A Second Chance in a Doomed World

Leo tightened his grip on the crowbar, his knuckles turning white. The voice had come from behind the wall, smooth yet carrying an unnatural calmness, like it belonged to someone who had seen too much yet remained unaffected. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

A shadow moved, slow and deliberate. Then, stepping into the dim glow of the streetlights, she appeared.

She was stunning—almost unnaturally so. Long, flowing blonde hair cascaded down her back in perfect waves, catching the faint moonlight in a way that made it shimmer like spun gold. Her figure was tall and poised, exuding an effortless grace. Dressed in a fitted black coat, sleek boots, and gloves, she looked as though she had stepped out of a different era. Her emerald-green eyes gleamed with something unreadable—calculating, amused, or maybe just… watching.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Leo felt an odd pressure, as if the very air around them had thickened. He'd faced monsters, betrayals, and death itself in his past life, but something about her presence made his instincts scream caution.

She tilted her head, as if reading his thoughts. "You're tense," she noted, her voice smooth, almost hypnotic.

"Should I be?" Leo countered, not lowering his weapon.

Her lips curled into a faint smile. "That depends. You're quite interesting, Leo."

His pulse quickened. How did she know his name?

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"A stranger passing through." She took a step forward, and Leo instinctively took one back. The way she moved—it was too fluid, too controlled, like a predator that knew it didn't have to rush. "But if you must call me something, you can call me… Selina."

Selina. The name meant nothing to him, yet it carried a weight he couldn't explain.

"And what do you want?" he asked, carefully studying her movements. There was no visible weapon, no outright hostility. Yet something about her felt… wrong.

Selina chuckled softly, a sound both warm and chilling. "Perhaps I'm simply curious. After all, it's not every day someone manages to snatch a Diamond Chest before anyone else, let alone roll an SSS-level talent."

Leo's blood ran cold.

She knew. About the chest. About his talent rolls. About everything.

"How do you—" he stopped himself. No, that was the wrong question. Instead, he steadied himself and asked, "What are you?"

Selina's smile widened ever so slightly. "Now, that… is the right question."

The air around them felt heavier, like the night itself had thickened, pushing in on him. A low, almost imperceptible hum vibrated in the air. His instincts screamed at him—danger.

"Relax," she said, raising a gloved hand as if to reassure him. "I mean you no harm. At least, not yet. But you... you have upset the natural course of things, haven't you? This world was meant to unfold one way, and now, because of you, it may not."

Leo clenched his jaw. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, you'll figure it out soon enough," she said lightly, as if speaking of the weather. "But be careful, Leo. Changing fate has consequences. Some doors, once opened, cannot be closed."

His grip on the crowbar tightened. "And what if I don't believe in fate?"

Selina's expression flickered—just for a second, a shadow passing over her face. "Then I suppose you'll learn the hard way."

Before he could react, the pressure in the air lifted. She turned, her golden hair catching the wind as she stepped into the darkness.

"Wait!" Leo called out. "Are you an ally or an enemy?"

She paused but didn't turn back. "That… depends on you."

And just like that, she vanished into the night, leaving Leo standing there, gripping his weapon and questioning everything he thought he knew.

The apocalypse had begun. But now, it seemed, he wasn't the only anomaly in this world.

Leo stood motionless, staring at the spot where the mysterious woman had just vanished. The air still carried a faint trace of her scent—something floral yet sharp, like a rose laced with hidden thorns. The unease she left behind clung to him, an invisible weight pressing on his shoulders.

He didn't trust her. Not yet. But one thing was certain—she knew more than she let on. The way she had looked at him, as if measuring his worth, sent a chill through his spine. He had met powerful figures in his past life, people who could command entire factions with a glance. This woman gave off the same aura—dangerous, unpredictable, and undoubtedly strong.

He exhaled sharply, pushing his unease aside. The apocalypse had just begun, and he had no time to dwell on distractions. He needed to keep moving.

Central Park was no place to linger. While the true horrors of the apocalypse hadn't yet begun, soon, chaos would take hold. The first few hours after the transformation were deceptively quiet, but as night turned to dawn, people would realize the world had changed—and panic would follow. Violence, looting, and betrayal would erupt before the monsters even appeared.

Leo hurried back to his car, gripping the crowbar tightly. Before getting in, he scanned his surroundings one last time. If that woman had been watching him, who else could be lurking in the shadows?

Satisfied that he was alone, he slid into the driver's seat and started the engine. He needed a secure location, somewhere he could regroup and prepare without interruption. His mind ran through the possibilities—hotels would be overrun, stores and supermarkets looted. The safest place would be somewhere unexpected, somewhere no one would think to check.

Then an idea hit him.