It wasn't an easy start to the week.
I guess after everything I went through in my first two days in this hell—my rebirth,
the damn system, and Elyra's appearance—the least I could expect was a break.
But the Nexus doesn't give breaks. Only loops.
I try not to think too much.
The inventory still has some resources from the old world: unlabeled cans, a halffunctional
generator, and my faithful PC, which miraculously continues to operate after
the apocalypse. I spend the nights in front of the screen, like before... only now the
system is looking back at me.
Elyra is outside.
She said she needed to "remember who she was."
She doesn't know how old she was when she died, or how it happened.
She only remembers fragments: a white tower, a familiar voice, and a broken
promise. And the name Hella, which she pronounces like a strange memory,
almost with affection. Maybe they met before the plague. Or maybe it was
after... when there was nothing left to save.
Night falls—or at least it seems like it.
The Nexus sky is tinged with a gray tone, that tone that doesn't make it clear
whether the world is darkening or dawning.
I keep looking at the screen, tired, wondering if this place is a punishment or a poorly
programmed second chance.
I don't know how to react to Elyra.
She has something disturbing, yes, but not out
of malice. She is... too alive to be dead.
And sometimes, when the system is silent, I swear I hear her
breathing mixing with the hum of the generator. Maybe it's my head.
Or maybe, in this world, the line between what lives and what remains doesn't matter so much.
She—Elyra—was walking back after touring the abandoned town. She
looked at me shyly, as if afraid of breaking something by speaking. I didn't
say anything.
The silence between us lengthened until she finally broke it.
—What's your name?
—Zeke —I replied.
—What a strange name.
—No one in my homeland is named Elyra.
She frowned, pouting for barely a second before bursting into a soft, dry, but lively
laugh. Her voice sounded clearer, as if the dust stuck in her throat had finally dissolved.
I asked her if she was hungry.
She blinked, confused. She didn't understand the word. Her body maybe, but not her mind yet.
—Hungry? —she repeated, as if tasting a word from another language.
Instead of answering, she lay down on the bed, the same bed where—according to her —she
had slept for years before dying.
She took off the blankets... and, without the slightest hesitation, began to undress.
I turned away instantly, looking the other way.
—Please... cover yourself with the blanket I left you —I said, trying to maintain a serious
tone while my brain screamed don't look, don't look.
She covered herself in silence.
And with that, my mind returned to a minimally functional state.
Although I must admit... she had a body too perfect for someone who
technically shouldn't have a pulse.
Then I remembered that my ex had left some clothes in my apartment.
I searched through the inventory: underwear, a couple of dresses, some casual
clothes... even a couple of pajamas.
It's not like there was a clothing store near the Nexus.
—Are you awake? —I asked.
—Yes —she replied, her voice almost musical.
I took out the clothes and showed them to her.
—This is... clothing. From my world. So you can sleep comfortably —I explained, trying to
sound neutral.
Elyra looked at me with genuine curiosity, like a child in front of an unknown artifact.
She took one of the garments—a piece of underwear—and held it upside down,
turning it between her fingers.
—And this... where does it go? —she asked, innocently.
I froze. I swallowed.
—That… is worn under the dress —I told her, trying to keep my composure—. And… well,
the narrowest part goes… down.
She nodded with a disconcerting seriousness, as if she had just received critical
survival instructions.
—I understand —she said, carefully arranging the garment, almost as if it were a
sacred object.
I showed her the rest of the clothes and, finally, the pajamas.
—To sleep, it would be best to wear this —I told her, showing her one of the softest.
She nodded again, with a slight smile, as if she already understood the ritual.
I left the room to give her privacy.
The air outside was dense and icy, but the fog had cleared enough to reveal the sky.
A sky that was not mine.
Two moons emerged behind a mountain range, and beyond, a gigantic planet with rings
crossing the firmament.
Carl Sagan would be fascinated. I, on the other hand, just wanted a beer.
And then, the silence was
broken. A scream.
The kind of scream that rips your soul out through your throat.
I ran back to the house. I climbed the makeshift ladder in two jumps, my heart racing.
I pushed open the bedroom door.
—Elyra? What's wrong? An intruder? An undead?
She looked at me with a warm, pale, and perfectly carefree smile.
