Rosalia — POV
When the jeeps rolled in and halted on the road, the growl of engines and the stench of human presence stirred the zombies that lingered nearby.
Those creatures, which had been sluggishly wandering with no purpose, dragging their bodies without direction, all turned their heads toward the vehicles. How could they not? Their meal had just arrived.
As for me—someone blessed with a mysterious golden finger I still didn't understand—my existence was completely invisible to these monsters. That was why, even though I should have been an easy and tempting prey, the zombies ignored me.
So, from the very moment the jeeps stopped and people stepped out, the undead lunged for their food—walking, crawling, stumbling, rushing—every kind of corpse, big or small, dragging itself toward the fresh prey.
And in that instant, the fragile balance snapped. The street became a battlefield.
Which was why, while Cassel walked toward me and I had my entire focus fixed on him, the rest of his men were occupied fighting off the horde. It wasn't as massive as the one I had encountered at the university gates, but it was still dangerous enough.
That was why Cassel's men were shouting "Boss!" over and over with such urgency.
Their leader, however, had his eyes locked on me.
And as for me… from the instant I laid eyes on my beloved Cassel, the outside world lost all meaning. I no longer saw, nor heard, anything else. The surrounding chaos became irrelevant. Which is why—I mean, well—I failed to notice all those trivial details.
And that was what led to this situation.
The man with blue eyes, almost Cassel's height, looked me over and said mockingly,
"Yooo, ugly girl, you've got a lot of supplies there. And even men's clothes? Are those for your boyfriend?"
It was clear he wasn't expecting an answer, for he quickly added with a half-suppressed laugh,
"Never mind, it doesn't matter. These belong to us now. As for taking you with us, well—you'll have to ask the Boss. If he agrees, you can come."
"If he's the Boss, then my things belong to him—not to you, you arrogant peacock! Hand it over!"
I leapt at him, the hem of my beautiful red skirt fluttering as I shouted in fury. But no matter how high I jumped, I couldn't reach the bag in his grip. After several failed attempts, my cheeks burned crimson with both anger and exhaustion.
Henry rummaged through my bag at an alarming speed, preventing me from reclaiming it. When he saw the pile of items inside—new men's clothes, toys, candy, food—he looked back at me with those blue eyes.
And, for the record, I never found them attractive. I had always preferred my favorite's black eyes—everyone else might call them terrifying or murderous, but to me they were a thousand times more beautiful than this idiot Henry's.
Henry tilted his head and said slyly, "Hey, girl, are you a monkey? Hahaha. Are you trying to win the Boss over by offering him these things? But isn't it a little… strange, giving another man your boyfriend's clothes? Besides, our Boss has severe phobias—he won't wear things that belonged to others."
"No, no, don't believe him!" I cried. "These are all brand new—I took them from the mall! They even have the price tags on them, still sealed!"
That bastard. Just moments ago I had considered saving his life, and now he was ruining my image in front of my Cassel!
What did he mean by 'boyfriend's clothes'? I never even had a boyfriend! These things were all for Cassel—my beloved, the only one who mattered in my heart.
"Got you," Henry Macliff muttered.
I froze at those two soft words, lifting my head to stare at him suspiciously. For some reason, his gaze sent a chill down my spine.
This time his eyes no longer held teasing amusement; instead, he was watching me with a forced smile, something sharp lurking beneath.
What did he mean by got you?
Ah… oh, God, how stupid could I be?
I had forgotten his character entirely.
This man wasn't just close to Cassel. He was Cassel's personal aide and bodyguard—sharp, cunning, dangerously intelligent.
When he saw me in clean clothes untouched by blood or dirt, when he opened my bag filled with supplies, he had suspected me from the very beginning. Yet he played along, waiting until my guard slipped and my anger betrayed me.
This smiling devil—I had completely overlooked the fox behind the mask.
I looked at Henry, whose expression was both a smile and not, and couldn't stop myself from muttering under my breath,
"Cunning old fox."
Henry's brow arched sharply.
Had he heard me? My voice had been so low.
Wait—don't tell me he really had an awakened ability?
