chapter 1
796 Words
The Man Who Lost Everything
Liam Mercer was born into a family of power, wealth, and expectations. His father, Derek Mercer, was a ruthless businessman who controlled one of the largest real estate empires in the country. His mother, Clara Mercer, came from an old-money aristocratic family known for their influence in politics.
To the world, Liam had everything—money, status, and connections. But behind closed doors, his life was suffocating.
His father saw him as nothing but an heir—a tool to expand the Mercer empire.
His mother, distant and cold, viewed emotions as a weakness and raised him to be calculating, efficient, and obedient.
But Liam was never interested in power plays or corporate wars. What he wanted was freedom—a chance to live without expectations shackling him.
When he turned eighteen, he made a decision that shocked high society—he cut ties with his family and left behind his inheritance.
"You're throwing away everything!" his father had roared.
"You'll crawl back when reality breaks you," his mother had said coldly.
But Liam never looked back.
For years, he built his own life—working small jobs, learning survival skills, and eventually becoming a military contractor specializing in logistics and security. It was there that he met Jared, Anna, and the others.
He thought he had finally found true friends.
He thought Anna loved him.
He was wrong.
Liam Mercer could feel his body breaking.
His breaths came in short, ragged gasps, his vision blurred by blood dripping from a deep gash across his forehead. The sound of zombies growling filled the air as the horde closed in. There was no escape.
And it was because of them.
His so-called friends.
Jared, the man he once called brother, had shoved him into a dead-end alley, laughing as he walked away.
"He’s too dangerous to keep around," Jared had told the others. "With his strength, he’ll take over eventually. Better to get rid of him now."
And his girlfriend, Anna? She had stood there—watching, not saying a word. The same woman who had once whispered I love you in his ear had now chosen to side with his enemies.
"You’re too soft, Liam," she had said. "You don’t belong in this world."
Then, they left him to die.
But just as the zombies lunged—they appeared.
Two small figures, barely seven years old, jumped in front of him. The twins.
"Big brother," the boy whispered, his small hands trembling as he held a broken knife.
"You saved us," the girl added, her tiny frame barely standing upright. "We won’t let you die alone."
It was a child's loyalty—a concept even adults had failed to grasp.
And then, the horde devoured them.
Liam’s final memory was of their bloodied hands reaching for him, their once-bright eyes dimming forever.
Darkness swallowed him.
Until he woke up.
---
Two Weeks Before the Apocalypse
Liam gasped as he sat up in bed, his heart hammering in his chest. His hands frantically moved across his body—no wounds. No scars. No blood.
He wasn’t in that alley.
He wasn’t surrounded by the undead.
He was in his old apartment.
His eyes darted to the date on his phone: Two weeks before the apocalypse.
He had returned.
A deep, shuddering breath left him, but instead of fear, an overwhelming rage filled his chest. Jared. Anna. The others. They had all betrayed him.
But this time? He would not be the one abandoned.
And then—
Ding!
A robotic voice rang in his head.
[Base Building System Activated.]
Liam froze.
A… system?
In the apocalypse, he had seen people awaken abilities—super strength, fire control, even mind-reading. But he had never heard of a Base Building System.
New blue holographic text appeared before his eyes.
[Welcome, User. You have been chosen to establish the ultimate survival base before the apocalypse begins.]
[Main Mission: Secure a Safe Zone.]
[Time Remaining: 14 Days.]
A deep chuckle left Liam’s lips.
So, not only did he return to the past, but he now had a system that could help him build an impenetrable base?
The world wouldn't betray him again.
This time, he would be the one in control.
But first…
His expression softened as he remembered the last faces he saw before dying.
The twins.
In this timeline, they were only two years old—helpless, abandoned in a rundown orphanage on the outskirts of the city. If he did nothing, in two weeks, the apocalypse would start, and they would be left to die alone.
Liam stood up, grabbing his jacket.
The first thing he was going to do in this second life?
Find them. Save them. Raise them as his own.
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- Writer