—The clothes are very pretty —she said.
I stood still, processing that with the face of someone who has just survived a heart attack.
—…What?
Elyra began to spin around, dancing in her new pajamas like a child who has just
received a birthday present.
—Am I your princess? —she asked, with a mischievous smile—. Only a noble could buy such
fine things.
I was just trying to keep my heart from exploding.
Then something changed.
Her gaze became dense. Her gray eyes turned red, deep and liquid like blood.
Her breathing quickened.
And before I could move, she jumped on me.
—Elyra! What…?!
She didn't get a chance to answer.
A visceral roar escaped her stomach.
Ah. Hunger.
I jumped to the side, tripping over a box. I looked for
something, anything, in the inventory.
I took out a package of salami and threw it as if trying to distract a rabid dog.
It worked.
Elyra caught it with trembling hands, smelled it, and devoured it
without thinking. Each bite was desperate, almost animalistic.
When she finished, she licked her
lips. Her eyes returned to gray.
—I'm not empty anymore —she whispered.
—That… that's being hungry —I explained, still half in shock.
She nodded, serene.
—Thank you, Zeke.
I asked her to lie down, to rest. I would sleep in the chair, with one eye open… just in case.
And while the generator hummed, I thought quietly:
"Perfect. Now I have an amnesiac, adorable vampire with food control issues.
What could go wrong?"
The sun rose with an unbearable brightness that hit me right in the
face. I still wasn't used to this world.
My chair, as ergonomic as it was, didn't replace a bed.
I sat up with a groan. I looked
towards Elyra's bed. Empty.
The silence weighed heavier than the night before.
When I left the room, I noticed that the bodies in the hallway... had disappeared.
Great.
I already had an undead at home. I didn't need any more surprises.
I went downstairs cautiously, the floorboards creaking as if they
were breathing. "Elyra?" I called from the second floor. No response.
She wasn't downstairs either.
Only silence... and something different in the air.
The front door was ajar. Then I saw it.
On a perfectly clean chair, her clothes rested, carefully folded, as
if someone had wanted to leave everything in order after a long
day. The detail chilled my blood.
Nothing in that house was clean. Nothing, except that.
I went outside, and the stench of rot had disappeared.
No trace of bodies, no bones, no that sour perfume of decomposition.
The front garden was empty, the ground marked by small footprints that were lost among
the ash.
I followed them, skirting the house, until I reached the backyard.
There she was.
Naked.
Her skin, covered in mud and ash, shone under the raw light of the Nexus sun.
She was on her back, kneeling in front of a newly covered hole. Her hands trembled, but her
expression—when she turned to hear my voice—was serene.
"I was just cleaning the house," she said, with that disconcerting calmness. "I didn't think it
was right to leave them without burial."
I was silent for a few seconds, not knowing what to
say. Perhaps a vestige of humanity, I thought. A
reflection of what she was before she died.
"Elyra..." I said at last, looking away. "You should take a bath."
He nodded, unfazed.
—You too —he added—. You smell like death.
I had to concede it.
Until that moment, I hadn't noticed my own smell with all the plague around, but as
soon as a gust of air reached me, I confirmed it. I definitely smelled like apocalypse.
Elyra pointed me towards the forest, behind the
house. —There —she said.
I followed the path. Among the ash-covered trees, the air was cleaner. The
murmur of the water guided me to a gently flowing stream.
The water was crystal clear. Incredibly
clean. Too clean for this rotten world.
I opened the console.
The cursor blinked with that cold glow that already felt like company. I typed
the command.
> run /enviro_scan --area:local
[CMD::NEXUS INTERFACE - PROTOCOL 02]
>> Environmental scan initiated...
>> Analyzing atmospheric composition...
>> Water source detected: 92% purity.
>> Residual Miasma: 0.003 ppm [CONTROLLED]
>> Environment classified: SAFE ZONE
[SECONDARY MISSION — COMPLETED]
Granting reward...
> add_item --inventory /bonus_set_bath_neko
[
[
[
[
[
Reward added to main inventory:
And ] Portable shower [status: operational]
And ] Folding bathtub [status: assemblable]
And ] Hot water system [status: 87% functional]
And ] Generator recharge [status: charged]
And ] Compact solar panel [status: calibrated]
>> End of transmission.
