All Chapters of Reborn Before the Apocalypse: He Watched Me Die: Chapter 1 - Chapter 6

Noya’s POVThe metal gate rattled under the weight of bodies.I pressed my back against the cold bars, fingers locked so tight the skin split. On the other side of the fence, the safe zone lights still glowed. Warm. Protected. Alive.Ethan stood just beyond reach, rifle slung over one shoulder, face half-shadowed by the floodlights. He didn’t move.A low, wet growl rose behind me. Then another. Then dozens.“Ethan.” My voice cracked. “Open it.”He stared at me like I was already dead.“That day,” he said quietly, “you should have been the one who died.”The words landed harder than any bite.I laughed once, a broken sound. “You’re still saying that?”He didn’t look away. “Lily was still out there. I told you. I begged you to wait. You dragged me onto that helicopter like I was some helpless child. You left her to die.”The memory slammed into me with the force of the first infected that hit the gate.Three months ago. The final evacuation. One last helicopter. One empty seat left betw

Noya’s POVMorning light cut across the bedroom floor like nothing had ever gone wrong.I stood at the kitchen counter, coffee cooling in my hands, and watched Ethan move through the routine we had shared for years. He poured cereal. Checked his phone. Kissed the side of my head out of habit as he passed.The same casual affection he used to give me.The same mouth that had told me I should have died instead of Lily.My fingers tightened around the mug until the ceramic creaked.“You’re quiet this morning,” he said, not looking up from his screen. “Bad dream again?”I stared at the back of his neck. At the place I had once pressed my face when I was scared. “Something like that.”He hummed, already distracted. “I need you to drop by Lily’s place later. She texted. Her sink is leaking again and she doesn’t want to call a plumber. You always handle that stuff better than I do.”The words landed soft. Ordinary. Like he was asking me to pick up milk.Lily.The woman he had loved while he

Noya’s POVThe bank was quiet for a weekday morning.I sat across from the account manager with my ID and the new account details already open on my phone. My voice stayed even while I requested the full transfer of every remaining personal fund, the closure of two old joint-linked savings accounts I had forgotten about, and the immediate issuance of a new debit card under my name only.The woman across the desk smiled politely. “Of course, Ms. Blake. This will only take a few minutes.”My phone vibrated against the table for the eleventh time.Ethan.I declined the call without looking.A text followed instantly.Ethan: Where the hell are you? We need to talk. You’re not thinking straight. Come home.I locked the screen and slid the phone into my bag.The account manager returned with the papers. I signed each one with a steady hand. When the final confirmation came through, the system pulsed once in the corner of my vision.[Financial foundation: 41% complete.]
[Liquid assets secure