The dawn leaked through the many cracks of the roof and peeled her eyelids open. Its presence was irritating and the pale brightness stung. The morning air weighed on her and it felt like it anchored her limbs to the thin stack of hay beneath her. She was not tired, it was her body rejecting the stillness. She never understood the temptation of the lull. It was inaction and it was pointless. When she was alive, she never felt so tired as to not want to wake in the morning, and now as an undead being, the stillness was insufferable.

Rana wanted to take her mind off of the sun and the inevitable destruction that would befall this settlement. She wondered if she could do anything for it, to lessen the suffering that would come, to help them survive. She did not have much experience when it came to warfare, but she knew how to command and was learned in tactics and strategy. She also believed she was far more capable than anyone in such a settlement. Her command would no doubt lead them to victory. Even then, just her joining the fray would be a huge boon for the defenders.

However, that was not her speaking. She was not irrational. The settlement was doomed from the start. They were a band of abandoned people gathered together for a false dream. The dream of safety was an illusion and a lie. It was an excuse for the selfish to appease those they left behind. The place they chose could not be defended, and the walls they raised could be easily toppled. If the people were given a few more months and more resources from their territorial lord, they could’ve created an actual haven from the dangers outside.

They also had too few people capable of fighting. Their guard numbered barely a dozen and they only had two marked ones. Most of the people living here were refugees and the most hopeless among all the displaced. The war had been over for quite some time. The able were slowly integrated into settlements that needed extra manpower, and the lucky found places that had reasons to accept the downtrodden. The people here were those unwanted. They were the sickly, the young, and those who would be burdens.

This was the fate of the weak. They were sent away under the guise of hope. They were told they could build a settlement here, but they were not told that their chances of success were nil. They were essentially a bait, a tribute to the lawless so that other places could thrive while they were being pillaged. She could not help them achieve victory let alone survival. Even if by some miracle she was able to do so, their demise would only come later. It was only a matter of time.

“What’s wrong? You look like you’ve just eaten breakfast,” Jessica said. The girl peered out from the thin wooden stall and greeted Rana with a cheer. Her hair was a mess and her ponytail undone, but it seemed like even the bags under her eyes could not obfuscate her high spirits. “Sorry, it’s a joke around here. The porridge we serve for breakfast is very bland. Hey, at least it fed us.”

Rana knew Jessica’s spirited demeanor was an act. When the girl sauntered into her stall, her steps were heavy and disjointed. It was as if she was willing herself, telling herself that it was only one more step until she could rest, but knowing that when her eyes closed and reopened their grim reality did not go away. There was no rest. Rana could smell her fear and anxiety in her breaths when the girl slept. It was not a pleasant sound to accompany the silence. Rana wanted to roam the settlement and get some information, but that would bring needless suspicion on herself. She needed to remain under the radar when the time came.

Still, there was no harm in a greeting.

“Good morning, Jessica,” Rana said. She stood up and began a short stretch of her arms. The stiffness was in her mind, but it helped ease her weariness. “Did you sleep well?”

“That should be my question, but yes, thank you for asking,” Jessica said. It was clearly a lie, but there was no reason to confront her about it. It was a harmless lie and Rana knew why it was said. The only mystery was whether it was for whose benefit was the lie uncontested. “Come on, I’ll show you to the dining hall.”

To two of them then went to the dining hall. To call it as such was quite an inaccurate portrayal. It was like the barn the previous refugee gathering village used to give out food. The only difference was that it was slightly larger, pointlessly cleaner, and had tables for the settlers here to eat and mingle. The settlers were in good spirits, or they tried to maintain their spirits. The chatter was nonsensical and the topics pointlessly inane considering the amount of effort needed to follow them. She almost wished for the depressing silence from the previous village. It was at least honest.

Rana looked at the goop before her. Jessica was eagerly waiting for her to take a bite, no doubt wanting to see her reaction. She sighed and swallowed the porridge and felt the clumps of grain sliding down her throat like slime. It was bland and she didn’t care. She continued to eat the food that did nothing for her. The only interesting part about food to a zombie was how everything just seemed to disappear without a trace after entering her body. She had no bodily function or organs that dealt with waste and didn't need them. It was the perk of being a monster she supposed. The System took care of everything in regards to her physiology. If normal food disappeared after eaten, the System would see to it. To think her mind spared some effort into thinking about such a thing, she was truly bored.

