I Won’t Tell Them About the Apocalypse

Liana closed the farmhouse door. She could still hear Marcus outside.

“What are you hiding?”

She ignored him. In her previous life, Marcus had always been like this. Whenever Liana had something, he wanted to know. Whenever she earned money, he wanted a share. Whenever she made a decision without consulting the family, he accused her of being selfish. This time, however, Liana had nothing to explain.

She walked toward the kitchen and placed the box of seeds on the counter. A moment later, her phone rang. Mom.

Liana stared at the screen. She almost didn’t answer. But she knew her family wouldn’t stop simply because she ignored them.

“Hello?”

“Liana, your brother said you bought a property.” Her mother’s voice was sharp.

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?”

“Because it’s mine.”

Silence. Then—

“Don’t be ridiculous. We’re family.”

Liana closed her eyes. There it was again. That word. Family. In her previous life, that single word had been enough to make her surrender everything—money, food, her opportunities, her future, even her life. But now? It meant nothing.

“I bought the property for myself.”

Her mother scoffed. “You can’t possibly manage a house alone.”

“I can.”

“Your brother said it’s far from the city.”

“That’s the point.”

“What are you planning?”

Liana looked toward the window. The sky was clear. People were driving home from work. Children were playing outside. Everything looked normal.

“Nothing.”

“Then why are you acting so strangely?”

Liana smiled bitterly. Because I know the world will end in seventy-nine days. But she didn’t say it. If she told them about the apocalypse now, would they believe her? Probably not. And if they did believe her? They would immediately expect her to prepare for them. She knew how that story ended.

No. This time, she would protect herself first.

“I’m busy, Mom.”

She ended the call.

---

The next morning, construction workers arrived. Liana had hired them under the excuse that she wanted to renovate the farmhouse for long-term living.

The first priority was the fence. The second was the doors. The third was the windows. She didn’t want the place to look like a fortress. Not yet. That would attract too much attention. Instead, she wanted everything to appear normal from the outside. Inside was different.

She had a reinforced steel door installed behind the main entrance. A second emergency exit was created at the back. The basement was cleared. And beneath the basement floor, Liana began preparing a hidden storage room.

The work cost nearly ₱40,000. Her savings dropped again. But she didn’t regret it. Money could be earned again. A safe place could save her life.

By the end of the week, the system notification appeared.

[Safe Haven Upgrade Progress: 82%]

Liana nodded. Almost there.

Then she opened her storage space. The room was already filling—rice, canned food, water, batteries, flashlights, medicine, seeds, tools, clothing, hygiene products, cooking supplies. She had learned from her first life that people always focused on food. But food wasn’t the only problem. What happened when there was no electricity? No clean water? No medicine? No soap? No feminine hygiene products? No batteries? No way to cook? Those small things became enormous problems after society collapsed. Liana planned for all of them.

---

That afternoon, another package arrived. She opened it. A portable solar generator.

Liana’s eyes brightened. She had bought it at a huge discount. She carried it inside.

“Storage.”

The generator disappeared.

[Survival Points +3.]

Liana blinked. “Why did I get points?”

A system message appeared.

[High-priority survival equipment detected.]

[Reward: 3 Survival Points.]

Liana smiled. So certain items were worth more.

She opened the Market Exchange. Her current points were now 25 Survival Points. The space expansion still required 50. She needed 25 more.

Liana closed the panel. “Not yet.” She wasn’t going to waste points just because she was impatient. She needed to think long-term.

---

That evening, Marcus came again. This time, he wasn’t alone. Her mother and father were with him.

Liana stepped outside. Her mother immediately looked around. “This place is bigger than I expected.”

Her father inspected the house. “You spent a lot of money on this.”

Liana said nothing.

Marcus crossed his arms. “Why didn’t you tell us you were buying property?”

“Because I didn’t need permission.”

His expression darkened. “We’re not strangers.”

Liana looked at him. “No.” She smiled faintly. “You’re my family.”

Her mother relaxed. Then Liana continued. “But that doesn’t mean you own me.”

Her mother’s smile disappeared. “Liana!”

“I’m not fighting with you.” She kept her voice calm. “I’m simply setting boundaries.”

Her father frowned. “Your mother only wants to know why you’re suddenly spending so much money.”

“I’m preparing for my future.”

Marcus laughed. “What future?”

Liana looked at him. “The future where I don’t have to depend on anyone.”

Marcus’s face changed. Before anyone could respond, Liana’s phone vibrated. A system notification appeared.

[Warning.]

[Unusual atmospheric activity detected.]

Liana’s smile disappeared. She quickly opened the notification.

[Estimated probability of major environmental disruption within 30 days: 17%.]

Her heart tightened. Thirty days? That was much earlier than she remembered. In her previous life, the first warning signs hadn’t appeared until much later.

Liana stared at the message. Something had changed. Her rebirth wasn’t simply giving her another chance. The future itself might be changing.

She looked toward the darkening sky. For the first time since waking up, she felt genuine fear. The apocalypse was coming. But perhaps—it was coming sooner than she thought.