I blinked.
For the first time since I woke up in this hell, I smiled.
—At least something works as it should.
I turned around and headed to the back of the house to install what the system had given
me.
It took me a few hours, but I wasn't willing to take a cold shower; I needed to
cleanse my body of all that filth.
Finally, when I finished, I got into the shower.
The hot water falling on me felt like a distant memory of normality. As I rested in the
bathtub, mentally reviewing everything that had happened so far, I heard the door
open.
She came in without a word.
Without shame, without hesitation, she just... came in with me.
I didn't scream, but I did tense up.
Elyra only said, with that calmness that made her so
unpredictable: —I feel lonely... I want to spend time with you.
It took me an hour to explain to her that it wasn't right, that boys and girls
bathed separately.
She, with all the innocence (or madness) in the world, replied:
—But I am your princess... and you are my prince. Someday we will get married.
That really scared
me. I told herw teh ahtad to wait for that.
And she just nodded, as if I had given her an order.
She stayed in the bathtub for a while longer, confused by the sensation of the
hot water, and then went up to change. I did the same.
When I finished getting dressed, she came in wrapped in the towel I had left her and,
in an almost solemn tone, asked me to leave the room while she changed. Finally, I
understood some things.
It was my turn to cook.
The kitchen was a mess, so I went out to the front yard and took a portable grill from my
inventory.
I was going to prepare some grilled meat.
That would calm her down... and my stomach.
I didn't know how long my supplies would last, but I needed to eat.
As soon as I finished, she arrived like a blizzard, taking the meat from the grill with her bare
hands.
"Careful, you're going to burn
yourself!" I shouted. She looked at me
calmly, chewing. "No... it's just hot."
When she finished, I examined her
hands. Not a mark.
"I feel the heat," she said, "but it doesn't hurt me."
I just nodded, still scared. I preferred to
concentrate on my ration.
She smiled, with an expression of childish
satisfaction. "I'm full," she said.
But at that instant, her eyes turned red again. She
wasn't looking at me, but at something behind me.
I turned around... nothing.
And before I could say a word, Elyra shot off like a feline, disappearing
behind the house.
I ran after her, but before I could reach her I heard a
scream. Not Elyra's...
It was someone
else.
A familiar voice, cursing and spitting obscenities:
—You damn zombie bitch! How dare you attack your goddess?!
When I arrived, Elyra was on top of Hella, who was lying naked,
on her back on the ash-covered ground. Hella looked at me
pleadingly. —Make her stop!
—Elyra, stop it! —I shouted.
She jumped back and returned to my side, sulking. —
Hella, stupid goddess… she's bad, my prince.
Hella, covering herself with what was left of her dignity (and dirt),
shouted: —Turn around, you imbecile!
I obeyed, holding back laughter.
—What does a goddess have to suffer —she said— to get a decent shower in this world?
I, without looking at her, replied between
laughs: —Do the dead also bathe?
She sighed theatrically.
—Let's just say… I made a mistake. They took me out of the Nexus and replaced me
with a more modern interface. With AI and everything.
I froze.
The former goddess of the system, naked, arguing with my semi-sentient zombie in the
backyard.
Definitely, this was not heaven.
Hella wrapped herself in an old sheet, grumbling something about "the humiliation of a
goddess reduced to flesh and cold."
Elyra watched her from the entrance, with an expression that was neither fear nor anger…
it was recognition.
—You… —she murmured, taking a step forward—. I know you.
Hella raised an eyebrow.
—Of course you know me. Everyone knows me, even if they prefer to pretend they don't.
—No —Elyra replied, her voice trembling—. Not as a goddess. As she.
For a moment, her tone changed, as if she were speaking with another voice, older,
more broken. —You were there when the tower fell…
Hella looked at her in silence, and for the first time since I met her, she seemed
uncomfortable. —That… wasn't my fault —she said, almost in a whisper.
I raised my hands, trying to cut the tension.
—Excuse me, can someone explain to me why an undead and a goddess are
remembering a cosmic collapse in my living room?
Silence.
Then, Hella let out a dry laugh.
—Because, Zeke, universal tragedies don't end. They just update .