“You are the first person I’ve met that did not make a face when eating our breakfast porridge,” Jessica said. The girl made sure she demonstrated what it meant by making a face when speaking of them. “Making fun of the food seems to be one of our more enjoyable past times. You are missing out.”

“The porridge is simply nutrition for us to make it through the day. The taste is only secondary.”

“I kind of pegged you for that type of person. You must've’ been through a lot.”

“Unfortunately, I was like this even as a child.”

“That sounds depressing.”

“Is it? Life moves on regardless if the food tastes good or not,” Rana said. Her tone was not harsh, but she looked Jessica in the eyes and held her gaze. “What about you? This settlement is near the border between territories and is close to where the war was the fiercest. There is no future here. Yet here you are, risking your life for those that are abandoned and unwanted, with only bland porridge to sustain yourself. You are a marked one, you can go to most places and be accepted. Yet you chose here.”

“My story is not a special one. It’s something you hear all the time. I was born in a poor village near the Boundary Forest. My father was a carpenter and my mother was, well, a loving mother. Our village was eventually overrun by monsters. We ran with all our might that night when the shadowy beasts chased us down. When the monsters almost caught up, that was when a marked one showed up. The mana she made glow that night was beautiful. She saved us,” Jessica said. She paused a bit, and Rana saw her contain a small shudder before speaking again. “My family were the only survivors of the attack. Our friends and neighbors all died. We were taken to another village, but everything changed. We were shunned and despised. I was bullied by other children and my parents were constantly harassed and ridiculed. That was when I was selected for a mark. Everything changed then, and it made me angry. It was like everyone forgot what they did to us and treated us as if we were always a part of them.”

Jessica took a deep breath before gulping gown her entire bowl of porridge.

“That was when we left. The state sponsored my training and had my family settle in the city. Things happened there, I met some people, and I remembered the marked one who saved me. Then, I realized there were many others like me, before all of this. So, I said goodbye to my parents and journeyed around, helping settlements. I was given a gift, an opportunity, and I don’t want to only use it for myself. I mean, I was trained to fight monsters. I have the power to do that when others can’t. I have to help.”

“The sentiment is nice,” Rana said as she released Jessica from her gaze. “However, the true monsters did not roam under the crimson night. It is when the night is most blue and at its calmest will evil appear.”

“You mean humans?”

“Yes. Monsters do not commit crimes. They act because that is how they are created. They are like the rain and the sun, they come and go because that is how they are created.”

“What are you trying to say?” Jessica asked after eyeing Rana with suspicion.

“I simply have more experiences with the cruelty of man than the brutality of monsters,” Rana said. She wondered why she said this much. “Sorry for rambling. I just heard of a roaming band of raiders plundering and looting and they are nearby. I’m just worried this might be their next target.”

“Don’t worry. We have scouts and are well-guarded,” Jessica reassured. Rana knew the marked one did not fully believe so. “I doubt they would risk a fight with a place guarded by a marked one. Besides, we heard no reports that they were near.”

“Even though I rode past a destroyed village before getting here?”

Rana wondered why she said it, why she told them about the incoming tragedy. They could not stop it, and making the bandit fight harder by putting up a defense would only lead to a more brutal treatment afterward. Jessica’s eyes widened the moment she heard what was said. The marked one quickly stood up and excused herself.

Rana nodded and watched Jessica sprint away. She feared that she would be pulled into questioning, or worse yet, treated as a spy. However, nothing happened. She was allowed to roam the village freely and no one stopped her. It wasn’t until nighttime did Jessica come get her.

“Thank you for the information. Without it, we might’ve been caught unprepared. We strengthened our defenses and I hope it will be enough,” Jessica said. She then turned apologetically to Rana. “I’m sorry we cannot let you stay another night. I think it is better for you to leave tonight. I don’t want you getting caught in the middle of this fight.”

Jessica was still concerned for Rana’s safety even though they just met and the impending danger looming over the clouds. It was a kind gesture, but it was too late. There was a wave, a silent siren that told Rana of the incoming enemy followed by the sound of hooves galloping and breaking the air like thunder. Then, she heard Gregory yell.

“Incoming! Positions!

Jessica sprinted into action but she was stopped as Rana grabbed her hand.

“Don’t go. This is a fight you cannot win. Running into sure-death is not honor. It is foolishness.”

Jessica looked at Rana with a soft and sad smile before shaking her head and brushing away Rana’s hold.

“Go, you still have time. Farewell.”

Without looking back, Jessica ran to the frontline of battle.

Rana sighed. How foolish.