. A tall man was standing at the top of the stairs. Broad shoulders, long legs, built like a fighter. His clothes were hanging off him in rags, exposing the dense muscle underneath. He stared at me, a low sound rattling in his throat. I gripped my bat, tears pricking my eyes. With those sounds, he had to be a zombie too. But he just stood there, staring holes into me. Then, very slowly, his ears turned red. “Found… Luna.” I tested the waters. “Can you understand me?” He gave a slow, delayed nod. Okay, so he was just a little slow. I pointed toward the minimart and the remaining zombies. “Then go get me some food.” He actually turned and walked right in. He grabbed a metal chair. One swing, one kill. The zombies dropped like flies. Clean, brutal, and efficient. I watched with my jaw unhinged. And that was the day I picked up my massive, brain damaged bodyguard, and officially began my life as the useless princess of the apocalypse. 5 Benjamin was incredibly useful. His strength was terrifying, and he mowed down zombies like he was cutting grass. And he was so obedient. If I pointed left, he wouldn’t dare look right. I didn’t know why he listened to me, but in the end of the world, you take what you can get. Mimicking the way Luna used to order our maids around back home, I started bossing Benjamin around. He brought me meals, fetched my water, and did whatever I asked. It was liberating. So this was how Luna felt all those years. Having someone wait on you hand and foot was an incredible rush. But a full stomach leads to wandering thoughts. Having a ridiculously attractive guy hovering around me 24/7 was distracting. Especially since his brain was currently offline and he had zero sense of personal boundaries. My inner demons started winning. I used the excuse that the blankets he found were too thin. I told him I was freezing. I ordered him to share my sleeping bag. Benjamin’s metabolism was insane. He ran hotter than a furnace, making him the perfect human space heater. Halfway through the night, I would unconsciously roll over and bury myself in his chest. He would go completely rigid, but he never pushed me away. Eventually, it became a routine. Every night, he would unbutton his shirt and slide into the blankets to preheat them. Once it was warm, he would look down submissively. “Princess Luna. Time for sleep.” 6 Night fell. Benjamin boiled some water for me, double checked the barricades on the windows, and then started hand washing my dirty clothes from the day. Resources were scarce, but thanks to him, I was living better than most billionaires. The floating text popped up again. [Look at him washing her clothes. When the Zombie King gets his memory back, he’s going to literally explode with rage.] [Enjoy it while it lasts, side character. This is your last night.] [Tomorrow, he’s going straight back to the female lead.] [He only loves the real Luna. He’s just confused right now.] Reading that made my stomach tie itself into knots. I just made you do some chores, buddy. Is that really worth a death sentence? I was young. I really didn’t want to die. Benjamin finished the laundry and hung it by the window. He walked over, slid into the sleeping bag, and started warming it up. As soon as he lay down, I instinctively rolled into his arms. I rested my hand on his waist. It was burning hot. I paused. His temperature was always high, but this was like touching a stove. His brow was furrowed in agony, his breathing ragged and harsh. Sweat soaked the fresh bandages on his forehead, and his face was terrifyingly pale. My heart dropped. He was evolving. The comments went wild. [Here it comes!] [The King is waking up!] [She is so dead tomorrow morning.] [I’ve been so mad watching her use him. Can’t wait to see her get what she deserves.] Benjamin let out a low, pained groan. His fingers curled tightly into the fabric of my shirt. “Luna…” “Sweet Luna…” He called the name over and over. His voice was hoarse, tearing from his throat like it physically hurt to speak. I looked down at him, feeling a sudden, strange tightness in my chest. My original plan was to wait until he fell asleep and sneak out into the night. But I couldn’t leave him like this. Whether he was going to kill me tomorrow or not, he had protected me. Without him, I would have starved in that classroom or been torn apart outside the minimart. I let out a heavy sigh. I got up, soaked a towel in cold water, and placed it gently on his forehead. I took another damp cloth and carefully wiped the sweat from his neck and collarbones. His fever kept climbing. His body felt like it was engulfed in invisible flames. But his hand never let go of my shirt. I