May Peace Grace Us

Chapter 2: The world

After that talk with her parents, Aila was set to get a job. In the middle of the night she still stayed up. She started making plans to safeguard her loved ones.

She knew that her current resume would not really land her a very high-paying job, so she didn't set her sights too high. But she had a set of checklists that her job should have.

Number one on that list was that it requires her to be mobile. She needs to have enough stamina to last in the chaotic future world. This way she is hitting two birds with one stone, no longer needing to always go to the gym to build up her body.

Next on the list was that her job needed to be near to easy to access facilities to slowly build up her stocks. Places like pharmacies, groceries or even hardware are a must. This way she didn't have to make rounds buying stuff and just had to do it on the way home.

And lastly on her list is that her new job must be as mundane as it could be. The salary is not a problem as her first paycheck will be dedicated to investing in short-term investments she could quickly cash in in a few months. She will also have a side job as a freelancer. As a Fortin she is at least very fluent in a few languages and she has finished a degree in finance, skills that are carried over in this life. Freelancing does not necessarily need a degree, so she can do it without anyone asking about her qualifications. So her full-time job needs just to be enough to kick-start and hide her tracks behind the scenes.

Writing her current plans on pieces of sticky notes, she overrides her past life plans. This will be just a start. A better life than she has experienced before.

In her current state of plans, she estimates that she has to make arrangements for her family property for the foundation of their future nest. There are so many things she has to prepare. She might need to mobilize some people in the family to get the minimum of what she needs. Though this option has to be utilized as quickly as she can for now. She does not want to be placed in an asylum when she is fortifying their foundations.

Her plan to tell her relatives in regards to future changes would be two months before the apocalypse. At this time, there is more than enough evidence for them to be wary and believe more in her claims. She also reckons that a period of two months is more than enough time for them to gather what they must. With their wide range of influence, she could get everything done in that time frame.

With specific plans in mind, all she needs to be busy with now is to show the results to her parents and discreetly secure her loved ones' safety.

Nodding in contentment with her current plans, Aila began reviewing the facts that she had gotten in her last life. Things she hoped to have known earlier.

She's inside a novel. Her very own novel, to be exact. Something she only realized moments before her death.

At her realization, she felt like it kind of made some sense. She felt very fond of this world and she was very familiar with it. Like she is some sort of parent that is very happy with how her children were.

At her death, she was kind of sorry that she made the world too dark. That she had made her creation experience this nightmarish setting is destined to be as bleak. For the first time since her rebirth, she realized she is still Aila Fortin and not just Aila Justine. And she ruined her dearest creation.

The world she is in is set in the world of "Humanity's Last". It was a zombie apocalyptic story with some cultivation-like elements. Here there are ability users who control various powers. Some control fire, water, wind and various elements. The main character in this novel was Alfred Geroy, a man who survived and built a safe place for his own kind.

The whole plot was of a typical apocalyptic novel in the East. The only difference, at least to her creator, was that the world is set in hardcore mode. Each and every character in this novel lived in constant tension. They cannot just take their guards off guard, even with their dearest companion.

Aila set it that way as she wanted it to be, realistic to her own ideals. It cannot be relaxing as it is at the end of the world, nor could it be too hopeless that her characters cannot survive. Writing it lasted a whole year as it also stressed her too. As if she is really making a world that follows her every will.

Now living inside it, she then realized that her books might have become a world of their own. Only that this particular novel has been powerful enough or willful enough to bring her in. Explaining that even when she died back then she didn't die surrounded by zombies or any betrayals, but of simple and clean death by a backlash of her main characters fighting, at a distance.

Maybe the [World] is also responsible for her going back in time. Determined to let her see more of it, as if showing off how obedient it is to her designs. It might have also realized that she didn't know that it is the world she had created that made her do a redo.

But whatever reason it might be, she is grateful for it. At least this time she is aware and will be able to make enough preparations for the chaos to come. This time she will survive and see the world shaped into the one she had molded.

"Still you could have made some signs back then." She said to no one in particular. "Although you are the world and everything follows your will, you should not abuse it. Who knows what will happen if you burn out yourself. I'm nothing like how I used to be. I cannot do anything at all if you somehow go wacky."

As if throwing a tantrum, she felt a wind in her room. [It] was not happy with her not realizing it earlier. And its actions show that [it] is great and powerful, so she doesn't have to worry.

Even if she doesn't hear any words, Aila understands what means. She smiled quite fondly over its antics, but turned serious for a second.

"I know you are fond of me," Aila stated. "And I know you want me to see what you have become."

[It] made the sticky notes flutter a bit as if saying "isn't it obvious". [It] was proud and is very showy of its intent, so for [it] it should be. [It] wanted to show its mama [it's] might.

"I know your intent. But I don't want you to help me very much," Aila said as she touched the sticky note that held the first step of her plans.

As if [it] cannot believe what it is hearing, the pen holder at the table beside the bulletin board fell. [It] made things float as if it showing off that [it] is reliable and powerful. So why not let [it] help her?

"Although we hold a fate, remember I am now a person of this world too." She pointed out a fact as she arranged her fallen things. "I'm not the protagonist of this story, so you cannot blatantly favor me. If you can't help it, do it in a justified manner. After all, I made you with too much logic and rationality."

[It] made no movements as if upset. But understood as is indeed one of the smartest creations of hers. But [it] was not happy not showing her [ its] love to her. Even so, it will protect her, in secret. She cannot complain if she didn't know, right?

Aila felt that is up to something, but content enough to tell it off. This is the world she created, despite the gloom it possesses, it is one of her proudest works. She doesn't want it to change courses because of her presence in her own novel.

"Please just do me a favor this time. I want what I have to be something I myself have to work for. So, this time around, I didn't make things as obvious as in my previous life. I don't want to be treated as some sort of lucky charm that wards off zombies, okay?"

Reluctant, [it] still agreed as it remembered how annoyed its [mama] was when she was used to fending off zombies. But [it] is still determined to do some behind the scenes that its mama will not detect.

"Thank you," Aila said with a grateful smile. "It's late. I'm going to sleep."

[It] realized that it had taken too much time from her. [Its] mama needs to be healthy and strong. She needs plenty of sleep. So they picked her up and tucked her in the bed, like she was some sort of fragile doll.

Aila was dumbfounded and also amused by [its] antics. She felt warm from its actions. Closing her eyes, she murmured good night as she fell into a peaceful slumber.