"It's you, Shine." Nain could see him clearly now. In the firelight she'd lit, she could make out his stunned face.
"I took too long to get here." Shine said to himself. He was crushed. Seeing Nain like this was painful in a way he hadn't prepared for. Her voice had changed. Half her body had decayed. That half no longer felt like hers. One eye had gone red.
When Shine had come close, Nain had caught the scent of living flesh — probably why she'd attacked him. But she hadn't fully turned yet, which meant she still had enough of herself left to pull back, to stop herself from striking again.
"You're... you're okay, aren't you." Shine asked.
"Yes. I'm fine." Nain said, smiling. Though in this condition, even speaking was difficult. A growl kept breaking through her words, making her sound frightening even to herself.
Shine was in shock — even though he'd known this was coming. He tried to steady himself.
"Forgive me. If I had stopped Jhed then, you'd be okay right now." Shine said, head lowered. He was full of regret. But then again — if he had stopped Jhed, he'd never have found out about Nain's wound in the first place. Jhed would never have told him. Some things only come out in the worst moments. People don't change their habits easily. When Shine was in Animal's room, he'd decided — never help anyone again, think only of yourself. But here he was, carrying everyone's worry. Time had shown him that the decision hadn't stuck.
"None of this is your fault. I was the one who left in anger." The human half of her face still held a smile — as if she'd forgiven everyone. She understood her own mistake now. "What's already happened can't be undone. So I've learned to live in this body."
She was saying wise things. How does that kind of change come about?
Shine raised his head. "Nain, it's not over yet. We'll find a solution. For now — come with me." Shine said.
"No. I can't. People will see me and think I'm a monster. Sometimes I lose control of myself and start attacking people. I can't be around them." Nain's clothes were torn in places. "Shine — don't worry about me. I'm fine here. I don't even feel hunger anymore, so food isn't a problem."
"I can't leave you here. I made a promise to the king — to keep you safe." Shine recalled that moment when Luccos had pulled him aside and said exactly that.
Nain was right, though. She could attack people. Being among them was dangerous.
"Forget that promise. I'll never see my father again anyway." The growling kept breaking through, wearing her down.
"Nain — you can still be healed. You wanted to meet the mage Harles, didn't you? He has a cure for everything. He'll fix this." Shine tried everything he had to convince her.
"I know you're just saying that to comfort me. A curse can never be undone." The curse cast by that mother — everyone the zombie monsters bit carried it forward. And a curse, once set, cannot be destroyed. Not yet, anyway.
Nain staying here meant she could turn completely within days.