Reckoning of the Queen of the Ashes

In the third year of the apocalypse, the gates of the Hades' Chamber carried a fresh scent of blood today. I stood atop the City Gate tower, watching the man tied to the Cross below, my fingertips unconsciously tracing the metal eyepatch over my left eye. Logan Frank. It was this man, a year ago, who—while we were surrounded by zombies—kicked me into the horde to protect his new lover, Lucy Fey. "Captain, we've brought her." Frederick Woods's voice came from behind, holding a woman whose face was as pale as death—it was Lucy. I lowered my head and spoke into the loudspeaker: "Logan, long time no see." Logan, nailed to the cross, suddenly lifted his head. When he saw my face, his pupils contracted sharply: "Nora? You're still alive!" "Thanks to you," I said with a smile, "I'm not just alive—I've built this 'Hades' Chamber.'" Last week, he snuck into the granary of the Hades' Chamber under cover of night and was caught red-handed by our patrol team. Lucy was shoved before the Cross by Frederick. Seeing Logan's battered state, she sobbed and pleaded, "Ms. Davis, please spare us. We won't ever dare again!" I ignored her and fixed my gaze on Logan. "Want to live?" Logan nodded instantly, grasping for a lifeline. "Yes! Nora, I know I was wrong. Please let me down, and I'll serve you like a beast of burden!" "No need to be a beast of burden," I said, pointing at Lucy. "Bow to me three times and beg for her life. Maybe then I'll consider sparing you." Logan hesitated for a moment, meeting Lucy's pleading eyes, then finally knelt down with a heavy thud, his forehead striking the ground hard. One thud, two thuds, three thuds. Blood seeped from his forehead. He lifted his head, looking at me expectantly: "Nora, I knelt, so you..." "Is that all?" I cut him off, my voice dripping with sarcasm, "Logan, when you kicked me into the horde of the zombies back then, you weren't this 'kind'." His face instantly drained of color. Collapsing to the ground, he was left speechless. And this was only the beginning.