By the time they arrived at city D, the warm sun had replaced the cool moon, casting an eerie yet beautiful light on the empty streets. The silence was nearly tangible, only disrupted by occasional groans from nearby zombies.

Standing in the warm sunlight, Bing Shi squinted her eyes against its glare. "Will you catch me if I fall?"

"I'll consider it," Ziek replied, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. He watched as she floated in a cross-legged position, resembling a little monk in meditation.

"Then I better make sure not to fall," Bing Shi responded, well aware of how her abilities often responded to her wishes and emotions. With Ziek, she knew she couldn't rely on external help; she would have to depend on herself.

With that determination, she lifted off the ground and ascended to the rooftop of a nearby building. Ziek followed suit, his laughter echoing through the air.

"Why are you laughing so much? I can't focus," Bing Shi said as she struggled to maintain her balance in the air. Despite her unsteady flight, she found herself giggling uncontrollably. Ziek's laughter was infectious, spreading through her like a joyful contagion.

Ziek couldn't stop laughing, doubling over like a hyena, he recorded her on his phone, "You're flying like a drunk monk," he managed to say through his laughter, tears forming at the corners of his eyes from the amusement.

"Hush... You're attracting zombies with all that noise," Bing Shi scolded him ligthly, but she continued on her way, occasionally sending Ziek's phone a peace sign ✌️ as she flew.

'The height isn't as terrifying as I thought it would be,' she mused, growing more comfortable with her superpowers.

She took a rejuvenation pill, which she could swallow in case she fell down.

· · ───────── · ⊱❈⊰· ───────── · ·

[Host.]

Kuro waved at Bing Shi and Ziek with its tail.

"I'm here. Did you miss me?" Bing Shi landed on the rooftop clumsily as she hugged Kuro, who fluttered towards her.

Ziek looked around, "So, what's the plan now?"

Bing Shi took out a blanket from her mountain backpack, "You look like you had a rough night," she noted, arranging the blanket against the wall. Taking a seat and leaning over to Kuro, she indicated the space next to them. "You can sleep next to Kuro."

Ziek could only marvel at how seamless she made everything look. What made her think he'd go along with her suggestions?

"I won't be able to fall asleep with such a bright light shining at me," Ziek sat next to Kuro stalwartly.

"Oh, then I'll show you a trick," she announced, erecting a barrier around them. With her phone, she blocked out the sunlight from entering their little space. The surroundings transformed into complete darkness. "See? Cool, right?"

Ziek was a bit surprised by her superpowers, "You are wasting your energy," he pointed out.

"I usually save my energy before sleep, but now I have the most powerful companion with me," Bing Shi said, browsing through her phone for music. "What kind of music do you like?"

"Nothing in particular. I don't listen to music when I'm trying to fall asleep," Ziek closed his eyes, "You are not going to sleep?"

"No, I still have something to do," Bing Shi switched on her tablet and opened a folder with her plans, "I'll wake you up if something happens."

Ziek was very, very, tired. Not the kind that came with a tired body—it was a fatigue that was deeply ingrained in his existence.

A few moments later...

"I can't fall asleep," Ziek admitted, his eyes still shut. In truth, he hadn't intended to sleep at all.

"Well, let me help you with that," Bing Shi offered and started to sing her version of Twinkle Star, "I'll give you a taste of my angelic voice ♪♫."

A few moments later...

Ziek clasped his hands over his ears, "What the fuck was that??!"

"A deathly lullaby," Bing Shi laughed at him, "I'm amazed you didn't pass out."

'He is not a fan of music and hates my singing as well?' Bing Shi mused, her brows frowning.

"..." Ziek burst into laughter, unable to help himself. "Sing it again."

"No chance," Bing Shi declared firmly.

"Please."

"No."

"Please. Please."

"No. No."

"Please. Please. Please."

"No. No. No."

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"Grandson, wake up ♪♫," Bing Shi called out as Kuro poked Ziek's shoulder.

Ziek swiftly caught hold of Kuro's tail before it could make contact with him, and he squinted against the sudden burst of light.

"How long did I sleep?" he inquired, his voice slightly groggy as he let go of Kuro's tail.

"Four hours. My energy was running low, or else I would have let you sleep longer," Bing Shi replied, wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead.

The utilization of zombie nuclei allowed ability users to enhance their powers, but it didn't replenish their energy. LVL 1 and LVL 2 nuclei no longer had much impact on Bing Shi. She looked at the LVL 3 nuclei in her hand, which took an hour and the utmost focus to absorb it fully.

"Did I do anything unusual while I was asleep?" Ziek asked, his hand still shading his eyes. How had he managed to fall asleep so suddenly?

Bing Shi stowed the nucleus back into her pouch, "I'd like to say that you snorted like an elephant but no. You were pretty quiet the whole time."

Why did she have to add the elephant part? Thank god, if he dreamed aloud, he'd kill both of them on the spot. Ziek sighed, still puzzled about how he had ended up sleeping. "How did I fall asleep?" 

"I think you gave up after two hundred and eighth 'please'. Better than counting sheep, huh? 🐏" Bing Shi smiled and leaned against Kuro as her flickering barrier with mysterious powers dissipated around them, "It's my turn," she said and closed her eyes, "Good night. From now on, remind me to never touch Fu Lian's food."

'I thought he suffers from insomnia too, but it was quite easy for him to fall asleep,' Bing Shi contemplated. She didn't comprehend the potential of her barrier yet, and unknowingly used its powers on Ziek.

"..." After a brief pause, Ziek stood up. "Watch over her for a moment," he whispered to Kuro before entering the nearby building to use the restroom quickly. When he returned, he resumed his seat, occupying his time with phone games while silently keeping watch over Bing Shi. Despite the gas mask obscuring his view, he'd still give her a few short glimpses here and there.

Ziek felt no particular sympathy, yet he couldn't deny the fact that Bing Shi looked tired too, as evidenced by the dark circles beneath her eyes. But why was she so ridiculous?! And why did he find it funny? He stopped the game and watched how her head kept falling to the front. And how Kuro pushed her head delicately against its body, for it to fall to the front again.