Regressing Through the Apocalypse with the Third Male Lead-Chapter 29: Volume 2.

Bang!

The zombies walking along the wide road dropped dead, each with a hole in its head. They had been shot by Freyah’s uncle, a former soldier.

"This place... nothing has changed much, huh?" Freyah said as she gazed at the vast rice fields. Beyond them stretched the Bohol Sea.

They were riding in the back of a small truck, while her uncles and father followed on motorcycles.

"You’ve only been away for two years, Ate. Of course, not much would change," Julie said. But she had no idea—none of them did—that Freyah had regressed through time.

"You’re right," Freyah replied with a smile, taking in her surroundings. This was where she had grown up, studied, and graduated before leaving for Metro Manila, once believing in the naive dreams of youth—that city life would be more extravagant, more colorful, and that success awaited her there. Gwenette and Monica, her childhood friends, had followed her to Manila, chasing similar dreams.

But now, she realized she preferred the calm and peaceful life of her hometown. Surrounded by family and friends, she had everything she could ever ask for.

***

Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

Freyah finally reached their village in Talibon City, Bohol. The entrance was barricaded with spikes and logs, a desperate measure to keep danger at bay.

The village sat atop a mountain range, accessible only by crossing a small river via a hanging bridge. Though there was another path—the river itself.

In the village—

"Inday!"

"Inday!"

Neighbors and relatives called out to Freyah. Every face was familiar, every voice filled with warmth. They rushed to embrace her, some even crying at the sight of her return.

This was one of the things she missed most about this place. Here, even those who weren’t related by blood treated each other like family.

Freyah was about to return the hug—

But then she saw it.

Her hands.

They were covered in blood.

Her ears started ringing, a sharp, deafening noise drowning out everything around her. The warmth of her brothers in her arms felt distant, slipping away like a fading dream.

Reality crashed down on her.

Everything she had lost. Everything she could never change.

Her breathing grew uneven. The weight of it all—her home, her family, the people she couldn’t save—threatened to consume her.

She returned to her senses when she felt someone tapped her right shoulder. "Freyah, I know you must be tired after just arriving, but you need to see this."

Her father, Mr. Alberto Lima, interrupted, his tone grave.

At his words, the villagers’ expressions darkened, and a heavy silence fell over the group. Freyah nodded, and those who had come with her from Manila exchanged uneasy glances.

Her father led them through a distant banana plantation. As they drew closer, the atmosphere grew heavier. Two elderly men stood in the clearing, digging the earth.

"We couldn’t do anything for them," her father murmured, sorrow thick in his voice. "They weren’t bitten. But after the blackout, they suddenly started attacking people. We had no choice... to protect everyone, we did what had to be done."

"Is that Freyah, Gwen, and Monica?"

"Uncles," Freyah whispered. She reached for the hands of the two elderly men who had paused in their digging and pressed them gently to her forehead—a sign of deep respect.

Beside them, covered in white cloth and banana leaves, lay a body.

"This is Aling Martha," someone said.

Freyah’s breath hitched. "Aling Martha."

She knelt beside the body, her expression solemn. She didn’t remove the cover—she didn’t need to. The kind old woman had always been there, running her small sari-sari store where they bought coffee sticks, milk sachets, and everyday essentials. Her store had existed even before Freyah was born.

Freyah’s gaze drifted toward the freshly dug burial sites. Names marked the makeshift graves.

Tatay Harrison.

Flor.

Ricardo.

And many more...

All of them were people she had known. People she had grown up with.

She had known this would happen. She could save people from getting bitten and turning into zombies.

But she couldn’t save everyone.

The originators—the ones who transformed without a single bite, infected instantly after the blackout—were beyond saving.

The weight of the moment pressed down on everyone, thick and suffocating.

Then—

"Ate Freyah!"

The silence shattered as a young child, no older than seven, came running toward her.

John.

Behind him was Luke, their ten-year-old brother.

Freyah opened her arms, catching them in an embrace as they clung to her. John sobbed uncontrollably.