tried twice to pull free, failed, and finally just sat on the floor next to him. His brows were locked tight in pain as he mumbled through the fever. “Luna…” “Cake…” “Don’t cry…” I lowered my eyes. Benjamin had been so incredibly good to me. I had never felt warmth like this from anyone, let alone during the apocalypse. Under the bridge effect of constant danger, how could I not develop feelings for him? But I also hated myself for catching feelings for someone who wasn’t in his right mind. So I overcompensated by acting like a demanding brat, trying to mask the flutter in my chest. And now, he was about to wake up. It was a shame. I wasn’t his Luna. This fairy tale was stolen. And the clock was about to strike midnight. 7 The sky was just starting to turn gray. Benjamin’s temperature had finally dropped, but he was still asleep. The innocent, vacant look was completely gone from his face. Even unconscious, his sharp features radiated a cold, dangerous edge. I watched him for a long time. Once I was sure he was deeply asleep, I carefully pried my shirt out of his grip. He had spent the entire night calling for his sweet Luna. Now that his mind was returning, the imposter needed to make her exit. I packed the crackers and water I had been secretly hoarding into my backpack. Hey, it was the apocalypse. Did you really think I wouldn’t squirrel away some supplies while I had a superhuman doing my grocery shopping? A girl needs a backup plan. Before I left, I looked at him one last time. He would never again be the sweet, blushing guy who called me his princess. “Benjamin,” I whispered into the quiet room. “The girl you are looking for is the other Luna.” “Thank you for everything. Goodbye.” I grabbed my baseball bat, pushed the door open, and walked out. 8 I had barely made it down to the second floor landing. A low level zombie was shuffling aimlessly at the end of the hall. Its school uniform was stained a rusty, unidentifiable color. Hearing my footsteps, it slowly turned its head. I gripped the bat so hard my knuckles turned white. I prayed to every god and spirit I could think of, and then I charged. My first swing missed the head and slammed into its shoulder. It stumbled, but immediately lunged at me again. I let out a terrified shriek, closed my eyes, and swung blindly. A sickening crack echoed in the hall. I hit the skull. The zombie collapsed and didn’t move again. I leaned heavily against the wall, gasping for air. My hands were shaking so badly I almost dropped the bat. I actually killed one. The first step is always the hardest. If I can do it once, I can do it again. Niki, you can survive this on your own! If the timing wasn’t so terrible, I would have given myself a standing ovation. But my triumph lasted exactly two seconds. The noise had been too loud. From the dark depths of the hallway, a chorus of snarls answered. One. Two. Three. The numbers multiplied rapidly. My scalp went numb. Without a second thought, I turned and sprinted down the stairs. These were basic zombies. Slow and clumsy. They didn’t catch me immediately. I vaulted over a knocked down cabinet by the exit, boots crunching over shattered glass as I burst out of the science building. The wind tore at my lungs like shards of glass. I didn’t dare look back. I just ran. Past the notice boards. Across the empty basketball courts. Out toward the food street by the campus gates. But my stamina was garbage. Back in gym class, a half mile run used to make me dizzy. Running for my life for fifteen straight minutes was my absolute limit. My legs finally gave out, and I slammed hard onto the pavement. The pack was right behind me. The closest one opened its rotting jaw, diving straight for my throat. My mind went completely blank. This was it. I should have just stayed in the room. Getting torn apart by the Zombie King sounded vastly more dignified than this. A split second later, a steel pipe shot through the air from my blind spot. It drove straight through the zombie’s head, pinning it to the asphalt. I stared in shock. Someone rushed forward, grabbing my arm and hauling me to my feet. “Niki?” “You’re actually alive?” I looked up into a familiar face. Griffin. Our class president. And the strongest ability user in our old group. He had awakened metal manipulation. He could control steel pipes, doors, knives, anything metallic. He was frowning at me. Behind him stood a group of our classmates. And standing perfectly safe in the center of the group, wearing a pristine white dress, was Luna. Clearly, she had been living very comfortably. The moment she saw me, a flash of genuine shock crossed her face. But a second later, her eyes went red, and she came running toward me. “Niki!” “Oh my god, you’re alive. I’m so happy.” 