Jayce buried his face in Sierra’s neck. "Sierra, there’s no need to be embarrassed. What’s there to be embarrassed about between us?"
Knowing Jayce was saying it on purpose, Sierra couldn’t be bothered to argue with him.
That’s just how Jayce was.
He was serious when he needed to be, and completely irreverent when he wasn’t.
But that was also what made him so much more interesting.
They had experienced a lot that day, and both of them were exhausted.
They exchanged a few words, turned off the light, and were both asleep a short while later.
That night, Sierra didn’t sleep well.
In her dream, she and Jayce were rescuing survivors.
But when they got inside a building, they discovered there wasn’t a single living person left; they had all turned into zombies.
By the time they realized it, it was too late to retreat.
Hideous zombies swarmed them, completely surrounding the pair.
Sierra tried to use her Superpower, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t activate it.
A sense of powerlessness washed over her.
Just as the zombies closed in, about to tear her and Jayce to pieces, she woke with a start.
Sierra sat up in bed, gasping for breath, her eyes wide with terror.
After panting for a good while, Sierra finally began to calm down. It was only then that she realized she was drenched in sweat.
Ever since her rebirth, things had been going relatively smoothly. She had a good grasp of the apocalyptic world, and no matter what situation arose, she had never been this nervous.
But the appearance of zombies was something she had never anticipated.
Sierra had to admit, she was truly scared.
No matter how ferocious Aberrant Beasts were, they were still another species.
But zombies were different.
Before they turned into zombies, they were human!
People who were once your own kind had suddenly become another species, and you even had to kill each other.
Worse still, they had Crystal Cores in their heads that could be used to enhance your own Superpowers...
When she read novels in the past, she never thought there was anything wrong with a premise like this.
But now that she was experiencing it firsthand, she finally understood how sickening it felt.
Sierra didn’t know how others might feel, but she truly couldn’t accept it.
At least, not for the time being.
Sierra rubbed her throbbing temples. Just as she was about to get out of bed, Jayce pushed the door open and walked in.
Jayce had a smile on his face, but it vanished the instant he saw Sierra’s condition, replaced by concern.
"Sierra!" Jayce crossed the room in a few quick strides, reaching her side in the blink of an eye. "What’s wrong?"
Seeing Jayce before her, Sierra didn’t hesitate, immediately throwing her arms around him.
"I’m fine."
Sierra’s voice was muffled.
"I just had a nightmare."
Jayce hugged her back, gently patting her on the back. "It’s okay. Dreams are just the opposite of reality. Whatever you dreamed about, I promise it won’t happen."
If this had been the old Sierra, she would have agreed with Jayce.
But the Sierra of today remained silent.
After a good while, once Sierra had calmed down, she told him about her dream.
"I know... it might just be because I was worried about it, and that’s why I dreamed it. But I think we should still treat it as a reference, or at least a warning. Those stones were brought into the base from the outside. Survivors out there have a much higher chance of getting their hands on them. They don’t know what the stones are. What if...?"
If even one zombie appears and isn’t eliminated in time, more will quickly follow.
Sierra understood this, and so did Jayce.
Jayce’s expression grew grim. "I’ll go find Dad in a bit and tell him. I’ll have him brief the search and rescue teams."
Sierra nodded. "Being more vigilant can prevent a lot of accidents."
Even if we can’t avoid it entirely... every life saved is a victory.
"Try not to dwell on it so much. I’ll go run a bath for you. A nice hot soak will help calm your nerves," Jayce said.
Sierra didn’t refuse.
A hot bath at a time like this was indeed an excellent idea.
It was over an hour later when Sierra, all cleaned up, finally came out of the bedroom.
Candice Tate was in the living room, using her power to grow fruits and vegetables, while two Space System Superpower Users next to her were busy storing the produce.
Sierra had never seen these two Superpower Users before; they must have awakened their abilities recently.
The two of them grew a bit stiff when they saw Sierra emerge.
Sierra smiled at them. "Go on with your work, don’t mind me!"
The two nodded instinctively, but it didn’t help them relax.
Finding this odd, Sierra subconsciously touched her face.
’Am I that scary?’
’Why do they get so tense just from seeing me?’
Though she found it strange, Sierra decided to head to the kitchen so as not to make them tense and hinder their work.
She made herself a bowl of noodles, ate it slowly, and washed the pot and bowl. Only then did Sierra feel like she had finally recovered.
Just as she was leaving the kitchen, Jayce opened the door and came in.
The moment Jayce saw Sierra, he spoke before she could even ask. "I’ve already told Dad. Don’t worry!"
"When have I ever not trusted you with things?"
She might not trust anyone else, but she would always trust Jayce.
Jayce might seem like a goof-off at times, but when it came to important matters, he was completely reliable.
"Where’s Nathan Thorne?" Sierra asked, finding it odd.
Nathan Thorne wasn’t the type to sit still; he wouldn’t just hole up in his room by himself.
Since he wasn’t in the living room, he definitely wasn’t at home.
"Dr. Hayes was looking for him first thing in the morning. I took him over after breakfast."
At this, a mischievous smile spread across Jayce’s face. "He was really worried on the way over, and even seemed a little reluctant to go."
"Why?" Sierra asked curiously. "He said yesterday that he would definitely cooperate. Did he change his mind after just one night?"
Jayce didn’t answer right away, instead rubbing his nose.
Sierra was very familiar with Jayce’s little habits.
Whenever Jayce made that gesture, it meant he felt a little guilty.
And sure enough, in the next moment, Jayce spoke up.
"Because... I spooked him yesterday..."
Jayce recounted what he’d said to Nathan Thorne the day before.
It all clicked for Sierra. "No wonder you two fought yesterday! So that’s what it was about."
Jayce really had been asking for a beating!
"But..." Jayce laughed again. "Still, you have to give Nathan Thorne some credit. He was clearly scared, but he still bit the bullet and went."
Hearing his teasing praise, Sierra felt a sense of exasperation.
"If he hadn’t gone, Dr. Hayes probably would have come and dragged him there personally. It’s not like he had a choice!"