Chapter 6: The First Supply Run

“You grow strong,” Echo said, voice twisting like smoke. “But strength without foresight is death.”

“Then teach me foresight,” I said sharply. “No more riddles, no more cryptic warnings. I need to survive.”

Echo’s eyes gleamed. “Foresight is earned, not given. Watch.”

The mist shifted, showing me scenes from my past life: friends abandoning me, my family ignoring me, my lover left behind. Pain flared, but now it was sharp and cold — no longer soft and naive.

“You see clearly now. Use it. Trust only what you can control.”

I nodded. I would. No more blind loyalty. No more misplaced kindness. Survival first.

The interface pulsed, bright and insistent. I stared at the task:

[Task: Gather basic survival supplies. Reward: Evolution Points + Inventory Expansion]

I exhaled slowly, letting the weight of it settle. This wasn’t just training anymore — this was preparation. The apocalypse would come, and I wouldn’t have the luxury of perfect conditions. I needed everything I could get.

The Sanctuary shimmered around me, responding to my thoughts. Tables of light materialized, floating before me. Tools, food, knives, rope, medical kits, flashlights, batteries — everything I might need. I reached out, grasping each item, feeling their weight solidify in my hands as if I’d always held them.

“This… is incredible,” I whispered, eyes wide. Even after all the power and training, the System continued to astonish me.

“Do not mistake ease for safety,” Echo murmured, drifting nearby like smoke caught in a draft. “Every gift carries a cost. Use wisely.”

I nodded, swallowing hard. Every instinct in my body screamed that preparation was survival. I packed the items into a floating backpack that appeared at my touch, inventory expanding as the System had promised.

Then a new idea struck me. The Sanctuary wasn’t just a storage space. It could be a testing ground. I could simulate the coming chaos here, practice my skills, sharpen my reflexes against shadows of what was to come.

I pulled the knife from my belt, flexed my fingers, and imagined the streets outside — ten days from now, zombies swarming, people screaming, chaos everywhere. In this controlled space, I could train to survive it all. I moved with practice ease remembering scenarios from my past, determined to work through those situations to achieve the best possible outcome. Even if I couldn't control every single scenario I know what I went through in my past life.

Echo’s mist swirled, voice curling around me. “Good job. But remember, Kiami Lynn… knowledge is nothing without action. You cannot prepare for everything, but you can prepare for yourself.”

I clenched my fists, determination blazing through me. “Then I’ll be ready for everything. I won’t fail again.”

The System chimed.

[Reward Granted: 75 Evolution Points]

My heart skipped a beat. Each point was a step toward survival, a step toward becoming someone who could face the coming nightmare and not just survive — but thrive.

I spent the next hour organizing my supplies, arranging knives, rope, and medical kits in neat rows, practicing picking them up and using them in seconds. I ran simulations in my mind, recalling every street, every alley I had been caught in during my past life’s apocalypse — now memorized, mapped, and ready.

Finally, I sank to the glowing floor, panting. The adrenaline from movement, training, and preparation made my chest feel tight. But underneath it, a fierce pulse of excitement ran through me.

Ten days. Ten days to change everything.

And I would.

The Kiami of my first life had died, alone, betrayed, and broken.

The Kiami of this life would not.