Chapter 1

"Mom, Selena has suffered so much over the past ten years. Just let her in."

My head throbbed, and my neck still ached from the zombie bite.

Giselle Foster stood at the doorway. In my last life, she had made Mom and Dad choose between us, but this time, she showed no trace of resentment at my claim to the family. I instantly knew she had also been reborn.

In my last life, I came to my family with a DNA report that exposed the daughter they had nurtured for years as an impostor.

Giselle feared losing Mom and Dad's attention to me and refused to give up the family fortune, so she coerced them into choosing her.

"If you pick Selena, I'm leaving, and you'll never see me again," she had threatened.

Since she was the apple of their eye, she carried their love like a suit of armor.

Mom and Dad chose her without hesitation and sent me away. The very next day, the apocalypse arrived, and the world was overrun by zombies.

I had awakened a fire-based ability and even saved Giselle and my parents during a mission. Mom and Dad played the family card, while Giselle wept, apologized, and pleaded with me to let her stay.

I had never felt true family love before, so I believed them without hesitation. I welcomed them into the base and shared the precious food I had scavenged.

However, Giselle wasn't thankful at all. She resented the position I held in the base. "Why? She's just a nobody from the slums. Why should she be better off than me?"

In the midst of a zombie attack, she pushed me from the edge of the fortress.

In my final moments, I saw the worry on my parents' faces, but none of it was for me. They were only trying to figure out how to get Giselle out of trouble.

In a world without laws, why would getting Giselle out of trouble even matter? Even after I was reborn, my parents still chose Giselle without hesitation.

"Giselle, you really don't mind?" Mom asked, studying every subtle change in her expression.

After making sure Giselle had no objections, she opened the door just enough to let me in and promptly laid down the rules. "Selena, now that you're back, don't cause trouble. You're only here because Giselle decided to be lenient. From now on, you're the older sister. Take care of her and make sure no one bullies her."

I ignored her completely and headed for the bedroom.

Mom shook her head. "How rude. Who raised her in some backwater place? She's nothing like Giselle…"

"Mom, don't mind her. I have something important to tell you," Giselle said, pulling Mom aside.

My curiosity piqued, I slipped after them quietly.

"Mom, Dad, don't be afraid. Everything I say is true…"

After they nodded, she continued, "I've actually been reborn. In just a few days, zombies will appear, and the apocalypse will arrive. Many people will awaken powers, but our family won't be so lucky. Almost none of us will develop abilities."

Mom touched Giselle's forehead. "You're not running a fever. Why are you talking nonsense?"

Dad's face was red with anger. "Giselle must be upset because of Selena's return, and now she's completely lost it. I'm sending her away immediately!"

Giselle grabbed his arm desperately. "Dad, don't make things worse. There isn't much time. First, we need to buy lots of food for the house, then some essential daily supplies…"

Though skeptical, Mom and Dad still nodded. After all, this was their cherished daughter. They reluctantly sold the storefront to get money for supplies.

At their hesitation, Giselle decided to prove her point. "It's May now, but it's going to hail tomorrow."

We lived in South Norlandia, where hail in May was unheard of, and snow in winter was rare.

As it turned out, her prediction was correct. By morning, hail had battered the cars across the parking lot.