章節 11: Pact

Zenith's consciousness gradually slipped away as she lay there, still half-submerged in the river.

Like a beacon cutting through the darkness, Tamira's voice pierced the veil of her slumber. It was gentle at first, a faint whisper that gradually grew louder until it echoed inside Zenith's mind.

"ZENIIIIIITH, wake up," Tamira's voice urged, its tone filled with urgency.

With a start, Zenith's eyes snapped open, her senses reeling as she struggled to orient herself.

"Tamira?" Zenith muttered, her voice hoarse. "What happened?"

"You passed out," Tamira replied matter-of-factly, her ethereal form hovering nearby. "But don't worry, you're awake now."

[How tragic.]

As Zenith struggled to sit up, Tamira's demeanor suddenly shifted, her voice taking on a playful tone.

"Now that you're back among the living, let's talk about some deities who might be willing to form a pact with you," Tamira said, a mischievous twinkle in her snake-like eyes.

Zenith couldn't help but chuckle at Tamira's sudden change in demeanor.

"Alright, hit me with your list," Zenith said.

As Tamira begins listing off potential deities for Zenith to consider forming a pact with, her voice takes on a playful yet informative tone.

"Let's see what we have here," Tamira begins, floating in front of Zenith. "Let's start with Terminus, the God of Order and Justice," she began, her voice carrying a hint of reverence. "He values following laws, even when no one else will. By acting in accordance with the laws of the old world, you could-"

"No."

Zenith's response came quickly for one reason.

There was a very, very high chance she'd want to murder at least a few people.

"Noted. Next, we have Eros, the goddess of love and affection," Tamira continued, her tone shifting to one of warmth. "Her followers are encouraged to love all people around them and spread affection wherever they go."

Zenith furrowed her brow, pondering the idea of aligning herself with the goddess of love.

She considered it for all of two seconds.

"Nah."

"Okay, well, what about Tren and Mysra? A pair of twin gods that value hedonism and partying!"

"Tamira, come on..."

"It was worth a shot. Okay, what about..."

Tamira went on, mentioning one deity after another, each with its own domain and principles. But as the list grew longer, none of them seemed to catch Zenith's eye.

Zenith sighed, shaking her head.

"None of these gods seem to be the right fit for me."

Tamira nodded understandingly, her luminous form shimmering in agreement.

"I have plenty more for you to choose from. Take your time."

On that note, Tamira kept going.

Deities' names were shot at Zenith's ears rapid-fire, one after another, but her indifference persisted.

As Tamira continued to list off deities, Zenith's attention began to wane. Each description seemed to blur into the next, none resonating with her deeply.

But then, amidst the flurry of names and attributes, one caught her attention.

"Hold on, Tamira," Zenith interrupted, her voice tinged with a newfound determination. "Can you tell me more about the last one you mentioned?"

Tamira hesitated for a moment.

"Are you sure, Zenith? This deity... she doesn't quite like undead," she cautioned, a note of concern creeping into her voice.

Zenith's gaze hardened, her resolve firm.

"I don't care. Tell me about her."

With a resigned nod, Tamira complied, describing the goddess.

"Helmyr, the Goddess of Justice. Encompassing the values of justice, Helmyr rewards those who punish criminals, maintain order, and kill undead, as undead are the ultimate insult to life itself- do you see why I think she's not going to respond positively to you?"

Something about Helmyr's description stirred a sense of purpose within Zenith, igniting a spark of hope amidst the darkness that had engulfed her.

"I want to reach out to Helmyr," Zenith declared, her voice ringing with conviction. "Help me make contact with her, Tamira."

"Good grief, you're stubborn."

"Just do it."

Tamira hesitated once more, but seeing the determination in Zenith's eyes, she nodded.

"Very well, Zenith. Prepare yourself."

Dancing in the air, Tamira enveloped Zenith in a shimmering light, transporting her consciousness to the goddess's realm.

As Zenith's consciousness materialized in a foreign realm, she found herself standing in a magnificent golden palace.

The air shimmered with an ethereal glow, and towering pillars adorned with intricate carvings stretched towards the heavens.

Before her stood a woman with hair ablaze, her eyes glowing with an otherworldly intensity.

In her hand, she wielded a spear with what looked like angel wings under its shimmering blade.

The blade she quickly pressed against Zenith's spirit-like body's neck.

Zenith could actually feel the blade's cold touch on her.

[Tamira... She can't actually kill me, can she?]

All Tamira did was laugh.

Turning her attention back to the fiery-haired woman before her, Zenith summoned her courage and met Helmyr's gaze head-on.

"Why do you, an undead abomination, dare to appear before me?" Helmyr's voice echoed through the chamber, each word laced with contempt.

[Stay calm,] Zenith told herself.

Despite the danger she faced, Zenith remained composed.

"I seek an audience with you, Helmyr," she said, her voice steady. "I come with a proposition."

Helmyr's fiery gaze narrowed, suspicion flickering in her eyes.

