chapter 2
1001 Words
Saving the Twins
Liam walked down the cracked sidewalks of the city, his mind racing.
Two years old. The twins were only two years old in this timeline. Malnourished, alone, and living in a rundown orphanage on the outskirts. If he didn’t move fast, they wouldn’t make it past the first month of the apocalypse.
He clenched his fists.
Not this time.
Checking his phone, he pulled up the orphanage’s location. In his past life, he had heard rumors of the place—an underfunded shelter barely holding on, run by a few overworked caretakers. By the time the apocalypse started, it had been abandoned.
The children left behind never made it.
His jaw tightened as he hailed a taxi.
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The Orphanage
An hour later, Liam stepped out in front of a crumbling, three-story building. The once-bright paint had peeled off, and the rusting gate hung loose on its hinges. A faded sign above the entrance read:
St. Claire’s Home for Children.
Liam pushed the gate open. The sound of rusted metal creaked through the empty yard.
Inside, the place was just as bad as he remembered. The air smelled of cheap disinfectant and old dust. The dim hallway was lined with worn-out furniture, and the flickering lights cast eerie shadows on the cracked walls.
His steps were silent as he moved forward.
He could hear children’s voices in the distance—some playing, some crying. But he was looking for two specific ones.
A woman in her fifties, wearing a tired expression and a faded nurse’s uniform, noticed him. Her sharp eyes scanned him up and down.
“We don’t take new volunteers without notice,” she said flatly.
“I’m not here to volunteer.” Liam reached into his pocket, pulling out the forged adoption papers he had prepared on the way here. “I’m here for them.”
The woman frowned as she scanned the documents. “Adopting? That’s unusual for someone so young.”
Liam forced a small, disarming smile. “I’ve been looking for siblings to adopt for a while now. A boy and a girl.”
Her suspicion didn’t fade. “They’re difficult children,” she warned. “Not the sweet, smiling type most people want. The girl barely speaks, and the boy is—”
“I’ll take them.” His voice left no room for argument.
The woman sighed. “Follow me.”
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Meeting the Twins
The orphanage’s small playroom was filled with toys too broken to use properly. A dozen children sat in corners, playing with whatever scraps they could find.
And then, he saw them.
A small boy with messy dark hair sat in the corner, crouched like a tiny predator watching the room. His green eyes were sharp for a toddler’s, filled with distrust.
Beside him, a little girl with slightly lighter hair curled into herself, hugging a threadbare stuffed bunny. Her expression was blank, almost detached, as if she had already given up on the world.
No one played with them.
No one approached them.
Liam’s chest ached at the sight. In his past life, they had been fierce, stubborn, and loyal to the death. Now, they were just two scared, abandoned toddlers with no one to protect them.
But that would change.
The caretaker called them over. “Ethan. Emma. Come here.”
The boy, Ethan, tensed. His tiny hands curled into fists as if expecting a fight. The girl, Emma, hesitated before reaching for her brother’s sleeve.
Liam crouched down to their eye level, keeping his movements slow and unthreatening.
“Hey,” he said softly.
They stared at him, unblinking.
“I know you don’t trust me,” he continued. “But I’m here to take you home.”
Silence.
The caretaker sighed. “They don’t talk much. And Ethan bites.”
Liam’s lips twitched. Sounds about right.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of chocolate.
Ethan’s sharp eyes flickered to it immediately, his little fingers twitching.
Liam unwrapped it slowly and placed it on the floor between them. Then, he sat back on his heels, waiting.
For a long moment, Ethan didn’t move. His eyes flicked from the chocolate to Liam’s face, suspicion warring with hunger.
Then—lightning-fast—he snatched the candy and retreated behind his sister, popping it into his mouth.
Emma blinked at him, then looked back at Liam. Her fingers tightened around her stuffed bunny, but there was the faintest flicker of curiosity in her blank gaze.
Liam smiled.
Step one: complete.
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Adoption Completed
Signing the last of the papers was easier than expected.
The orphanage was overcrowded, the caretakers overwhelmed. Two fewer children meant two fewer mouths to feed.
When Liam carried them outside, neither twin resisted. They were too used to being passed from stranger to stranger.
They didn’t know yet… that this time was different.
Liam looked down at them as he set them into the backseat of the car. Ethan scowled at him suspiciously, while Emma clutched her bunny.
He reached out and ruffled Ethan’s messy hair. “We’re going home.”
The boy flinched but didn’t pull away. Emma’s tiny fingers clutched at the fabric of his jacket.
Liam’s heart softened.
This was just the beginning.
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System Update
As the car drove through the city, a familiar ding echoed in his mind.
[Congratulations! You have successfully taken in two dependents before the apocalypse.]
[New System Feature Unlocked: Dependent Management.]
Liam’s brows lifted. Dependent Management?
He mentally pulled up the system screen.
[Dependent Management: Allows the user to monitor and train individuals under their care.]
[Current Dependents: Ethan & Emma]
[Physical Status: Malnourished, Low Stamina]
[Skills: Survival Instinct (Ethan), Mental Resilience (Emma)]
Liam’s eyes darkened at their malnourished status.
The first order of business? Getting them healthy.
And then, preparing them for the apocalypse.
Because in two weeks, the world would fall apart.
And this time, Liam would make sure they survived.
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End of Chapter 2
- Writer
