Chapter 2

[Damn, is the side chick really gonna bite it this fast?]

[Where the hell are the bodyguards? Someone get over here and protect her, now!]

[Zombie horde at the gates!]

The zombie's other hand latched onto the wall's top. Its hideous jaws dripped slobber.

"Ugh, that's disgusting!" I shrieked.

Terrified, I stumbled back, dragging the gun, when gunshots erupted. I kept moving until the firing cut off.

The zombie on the wall was gone. Only a wall peppered with bullet holes remained.

Lucas Stone stood aside, scowling. "Damn, you trying to spray me with bullets or what?"

After a beat of silence, the bullet screen blew up again.

[Damn, the side chick just went off! Total clutch move!]

[Bodyguard: Wait, isn't this my job? Weren't you supposed to be helpless?]

[You're killing me! But seriously, is the side chick about to go badass? No way, no way, no way!]

I froze. Wait, the zombie and these bullet holes weren't from Lucas or Colin Stone. Did I do all that?

Staring at the shell casings at my feet, I tried to lift the gun again. It wouldn't budge.

[LOL, so she's all about sudden bursts of strength? Usually she's weak and clingy, huh?]

[Props!]

I rubbed my nose, flashing Lucas an awkward smile. "Sorry, I panicked. You okay?"

Lucas shot me a death glare, then turned and left.

Setting the submachine gun down, I headed back to the basement for more ammo. Just as I found the bullets, a figure snatched the box and left. It was Colin.

The bullet screen blew up.

[Tall, handsome, quiet, and gets the job done. I'm into it.]

[Is that the iconic cold-faced tough guy? I'm into it too!]

Fear of the zombie lingered, and the pitch-black basement spiked my anxiety. I scrambled after him. "Slow down, wait for me... I'm scared."

Colin stiffened briefly, not looking back, but halted.

I hurried after him up the stairs. Sunlight flooded in, chasing the dark away, and my nerves settled.

No wonder I fear the dark. My parents were killed by zombies jumping from the dark one night. I've been scared ever since.

Colin told me to wait in the living room, then headed back down. He returned with a lightweight gun, loaded it, and handed it over.

I aimed at the tall trees outside the wall and fired. The shot was way off, but pulling the trigger and handling recoil was no longer a problem.

Relieved, I smiled at him. "Thanks."

[Honestly, the side chick's got a good vibe and a killer figure. If it weren't the apocalypse, what guy wouldn't fall for a cute, flirty girl like her?]

[I'm a woman and I'd still like her.]

[I've been wanting to say this: She's just a bit pampered, but when zombies come, she fights too. She's not strong enough, but that's no reason for her to die.]

[She's kind of silly, though. The male lead left her tons of supplies and two badass bodyguards. Why not stick together and make it work?]

My heart tightened, and I snuck a glance at Colin. He had broad shoulders and a narrow waist, a classic V-shape, not bulky at all. With his Wood-Type ability, he could trigger underground root attacks with just a thought.

That thought made me anxious. Would I ever awaken an ability? And if I did, what kind?

Mid-thought, I realized the gun in my hand was gone.

"Wait, where did it go?" I panicked. "How could it vanish? All I did was wonder about awakening an ability..."

The moment I thought that, the gun popped right back into my hand.

Sighing in relief, I watched the bullet screen blow up instantly.

[A Space Ability?]

[Whoa, the side chick just pulled off something huge without anyone noticing! The male lead's gonna take a big hit. Space Ability is the most valuable, right?]

[Seriously! With pollution and supplies running low out there, a Space Ability is basically a portable warehouse. How big do you think her space is?]

"Just how big is it? I wish I knew too," I thought.

The second the thought crossed my mind, my surroundings shifted. I stood by a babbling brook, a cozy cabin and blooming osmanthus tree nearby. All around me was endless lush greenery.

[Whoa, this is a whole new world!]

[Not just for storing stuff. She can even bring people in! Can she really let others live here too?]

[So her ability is basically a Paradise Space?]

A Paradise Space? That was a good name.

But how did I get out? The second I thought about it, my surroundings shifted again.