If I remember correctly, his power was—
"Who are you, and how have you survived this long?"
The voice that cut through the air was cold, magnetic, devastatingly alluring.
My breath caught as my gaze snapped to Cassel.
He spoke. Cassel spoke to me. He was addressing me.
Gratitude and love swelled inside me, but it was short-lived—for my beloved was staring at me with wariness, as though I were an enemy.
The pain in my throat was unbearable.
Before I could even think what to say, a zombie—kicked aside by one of Cassel's men—came hurtling straight toward his back.
"Watch out!" I screamed.
I had never known such fear. The vision of Cassel's death flashed before me—him surrounded, torn apart by the horde.
Without thinking, I lunged forward and grabbed his hand.
The plan had been to pull him out of harm's way.
But reality didn't cooperate.
No matter how hard I pulled, I couldn't move him.
Why was saving the male lead always so easy for heroines? Why was my Cassel so impossibly heavy?!
And then something unexpected happened.
The zombie charging at Cassel—fangs bared, hunger blazing in its eyes—suddenly froze.
It looked lost.
As though its prey, just a few steps away, had vanished into thin air.
After a few growls of confusion, it turned aside and rushed back toward the men fighting near the jeeps.
Relief washed over me. Tears blurred my eyes as I looked up at the tall, handsome man in front of me.
I was terrified for him.
But Cassel, as always, showed no trace of fear.
Henry, however, was staring intently at me. Something sharp flickered in his gaze.
At that moment, I realized—when I grabbed Cassel's hand, my arm had brushed against Henry, who had been standing right beside him. He had seen. He had noticed.
His expression grew serious as he finally broke the silence.
"Do you have a supernatural ability?"
I ignored him, keeping my eyes locked on Cassel. My only thought was how to make him accept me into his team. I had to go with him. I had to protect him.
But Henry didn't care about being ignored. Calmly, logically, he pressed on.
"From your clothes and the items you've brought, I can tell you looted the mall recently. But that mall, at the beginning of the apocalypse, was swarming with hundreds of zombies, if not thousands. Yet you came back without a scratch. Judging from your build, you're not exactly super strong. So the only explanation—"
He laughed softly, reaching out to tap my shoulder with his long finger, again and again, until I swatted his hand away in anger.
Unfazed, he smiled and said, "At last, you're looking at me. So tell me directly—do you have the kind of power that makes you invisible to zombies?"
That damn fox. Always sharp, always clever—drawing out the truth with just a few clues.
Damn him.
It wasn't like I wanted to hide it forever. The truth was, I didn't even understand how this ability worked, or if it really was a power. My plan had been to join Cassel's team, earn his trust, and only then reveal it.
I glanced at Henry for a moment, then turned away, looking at Cassel's expressionless face. He didn't look surprised at Henry's deduction.
Of course not. They said a leader's insight surpassed his subordinates'. No doubt Cassel had already seen through me from the start.
Confusion knotted inside me. I didn't know what to do, or what to say.
I kept staring at Cassel's cold, perfect face, motionless.
Then, at last, Cassel's vivid red lips parted.
Whoever claimed only girls had beautiful lips had clearly never seen his. My beloved's lips were flawless—especially for a kiss—
"Do you have a supernatural ability?" Cassel asked.
The moment the question left his mouth, I blurted out everything in a rush.
I explained how, ever since leaving the university, I had discovered the zombies couldn't see me. How I had entered the mall, how I had gathered supplies, and finally, how I only wished to reach a safe place.
Henry arched a brow, smirking. "I asked you earlier, and you ignored me completely. But when the Boss asks, you spill everything without hesitation. Some girl you are."
"Are you the Boss?" I shot back.
The meaning was clear: I wouldn't waste my breath on someone like you.
Cassel didn't comment on our bickering. He simply turned, heading back toward the jeeps, leaving behind a single word.
"Follow me."
I stared after his back, uncertain if he meant me—or Henry.
Until Henry nudged my shoulder and said with a smirk, "Didn't you hear the Boss call you? Looks like we'll have a new little sister in the group from now on."
{To Be Continued…}