I looked at her.
—And does that update include invading my
shower? —Call it divine technical support.
I opened the CMD on the screen. The system flickered as if waiting for its turn in a
familiar conversation.
[CMD INTERFACE // CONFLICT ALERT] [Active processes:
HELLA.EXE // ELYRA.DAT]
[Shared memory detected: Event "Fall of the Tower"] [Suggestion: Force process
isolation]
—Great —I muttered—, the system wants me to separate them… how? With holy water
or duct tape?
Elyra took one step closer. —
Hella… why did you do it?
The goddess looked at her with a tired smile.
—Because the Nexus doesn't support free will, darling. And you were my favorite mistake.
The air changed.
Elyra took a step back, her eyes shifting from gray to red, from human to void.
[CMD//WARNING]
[Ghost Memory Reactivated]
[User ELYRA — Status: Unstable]
—Zeke… —Hella said with an unsettling calm—. Get away.
—What?
—She's remembering too fast. If her mind synchronizes with her body…
—What's wrong?
—Awaken what killed her.
Elyra looked at me with eyes like embers.
—I didn't want to die, Hella. You left me there.
—You didn't have to revive yourself, Elyra.
The tension could be cut with a knife.
The generator sparked. The screen showed one last line before shutting down:
[CMD//Override: Activated]
[System message: "Fatal error. Two souls, one crack."]
The ground trembled, the light turned
white. And I only had time to think:
"Fantastic. Two women with cosmic trauma, a system in crisis, and me without coffee."
—Okay, okay —I said, raising my hands, taking a step back—, I don't want my princess and the
former goddess of death to kill each other in my house. At least not before lunch.
The two stood still.
Elyra breathed with a barely audible grunt, Hella snorted as if she had just stepped into a
puddle of reality that she didn't like.
—Your house smells of damp and burnt meat —said Hella, wrinkling her nose—. And there is
no trace of offerings or incense. What kind of temple is this.
—The kind of temple where no one prays to you —I replied—. But we have a grill.
Hella gave me a look as if I had just insulted centuries of divine worship.
—I haven't eaten since I was dethroned —she said dramatically—. I demand food.
Preferably hearts or souls, but I can make an exception with something greasy.
—I can offer you grilled meat —I said, shrugging—. Elyra has already eaten half of the grill, so
share carefully if you don't want to lose your fingers.
Elyra frowned, stepping forward.
—She shouldn't be here, my prince —she whispered—. She brought the end.
—Yes, well —I replied, trying to stay calm—, you brought the beginning, so I guess you're
even.
Hella let out a laugh so dry that it sounded like bones hitting stone. — You
see, little corpse? He understands the irony of the universe.
Elyra looked at her as if she were seriously considering burying her again.
So I stepped between the two before the house ended up with another hole in the
wall.
—I'm not cleaning divine blood or zombie remains today —I said—. Elyra, the west
wing is yours. Hella, take the east. If you cross the hallway without permission, you
both sleep outside with the bones in the garden.
Hella raised an eyebrow.
—And who cleans?
—You. If you want a roof, you work. We don't have worshippers to bring you
wine and virgins here.
—How vulgar you are, Zeke. —She smiled wickedly—. But at least you serve coffee, right?
—I serve hot sarcasm, is that good for you?
Elyra let out a shy giggle, and that seemed to infuriate Hella even more.
Finally, the goddess turned around and went up the stairs, leaving a trail of mud and
arrogance.
—I'm going to need a room with a mirror and a view —she said without looking at me.
—Perfect —I replied—. I'll assign you the one with fewer cobwebs and more cockroaches.
Elyra looked at me in silence, her eyes now more gray than
red. —I don't trust her.
—Neither do I, Elyra. But as long as she eats and doesn't kill me, that's a good start.
She nodded slowly before leaving as well.
I was left alone, looking at the wrecked living room, smelling of smoke and ash.
—Great —I murmured—. A hungry goddess and a jealous zombie. If this were a dating
game, I would have asked for a refund by now.
I dropped into the nearest chair, letting out a sigh that sounded like my soul had
escaped.
"A normal day in hell," I thought.
And then, just when the silence began to feel strange, the interface lit up in front
of me with a faint blue buzz.
