I Got Reincarnated as a Zombie Girl

The sky was already leaning toward dusk when I finally returned to the city, walking calmly yet carrying something no one would have ever expected a werewolf zombie that used to be a guild receptionist. It walked faithfully behind me, its body now pale and covered in scars, yet its aura had clearly changed not alive, but not entirely dead either.

As I approached the gates of Velthya’s estate, the guards initially moved to stop me, but they quickly recognized me and stepped aside. Just as I passed through the main gate, Velthya herself appeared from within the house, breathless. Her gaze went straight to me or more precisely, to the creature following behind me.

"SYLVIA!" she shouted, running toward me. "Where have you been? I was about to send out a search party! And that..." Her eyes widened at the werewolf zombie standing calmly behind me. "Don’t tell me that...?"

I raised a hand to calm her. "Calm down. Let’s talk inside. This isn’t something to discuss out here."

Velthya’s face tensed, but she nodded slowly and ushered me in. We walked through her grand hallway toward a private sitting room. Velthya prepared tea for us a habit she always kept even though she knew I didn’t need it. Maybe it was her way of calming herself. Or maybe just a form of courtesy.

I sat on a black velvet-covered sofa. The zombie receptionist stood motionless near the door like a statue. Velthya placed a teacup in front of me and sat across from me, her face filled with restrained worry and curiosity.

"All right," she finally said. "Now explain. What really happened? And... is it true you turned her into a zombie?"

I nodded slightly. "Yes. She was part of a trap meant to capture me in the forest. Twelve people were sent to abduct me."

Velthya bit her lower lip, her face showing inner conflict. "She’s a werewolf, Sylvia. The same race as me. I don’t like seeing someone from our race treated this way... But..." She let out a deep breath, then looked me straight in the eyes. "I know you wouldn’t do this without a reason. And I know you... didn’t have a choice."

I bowed my head slightly. "I could have killed her. But I chose to turn her. To get information." I didn’t mention that I was really just experimenting.

"Did you succeed?" Velthya asked, her voice calm but alert.

I nodded. "Yes. At first, no. She remained silent even with her body covered in wounds even after being given bleeding poison. But when I injected her with zombification venom... her consciousness slowly faded. And once she became fully mine, I asked one last question."

I looked deep into Velthya’s eyes. "And she answered... not with words, but with a groan and yet I understood what she meant. The mastermind behind all this is a lich. He was once a mage from the Human Empire."

Velthya’s teacup trembled slightly in her hand. She looked at me with an expression hard to read a mix of shock, realization, and... fear.

"No way..." she whispered. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," I said firmly. "She even said, before she died, that the guild master would come for revenge. So I suspect this receptionist wasn’t the only one involved maybe even the guild master is part of the lich’s network."

Velthya stared out the window, her thoughts clearly racing. After a moment, she spoke again, her voice very soft.

"If what you’re saying is true... then this is more than just an attempted abduction. That lich... he’s one of the most dangerous dark mages left on the continent. He vanished long ago, after the Human Empire purged his academy of forbidden magic. Most believed he was dead. But now... if he’s resurfacing and building a network through the guild and people like this receptionist..."

She looked at me with deep concern. "You’re in great danger, Sylvia. That lich might be after you not just because you’re a rare zombie... but because of something else."

I stayed silent for a moment. Then nodded slowly. "I’ve been hunted before. This isn’t the first time. But at least now, I know who to look for. And I know... who I need to destroy."

Velthya leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, her noble aura returned. She no longer looked worried she looked focused and resolute.

"Very well. From now on, you’ll be under my protection. No matter who he is, or how powerful he may be, I won’t let a single finger touch you while you’re in this city."

I gave a small smile. "Thank you. But don’t worry too much. I can protect myself."

Velthya smiled faintly. "That, I know. But remember, Sylvia... there are things in this world that even your strength alone might not be enough to face."

I answered only with a silent gaze. Deep down, I knew she was right. But I also knew... I would no longer run. Not anymore.

Night had fallen, cloaking the city in a quiet stillness. In the guest room of Velthya’s residence, I lay atop a bed so soft and comfortable an undeniable contrast to the hard mattress of the cheap inn where I had slept the night before. A warm blanket wrapped around me, and the faint glow of a crystal lantern in the corner cast soft shadows on the intricately carved ceiling.

Yet, despite my body being immersed in comfort, my mind refused to rest.

I stared up at the ceiling without blinking, as if hoping it held answers etched among the carvings. In that silence, a deep and heavy voice echoed within my mind a telepathic message from Tyrant, one of my zombie commanders stationed far away at Sofia’s base.

"My Queen, there is a problem," Tyrant’s voice echoed, calm yet resolute. "Sofia is in trouble. The rebels are starting to move. Their numbers are growing. And most of them... used to be soldiers from that base, before Sofia took over."

I fell silent for a moment, letting the information sink in my chest suddenly tight. So it had begun... the rebellion. Former soldiers who couldn’t accept the changes. Perhaps out of jealousy. Perhaps out of fear. Or perhaps they were still bound to the old powers. And now, they were stirring chaos from within.

I exhaled slowly. "Sofia is still struggling, huh... If I were there, maybe I could help her... or at least comfort her."

There was a faint, wistful note in my telepathy one even Tyrant might have sensed. This feeling of helplessness... was infuriating. I was in a different city, a city full of conspiracies, while someone who mattered to me was fighting to hold her ground. Alone.

I clenched my jaw lightly and responded through the link, "Tyrant, prepare additional zombies. Select those who can blend in and remain inconspicuous. Send them to Sofia’s base. Tell them to hide and do nothing unless the situation becomes truly dire. If Sofia is in real danger... make sure they save her."

"Orders received, my Queen," Tyrant replied shortly before the telepathic link quietly faded.

I closed my eyes briefly, letting the silence return to the room. But the image of Sofia’s face slowly surfaced in my mind. Her soft smile, her eyes full of determination... and the exhaustion she never showed, yet I always felt.

A quiet worry crept into my chest.

If I could cross space and time right now, I would do it without hesitation.

But for now... all I could do was entrust her safety to my subordinates. And prepare myself to face the enemies in front of me.

I slowly opened my eyes, staring once more at the ceiling that remained just as silent as before. But in my heart, I prayed to whoever might listen that tonight would pass without bloodshed. That Sofia would remain safe.

And finally, wrapped in silence and lingering anxiety, I drifted to sleep.

Still thinking of one name, one face...That made my heart long to return.

Sofia.