Hoarding to Survive: A Heroine's Journey in the Apocalypse

Chapter 2 Rebirth

**Rebirth**

As the evening sky transitioned into a canvas of fiery reds and deep blues, the luxurious apartment bedroom plunged into a darkness reminiscent of midnight. The curtains were drawn, and the door was firmly shut.

In the bed, a woman lay wrapped in a plush, soft blanket. Her forehead glistened with sweat, her brows furrowed, and her face contorted in pain as she mumbled something inaudible, lost in a restless slumber.

Suddenly, as if jolted by an unseen force, her back arched violently, and her eyes flew open, pupils dilated like someone gasping for air. She flailed her arms, grasping at the empty air around her.

At that moment, the doorbell rang, its jarring sound echoing through the room, pulling her from her torment. Struggling to sit upright, her eyes slowly returned to normal. The relentless ringing continued, blending into the silence of the room, making her suppressed gasps seem less noticeable.

Time slipped by in a blur as she sat on the edge of her bed, unblinking, fixated on the door until the ringing finally ceased.

With a sudden burst of energy, she leaped off the bed, accidentally knocking over a glass that shattered on the tiled floor. Ignoring the sharp pain in her bare feet, she yanked the door open and rushed out.

The light streaming in from the evening glow left her momentarily stunned. This was... her apartment—the one she had before everything went wrong. Was this a dream?

She pinched herself hard, feeling nothing. In a frenzy, she slapped her own face several times, the sounds echoing in the stillness of the room. The stinging pain on her arms and cheeks, coupled with the fresh pain from the glass shards beneath her feet, grounded her in reality.

Disregarding the fiery pain, she was desperate to confirm something. She hurried back to her room, flipped on the light, and reached for her phone charging on the bedside table. The screen lit up, revealing the date: April 20, 2355. She had returned to a month before everything changed.

Wiping the blood seeping from her foot, she collapsed onto the bed. Her eyes fell on the notifications—missed calls and messages from colleagues and friends.

Amid a flurry of notifications, she felt an odd sense of urgency. Just then, another call came through, vibrating insistently in her hand, catching her off guard. She hurriedly answered, her heart racing.

“Hello, Miss Smith? This is Alex, the property manager. I apologize for the late call. Last week, you expressed interest in purchasing the adjacent unit, and we’ve spoken with the owner. They would like to meet with you. When would be a good time tomorrow?”

It dawned on her—this was a remnant of her past life. Ivy Smith lowered her lashes, her mind racing through memories before she replied, “No, I’ve changed my mind. Please tell the owner I’m no longer interested. I’m sorry for the trouble.”

Her voice was calm yet decisive, leaving the property manager feeling a mix of disappointment over the lost commission. “Understood, Miss Smith. If you have any future real estate needs, don’t hesitate to contact me. Have a great day.”

After hanging up, Ivy clutched her phone tightly, her heart pounding. Suddenly, all the suppressed emotions burst forth, and she found herself sobbing uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face.

The pain of betrayal and the haunting truth of her parents’ deaths surged within her, choking her with rage and grief. She pounded her chest in frustration, only to feel a sharp pain from her fist. Through her tear-blurred vision, she fished out an object that had been digging into her palm. It was the white jade dragon pendant her grandfather had given her—the only thing she had managed to hold onto before her tragic end.

Memories of her loving grandfather flooded her mind, the man who had showered her with affection yet was now gone forever. Overwhelmed, she clutched the pendant tightly, collapsing onto her bed in a heap of sorrow.

“Where… am I?” she gasped, her mind racing with confusion. Images of familiar memes flashed through her thoughts: Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing here?

The once-soft bed she adored had transformed into an expanse of barren earth, devoid of any sounds or life. In the distance, she spotted something resembling a mirror, which suddenly illuminated, like a startup screen. Panic surged through her—what was happening?

With a thought, she found herself back on her bedroom bed. “What the heck...?”

Ivy felt a wave of disbelief wash over her. Was she losing her mind? Had she just experienced a hallucination? The image of the dusty ground and the huge mirror lingered in her mind until, in a flash, she was seated on the barren land once more.

As if to help her unravel this mystery, the mirror activated, splitting into two screens. The left side displayed traditional characters: “Welcome to the Jade Dragon Secret Realm.” The right side showcased two sundials, their shadows cast in different positions, moving at varying speeds.

Ivy stared in confusion. What was this? The Jade Dragon Secret Realm? Thankfully, her grandfather had always been a storyteller, sharing tales filled with adventure and mystery.

But secret realms were typically found in fantasy novels, filled with treasures and mystical herbs. Shouldn't there be an abundance of energy here? Instead, it felt eerily still, as if time itself had stopped.

And the sundials—those were ancient timekeepers! She understood that much, but the exact time they corresponded to was beyond her grasp.

Her forehead twitched slightly as she struggled to process it all. What nonsense was this? Ivy mentally berated the absurdity of it all, her thoughts spilling out like a commentary track.

There weren’t even instructions! Yet, based on her knowledge, this appeared to be some kind of spatial realm.

A space?! Wasn’t that just like the spaces seen in apocalyptic novels? A place to store supplies—perfect for surviving and even thriving in a challenging world…

With a sudden determination, she concentrated and stepped into the space, grabbing a decorative item from her bedside table before re-emerging. She repeated the process several times, grabbing anything within reach to test the limits of this newfound realm.

Remembering how, shortly after the world changed, the global environment had shifted, granting many the powers she had lacked, she felt a swell of emotion. She had been utterly defenseless, forced to rely on others who had succumbed to their darker instincts.

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears as her lips pressed into a thin line, but deep within, she vowed that this time would be different. Everything they had taken from her, she would reclaim. All their plans would crumble, and in the end, they would face the consequences of their actions—she would make them pay for the suffering they had caused, seeking redemption for her parents in the process.