Chapter 2: Rebirth
“Beep… beep… beep…”
The rhythmic beeping of medical equipment mingled with the drip of intravenous fluid in the sterile white hospital room. A pale, lifeless girl lay still on the wide hospital bed.
A closer look revealed the occasional twitch of her fingers, a slow roll of her eyes, and increasingly labored breathing.
Su Mo opened her eyes, gazing at the stark white ceiling. The chilling words echoed in her ears: Your existence is my nightmare…
The words repeated, again and again, blurring her vision with tears. The sister she had considered her lifeline had betrayed her. The irony was bitter.
Su Mo almost laughed aloud, a sound filled with profound sorrow. It was ludicrous, utterly ridiculous.
Her laughter, wild and despairing, filled the room. A sharp crash followed as the door slammed against the wall.
A man in a sharp suit, his features handsome and sharp, rushed in, his voice urgent, “Mo Mo…”
A warm hand enveloped her icy fingers, sending a jolt through Su Mo. She stopped laughing, turning to look at the worried, handsome face. Tears streamed down her cheeks. “Brother, I’m sorry.”
Truly sorry. She could never forget the heartbroken expression on his face as he uttered his last words: “Mo Mo, live well.”
His sorrowful eyes held an unbearable weight of grief and worry. Only now did she understand his concern, his warning. She had failed to comprehend it then.
How incredibly foolish she had been, to lose her only relative because of a deceitful, two-faced woman.
Tears streamed down her face as she repeatedly whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Su Hao’s eyes were filled with pain. His voice trembled, “Go, call a doctor.”
His secretary, also in a suit, turned and left. Shortly after, several doctors in white coats entered the room.
“Mr. Su, please give us some space,” the lead doctor, a bespectacled man, said respectfully and gently.
Su Hao nodded, slowly releasing the hand he had been holding. But the moment he let go, Su Mo sat up abruptly. “Get away! Don’t come near me.”
Su Mo eyed the group warily, her gaze sharp as she scanned her surroundings. This was…
A hospital?
But hadn’t she died? How could she be here?
Su Hao, startled by her reaction and her defensive posture, cautiously asked, “Mo Mo, what’s wrong?”
“Brother?” Looking at the man etched so deeply in her memory, Su Mo called out, confused.
Examining him closely, a thought struck her. Su Mo looked down at her hands, the skin smooth and flawless. A tremor ran through her.
A hazy memory began to clear.
It was her senior year of high school. At Qian Li’s urging, she confessed her feelings to Lu Chen, only to be rejected. Humiliated, she had skipped school, encountered thugs, and in a desperate struggle, had bravely knocked herself unconscious by hitting her head against a wall, scaring the thugs away.
She was admitted to the hospital with a mild concussion and a deep wound on her forehead that left a permanent scar, leading to her self-doubt and timidity.
Looking back, Qian Li had already begun to resent her, even hate her. She remembered the time in the apocalypse when they were together; Su Mo had been dejected, only to later learn that Lu Chen had abandoned her once he discovered that she was an ordinary human and he returned to his family’s base.
Birds of a feather flock together. Neither of them were good people. Su Mo scoffed.
At Su Hao’s insistence, Su Mo cooperated with the series of tests, and was returned to her hospital room.
Looking out at the vibrant green lawn, the bright sunshine, and sounds of happy laughter, Su Mo inhaled deeply. How long had it been since she’d felt such fresh air? A smile touched her lips.
Turning to her brother standing beside her, pain flashed in her eyes. “Brother, what’s the date today?”
“June 4th,” Su Hao replied, puzzled. He felt that she seemed different since waking up.
Upon hearing the date, Su Mo turned towards the horizon, her voice tinged with unspoken sorrow. “The 4th, huh? The weather’s about to change.”
Su Hao frowned, sensing a profound meaning in her words. A dark shadow crossed his eyes.
The tests showed no problems. Su Mo, impatient, packed her things and, under Su Hao’s worried gaze, hurried home.
Looking at the familiar villa, memories of happy, luxurious days flooded her mind, causing her eyes to well up.
She had been reborn, a month before the apocalypse. The tragedies, the hardships, had yet to begin.
Su Mo clenched her fists, her eyes resolute. This time, she would protect her only remaining family.
“What’s wrong? What are you staring at?” Seeing her standing motionless at the door, Su Hao asked.
“Nothing, it’s just that after being away for a few days, it feels like a lifetime has passed,” Su Mo smiled, stepping into the house. Looking at the unchanged interior, she remembered something and turned to say, “Brother, I’ll go rest. My head is a little dizzy.”
“Go ahead, take a nap. I’ll call you when it’s time for dinner,” Su Hao said, stroking her hair with concern.
A warmth spread through her heart. Su Mo nodded and, guided by memory, found her room.
The pink room was filled with youthful decorations. She grimaced slightly, amused by her past tastes.
The furnishings reflected her childish innocence. Closing the door, Su Mo walked to her dressing table and opened a drawer.
Inside was an antique box, adorned with intricate patterns, secured by a small golden lock.
Su Mo took out the box and unlocked it. Inside, a treasure trove of dazzling gold jewelry. Without looking at the opulent pieces, she reached for a purple jade bracelet.
Compared to the other priceless items, the bracelet seemed understated. But only she knew its future importance in the apocalypse.
She remembered a survivor who had stumbled into her house and taken the bracelet, only to discover later that it was a spatial artifact. That person used it to rise to the top of the largest base.
The bitter memory of seeing the bracelet on that person’s wrist resurfaced. This time, she would prevent that from happening.
Taking a deep breath, Su Mo picked up a hairpin, and without hesitation, slashed her palm. Pain shot through her brain.
She clutched the bracelet, blood flowing onto its surface. Within seconds, she watched as the blood droplets seeped into the jade, the bracelet growing increasingly translucent, emitting a dazzling light. The bracelet seemed to drink deeply, greedily absorbing her blood.
Her face grew paler, her body drained of blood. Finally, she fainted.