[CMD INTERFACE — EVALUATION PROCESS]
> Event: Internal conflict avoided. > Participants: Zeke /
Elyra / Hella.
> Result: Non-violent resolution recorded. > User stress level: Critically
high.
[SECONDARY MISSION COMPLETED]
You have managed to avoid a confrontation between anomalous entities of divine and undead class.
[REWARD UNLOCKED]
Access enabled to: Basic supplies store. - Category 01: Food.
- Category 02: Clothing and adaptive apparel. - Category 03:
Household tools.
[SYSTEM NOTE]
"Good job, Zeke. Not everyone manages to survive a fight between a hungry goddess and a confused zombie
before noon."
I let out a dry laugh.
—Great, the system has a sense of humor now. Next thing you know, it'll be
charging me taxes.
I got up, opening the holographic store panel.
Among the options, images of canned food, questionable-looking bread, and a clothing section
that promised "comfort" flickered.
Elyra came down the stairs at that moment, curious, while Hella appeared behind with a
face of "I should be in charge of this."
—What are you doing, my prince? —Elyra asked.
—Trying to avoid starving to death —I replied, scrolling through the menu—. And also
getting something decent to wear.
Hella approached, looking at the interface with disdain.
—A digital store... pathetic. In my time, the faithful brought gold and sacrifices.
—In my time —I replied—, pizza arrived in thirty minutes or less. I guess we all lost
something.
The system emitted a soft beep, as if approving the sarcasm.
The remains of the meat were still smoking on the grill.
—Your food is on the grill —I said, pointing my head towards the grill—. And while
we're at it, did you only bring those old bandages or also some clothes, goddess
of helplessness?
Hella glared at me as she adjusted the towel as if it were a celestial robe.
—Zeke, before they offered me temples, sacrifices, and naked worshipers. Now you offer
me... reheated roast. What a sad fall from grace.
I opened the store interface again, looking for something useful.
The menu floated before my eyes with its endless list of things I couldn't afford.
—Great, food, clothes, tools... and prices. Of course there are prices. —I said with a sigh—.
The apocalypse and there is still inflation.
—What's wrong, my prince? —Elyra asked, leaning over my shoulder. — That I
have no money. No credit. Not even hell points.
Hella burst out laughing so hard she almost dropped her towel.
—A goddess, an undead, and a poor man. It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke.
Elyra growled softly, her eyes turning a little redder. —Don't laugh at
him, you stupid goddess —she said through gritted teeth.
—Oh, please —Hella replied, raising an eyebrow—. What are you going to do to me? Bite
me? I'm already dead, dear.
Elyra turned away without answering, with that strange pride she had even covered in dry
mud.
—I'm going to change clothes —she said, in a cold voice—. I don't want him to think that all
dead women are ragged.
—That's right, show him who is the most fashionable in hell —I murmured as she went
upstairs.
Hella crossed her arms, looking around with disdain.
—You could search the nearby houses —she said—. Jewels, gold, whatever.
Sometimes humans keep useless treasures before they die.
—Oh, sure, a looting. What a holy idea —I replied—. And why don't you give me
something? You are a goddess, aren't you?
Hella sighed, shrugging her shoulders.
—Reborn, degraded and... bankrupt —she said dramatically—. I don't even have enough
for a miserable coffee spell.
I looked at her in silence for a few seconds.
—Perfect. My team: an emotional zombie, an unemployed goddess, and me, a guy who
already misses paying taxes.
The system should give me an achievement just for staying sane.
The interface, as if listening to me, flashed with a mocking message:
[CMD — STATUS UPDATE] Economic situation:
critical.
Tip: "Consider selling your soul. If you still have it."
—Great —I said, rubbing my face—. Even the system is trolling me.
The system was quick to respond, with that cynical tone that already seemed to enjoy
my misery.
[CMD — URGENT NOTIFICATION]
Offer available: partial soul sale in exchange for 10 credits. Note: This is not a joke.
—Yeah, right, and then they offer me cashback for every sin —I muttered, closing the interface. If
I wanted to survive, I had to do it the old school way: looting, sweat, and luck.
The mansion continued to creak under my steps. Each plank sounded as if it were
protesting to still be alive.
