I Got Reincarnated as a Zombie Girl-Chapter 72 – A Call from Hell

My steps halted at the threshold of the base.

Or rather... its ruins.

Several buildings that once stood tall were now nothing more than piles of rubble. Charred concrete walls, collapsed steel roofs, and thick black smoke still curling up into the night sky created a grim tableau—like a nightmare made real. The stench of scorched iron, blood, and zombie formaldehyde mingled in the air, sharper and more penetrating than any wound.

Medical teams were scrambling in the remaining corners. On one side, they were moving the wounded into emergency tents. On the other... they could only weep silently beside bodies that no longer moved. One or two screams echoed—a mix of despair and hysteria.

"Thirteen buildings severely damaged," reported a female soldier, her voice bitter, her body covered in dust and dried blood. "Eighty-seven wounded... twelve dead. And..." she paused, lowering her head slightly before continuing quietly, "...six others... turned."

Celestine and I exchanged glances. No words were needed. We understood.

"Have they been quarantined?" Celestine asked calmly, though the edge in her voice was sharp as a blade.

"Yes, Lady Celestine."

Just then, a scream erupted from the direction of the emergency tents. I turned toward it.

Six new zombies—freshly turned from bites. Some were still wearing medical uniforms. A cruel, bitter irony.

Celestine clenched her fists under her white cloak. Her eyes stared toward the quarantine tent like it carried a weight she couldn’t cast off. "Kill them before they kill anyone else," she said flatly, though her words were heavy. "Do it quietly... and with respect."

The soldier only nodded, then went off to carry out the order.

Celes fell silent for a moment. Then she walked toward the quarantine zone herself, following a narrow path flanked by tents filled with pain and tears. When she arrived in front of the small iron door, she exhaled slowly and drew a pistol from beneath her cloak.

"May you rest in peace..." she whispered.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three shots rang out, followed by utter silence. No cheers. No applause. Only grief, growing heavier in the air.

Celes stepped out of the room with her head lowered. Tears threatened to fall, but she quickly lifted her chin and walked away, hiding all emotion behind the strength of a leader. She couldn’t fall apart. Not yet. There was still too much to examine, too many lives to protect.

Meanwhile, I returned to my villa.

I washed the blood and dust from my body, then slipped into a more comfortable gown. The night felt colder than usual. The wind bit down to the bone. I sat on the living room couch, sipping warm tea, letting the scent of jasmine fill the air. A calming fragrance... though not strong enough to erase the battlefield from my mind.

Around midnight, the villa door opened slowly. Celestine entered without a word.

Her face was pale, her eyes red. She had cleaned herself up, but fatigue and sorrow still clung to her. She walked over and sat beside me without saying a thing. She simply poured what was left of the tea into her cup and lifted it to her lips.

But her trembling hand caused it to spill a little.

The tears she had held back all evening finally fell. One drop, then another, then a torrent... soaking her pale cheeks.

I was stunned. I turned to her, unsure of what to say.

Alicia... Alicia... how do you comfort someone? I asked silently, panicking.

Hmm... try hugging her, came Alicia’s gentle voice from within my soul.

Without thinking, I moved and wrapped my arms around Celes from the side.

At first, she was stiff. But a second later, her body trembled, and her sobs broke loose—though still muffled against my chest. Her voice was hoarse, choked, still fighting not to seem weak. That single hug shattered every wall she had built.

I panicked, unsure of what else to do besides hold her tightly.

"...I’m sorry," I whispered softly, not even sure why.

Celes didn’t answer. She just kept crying in my arms, letting all the emotions she had bottled up pour out that night.

And for the first time since this battle began... the silent base felt alive again—not from the screams of war, but from the humanity that still lingered amid the ruins.

Her tears felt warm and wet on my chest. Each sob was a burden she had carried for too long. There were no words that could erase her losses, no speech that could lighten the weight pressing down on her shoulders tonight.

All I could do was stay silent... and hold her tighter.

It took several minutes before her crying began to ease. She took a deep breath, then slowly pulled away from me. Her eyes were still red, but at least her breathing was steadier.

"Sorry," she whispered. Her voice barely audible.

I shook my head gently. "You don’t have to apologize. You’re strong, but that doesn’t mean you have to be alone."

She looked at me. For a moment, not as Lady Celestine Virellia the grand, not as a mysterious space-wielding awakened human. But simply as a weary woman on the verge of breaking, needing someone to lean on.

"I almost lost control," she said quietly. "If I hadn’t been worried about this base... I might’ve—"Her sentence broke off. She couldn’t continue.

"...But you held on," I cut in. "And that’s enough."

Celes took a deep breath, then rested her head on my shoulder. For the first time, she wasn’t trying to hide her weakness from me.

"Thank you, Sylvia," she whispered.

I stared at the ceiling, trying to make sense of what I felt. It wasn’t a familiar emotion. But it was warm. Calm. Even though the world outside had just crumbled... for now, everything felt peaceful. freewёbnoνel.com

"You can cry again later," I said softly. "But not tonight. Tonight... rest."

She let out a small laugh through her tears. "That’s supposed to be my line."

I smiled faintly.

Time passed slowly. We simply sat there, on that couch, accompanied by cooling tea and a silence that no longer felt heavy. That silence... felt like a second embrace.

Outside, the night was still dark. But I knew—when the sun rises tomorrow... we’ll rise again.