The rain began.

At 7:03 p.m. on August 27, the rain finally began.

At first, the air carried a dusty smell, but gradually, the breeze turned cool. The drizzle grew into a torrential downpour before eventually settling into steady rain.

After weeks of drought, people were overjoyed. News outlets and social media platforms were flooded with reports of the rainfall. Everywhere, people ran outside to dance in the rain, cheering and celebrating as though a miracle had finally arrived.

Watching the drenched crowds laughing, shouting, and livestreaming their celebrations, Liam could already picture them turning into zombies.

He sighed quietly, switched off his phone, and returned his attention to dinner.

Honestly, five star hotel food really was something else!

Jack remained silent. Just as Liam had predicted, those who had been soaked by the rain would begin showing symptoms around midnight. Before long, they would rush to hospitals, and the first deaths would follow soon afterward.

Over the coming days, hospitals would become overwhelmed, with more patients arriving than the medical staff could possibly handle.

They needed to time their next supply run carefully, especially when it came to medicine, sugar, and salt. There was no harm in collecting more than they thought they would need.

Having survived the apocalypse once before, Liam remained surprisingly calm. He ate when he was hungry and slept whenever he could.

Deep down, he kept reminding himself of one thing.

Heaven gives everyone a chance to live. Everyone has their own fate. Look after yourself, and don't drag others down with you.

Jack watched him but said nothing. Despite everything, he continued to trust Liam's warnings about the coming disaster.

After dinner, Liam began charging every battery and electronic device in the house. Although Jack could generate electricity with his new ability, using his powers for too long would exhaust him.

It was better to charge everything while they still had access to a reliable power supply.

With nothing else to do, Jack spent the evening practising and familiarising himself with his abilities.

After spending the entire day fooling around, Liam became unusually quiet that night. He curled up beside Jack and held him close.

“Let's sleep early, Jack. You'll get used to your powers soon enough.”

Jack lowered his eyes to look at him.

“You seem to have adjusted rather quickly yourself.”

“…”

Liam snuggled closer, laughing as he tried to brush off the comment.

“I just take things as they come. Besides, now that you've awakened your powers, I have nothing to worry about.”

“Alright. Then let's sleep.”

Jack didn't press him further. He smiled faintly and closed his eyes.

Perhaps it was the sound of the rain, but he slept much longer than usual despite everything weighing on his mind.

By the time he got up, Liam was already in the living room, eating instant noodles while video calling Hannah.

They were discussing the latest news. Several people who had danced in the rain the previous evening had been rushed to hospital and died within hours.

When Liam noticed Jack was awake, he paused the call and prepared a bowl of noodles for him as well. He chose beef flavour and added a soft boiled egg.

From the other end of the video call, Hannah immediately began teasing him.

“Bloody hell, Liam! Are you playing house now? That ring has really got you tied down, hasn't it?”

Liam smiled calmly.

“I help out sometimes. Most of the time, Jack takes care of me.”

He raised his left hand towards the camera, showing off the ring.

“Pretty, isn't it, Hannah? I'm absolutely obsessed with it!”

Hannah gritted her teeth in frustration.

“Honestly, grow a backbone! Where's that energy you used to have him wrapped around your little finger? This is disgusting. Tch!”

Liam glanced guiltily towards the bathroom before lowering his voice.

“Hannah, you can't just say things like that! I never deliberately led Jack on. It was just a little misunderstanding.”

Breaking up with Jack without giving him a proper chance to explain himself had been the biggest mistake Liam had made in either of his lives.

Hannah scoffed.

“Yeah, yeah. A little misunderstanding that had him moping around like a widower who'd lost the love of his life.”

“I really didn't…”

Liam was about to offer another weak excuse when he spotted Jack approaching. He immediately changed his tone.

“Anyway, the past is the past. From now on, we're going to be so disgustingly happy together that you'll want to throw up!”

He turned to Jack with an exaggeratedly sweet smile.

“Right, Jack?”

“Yeah.”

Jack sat beside him. Liam eagerly handed him a pair of chopsticks before opening a carton of soy milk and placing it within reach.

Hannah watched the two of them for a moment before silently ending the video call.

After finishing his meal, Jack looked at Liam, who was busy clearing the table, and smiled.

“Are you worried I'll bring up the past?”