Somewhere on the second floor, Hella was kicking down doors with the elegance of a demon
on discount.
—Nothing useful here! —she shouted—. Just dust, frustrated ghosts, and a
mattress with a relic complex.
Meanwhile, upstairs, Elyra was combing her hair in front of a cracked mirror, using an old
silver comb.
The light came in through the window and played with the shine of her pale skin.
She had chosen an outfit that defied all post-apocalyptic logic: something between
romantic, dangerous, and absurdly provocative. She sighed, and said to herself:
—My prince should see me like this...
I, downstairs, was struggling with a closet that smelled of old wood and
regret. Behind a loose board, something shone. A chest.
I opened it carefully and the reflection from the inside almost blinded me: necklaces,
coins, rings… and a metallic brooch with a symbol I recognized instantly. The Nexus
emblem.
I took it and put it in the inside pocket of my jacket. I didn't
know why, but something in my head whispered: "Don't sell it."
The rest… that was negotiable.
I activated the system.
[CMD — INVENTORY UPDATED]
Object detected: Stash of antique jewelry (except 1 reserved item). Do
you want to sell in the System Store? Confirm Cancel
—Confirm. But the brooch stays with me, thanks.
A flash of light and the jewels disappeared. The
following message made me smile.
Transaction completed. Credits earned:
2450.
New access unlocked: Basic food and clothing.
—Amen, infernal digital capitalism.
I went upstairs to tell the good news, and what I found was worthy of an
afterlife soap opera.
Elyra came down radiant, twirling with a satisfied smile, wrapped in leather and lace.
"What do you think, my prince?" she said, making a small bow.
Hella appeared behind her, dressed in a Victorian maid outfit that barely
concealed her divine humiliation.
—Don't look! —she shouted, her cheeks red—. It's the only decent thing there was.
Elyra burst out laughing so hard she almost fell.
—The great goddess Hella… reduced to cleaning floors. What's next, cooking me dinner?
—Shut up, smug zombie! —Hella roared—. At least I don't look like I'm on a date with a
lustful demon!
—Girls… —I intervened, raising my hands—. I don't want my princess and the exgoddess
of death to kill each other at home. Immortal insurance doesn't cover that.
Silence. Two pairs of eyes pierced me.
One red, the other gold.
And I… was just thinking that maybe I should sell the emblem and move to another dimension.
After calming the waters —and convincing them not to turn the house into a
coliseum— I opened the system.
Now with credits in hand, it was time for the basics: clothes and food.
No luxuries. I already had enough with an undead with a princess complex and a
goddess without pants.
[CMD — ACCESS TO AUTHORIZED STORE] Section:
Clothing and Food. Current balance: 2450 credits.
I sighed.
—Okay, girls… democratic vote. What do you prefer? Eating or dressing?
Hella crossed her arms, with that smile that mixed superiority and hunger.
—Why not both? —she said, as if it were the most logical thing in the
universe. Elyra imitated her, smiling just as confidently. —Yes, my prince.
Both.
"Great," I murmured. "That's how girls are: they choose everything that can bankrupt you."
I started selecting items in the store: underwear, pajamas, some casual clothes for
each of them.
Nothing formal; the prices seemed designed to ruin a king.
When I finished, the balance hurt more than my pride after arguing with a
sarcastic AI.
Transaction completed. Remaining
balance: 640 credits.
"And with that... I'm officially poor again," I closed the interface with a theatrical sigh.
Hella was the first to check her digital bag, excited.
"Finally new clothes. I thought I was going to have to continue with these
bandages that look like museum relics."
Elyra watched her sideways, tilting her head.
"They didn't look so bad on you... they matched your lack of shame."
"Excuse me?" Hella turned indignantly. "These bandages were temporary, dear. Not all
of us have to wear clothes that smell like nostalgia and ex-girlfriend."
Elyra blinked.
"What did you say?"
I almost choked on the air.
Hella smiled as if she had just dropped a divine bomb.
"Oh, didn't he tell you? That clothes he gave you at the beginning... before getting this
new stuff... had a curious aroma. Right, Zeke?"
I froze.
"It was clean clothes," I said, trying to sound casual. "Found in a chest, unused."
Elyra narrowed her eyes, suspicious.
