The group made their way toward the heart of the village.
It was as lively as ever—stalls set up in neat rows, merchants calling out their prices, and the smell of fresh bread wafting past flower stands. Children darted between legs, clutching sticky sweets, and somewhere a street musician strummed a cheerful tune. It almost made you forget there were zombies at all. Almost.
"Let's split up and ask around," Sandro suggested, scanning the crowd.
"That won't be necessary," Matilda said suddenly, narrowing her eyes. She pointed toward a fruit stall. A woman in fine silk robes was strolling leisurely down the street, inspecting a display of pomegranates.
"No one knows the village's situation better than the Queen, right?" Matilda grinned. They hurried to catch up.
"Excuse me, Your Highness," Matilda called out politely. The Queen stopped and turned, her posture graceful. She looked surprised, but not alarmed. "Having a lovely day shopping?" she asked pleasantly.
"You must be the guests."
"How did you know?" Matilda asked, smiling. "
I cannot answer that," the Queen replied simply.
Ahh, Matilda thought, suppressing an eye roll. I forgot these people are like NPCs. Scripted answers only.
"Right..." Matilda tilted her head.
"Then why are you shopping alone? No royal guards?"
"I asked them to stay behind," the Queen said softly, her fingers tracing the skin of a fruit.
"I missed my son. We used to walk through the village together." She smiled sadly. "Ah, look at me rambling. Excuse me." She turned to leave, but Sandro stepped forward, blocking her path gently.
"Wait. If you don't mind me asking... do you know how your son turned into a zombie?"
A few minutes later, they were seated inside a quiet, high-end restaurant. It was empty save for them. A waiter placed crystal glasses of water on the table and vanished.
"Ah, so you've figured out the Prince is a zombie," the Queen said, sipping her drink calmly. "Not that it was a secret."
"So... how did the zombie apocalypse start?" Nico asked, leaning in.
The Queen's gaze turned distant, looking through the wall rather than at it.
"It started two years ago... there was a terrible drought. Crops withered, the river ran dry, and people starved. We were desperate. Two loyal members of the council suggested asking neighboring villages for help. Our village has always been independent, so we were not sure if the others would be willing to aid us. It was against our pride, but they surprised us—they made their way to Muano Village, and after two days, they sent a letter stating they had secured food and even opened trade talks. We celebrated."
She set her glass down with a quiet clink. "A day later, when they returned with the aid... something terrible happened."
She shuddered. "At the entrance of the village, they suddenly turned. They became monsters. They killed the envoys from Muano and the rest of our people who were sent to help. The Chief and I sent our best warriors to capture them, but they were running wild. We had no choice but to execute them on the spot."
Her voice faltered. "A month later, the drought ended with the rains. Just when we thought we were safe, the Prince disappeared. That night, he returned—as a zombie. We sent warriors to capture him, but they never came back. Days after, young people began vanishing, returning at dusk along with those missing warriors as zombies. They roam the village, destroying and killing, then disappear by dawn."
Lily's eyes welled up with tears. "This is so sad..."
"Did you ever consider asking other villages for help?" Matilda asked. The Queen shook her head slowly.
"Who dares to help a village full of zombies? Who would want to risk their people for just another village?" She rose to her feet, smoothing her silk dress.
"It is time I return to the palace." Without another word, she glided out of the restaurant.
"Damn," Ruby muttered. "Poor villagers."
"It's the entrance of the village again," Nico said, tapping the table. "I'm sure the Chief's brother waited for those two council members to return... then turned them into zombies right at the gate."
Matilda groaned and thunked her forehead onto the table. "So now what? Just storm the palace and yell, 'Surprise! It's your brother!'?"
"Something still feels wrong," Sandro said, staring into his water glass.
"I know," Matilda sighed, her voice muffled by the table. "Something always feels wrong in every crime mystery movie I've ever watched. I just don't want to think anymore."
I feel like the Queen did not tell us everything, Matilda thought. Her story was too... clean.
"Let me break it down," Lily said, her voice unusually serious. Everyone looked at her.
"So, the Village Chief has one son, who is supposed to be the next ruler. But if the Chief's brother wants to become the next ruler, there is no point in turning the Prince into a zombie because the current Chief still has the throne. Why not just turn the rest of the family into zombies and get rid of them all at once?"
"The villagers would suspect him if he was the only one left," Matilda reasoned. "But... you're right. Why leave the Chief alive for two years?"
A silence fell over the table—until Ruby leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "Okay, so basically," she said, "we have a zombie Prince, a shady uncle, and a Queen who just casually drops the apocalypse backstory over lunch."
Matilda glanced at her. "Would you rather she cried dramatically in the streets?" Ruby shrugged.
"Well, no. But it feels like we are professional gossipers. We're way too invested in other people's family drama, you know? Even if we just want to find a way out of this village."
They all nodded in agreement, a chuckle passing through the group. But the big question remained unanswered hanging in the air like smoke.
Why?