Chapter 2: The unexpected second chance

A ragged gasp tore through my chest as I snapped awake. My hands flew straight to my neck, searching for the torn skin and warm blood from the monsters in the alleyway.

My fingers touched smooth skin. No teeth marks. No dripping crimson. No broken bones.

My palms were completely clear of scars. I was sitting in the soft leather passenger seat of a luxury car, the cold air conditioning blowing softly against my face while glass skyscrapers sparkled under the bright afternoon sun.

I scrambled for my purse, pulled out my phone, and tapped the screen.

Two twenty in the afternoon. September twenty fifth.

Thirty days. The universe had dragged my soul back in time, thirty full days before the sky turned dark and the undead roamed these clean city avenues.

"Sweetie, put the phone away."

A soft, concerned voice spoke from the driver seat. I froze, my eyes cutting to the left.

My husband, Leo, sat behind the wheel, looking healthy, energetic, and perfectly fine. In the back seat sat my stepmother, wrapped in a fur shawl, alongside my stepsister, Amy, who was busy applying bright red lipstick in a compact mirror.

Leo pulled the car up to the valet curb of a luxury jewelry showroom downtown. He killed the engine, turned in his seat, and looked at me with a warm, gentle smile—the exact face of a devoted, loving husband.

"We're here, baby," he said softly, reaching over to pat my hand with practiced tenderness. "I know you're still tired, but the store manager is waiting inside to evaluate your late mother's ruby collection. It will only take a few minutes."

My mind spun as I stared at his face. This was the same man who watched me fall ten stories into a pit of monsters.

"My mother's rubies?" My voice was barely a whisper. "Why are we at a jeweler?"

Amy put her mirror away and leaned forward, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. Her voice dripped with sweet, sisterly affection. "Oh, don't look so worried! We were talking yesterday about how hard you've been working. We just want to get the startup money for my new boutique so you don't have to keep stressing about supporting the family. Your mother's jewels are just sitting in a safety deposit box doing nothing. Appraising them today takes so much weight off your shoulders."

"Those rubies belong to my mother's estate," I said, keeping my hands tight in my lap so they wouldn't see me shaking. "They're all I have left of her."

"Darling, look at me," my stepmother added softly from the back, stroking my hair with fake maternal warmth. "Your father left your sister in your care because he trusted you. Your mother was such a sweet, generous woman. If she were alive today, she would be so proud to see you using her things to help her get on her feet. We are all doing this together, as a family."

A wave of suffocating fury flooded my chest. Their sweet care was far more nauseating than open malice. My mother didn't die of illness, she died three years ago because my stepmother and stepsister snuck into her room, stole her vital heart medicine, and left her to choke to death in an empty house. They murdered her for quick cash, worked me like a slave, and were now using fake love to strip away the last piece of her legacy.

Before I could burst, a strange frost settled over the warm car interior. A glowing blue screen materialized right in front of my face.

[Magic Zombie Safe System Active!]

[30 Days Until Zombie Outbreak]

[Magic Space Unlocked: Anything you put inside stays fresh forever!]

[First Special Tool Unlocked: Zombie Warning Radar!]

[Current Task: Keep all your mother's assets and stock up food!]

None of them blinked; the screen was completely invisible to their eyes.

Inside my mind, a vast, infinite pocket dimension expanded, it was a silent space where time stood completely still. Anything placed within it would remain untouched for eternity.

"Honey?" Leo squeezed my wrist gently, his eyes filled with rehearsed worry. "You've been so pale lately. Just give me the box key and sign the release form inside so I can handle the manager for you. I don't want you stressing over business when you should be resting."

I needed to buy time. If I fought them here, they would use the family lawyers to seize my mother's accounts before I could buy supplies for the apocalypse. I needed them to believe their sweet routine was working.

I squeezed my eyes shut, letting tears stream down my cheeks as I trembled. "I'm sorry... Please don't be upset with me. I'm just... I'm missing my mother so much today, and my head hurts."

My stepmother let out a sympathetic sigh, tapping my cheek gently. "Oh, my poor girl. You see? She's completely exhausted."

"I want to help," I whimpered, looking up with wide, tear filled eyes. "I really do. But I don't have the key on me. The central bank holding room requires two physical security keycards and a biometric scan. They closed their high security section at two o'clock today. Even if I signed the paper right now, we can't get the rubies out until tomorrow morning."

Leo searched my face, his eyes narrowing slightly as he weighed my words before smoothing his expression back into a warm smile. "Alright, baby. If you promise to handle it tomorrow morning at nine sharp, I won't press you today. I just want what's best for you."

"I promise," I whispered, bowing my head.

"Since she's feeling so unwell, we should drop her home right away so she can get some sleep!" Amy chimed in from the back seat.

"You're right," Leo said, starting the engine and pulling away from the jeweler's valet. He merged back into the main street traffic, glancing at me in the rearview mirror with deep, rehearsed concern. "We're taking you straight back to the apartment. You've been working far too hard lately. Go inside, lie down, and just rest. Don't worry about cooking dinner tonight."

"Yes, dear," my stepmother added. "We're taking her to that new seafood buffet across from the park to celebrate our family's future. We'll bring you back a nice takeaway box so you don't have to lift a finger."

"That's so thoughtful," Amy giggled, leaning close to the front console. "I can't wait for the ocean crab!"

Leo drives through the city streets and finally pulled up to the curb outside our apartment building. He put the car in park and kissed my forehead gently. "Go upstairs and get some sleep, sweetie. We'll be back later tonight with your food."

"Thank you," I whispered, stepping out onto the pavement.

I stood on the sidewalk as the car pulled away, watching the three of them through the tinted glass. Amy was already laughing, leaning toward the front seat as my stepmother smiled fondly at them both from the back. They looked like a picture-perfect, happy family going out for a celebration, leaving the sick, tired wife behind.

A cold, heavy ache pressed against my chest. It hurt—not because I loved them anymore, but because of how effortlessly they used fake affection to twist the knife. They truly believed I was sitting upstairs in an empty apartment, touched by their sweet words, waiting like a foolish dog for the leftovers they promised to bring home.

The moment the car vanished around the bend, my tears dried completely. My posture straightened, and the weak act melted away. Every trace of hurt vanished, replaced by an expression as cold as iron.

I looked up at the floating blue display in the air.

[System Count: 29 Days, 23 Hours Left]

[Next Objective: Sell your Mother’s jewels today to buy 1,000 bags of rice!]

A bitter smile touched my lips.

Enjoy your luxury feast today, my dear family. Laugh together and pretend to care. Because when thirty days pass and the world turns to chaos, you will not get a single grain of rice from my hands, and I will watch every single one of you starve on the streets.