The Nucleus

There was nowhere for her to hide. 

"It's just a video game," Kaori closed her eyes to calm herself with a deep breath, before opening them once more, focused only on the incoming shadows. 

She squinted, trying to pinpoint how many were ahead of her. 

7! 

Kaori looked at her little dagger, gifted by Persephone.  It wasn't just any old kitchen knife; she felt a bit of weight from it, with its curved blade almost like a mirror. 

Alright, let's do this. You've got this, girl. She tried to hype herself up, but she only succeeded in making herself laugh at her own stupidity. She's done some yoga and axe throwing, but only because it was a brief trend; it got her views. She never learned them. 

Persephone! She remembered what she told her. 

"If you wish for my help in the future, then earn it." 

She quickly, yet silently, plopped down. The last time she was with her, time was slowed. 

"Thank you for yoga. If I learned anything, it's that I can fall asleep quickly." She whispered to herself as she began to meditate, though keeping herself from completely falling asleep. 

After a few seconds, Kaori whispered, "Mother Persephone? I need your help. I believe I've earned it." 

Suddenly Kaori went deaf to the horrific sounds around her, except for an angelic voice. "Yes, you have, my child." 

The influencer opened her beautiful orange eyes, rising to her feet as Persephone manifested in front of her; they were once more inside of the vast darkness of a mysterious room with a floor that mimicked black waters. "Am I always going to be sent here?" 

"Yes. This is The Nucleus. The center of existence. There are actually millions of beings here with us now, but the one that sent a mortal soul here, is the only one that can control what you see." 

"So that's why I can only see you? 

"Yes, and until you fulfill my desires you will be bound to me." 

"How will I know?" 

Persephone only chuckled, "you and I are busy beings. Shall we get to what you called me for?" 

Kaori sighed, "I ate the popcorn." I mean, they did tell me to, and that they were sent by her. She was slightly embarrassed; it didn't help either when the goddess only became confused, questioning her as she floated to the young woman. "The popcorn talked to me and said they were...memories?" 

"Oh, yes!" The elegant Queen giggled. "I always saw you eating, so I figured the best way to get you your memories back was through food." Upon reaching the red-faced zombie, she placed a gentle hand upon the top of her head. "Unite." 

xxxxx 

Kaori's eyesight was no longer of the goddess, it had changed upon the word being spoken to witnessing herself in 3rd person. She couldn't control anything about the version of herself she was seeing, she could only watch; Only seeing what Persephone wanted her to see. 

xxxxx 

"It's okay, I'll go." Kaori told someone, a look of worrisome reassurance in her eyes; visible only through a full face gas mask. She looked beaten up, broken, yet confident in every decision she made. "I brought everyone here, it's only right I be the one to save everyone." 

Kaori was fierce, grabbing a sickle from someone in front of her to pair with a dagger, before slamming a fist into the red button of a closed door. 

Unlike the cockpit, there wasn't a timer, and the door immediately opened, with Kaori swiftly making her way out as the door closed behind her with a soft thud. 

"Come and get me mother fuckers!" She screamed out, as a horde of zombies began to drag themselves towards her; she was in the hall that led to the cockpit. 

It was the only direction she would be able to go; she needed to lead them away in order to allow her group and the ones they saved to escape. 

When she saw the group of zombies coming for her, she began to run to the cockpit. Slicing the heads off of a few zombies in her way effortlessly. She knew about the 30 second timer, as with every control room on a ship, and she needed to press it immediately. 

"Cockpit door opening in 30 seconds, please stand back for your safety." The feminine AI voice called out over the intercom when she finally managed to press the button. 

Kaori chuffed. If they didn't notice me before, they will definitely come for that.  

And she was right. 

Instead of waiting for them to corner her, she went into the fight head on. 

As her blades made contact with the walking, decomposing corpses of the those that were once considered elite, blood began to spray as bodies fell, the squishing of each attack never ceasing to disgust. 

Kaori was a trained fighter, a skilled warrior, and it was obvious she had been training for a while. 

How long have they been living in an apocalypse?  

She was twisting around them with such flexibility, she was almost like a feline heroine; graceful. And in the midst of everything, she heard the faint opening of the door she came from, but it wasn't enough to distract the horde, nor did she want it to be. 

Kaori smiled. 

"10 seconds...." The AI voice began to do the final countdown; Kaori's cue to make a dash back to the door. 

She was exhausted, but she forced her body to work. Even if she was trapped, at least she would have a chance at being saved. 

As she ran, she watched as the blast door shot open to what appeared to be a completely empty room. 

She knew better than to believe it though, and she was right. 

However, she didn't expect the type of zombie that did make its appearance. One on one it was easy to kill, but when she was trying to get away from a horde? 

"Fuck." 

It was a mutated zombie known as a Raptor.