Resurrection Reborn.

"Kevin!!" That was the last thing I heard before dying. Strange, isn’t it? But death wasn’t the end—it was a rewind. I was reincarnated, brought back to life before the cataclysm that wiped out the world ten years ago. But enough of this first-person nonsense. Let’s tell it properly—from the beginning. Before the reincarnation. After everything started crumbling. --- Under a dim and overcast sky, two high school students walked along the roadside, their uniforms slightly ruffled by the wind. They laughed about something mundane, the kind of laughter that fills the air just before it's stolen by something darker. “Hey, Kevin!” a voice called from behind. Both boys turned. Kevin's eyes lit up, softening at the sight of the girl who had just spoken. Her name was Feyi—bright smile, shoulder-length braids, and a schoolbag clutched lazily over one shoulder. “H-Hi Feyi… I… you… he… are… who… ahh…” Kevin stammered, words collapsing on his tongue. His friend immediately stepped in front of him, hand raised like a magician performing a trick. “Sorry, Feyi, he’s got a sore throat,” he grinned. Feyi chuckled and wagged her finger playfully. “Uh-huh. Sore throat. Right.” She turned to Kevin. “Tell him not to forget the gifts for the teachers. Tomorrow’s our last exam.” “We won’t. He knows. We’re not that forgetful,” the friend said, nudging Kevin, who still hadn’t blinked once. Feyi tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled. “I’ll be heading home. Bye.” She turned to leave but paused. “And be careful. They warned us not to linger. Go home straight.” With a final wave, she disappeared into the street's bend, her footsteps light against the cracked pavement. Kevin continued staring like he was carved from stone. His friend laughed. “No wonder they call it a crush. She crushed you, alright.” Kevin finally blinked. “Doesn’t matter. She’s not even my type.” “Right. That’s why you freeze every time she talks to you?” his friend scoffed as they turned toward the market square. They walked in silence for a while. But then… something felt off. “Kevin?” his friend said, slowing his steps. “Where’s everyone?” Kevin looked around. Gone were the fruit sellers, the meat vendors, the shouting hawkers. The market square was empty—eerily so. “Maybe it’s their day off,” Kevin mumbled. “Then where is everyone?” Before Kevin could reply, a van roared past, spraying dust and gravel in its wake. “Ahhh!” Kevin jumped back. “Heart attack! I almost had a damn heart attack!” He turned to his friend. “Are you okay?” His friend nodded, swiping dust from his shirt. Then—the van screeched to a halt. They both turned toward it. It reversed, tires screaming. Dust clouded the air. Their eyes widened. “Run!” Kevin’s friend shouted. They turned to flee—only to be blinded by the headlights of another van, speeding straight toward them. Before they could react, two massive men leapt out from nowhere, landing in front of them like living walls of muscle and menace. “Running somewhere?” one said with a wicked grin. Kevin swallowed. “N-no, sir, we were—” CRACK! The man slammed his fist into Kevin’s friend’s face. He flew backward, crashing into an abandoned fruit stand, wood splintering and glass shattering. Kevin gasped in horror. “That's it!” Kevin yelled. “You’ll pay for that!” He lunged, fist flying, and landed a direct punch to the attacker’s jaw. A loud c***k echoed. The man staggered, holding his face. “My face! My face!!” Kevin’s hand trembled from the force. “Who’s next?” he said, though his voice wavered. The attacker slowly straightened, hand still over his cheek… and laughed. “He fell for it.” He pulled his hand away—revealing glowing purple eyes. Kevin stepped back. “What the hell are you—ugh!” A brutal kick slammed into his gut. Kevin was sent flying, flipping through the air, his body hitting the ground hard, dragging through gravel before stopping near his unconscious friend. Blood dripped from his mouth. He felt panic squeeze his chest. I couldn't even protect him... What am I supposed to do now? “Don’t kill him yet,” the second man said, arms folded. “We need them alive. For the vessel.” Kevin’s blurry eyes twitched. The... vessel? Even in his daze, he didn’t understand—but the word rattled in his head with dread. The first man nodded. “He’s… he’s standing.” Kevin, blood leaking from his nose, ears, and eyes, was staggering to his feet. His body shook violently. “You’ll pay… for hurting… my friend,” he growled. Then he collapsed, face-first to the ground. “Take them both. The boss is waiting,” a voice called from inside the van. The two men hauled the limp boys into the vehicle. Across the street, Feyi was crouched behind a metal canteen. Her hands shook as she pulled out her phone and dialed a number. “Please… pick up…” she whispered, her eyes glossy with fear. A shadow loomed behind her. “Who’s on the line?” a deep voice asked. Her eyes widened. She screamed. --- Scene Shift – Underground Far from daylight, beneath layers of concrete and surveillance, a hidden underground base buzzed with dim red lights and mechanical hums. This was no hospital—it was a lab, a prison of tubes and wires. Kevin and his friend were strapped to wheelchairs, bruised and unconscious. The smell of antiseptic burned his nose. A cold draft bit at his skin. Machines beeped and hummed in a relentless, inhuman rhythm. “Everything… hurts…” Kevin whispered, blinking weakly. He could taste blood and metal on his tongue. He felt helpless rage boil in his stomach. How did this even happen? A voice echoed. “Hey! These are my students! Why are they here? We had a deal!” It was familiar. Kevin coughed. “That’s Mr. Kolade…?” he muttered, confusion spiking like a hot iron through his dazed mind. Why is he here? What is he doing with them? Was he in on this? “Boss’s orders. Not mine,” someone replied. “Where is he?” “In his lair.” Kevin tilted his aching head, catching sight of a figure walking away. “That is Mr. Kolade. What the hell is he doing here?!” Fear tangled with betrayal in his gut. He turned toward his unconscious friend beside him, voice shaking. “What should I do?” The wheelchairs rolled into the dark—closer to secrets not meant for anyone to survive.