Chapter 1

In the very first minute of the zombie outbreak, I sealed off the safe house I'd fortified with my own hands.

Outside, Jolene Ayala was pounding on the door, her cries mixed with sobs. "We are friends, aren't we? Doesn't last year's favor count for anything, when I picked up your packages?"

I sneered to myself, friends? Then why'd she snatch my water, shove me out of my own home, and leave me to get chomped by zombies?

In my previous life, I'd let her in—and it cost me my life.

"System, switch to silent mode." As the blast door cut off every last sound, I glanced around at the room crammed with survival gear and muttered, "This time, I'm surviving this and making it back home to Mom and Dad."

I bolted awake from the nightmare, my back soaked in cold sweat.

I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms—the sharp pain proving this was real. It wasn't a dream. I'd come back, returned to one month before all hell broke loose.

[March 1, 2028, 7:15 AM]

The date on my phone screen stung my eyes. With shaky fingers, I unlocked it. My social feeds were full of the usual mundane posts—not a single mention of "that."

Thank goodness. I'd really made it back.

I sprang out of bed, my bare feet hitting the cold floor as I dashed to the window and flung open the curtains. Sunlight poured in, and down in the neighborhood garden, a few seniors were doing their morning exercises. Everything looked so eerily normal.

Who would have thought that in just thirty days, this place would become a living hell?

I drew in a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. Memories of my gruesome death in that previous life flooded over me—the excruciating pain of zombies ripping into me, my parents collapsing from heart attacks, my cousin Maribel Ponce's phony smile, and that scumbag Domingo Erickson snatching my food at the last moment and pushing me out the door...

"Not this time," I told my reflection in the mirror, my face still untouched by the end of the world, looking so young and fresh.

Thirty minutes later, I had a detailed list spread out in front of me: food, water, meds, weapons, security upgrades... All the brutal lessons from my previous life—bought with blood and death—now boiled down to cold, hard notes on paper.

My phone buzzed suddenly, the screen flashing "Mom."

"Hey, Mom," I answered, fighting to keep my voice steady.

"Rhea, you up yet? Mom just wanted to remind you—it's your dad's birthday this weekend..."

"Mom, listen," I cut her off, gripping the phone so tightly my knuckles turned white. "You and Dad have to go to Central Hospital tomorrow for a full physical—focus on the heart checks. I've already set it up: VIP suite, two weeks of monitoring."

"Why all of a sudden...?"

"I had this incredibly vivid dream last night," I explained, going with something she'd accept. "In it, you and Dad both... Anyway, just humor me to put my mind at ease, okay? I've paid in full upfront—non-refundable."

There was a pause on the other end. "Okay, fine, we'll do it your way. But you sound a bit off. Catching a cold?"

"I'm fine," I replied, biting my lip to keep from crying. "Oh, and bring all your usual meds, plus plenty of changes of clothes... Treat it like a short getaway."

After hanging up, I quickly contacted that high-end sanatorium with military connections. In my previous life, once the zombie virus broke out, it was one of the safest places in the city. Two weeks of "exams" should carry my parents through the early mayhem—after that, I'd sort out a way to keep them protected for the long haul.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Ms. Carney? You in?" It was Jolene from next door.

My muscles tensed instantly. In my previous life, this so-called "good neighbor" had pushed me straight out the door during a zombie rush in the hallway—just to give her husband a few more seconds to escape.

I composed my face before opening the door. "Jolene, good morning."

"Oh, Ms. Carney, sorry to bother you this early," she said, flashing that familiar fake smile. "We're fresh out of sauce—could I borrow a bit? I really need it for lunch."

I eyed her well-groomed face, remembering my previous life: her standing in my doorway, holding onto the last half-bottle of water she'd "borrowed" from me, watching impassively as zombies came at me.

"Sure, one sec." I went to the kitchen, deliberately taking my time, before returning with half a bottle.

"Thanks so much!" She took it, but her gaze darted past me into the apartment. "Stocking up on a lot lately, huh, Ms. Carney? I saw the delivery folks hauling up a ton of boxes yesterday."

I stepped sideways to cut off her view. "Just some office stuff for a company thing."