"I saw the news," he choked out. "I’m so glad you’re here, Ate Freyah."

Freyah didn’t know what to say. "Luke... John..."

Then—

"Ate Freyah... it hurts... it hurts... Grahhh!"

Bang!

Luke stood there, trembling. A gun in his small hands.

"Ate... shoot me. Please. So that Matthew won’t be alone."

His voice was eerily calm.

"I’m already bitten."

He handed her the gun he had just used to end their youngest brother’s suffering. Then he turned, revealing the bite on his back.

Freyah’s hands trembled.

"I’m sorry, Ate," Luke whispered. "I promised that when Mom and Dad were gone, I would never leave you. That I’d always protect you. But... I can’t keep that promise anymore.

"I’m truly sorry.

"Please. Shoot me."

Bang.

***

A Few Hours Later...

Night had already fallen. The moon hung high in the sky.

"Everyone fell asleep. How careless of them to drink while the world is ending," Florence muttered.

He found Freyah standing atop a hill where an abandoned house stood. From there, she had a clear view of the entire village.

"It’s alright," Freyah replied, her expression unchanged. "I’m here. If anything happens, I can protect everyone."

"You drink a lot, yet you’re still not drunk... Ah, right. Royals are trained to have high alcohol tolerance."

"You’re right. And it seems you have a high tolerance as well."

"My skill offsets any poison or the effects of medicine or alcohol. That’s why I can’t get drunk, no matter what."

"I see. I can’t compete with you in drinking, huh? I always win, but this time, I might lose for the first time. Though in love, I might be ready to lose everything. But in other things, I’m quite competitive—I don’t fight when I know I will surely lose."

"Is that so?" Freyah said solemnly. "Yet, you easily come around when I try to be alone."

"Do you truly want to be alone?"

Freyah was momentarily startled, but then she smiled faintly.

"No." He was perceptive about many things.

"Then, will you survive until the very end?"

"The future is uncertain."

"Hah." Florence sighed.

"What?"

"Yes, yes. The future is uncertain," he pouted, looking annoyed.

Freyah chuckled. She knew what he wanted to know. But right now, after everything that had happened, she could only speak the truth. Why does he not believe that when they even made a contract?

"But I truly want to know how to end all of this... or we might not survive at all," Freyah admitted. "Are you satisfied with that answer?"

"No."

Freyah sighed. "Yeah, yeah." Well, there was nothing she could do if he didn’t want to believe it.

A heavy silence settled between them.

"This is my hometown. It’s where I grew up, finished my studies, and where the most important people in my life lived. I love this village. And I realized it too late," she said. "You were born in a different village before being brought to the palace, right? But other than that, not much is mentioned about the place you grew up in."

Another pause. Then Florence finally spoke.

"Of course, I love the place where I grew up. I treasure it. No matter what happened, that’s where my mom and I lived some of our happiest days. I will always cherish that."

"Right." Freyah smiled. "That’s why, no matter what happens, I’ll protect this place now—so we can continue creating the best memories in this shitty Level 2 world."

"Level 2? Like in those games?"

"When did you learn about those games?" Freyah chuckled.

"The twins taught me." Florence chuckled. "And I must say, it was quite interesting. I see some of the reasons why your world is much more peaceful, because you conduct wars in games."

"Well, yes for most parts of the world."

But then she looked at her hands, and every time she did, all she could see were hands drenched in blood—hands reaching out, trying to pull her down. Yet, with every blink, the vision vanished in an instant, leaving behind only a dull ache in her head.

"I’m going to head back now," Freyah jumped down from the roof.

"I’ll stay for a bit then." Florence waved his hand. Then watched Freyah as she walked away.

***

Terminologies:

Inday – A term of endearment in Filipino, often used for young girls. It can also refer to female domestic helpers in Metro Manila. Among Visayan families, young girls are commonly called "Inday" even into adulthood.

Aling – A respectful way to address an older woman in Tagalog, similar to "Ma’am" in English. It is typically used before a name, such as "Aling Maria," meaning "Ma’am Maria."

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