Chapter 2: Reborn.
Immediately Violet’s eyes snapped open, a loud scream vibrated through her throat. She sat straight quickly, wrapped her hand around herself and closed her eyes.
She could still feel them around her, feeling the pain that tore through her body, as the zombies’ sharp teeth sank into her skin.
She expected more zombies to pounce at her, to tear her apart, but when nothing came for a full 30 seconds, Violet opened her eyes slowly this time. Her hand moved up and down her body slowly. Aside from the pain in her head, there was no physical pain.
Her eyes darted from one side to the other. She slowly let go of her hold around herself. There were no zombies.
Violet was back in her old apartment, the same place she’d lived in before the apocalypse struck five years ago.
The scent of stale coffee lingered from a mug she didn’t remember leaving on the nightstand, and moonlight spilled through gaps in the curtains she hadn’t drawn in years. Outside, a car horn blared, and the faint hum of her neighbor’s television drifted through the thin walls.
’Did I stop here on my way to the afterlife?’ She wondered.
Violet blinked, expecting to be transported away, but nothing happened. She was still in the same place.
Violet furrowed her brows, confused. "What is happening? Why am I back here?" She asked, before rising to her feet. She moved from one end of the room to the other, shaking her head.
Then, she stepped closer to the mirror. She looked at her reflection, brought her face forward and traced it. The scar she had gotten on her cheek during the apocalypse was no longer there.
She pulled her clothes up and studied her body slowly, she looked fresher, her skin looked fuller.
"But this is impossible, I’m supposed to be dead." She placed one hand on her head, then her face. "This doesn’t make sense."
Ding!
A clear mechanical notification echoed through the room. Violet froze, her eyes moving around the room.
"What was th—" she was interrupted by another loud chime.
Ding!
Then, a translucent blue screen slowly materialized before her eyes. Violet’s eyes widened, dread slowly crept into her mind. Strange things were happening, first she was alive, and now this.
The screen wasn’t attached to any wall and her phone was nowhere in sight, it just floated midair. She subconsciously stepped back.
Tiny streams of light flowed across the screen’s surface like water. Violet’s pupils contracted.
She tilted her head to the side, and squinted. "What the hell is this?"
The panel remained motionless, then slowly words appeared, as though they were writing themselves.
System binding in progress. Beep! Beep! Beep!
Welcome, host.
Congratulations, Mind Control System successfully activated.
Violet stared at the words. "Mind what?" What was that? Is this a prank?
Her heartbeat quickened. "But I’m dead."
The screen flickered, the words quickly rearranging themselves.
Incorrect.
Host: Violet Sullivan.
Status: Alive.
Age: 23 years.
Level: 1
Influence Points: 0
Experience: 0/100
Mind Push: Level 1
Daily Uses: 2/2
Resistance Penetration: 5%
Inventory: Unbound
System Shop: Locked
Current Timeline: Three months before the apocalypse.
When her eyes swept past the last line, her breathing almost stopped, her eyes widened.
She felt her knees weakening. They had been five years into the apocalypse, how did it suddenly become three months before? She questioned herself.
Violet shook her head. "No way..." She said under her breath as she rushed towards the calendar hanging beside the refrigerator.
When her eyes landed on the date, colour drained from her face. This was the year 2109, not 2114.
She was still in disbelief as she walked back to the bed. She picked up her phone from the bedside table. The lock screen showed the same date, and she read it out loud. "August 18, 2109." Her fingers around the phone trembled.
Her eyes blurred. "I’m back." The sheer thought of being reborn seemed unthinkable. She had never heard of it before. But as she stood, staring at her phone, she concluded that it was undeniable.
She had been reborn.
Violet closed her eyes, feeling a rush of joy burning through her. She had been given another chance at life.
Her eyes fluttered open and the panel flashed in front of her again, and this time, a robotic voice spoke.
Host emotional stability restored.
Violet flinched, one hand pressed against her chest, her eyes sweeping across the room. She was alone, but the voice was in her head. "You can speak too?" She asked, staring at the screen.
Yes.
The mechanical voice answered.
Violet lowered the hand pressed against her chest and clasped it. The blue light from the panel reflected on her face. Her nerves were calmer now, and as the screen revealed another line, she stared at it with unwavering focus, determined to understand what the strange screen was about.
Do you want to begin your tutorial?
The question hovered softly on the screen. There was the option of yes or no.
What was she to do? Could she touch it? She wondered.
Waiting for host reply.
She lifted one finger to the screen and warily clicked on the ’yes’ option. She had thought her hand would pass through it, but it didn’t, her hand hit a firm spot.
Beginning first-time tutorial.
MIND CONTROL SYSTEM
Purpose: Guide host to reshape fate and maximize survival before the world’s collapse, and assist the host in surviving the coming apocalypse.
Violet’s eyes followed each word, and as she grasped the implications of the purpose, a cocktail of emotions slammed against her, joy, confusion, relief.
Memories of her time in the apocalypse hit her like a storm. Those five years were the most difficult of her life.
If this was true, if she wasn’t crazy, then having a helper during the apocalypse meant staying alive for longer.
She inhaled softly, her body slowly relaxing, then she continued reading.
Primary Ability: Mind Push
Mind Push temporarily amplifies the host’s intent, allowing the host to influence a target’s decision for a brief moment. The effect varies according to the target’s intelligence, willpower, and mental state. It cannot permanently control a person’s mind.
Her eyes moved over this sentence again and again, then it lit up. "Does this mean I can control people’s thoughts?" She asked.
No.
"Okay... but can I listen to their thoughts?"
No.
Violet stored the information away mentally, then resumed reading.
Beginner Assistance Available.
Potential Target Identification Remaining: 2
Violet frowned. "What does that mea—"
Bang!
The apartment door shook violently. Violet’s eyes moved to the door.
"Violet!" A shrill voice called from behind the door.
Her entire body went still. She recognised that voice, and most importantly, she knew why she was here.
The panel in front of her disappeared, bringing the room back to its original dark state.
"Open this door. I know you’re in there. If you don’t pay me my rent tonight, I will have you and your belongings thrown into the street!"