All Chapters of Reborn before the apocalypse : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The ash felt like copper.Lena was unable to breathe .Her chest burst. The sky of new York was red and black. And the buildings were on fire.They called it a fever at first. A flu. Then they stopped naming it.Lena lay on the broken concrete of the Brooklyn Bridge. Blood soaked her jacket. She hadn't been shot by monsters. By people. That was the irony. In the end, people became worse than monsters."LENA!"His voice cut through the screaming.Ethan.She lifted her head. Saw him running through the ash, dark hair matted with soot, black shirt torn. Ethan Cross. The man who had saved her a hundred times in three years. The man she loved more than survival itself.He dropped beside her, hands pressing hard over the wound in her stomach."No. Stay with me. Look at me, damn it. You don't get to leave me now."His voice broke. Ethan never broke. He was dominant, cold, unshakeable. A billionaire before. A warlord after. Now just a man losing everything."You have to go," she whispered. B

Cross Tower was glass and steel touching clouds.Lena had walked past it hundred times old life, head down, feeling small. Today, walked in head high, blazer ironed, hair clean, makeup borrowed Maya, portfolio shaking in hands.Security checked name. Elevator to floor 42. Every floor up, heart beat faster.She remembered Ethan dead. Now about to see him alive. Could she handle without crying?Doors opened. Floor 42 silent, expensive. White marble, black chairs, view entire Manhattan. Assistants typing quiet."Miss Carter? Design interview?" Blonde woman perfect suit smiled tight. "Mr. Cross running fifteen minutes late. Please wait."Lena sat. Hands sweating. She breathed like learned in apocalypse hiding from infected. Inhale four, hold four, exhale four.Minutes passed like hours.Then private elevator dinged.He stepped out.Ethan Cross.Lena stopped breathing.He was alive. Real. Not ash. Not blood. Dark hair perfectly cut, black suit expensive, white shirt, top button open. Tall,

Lena did not sleep again.She sat floor surrounded trash bags clothes to sell, laptop open, watching clock.12:00 AM. 1:00 AM. 2:00 AM.She waiting for 2:13 PM next day like life depended on it. Because it did.If earthquake happened like remembered, Ethan would believe her. If not, she crazy stalker forever and lose him again.At 6 AM, she listed camera eBay, bags Marketplace, guitar Craigslist. Price low, need cash fast.At 7 AM, Maya knocked bringing coffee. "Girl, you okay? Looked wrecked yesterday.""I am fine," Lena said forcing smile. "Just big interview."Maya didn't know she reborn. No one would believe.At 9 AM, she watched news. Fever cases now 12 Queens. Government still saying contained wash hands no panic. Same lies before.At 10 AM, sold camera $150. Good.At 11 AM, sold two bags $80.At 12 PM, ate stale bread saving money.At 1 PM, sat window phone hand watching seconds tick.1:30. 1:45. 2:00.Heart hammering couldn't breathe.2:10. 2:11. 2:12.She held phone tight wat

Lena stared at her hand.Nothing.The strange silver glow was gone.She turned her palm over.Normal skin.Normal fingers.No mark.No scar.Nothing that could explain what she had just seen."Did you see that?"Ethan didn't answer immediately.He was watching her hand."Yes."Lena's stomach tightened."You saw it?""A light.""Silver?""Yes."She slowly lowered her hand.For three years after the apocalypse began, Lena had believed she understood every terrible thing that happened to her.The fever.The infected.The collapse.The violence.The hunger.The endless struggle to survive.But she had never seen anything like this.Not once."Maybe it's connected to the rebirth," she whispered.Ethan folded his arms."That's not exactly scientific.""Neither is waking up three years in the past."He couldn't argue with that.The lodge became silent again.Then Ethan picked up the SunVolt file."We have another problem."Lena looked at him."The lawsuit?"He nodded."You said it happens ne

Lena couldn't stop staring at the message.YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE COME BACK.Five words.Five words that shouldn't exist.Nobody knew.Nobody could know.Unless—"Ethan."He didn't answer.His attention remained fixed on the paper.Then he turned it over.Nothing.No signature.No fingerprint.No explanation."How did they know?" Lena asked.Ethan looked at her."That's what we're going to find out."He placed the paper inside a transparent folder."Don't touch it again.""Why?""Because if whoever sent this wanted to scare you, they may have left something behind."Lena looked at her glowing hand."They already left something behind."Ethan followed her gaze.The silver light had disappeared.Again.As if it had never existed."We need to understand that.""I know.""Tomorrow.""No."Ethan looked at her."Now."He picked up his laptop.They moved to the dining table.Ethan connected the computer to the lodge's security system.A small screen appeared.Most of the cameras were old.Some h