FAZER LOGINALICE'S POV “System, scan her condition.”[SCANNING...][IDENTITY CONFIRMED: DR. HANNAH MOORE.][HEALTH STATUS: CRITICAL.][INJURY: LEFT SHOULDER TRAUMA.][ENERGY EXPOSURE: MODERATE.][MUTATION STAGE: EARLY.][WARNING: FURTHER EXPOSURE MAY CAUSE IRREVERSIBLE CHANGES.]I swallowed.“Can you help her?”[HOST MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE: INSUFFICIENT.][RECOMMENDATION: REMOVE SURVIVOR FROM CONTAMINATED ENVIRONMENT.]That was what I had planned to do.I checked the IV line and the monitor beside her bed.Her heartbeat was weak, but steady.John moved toward the other side of the bed.“We need to get her out. Can she walk?”“Not in this condition.”“Then we'll carry her.”I nodded.I carefully removed the blanket covering her and checked her injured shoulder.She had a deep wound, but it didn't look like a bite.I looked at John. “Help me lift her. Be careful with her shoulder.”We were about to move her when her eyes suddenly opened.She gasped and tried to sit up.“Don't move,” I said quickly. “Y
ALICE'S POV “This is unbelievable. I mean I knew there was more to you but I didn't know it'd be this.” John said, shaking his head. Then he looked at me. “So you remember what will happen in the future?”“Most of it. But things are already changing. The first mutations were not supposed to happen this early.”He looked toward the hospital. “That's why you weren't surprised when I told you about the patients.”“Exactly.”“What about the system?”My eyes widened slightly. “How do you know about that?”“Because you've been looking at something that isn't there every time those messages appear. I noticed it when we were together before.”I hesitated.Then I nodded. “I have something called the Apocalypse Survival System. It gives me missions, information, and survival points. It also helps me develop abilities.”“Abilities?”I raised my right hand.A faint blue light flickered beneath my skin.John's eyes narrowed.I quickly lowered my hand. “That's what you saw at the restaurant.”He l
ALICE'S POV “What's her condition? Dr. Hannah Moore.”[STATUS: CRITICAL.][INJURY DETECTED.][EXPOSURE TO MUTATED ENERGY: CONFIRMED.]I slowly lowered my hand.She had already been exposed.“Can she survive?”[INSUFFICIENT DATA.]“System, I need more information.”[MISSION UNLOCKED.][MAIN MISSION: RESCUE DR. HANNAH MOORE.][OBJECTIVE: LOCATE AND SECURE THE SURVIVOR.][TIME LIMIT: 12 HOURS.][FAILURE PENALTY: SURVIVOR WILL BE LOST.][SUCCESS REWARD: +100 SURVIVAL POINTS.]I stared at the notification.Twelve hours?That was barely enough time to get there and back, especially if the situation at the hospital was as bad as John had described.But I couldn't ignore it.Dr. Hannah was important. I needed her skills, and I wasn't going to let someone who could help save lives die when I had the chance to prevent it.Still, I couldn't rush into a hospital full of infected people without a plan.I needed to prepare.Then I checked my gun and ammunition.I also packed the crowbar.If I was
ALICE'S POVI stared at the system screen.[EMERGENCY INFORMATION UPDATE.][ABNORMAL MUTATION ACTIVITY DETECTED.][ORIGINAL TIMELINE: FIRST MUTATION EVENT EXPECTED IN 26 DAYS.][CURRENT TIMELINE: FIRST MUTATION EVENT DETECTED.][WARNING: TIMELINE DEVIATION CONFIRMED.]My blood ran cold.Twenty-six days early?I gasped.Oh no.This couldn't be happening.The first signs of the apocalypse weren't supposed to appear until much later. I remembered the first reports of strange attacks, the hospitals filling up with infected people, and the government trying to convince everyone that it was just a dangerous new virus.But that was supposed to happen when the apocalypse began.Not now.Not twenty-six days before the date I remembered.“Alice? Are you still there?” John asked.I swallowed. “I'm here.”“You sound worried.”“John, those people you mentioned... where exactly are they?”“St. Mary's General Hospital. Why?”“Have they been quarantined?”“Not completely. The hospital released a shor
ALICE'S POV“We're here for you and your baby.”My blood turned cold.I stared at the main entrance, unable to move for a few seconds.How did they know about my baby?I tightened my grip on the phone.“John?”“I'm here, Alice. What's going on?”“I'm going to have to call you back.”“Wait... What's...happ”I didn't wait for him to finish before I ended the call. I glanced toward the bag where I had kept my gun.I rushed to collect my gun and checked the magazine. I had never wanted to use it, but I wasn't going to let that stop me from protecting myself.I grabbed it, removed the safety and pointed it towards the entrance.I had to be brave now more than ever. I didn't come this far to die or lose my baby before the apocalypse even got to start fully.These people had come to my fortress, threatened my baby, and expected me to sit quietly until they took me away.Not happening.Not when I've developed this new amazing power. They no longer have an idea what they're getting into.I m
ALICE'S POV“Miss, are you sure you're okay?”I looked up and met the taxi driver's eyes through the rearview mirror.He had asked me that question three times already.“I'm fine,” I replied.He didn't look convinced, but he returned his attention to the road.I leaned back in my seat and tried to calm my breathing.My hands were still shaking.I couldn't stop thinking about what had happened at the restaurant. One moment, Luke was holding my arm. The next, he was flying across the room.I had done that.I had actually sent a grown man flying without even touching him.And I had no idea how to control it.My eyes moved to the system screen floating in front of me.[NEW POWER UNLOCKED: FORCE PULSE – LEVEL 1][CURRENT SURVIVAL POINTS: 146][POWER COST: 25 SURVIVAL POINTS PER USE][WARNING: UNCONTROLLED USE MAY HARM HOST OR SPECIAL LIFEFORM]I swallowed.Twenty-five survival points per use.That wasn't even my biggest problem.The system had said my baby's connection had increased to fou