"A chest? With floral perfume and pink seams?"
Hella laughed.
"Ha. From his ex. I told you."
Elyra crossed her arms, pouting like an offended queen.
"So you bought me new clothes... just because you couldn't stand seeing me with her clothes."
"No," I replied in a tired voice. "I bought you new clothes because fights between a
jealous undead and a half-naked goddess were not in my survival plan."
She frowned, but smiled sideways. —I'll
keep it anyway. It was my first gift.
I sighed.
—Sure, of course… because what every man needs is an undead girlfriend with
emotional attachment to her romantic predecessor's clothes.
Hella gave a soft laugh, adjusting her new blouse.
—Oh, Zeke. You're so clumsy you're cute. But at least you know how to spend money where it
matters.
—Yes —I muttered, looking at the reduced balance—. On clothes. And temporary peace.
I turned on the makeshift grill and took out what was left of my culinary inventory: pork,
some vegetables, and a bottle of cheap wine that had survived the move between
worlds.
No barbecue this time. It was time for something classy, even if it was supermarket class.
—Today we're having pork skewers with wine —I said in a solemn tone, as if I were in a fancy
restaurant and not in a hell with a garden full of ash.
Hella approached sniffing the air, raising an
eyebrow. —Wine… f?r o—msh ae absokexd. with a grimace between disgust and divine tragedy.
—Yes, lady goddess of refinement —I replied—. The same wine that
normal people survive the weekends with. She snorted, theatrically.
—This is a sacrilege. I used to drink ambrosia in crystal glasses forged by the souls
of martyrs.
—Well, today you drink boxed red —I replied with a tired smile.
Elyra watched curiously as I skewered the meat, helping in her own way (that is,
throwing the vegetables without much aim).
—And is that wine special? —she asked, looking at the box with genuine innocence. —Yes
—said Hella before I could—, special for forgetting your life decisions.
Even so, when the meat began to caramelize with the wine and the sweet aroma filled the air,
I saw the ex-goddess swallow saliva.
Her haughty expression cracked and she finally sat down at the makeshift table, trying to
maintain her composure.
—Well… maybe it doesn't smell so bad —she said with feigned
indifference. Elyra smiled from ear to ear.
—Do you want to try it, goddess? I promise not to poison you… much.
Hella rolled her eyes and took a skewer, biting it cautiously. The
silence that followed was almost reverential.
Her eyes narrowed, and her expression softened for a second. — …It's
acceptable, she said finally, in a neutral tone.
But not a minute passed before she devoured two more without deigning to breathe.
—Acceptable, of course, I muttered amusedly—. Like when someone says they "don't like
chocolate" while eating half a box.
Elyra laughed softly, enjoying the moment, although without taking her eyes off
Hella. —My prince cooks better than many living people, she said proudly, savoring
hers. —Yes, Hella replied with a mischievous smile—, but I doubt it will last long if
he continues feeding two mouths without credit in the system.
—That's how girls are, I sighed, leaving my plate aside—, always ready to leave you without
savings… and without dinner.
The two of them gave me a warning look that made me smile more. For a
few seconds, there was no hell, no ruins, no miasma.
Only the crackling of the fire, the aroma of cheap wine and the unlikely company of a
jealous undead and a hungry ex-goddess.
And although I would never admit it out loud, it didn't feel so bad.
Dinner was over.
The pork skewers in wine —yes, boxed wine , courtesy of my last impromptu purchase
at the system store— turned out better than expected.
Elyra smiled satisfied, with slightly flushed cheeks, while Hella complained loudly about
the type of wine… although inside she looked delighted.
I collected the dishes, trying to keep that rare moment of peace from crumbling.
For a second, it almost seemed like a normal dinner: a calm house, an undead in clean
clothes and a hungry ex-goddess pretending to have standards. Almost.
While I was putting away the utensils, something metallic brushed my hand
inside my pocket. I took it out without thinking too much. It was the Nexus
emblem , the shiny piece I had found among the remains of the
house.
I placed it on the table to clean it with a cloth, but the bluish reflection
immediately caught Hella's attention.
Her expression changed.
From annoyance to something more serious. Almost… fear.
—Where did you find that? she asked, putting the glass down with unusual care.