Liam immediately looked like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, flustered and defensive.

He shuffled closer and linked his arm through Jack's.

“I already apologised…”

His sweetness was deliberate, but he didn't care. As long as it worked, that was all that mattered.

Of course he was worried.

Although they had reconciled that day, everything had gone suspiciously smoothly. The past still hung over him, and he couldn't completely shake the fear that Jack might bring it up again.

“Mm. I've forgiven you, so don't worry.”

Jack gently patted his cheek, as though soothing a nervous cat.

Since Liam had chosen to return to him, what else could Jack do? He wasn't the kind of person who liked dwelling on old grievances. What was done was done, and there was little point crying over spilled milk.

Just then, notifications began flooding Jack's phone.

The small group chat was buzzing. Several members of his team were tagging him, thanking him for the warning the previous day. Because he had told them to stay indoors, they had avoided going out into the rain.

His parents and other family members had also sent messages confirming that they were safe and checking on him.

Outside, the rain continued falling steadily. It wasn't particularly heavy anymore, but it showed no sign of stopping. It looked like the kind of rain that could last for days.

Jack reminded everyone once again that if they absolutely had to leave their homes, they should wear proper protective suits and keep up with the latest news.

After that, he began checking the reports himself.

It wasn't long before the latest developments appeared.

People who had been caught in the rain were reportedly contracting an unknown virus, and several deaths had already been confirmed. More and more people exposed to the rain were being rushed to hospitals, spreading fear and confusion.

Chaos was approaching.

Liam was also seeing frantic discussions in his university and social groups.

Because his mother had been ill, he had spent most of his time at university either working or looking for jobs to support himself. He had never been particularly close to his classmates.

After all, if someone repeatedly turned down invitations, people would eventually stop asking.

His sexual orientation wasn't a secret either. Some people had approached him with romantic intentions, while others had offered help in the hope of getting closer to him. He had turned them all down.

His first love had affected him too deeply. After experiencing that kind of love, everyone else seemed to pale in comparison.

Liam had never been the type to settle for someone simply because he didn't want to be alone.

As a result, no close friends contacted him, and most of his conversations with acquaintances ended after a few casual messages.

Throughout the day, Jack kept a close eye on the outside world through the news.

Liam, meanwhile, remained calm. Apart from occasionally discussing developments with Jack, he carried on with his usual activities.

He switched between several single player game consoles and tried out the fitness equipment he had ordered online, including dumbbells and a small treadmill.

He showed almost no panic, even as the nightmare he had described began turning into reality.

It was as though he had already lived through everything before.

Jack wanted to ask him about it several times, but each time, he held back.

Fine. Liam will tell me when he's ready.

August 28, their first full day of staying indoors, passed peacefully.

With no reason to go outside, they had little space to burn off their restless energy. They were both young, and being cooped up together only made them more affectionate.

Before long, they found other ways to occupy themselves in the bedroom, their passionate sounds continuing late into the quiet night.

Then, in the middle of the night, Liam suddenly developed a high fever.

Just as in his previous life, Liam wasn't frightened by it.

Jack, however, was terrified. He couldn't help wondering whether they had pushed themselves too far.

It wasn't until Liam vaguely suggested that the unexplained fever might be a sign that he was awakening a superpower that Jack finally relaxed.

August 29 arrived, and the death toll continued to rise. Hospitals across the country descended into chaos as more and more patients poured in.

Jack's company headquarters and its official liaison group began issuing warnings to regional teams, instructing them to prepare for possible unrest and a breakdown of public order.

But Jack had no time to concern himself with those matters.

All his attention was focused on Liam, whose fever remained dangerously high.

Under ordinary circumstances, Jack would have taken him to hospital immediately. Given what was happening outside, however, doing so was far too risky.

Liam was drenched in sweat and frequently slipped into delirium, occasionally muttering incoherent words.

Jack stayed by his side, making sure he drank enough water, changing his sweat soaked clothes, and using whatever cooling methods he could to bring his temperature down.

Whenever Liam began talking nonsense, Jack gently comforted him, hoping his voice would reach him even through the haze of fever.

At night, Jack hardly dared to close his eyes.

His normally calm mind was consumed by worry, and one thought kept haunting him.

What if this fever damages Liam's memory? What if he wakes up and forgets who I am?