"A proposition? From the likes of you?"

Zenith swallowed hard, steeling herself for what she knew would be an uphill battle.

"Yes," she replied, her voice unwavering. "I wish to form a pact with you."

The goddess's expression twisted into one of incredulity.

"You dare to jest with me, undead? To suggest that I would stoop so low as to form a pact with one such as you? Have you come to me searching for my divine flames so that I may purify you!?"

Helmyr pressed the blade of her spear further against Zenith's neck, a warning gleam in her eyes.

"Speak quickly, creature, before I decide to end you where you stand."

Undeterred by the threat, Zenith held Helmyr's gaze, her resolve unshaken.

"I speak the truth, Helmyr," she said, her voice unwavering. "If you help me, I will serve you faithfully, with every fiber of my being. Despite my undead nature, I am willing to dedicate myself to your cause."

A tense silence filled the chamber as Helmyr considered Zenith's words, her expression unreadable.

For what felt like an eternity, the goddess deliberated, her fiery eyes burning into Zenith's soul.

Finally, with a slow, deliberate movement, Helmyr withdrew her spear, allowing Zenith to breathe a sigh of relief.

"... It is out of sheer, morbid curiosity that I will allow you to speak, you worm. Explain yourself."

Zenith took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she knew would be a crucial moment. Meeting Helmyr's fiery gaze head-on, she began to speak, her voice steady despite the weight of her words.

"I am here because my world is a lawless, ruined land," Zenith began, her voice echoing through the golden chamber. "A place where the undead run rampant. Where the undead rule."

Suddenly, a screen popped up.

[Huh?]

"Don't say I've never done anything for you~" Tamira whispered in Zenith's mind.

On that floating screen, images from Earth began to play.

Images of the first day of the zombie apocalypse.

Helmyr's expression darkened at the description, her fiery eyes narrowing with a mixture of disgust and horror.

"I-I have witnessed unspeakable atrocities," Zenith continued, her voice tinged with a sense of urgency while roars and screams from that screen filled the room. Nearby angels gasped and trembled, looking just as shocked as Helmyr. "Undead creatures devouring the living, spreading terror and despair wherever they roam."

She was lying about having seen it all, obviously. The only person she seriously witnessed being devoured in any detail was herself. But, she had to be dramatic if she was going to sell this idea to the goddess.

A flicker of anger crossed Helmyr's features, her flames burning brighter with each word Zenith spoke, her eyes fixed on the screen.

"I was turned into one of these abominations against my will," Zenith declared, her tone firm. "But I refuse to let darkness consume me. I seek redemption, a chance to make amends for the sins of my past."

Helmyr regarded Zenith with a mix of skepticism and curiosity, her expression unreadable.

Zenith kept going.

"My wish is to restore order to the world. To burn the criminals responsible for this outcome to ashes and throw them into the wind. To rid the streets of my city of the undead scourge. That is why I am here before you today. All I want is to set things right. But... I cannot do that on my own. Not in this form."

Helmyr took her words in.

Her fiery, golden eyes felt like they were stripping Zenith's soul down to its last layer.

After a long moment of silence, she asked:

"Are you familiar with the terms of a contract between a god and a mortal?" Helmyr asked, her voice cold and unwavering.

Zenith shook her head, her heart pounding in her chest.

"No, I am not."

Helmyr's gaze bore into Zenith's soul, her fiery eyes burning with intensity.

"If we make this deal, you will be bound to me by oath," she explained, her voice echoing through the chamber. "You will be compelled to follow my every instruction, punished by a very violent, very terrible death if you do not. And when your mortal life comes to an end, you will become one of my angels, serving me for eternity."

She took a step closer to Zenith.

Zenith couldn't see respect in her pupils, but that curiosity she spoke of earlier was certainly still there.

"Are you aware of this? Are these terms agreeable?"

Despite the gravity of Helmyr's words, Zenith remained undeterred. Falling to her knees before the goddess, she spoke with unwavering determination.

"I will do whatever it takes," Zenith vowed, her voice filled with resolve. "I will destroy as many of those undead creatures as possible. I swear it."

A tense silence filled the chamber as Helmyr considered Zenith's words, her fiery gaze piercing through the darkness.

"And if I ask you to end your own life when you're done? Would you do that?"

That question finally made Zenith hesitate.

But, she'd come too far to stop here.

"I would."

Finally, with a solemn nod, Helmyr extended her hand towards Zenith, the pact between them sealing their fate for eternity.

"Very well," Helmyr said, her voice tinged with begrudging acceptance. "As much as it disgusts me, I will grant your request. But know this..."

She grabbed Zenith's neck. Her touch made Zenith's cold body feel like it had just erupted into flames.

"... Your oath binds you to me now. Fail me, and there will be consequences."

Zenith nodded, her determination unwavering.

"I understand, Helmyr. I will not fail you."

With a wave of her hand, Helmyr sealed the pact between them, the weight of their agreement hanging heavy in the air.