Unfortunately, Zerra hadn't managed to reach her in time. Grandma, being old, also wasn't fast enough to evade the crawling centipede.
It managed to use its front legs to pinch Grandma's feet.
Grandma used her stick to beat the centipede, breathing heavily because of pain. When Zerra reached her, she used the broom handle to attack the centipede, desperately trying to attract its attention from Grandma.
"You get out… of here!" Grandma suddenly ordered, her words came out in small gasps.
The centipede seemed to have harbored hatred against Grandma for attacking it first. Zerra recognized this centipede to be some sort of mutated creature, and its venom was a few times more deadly. She wasn't sure whether it was in the process of zombification yet.
If Grandma wasn't treated in time, it might be detrimental to her health. Not to mention that she was now an old woman with a fragile body.
"Grandma…" Zerra desperately tried to attack the centipede, trying to avert its attention, but each time it was thrown a few meters away, the centipede always went back crawling toward her grandma.
She glanced at the sleeping Nyra, now hoping that this female protagonist would wake up soon and save their grandma. However, the woman on the bed still had her eyes closed, completely unaware of what was happening.
At this moment, Zerra was also only an ordinary human. There was nothing much she could do against a mutated animal. They couldn't even yell for help.
Outside, it was still all dark as the storm raged. They had closed all the doors and windows. There were no longer the sounds of cars like ordinary days, but the loud thunders, rains, and winds, then the occasional lightning. Small tornados were enough to make them fear that the roof would be blown away.
It was unknown when these thunderstorms would stop.
"What are you doing? Get out now!" Grandma's voice had started to tremble as she tried to get away from Zerra. She seemed to know now that the centipede only had her in its attention.
She shoved Zerra away, making her stumble. Relentlessly, she used her stick to smash the centipede, keeping its attention occupied while urging her youngest granddaughter to get out.
Zerra felt her throat was stuck. Was the same plot going to repeat itself? She felt endless despair.
Although Grandma always favored Nyra more, she also still treated her as her granddaughter. She gave more love toward Nyra because she knew how her son treated Nyra unfairly.
All her scoldings and criticisms against Alaric went through one ear and left from another. He only bothered to keep up the act in front of his mother to be a decent father for Nyra. Once Grandma was out of sight, he no longer put Nyra in his eyes.
What should she do? Zerra acted as if she hadn't seen the urgent look in Grandma's eyes.
"Stop!" She blurted out when she saw that the centipede was about to sink its front legs into Grandma's skin again, knowing her word was useless.
However, to her surprise. It seemed to have worked…
The centipede ceased all movement at once, giving a chance for Grandma to smash more of its exoskeleton. The sudden attack seemed to snap it out of its stupor.
Zerra's heart tightened when she saw the centipede was about to sink its front legs again…
"Stop it, go away!" She yelled desperately, picking the broom and smashing it against the hard exoskeleton.
The centipede stopped again, and it suddenly crawled away. In a few seconds, it disappeared completely somewhere through the roof.
Zerra didn't even have the time to think what kind of anomaly just happened. Her figure shot to her grandma, who was about to collapse to the floor. "Grandma, how are you feeling?"
"I am fine." She waved her hand off, trying to assure her. However, the hiss of pain betrayed her words. When she checked Grandma's feet, the wounds were already swollen.
She headed to the kitchen to find water, an ice pack, and some medicine. Using the water to clean the wounds, she applied the ice pack after. Then, she gave the pain killers to her grandma.
The entire time, Grandma was silent, watching her youngest granddaughter and following her treatment without complaining at all. Her gaze was inscrutable, with a hint of doubt and something else…
"Does it feel better, Grandma?" Zerra asked, sitting down beside Grandma as she inspected the wounds again.
"Yeah, it's better now. Thank you." Grandma muttered in a hoarse voice. Her eyes flitted to the window with a worried look on her face, then shifted to Nyra.
Zerra stood up and touched Nyra's forehead, feeling that the fever had subsided. Her heart beat against her chest erratically. When Nyra woke up, it was also the moment when human zombies started appearing.
Her mind shifted to the previous anomaly when the centipede suddenly followed her command. Most likely that it was on the verge of a zombie transformation. However, the indication wasn't clear because some creatures had some kind of shells that shielded any signs of decay.
Would this time around her command work on zombies while she was still a human? Or was it a coincidence on the centipede earlier? Her mind churned.
"Eldest sister's fever has subsided. She might wake up soon." Zerra said when she felt Grandma's eyes on her.
If Grandma got bitten by the zombie centipede, then… she didn't dare to think further about the consequence.
"That's good," Grandma muttered as she exhaled.
Then, none spoke. Only the sounds of thunder and falling rain filled the room. It made Zerra feel uncomfortable–now not used to it that suddenly, Grandma didn't use her usual attitude on her.
However, until the next day, the swelling on Grandma's feet also gradually subsided, and she could finally walk again. Zerra was surprised and relieved at the same time.
"Luckily, you brought us supplies from outside, Zerra." Grandma said as she began to cook in the kitchen, her tone tinged with worry. "Irahasn't eaten anything ever since she was unconscious."
They only dabbed water on Nyra's lips to help her stay a bit dehydrated. At this rate, indeed, it was worrying. She has been unconscious for over a day, nearly exceeding Zerra's time.
Previously, Doctor Ashborn had been called to examine her the moment she fell unconscious, and with her assurance, they didn't bring Zerra to the hospital. She managed to stay half-awake enough for them to help her drink something.
Now with Nyra, she didn't even show any signs of waking up in the slightest.
After she and grandma had dinner, Grandma raised her eyebrows at her. "You don't seem worried about Iraat all."
"She will wake up soon, Grandma. Don't worry."
Grandma might be worried to death about her eldest granddaughter, but Zerra was sure that Nyra would wake up soon. After all, the world always favored the protagonist.
However, Grandma's next words caught her off guard.
"You have been acting strangely lately… if I don't know better, I would think that my youngest granddaughter has been replaced."