9 Luna hugged me tight, crying her eyes out. It wasn’t until the rest of the group stepped in to comfort her that she finally let go, dabbing at her red eyes. “I’m so sorry, Niki,” she sobbed. “We wanted to go back for you, but the campus was suddenly swarming. We couldn’t break through.” “The military rescue never came, so we had to set up a camp in an office building nearby.” “I spent every night thinking you were…” She broke off, choking on her tears. The guys in the group immediately swarmed her with sympathy. “It’s okay, Luna. Don’t blame yourself.” “It was a nightmare back then. Nobody could have saved everyone.” I kept my head down and said nothing. Griffin looked me over. “Any bites?” I shook my head. “No.” He jutted his chin toward the girls. “Check her.” After two girls took me into a nearby shop for a thorough inspection, I was allowed into the group. They had just finished their supply run for the day and were heading back to their base. I was shoved to the very back of the formation. I was assigned rear guard duty alongside two guys who had defensive earth abilities. One of them tossed a rock hard piece of bread at my chest. “Eat up. For someone with zero powers, you’re lucky you’re getting this.” I caught the bread. There was a patch of green mold on the crust. I silently picked the mold off and shoved the rest into my mouth. It tasted like cardboard. Worse than the dry rations Benjamin used to bring me. But I knew the reality. Aside from the sweet, confused Benjamin, nobody in this world was going to cater to me. I suddenly missed him. But I killed the thought instantly. He was awake now. He was probably out looking for Luna. Or maybe he was tracking me down to snap my neck. The floating text returned right on schedule. [Bet the side character realizes how good she had it now.] [Without the King, she’s literally trash.] [She was smart to run when she did, though. The King’s awakening is starting.] [Every zombie within a hundred miles is going to be drawn to his aura. In a week, this entire sector is going to be ground zero for a massive horde.] My boots stopped dead on the pavement. What? A hundred miles? Ground zero? I turned my head stiffly. Far in the distance, back toward the science building, a low, continuous roar was building. The sound was getting denser by the second. 10 I wanted to warn the group to evacuate immediately. Luckily, Griffin was already planning to move the camp to the Southern Sanctuary. They were just gathering the last of their road supplies before heading out. But the streets were getting worse. They would clear a block, and ten minutes later, a fresh wave of infected would flood in. They were moving with purpose. All heading toward the campus. The anxiety in the group was spiking. “What the hell is going on?” “This street was clear yesterday.” “Is someone bleeding? Are we attracting them?” As the guy said it, his eyes drifted accusingly toward me. I looked down at my clothes. Yeah, I was covered in dirt and dust. But there was no blood. The reason I was filthy was that Toby, the guy with the water ability, rationed out water every night for washing. Whenever it was my turn, he would just shrug. “Sorry. Tapped out for the day.” But every single morning, Luna walked out with freshly washed hair, smelling like expensive soap. One was the beautiful healer. The other was the powerless burden. Everyone knew exactly where the water was going. I hadn’t bothered complaining. I was used to this dynamic from back home. But maybe Benjamin had spoiled me a little too much, because my temper flared. “Why are you looking at me?” I snapped. “I’m not bleeding.” The guy’s face darkened. “Watch your tone, Niki. If Luna wasn’t so soft hearted, you think we’d let a leech like you tag along?” Luna immediately stepped in, her voice dripping with gentle concern. “Stop fighting, guys. Niki didn’t mean it.” “I’ll make sure she’s more careful next time so she doesn’t draw them to us.” With two sweet sentences, she perfectly pinned the blame on me. I pressed my lips together and swallowed my anger. Because Benjamin was mutating, the zombie density was skyrocketing. If they kicked me out now, I wouldn’t last an hour. Griffin stopped walking and threw a cold look back at us. “Save your breath. Incoming.” The group went dead silent. Griffin raised his hand. Several pieces of rebar ripped out of the concrete and shot forward, piercing the skulls of the approaching infected. Clean and fast. A bitter taste flooded my mouth. Having powers really was everything.
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