In a hospital room, Detective A’isha stands with her back to the viewer, holding a clipboard and speaking. Detective ‘Zug, a large half-orc in a suit with glasses, listens attentively. Ran, sitting up in bed with her left arm in a sling, responds thoughtfully. The setting is calm and serious, with muted colors and medical equipment visible. Close-up of Detective A’isha’s face as she questions Ran. Her expression is serious and slightly concerned. She wears the ball chain holding her badge, and the wooden door of Ran’s hospital room is in the background. Ran responds to questioning with a half-smile and a slightly evasive expression. She sits up in her hospital bed with her left arm in a sling and wears a hospital gown. Detective ‘Zug stands to her right, partially visible in a dark suit. The muted background shows part of the hospital room. Close-up of Ran speaking with a serious and thoughtful expression. She wears a hospital gown and has her left arm in a sling. The background is muted and blurred, focusing on her face as she explains her suspicions about necromantic activity. Detective ‘Zug stands partially visible behind her in a dark suit. Detective A’isha looks down with concern as she questions Ran. She wears a dark blazer and the ball chain holding her badge. Behind her is the wooden door of Ran’s hospital room with a wire-mesh window.Detective ‘Zug stands beside Ran’s hospital bed with a serious expression. Ran looks toward Detective A’isha with a hopeful but uncertain smile. She wears a hospital gown and her left arm is in a sling. The muted background suggests the hospital room setting.
Panel 1 In a hospital room, Detective A’isha stands with her back to the viewer, holding a clipboard and speaking. Detective ‘Zug, a large half-orc in a suit with glasses, listens attentively. Ran, sitting up in bed with her left arm in a sling, responds thoughtfully. The setting is calm and serious, with muted colors and medical equipment visible. Panel 2 Close-up of Detective A’isha’s face as she questions Ran. Her expression is serious and slightly concerned. She wears the ball chain holding her badge, and the wooden door of Ran’s hospital room is in the background. Panel 3 Ran responds to questioning with a half-smile and a slightly evasive expression. She sits up in her hospital bed with her left arm in a sling and wears a hospital gown. Detective ‘Zug stands to her right, partially visible in a dark suit. The muted background shows part of the hospital room. Panel 4 Close-up of Ran speaking with a serious and thoughtful expression. She wears a hospital gown and has her left arm in a sling. The background is muted and blurred, focusing on her face as she explains her suspicions about necromantic activity. Detective ‘Zug stands partially visible behind her in a dark suit. Panel 5 Detective A’isha looks down with concern as she questions Ran. She wears a dark blazer and the ball chain holding her badge. Behind her is the wooden door of Ran’s hospital room with a wire-mesh window. Panel 6 Detective ‘Zug stands beside Ran’s hospital bed with a serious expression. Ran looks toward Detective A’isha with a hopeful but uncertain smile. She wears a hospital gown and her left arm is in a sling. The muted background suggests the hospital room setting.

Transcript

Panel 1
A’isha: You were hired to find Malik Moore?
Ran: Yeah. His sister was worried.
Ran (cont’d): If he’s dabbling in necromancy—
Ran (cont’d): —she’s got reason to be.

Panel 2
A’isha: And you saw him?

Panel 3
Ran: Maybe. Could’ve been anyone under the robe.

Panel 4
Ran: But someone was animating corpses in his “basement,” so…
Ran (cont’d): …strong hunch.

Panel 5
A’isha: And the zombies? You dispatched them all?

Panel 6
‘Zug: Really hope so.

Dead shall rise – Chapter 2 page 8
Posted on August 4, 2025 by Maho Noir

While something unnatural moves through the halls, Ran’s recounting what led her here.

The pieces aren’t new-- missing person, worried sister, strange "basement"-- but this is the first time anyone’s putting them together out loud. A’isha asks the right questions. Ran gives straight answers. No deflection, no disbelief... just tired facts and an exhausted detective doing her job from a hospital bed.

This page isn’t a revelation. It’s confirmation. The situation’s already bad, and nobody in this room is pretending otherwise. If anything, they’re bracing for worse.

But what makes it land is how normal it feels. Just a conversation. Just a few shared observations. Just a hospital room.
All while the dead start to move down the corridor.

Next page, someone walks into that. See for yourself.