—Among some rotten boards in the living room, I said, shrugging—. I thought it was a
trinket or a decorative piece.
Elyra watched him curiously.
—I… I've seen him before —she whispered—. In a white tower. Before everything went dark.
Hella let out a long, almost resigned sigh.
—That's not a trinket, Zeke. It's a key. If it's here, the Nexus hasn't closed
completely yet.
—Key to what? —I asked, with the most incredulous tone possible.
—To transit. To the planes. To the soul itself —she said with a smile that I didn't like at
all.
—Oh, great —I replied—. A magic key that probably opens hell. Perfect.
Elyra giggled nervously, but Hella didn't imitate her.
She leaned over the table, the blue light reflecting in her eyes.
—I'll explain it to you tomorrow —she said—. But in exchange, I want something.
—Another glass of cheap wine? —I asked, without looking up.
—A bed —she replied without hesitation—. I am a goddess, I don't plan to sleep on the
floor again.
I let out a tired laugh.
—I've seen deities with worse accommodations. Okay, deal.
Hella leaned back, satisfied.
—Perfect. At dawn, you will know what that emblem truly holds.
Elyra looked at her suspiciously, then at me, and finally at the object on the table.
The emblem pulsed once, a faint blue light that went out immediately.
I put it in my pocket, feeling the air denser, charged with something I didn't know if it was
magic or omen.
—Great —I muttered—. A jealous undead, a goddess without a bed, and a key that
probably opens the end of the world. All under control.
Hella smiled without looking at me.
—Oh, Zeke… the end of the world would be the easy part.
Zeke sighed as the metallic sound of the system echoed in the air, that artificial hum
that always preceded a painful transaction.
[CMD Interface — System menu open…]
>> Purchase completed: Standard single bed (x1)
>> Cost: 100 credits
>> Remaining balance: 215 credits
[Confirmation: Automatic delivery completed.]
The air in front of them distorted with a slight blue flash, and in a matter of seconds,
a simple, but perfectly clean bed appeared in the center of the empty room. The
sheets smelled of new fabric and the metal frame gleamed under the orange light
of the sunset.
Zeke brought his hand to his face.
—That hurt... a hundred credits for a motel bed. I hope it at least comes with an
extended warranty.
Hella, arms crossed, examined the bed with a gesture of false superiority.
—A goddess deserves a worthy rest, human. —She paused theatrically, dropping the
towel on the mattress—. Although I must admit that the system still has good taste for
earthly furniture.
Elyra, from the threshold, snorted.
—Only if you consider "worthy" something that looks stolen from a cheap inn.
Hella returned a venomous smile.
—You would sleep on the floor if your prince did not have a charitable soul.
Zeke raised his hands, cutting the air between them.
—Please, princesses, the bed is for sleeping, not for starting the war of the fallen
divinities.
Elyra clicked her tongue and retreated with a snort, while Hella dropped onto the
mattress, sinking into the sheets with a satisfied smile.
—Ah, finally... civilization. —She sighed—. Maybe the Nexus isn't so cruel after all.
Zeke leaned against the door frame, watching the system's glow slowly fade.
The room smelled of old dust and burnt electricity, but for a moment, the place almost felt...
habitable.
—Well, Hella —he said finally—. Now that you have a bed, I hope you fulfill your
part. She opened one eye, amused. —You mean the emblem, right?
Zeke nodded, taking the object out of his pocket. The Nexus emblem emitted a faint glow,
as if recognizing its new owner.
Hella smiled with a calmness that boded ill.
—If you give me a night's rest, I'll tell you everything tomorrow. But I'll warn you
something, Zeke… —she lowered her voice, her crimson eyes flashing in the dim
light— that emblem should not exist outside the system. And much less… in the
hands of a mortal.
Elyra licked the last trace of sauce from the plate.
Hella argued with the system about the price of a
bed. And I just wanted a damn coffee.
That's how I ended up with a jealous amnesiac vampire, a ruined goddess who
demands comforts,
and a system that charges me even for breathing.
Fantastic.
Broken system, annoying goddess, undead with a taste for
drama. All according to the plan… that I never had.
Echoes of the Nexus will continue…
(if the system doesn't bill me for breakfast).