CHAPTER 6

One second, two seconds, three seconds passed. The air remained dead quiet around us until Hellen finally let out a sound of pure disbelief.

"A what?!" she cracked out.

"Think about it. Why else would I fortify my place? Why would Damian Stark suddenly buy this entire building, drive everyone out, and start fortifying the whole property?" I pointed out.

Hellen nodded slowly, as if she were processing the weight of it all.

"So, you are telling me that you and Damian Stark can see the future?" she asked calmly.

"No," I replied, giving her a deadpan look. "Look, everything already happened before. Two years into the apocalypse before I died, I woke up a month before it all started. I told you about your mother's sickness. You couldn't leave her but had no choice because the zombies were everywhere. They broke into your apartment first because it was the most vulnerable spot, and you even saved my life. I have seen it all, and that's why I'm telling you this."

Hellen stared at me in shock.

"What the fuck? Am I supposed to believe this shit? What the fuck is wrong with you people?" she muttered, dragging her fingers through her hair in frustration.

"Believe me or not, but your mother's life is in danger. I'm telling you this to pay you back for helping me in the past."

"And you're changing the future? You said you went back in time, and now this... Let's assume you're right. Ain't you altering the future and causing something way worse? Why are you telling me this?" she said.

She was right. Altering the timeline could cause major disruptions and even bigger danger could occur. But what could possibly be bigger than the entire world being overrun by zombies?

"That's not the point right now, is it?"

"So you're saying my mom gets bitten by zombies?" she asked.

I nodded.

She groaned loudly. "Ugh, I told her this wasn't the best place to work as a gardener, but damn it, she wouldn't listen," she murmured.

"If this is true, what should I do? Leave the country?"

I scoffed. "This thing spreads. It will probably spread across all other countries as well. It lasted for two years—two whole years."

"What happened to me then? You said I saved you."

"We ran out of food—you, me, and Damian. So we sneaked out of the building and drove to the supermarkets that weren't fully empty. When we were picking up food, the zombies came, and the chaos was everywhere. We didn't see you, so we had to go back," I replied.

"Oh, so then maybe I died there too. Shit!"

Hellen started pacing around. She did believe me. She stopped and turned to me.

"If this is really true, then I have to do something. If Damian Stark himself is already fortifying the whole place to something new, it could be a bit safe, but not guaranteed. You have to tell him to let us move up to a higher floor," she suggested.

"Don't worry, it's no problem. You can stay in my apartment. When the time comes, you can even move in a week before," I assured her.

"But since you know this would happen, can't we prevent it from happening?" she asked.

"We can't change the future even if we could, but right now, no one knows how."

---

Damian POV

Just like Vivian, I woke up, like the apocalypse was a dream. But I knew it was not.

That day, when I pushed her out, she might feel betrayed, but no, there was actually more to it. I did not willingly push her out in my own thoughts, but how would she believe that?

I should be fine and relieved that she doesn't remember that day, but she said that, and she might have lied about it.

Back then, I made a mistake that I can't afford to make this time. That was why I bought the apartment building. I could have stayed in the underground bunker I prepared as a Plan B during the apocalypse, but I chose to stay here, just to protect her.

I knew she hated me. But with the time we were always together, she was always nervous when I was close. I treated her like nothing, and it pains my heart that I was the one who killed her, even when she begged me, I still pushed her out.

I knew the man behind everything. Before I was sent back in time, I only knew a month before, just like now. I thought it was a joke. I thought it was never possible to create a virus that could turn people into zombies.

But my father was persistent, and he was obsessed. He wanted the world under his command. He hated the Vance family, the way we were rivals. The way he could never have them bent to his will.

Then he came up with an idea—that the world only needed one king. That if the human species was helpless, they would only depend on the king, the sane ones.

Of course, he told me, but I thought he was speaking nonsense. I was almost convinced when he started building something, what he called the New World. A place highly secured and guarded that no one could get through easily.

He told me he also made a vaccine, but he wouldn't let his children become affected. He wanted only the Starks to be the only sane ones remaining.

He offered me the vaccine first, but I refused, and I moved to this building. On second thought, I fortified my place, in case he was telling the truth.

I was selfish then, but how could I stop him now that I was given a second chance?

I know for sure I cannot change what was going to happen, but the least I can do is try. I have to meet my father and try to talk him out of it.

I arrived at my father's new mansion, the place where he called the New World. It was different from any other mansion; it was by far bigger and more structured. The fences were so high and thick.

I barged into my father's office. He was there, of course. A grin spread across his face when he saw me.

My elder brother Adrian sat on the couch, a woman next to him.

What's going on?

"Damian, now that all my children are present, let's talk business," he spoke.

"Father, what are you doing? I know your plan, and you have to stop!" I began, my eyes shifting to the lady seated near Adrian. A smirk played on both of their faces.

Adrian? Figures he would be part of Dad's plan. They were both nothing but mentally unstable humans.

The Stark Group was built by my grandfather and great-grandfather. My father was a disgrace. He nearly brought the company apart with his weird obsession, but Grandpa branded everything to me before he died.

Now I run the Stark Group, and Adrian has been nothing but angry about it. He even hated me, and I knew it.

"You may excuse us, Sarah dear," my brother told the lady, and she stood up and left the room.

"I don't know why you are being so brick-headed, Damian. Your brother already agreed to this easily and took the vaccine, except you want to be among those useless souls out there," my father spoke.

"Adrian took the vaccine?"

Back then, he didn't believe Dad either. He called him crazy, and during the apocalypse, I never saw him again, except he went back to Father.

"You are endangering millions of lives! If you do this, this is nuts!" I yelled.

"Shut up!" Adrian spoke.

I turned to face him.

"Or you should be lucky that Father is offering you this opportunity. If you choose not to take it, it is fine by me. No one needs you anyway, but you see..." He paused, grinning widely. "You can't stop what is to come. And we both know that."

"What makes you suddenly believe in this shit now? Back then, you called Father crazy!"

Adrian's composure faltered.

"Back then? What?"

Oh, I couldn't let them know I was reborn. I turned back to Father.

"Do not release that virus!"

My dad stood and walked to me.

"I never knew you would believe me after the stunt you pulled last time, and now that you do, you either take the vaccine or leave, because there is no stopping this. I'm trying to rebuild the world, as our forefathers failed to. The New World will be ruled by us, the Starks!"

He was crazy. I knew arguing with him was useless. I couldn't stop what was going to be done. The least I could do was stop it when it began.

I had to act and think fast.

---

Sarah POV

Adrian told me to leave, and I did. The Stark still didn't trust me enough to let me stay during their secret family meeting. After all, I told him—I told him everything I saw. At least so he could take me in.

I broke things off with Noah, knowing he would be useless. I knew he loved me so much, and Vivian was nothing but his tool, but it didn't matter anymore.

I can't afford to be stupid this time. Adrian only believed his father after what I told him, and thank God I was early enough, because he wouldn't have ever believed me.

And since I have him by myself, I would be so untouchable.

Adrian let me be part of the Starks. I had taken the vaccine, and only those with the vaccine wouldn't be affected during the apocalypse. Even the zombies would bow down before us.

Yes, Vivian Lake wasn't the only one who was reborn!