My best friend and I somehow found ourselves pulled into an apocalypse novel. The system’s mission for us was to save this world. I was assigned to work alongside a brilliant doctor researching an antidote, enduring experiment after experiment. Over time, the usually cold and aloof doctor pulled me into his arms, promising to marry me. My best friend, meanwhile, was with the leading military officer, suffering serious injuries repeatedly to save him. The usually stoic and mighty officer swore he’d treat her well for life. Ten years into the apocalypse. The antidote was successfully developed, and the zombies, humanity’s greatest threat, vanished. Just as my best friend and I thought we could finally enjoy a good life in this world, Two men, hailed as “saviors” by the world, suddenly had other women by their sides. They held these new women’s hands with fervent devotion, whispering words of intense love. My best friend and I exchanged a look. It was time to leave this world.
“Serena didn’t mean it, Jordan. When did you become so petty?” “So what if she broke your medicine? Missing one dose won’t kill you. Why are you making such a big deal out of it and bullying her?” Dr. Julian Hayes shielded Serena behind him, his face etched with displeasure as he glared at me. The woman beside him clutched his sleeve, gazing up at him with pitiful eyes. The scene made it seem like *I* was the one who had done something wrong. “Julian, please don’t blame Jordan. It’s my fault for not handing her the medicine with both hands. I didn’t realize Jordan would be so clumsy.” My face was pale, large beads of cold sweat trickling down my forehead. The pain radiating through my limbs made it impossible to stand properly; I could only lean weakly against the wall. Ever since I became a test subject for Dr. Julian Hayes, my body had been riddled with all sorts of toxins. The side effects and complications were countless. The medicine that had just shattered on the floor was my mandatory monthly dose to suppress the toxins. Without it, I’d have to endure this entire month, suffering through alternating chills and fever, as the virus spread through my internal organs. “She deliberately smashed it on the ground!” I shrieked the words, using almost every ounce of strength I had. Dr. Julian Hayes scoffed, a look of disdain on his face. “You don’t trust me?” He sidestepped my question, instead looking at Serena with tender affection, gently tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “Serena would never accuse someone falsely.” His single sentence delivered my death sentence. Dr. Julian Hayes turned away, no longer looking at me. He took Serena’s hand and left the dark, cramped basement. I could no longer hold myself upright and collapsed heavily to the ground. My body instinctively curled into a ball, pain spreading from my limbs to my heart. I lay there, gasping for air. As consciousness began to fade, I thought of my last ten years. My best friend and I had been pulled into an apocalypse novel. All to save this world. For ten years, I had been utterly submissive to Dr. Julian Hayes. I’d proactively shared his bed in the dead of night, offering him solace and comfort, easing his desires. Then, when he struggled with his research, I agreed to be his test subject. After that, I was confined to the dark, cramped lab day and night, repeatedly enduring the agony of injections. There were even a few times when Dr. Julian Hayes increased the dosage to speed up the research, nearly causing me to faint and die. When I awoke, he was ecstatic, his hands trembling as he held me, his voice firm as he promised to marry me. I forced a painful smile, letting out a soft, cold laugh. The apocalypse ended, and Dr. Julian Hayes had a new woman by his side.
“Jordan, wake up, please don’t die! What will I do if you die?” “I’ll feed those bastards to the zombies sooner or later!” I woke up groggily, opening my eyes to see my best friend, Cassidy, sprawled over me, her eyes brimming with tears. I slapped her head, signaling her to get off; she was crushing the air out of me. Cassidy immediately wrapped her arms around my neck. “Jordan, I’m so glad you’re not dead! If you died, I wouldn’t want to live either!” She slowly helped me up from the floor. I rubbed my throbbing head, offering her a comforting look. Suddenly, I frowned, pulling her closer, my eyes fixated on a spot on her wrist. “How did this happen?” Over the past decade, Cassidy had trained relentlessly in combat under Officer Ryder, becoming virtually invincible. Before she could speak, I rolled up the sleeves of both her arms. A sharp gasp escaped me at the sight of numerous knife cuts, scars, and dense purple bruises. Cassidy, who had just managed to compose herself, immediately burst into tears again, becoming a complete sobbing mess. It dawned on me instantly. She was formidable; no one dared to harm her. But what if the person who hurt her was the man right by her side? “Today, Serena insisted on coming to the training grounds, claiming she wanted to spar with me. My blade hadn’t even touched her when she threw herself onto it! And Officer Ryder walked in right at that moment.” The rest didn’t need to be said. Officer Ryder must have accused Cassidy without even investigating, eager to avenge Serena. At that thought, I forced my weak body to stand, gritting my teeth as I looked at her. “I’m going to kill him!”
I dragged Cassidy to the training grounds, where we found Serena. But she wasn’t alone. Dr. Julian Hayes and Officer Ryder stood on either side of her, like personal bodyguards. The three of them were laughing and chatting. Dr. Julian Hayes spotted me and suddenly frowned, his face tight with anger. “What are you doing here? This isn’t where you belong. Get back to the lab. Your body can’t handle this kind of strain.” I sneered at him, cursing myself for not seeing through his hypocrisy sooner. If he cared so much about my body, why did he leave me alone in the lab last night to fend for myself? Or was it simply that when Serena was around, I would always be second? I avoided his gaze, took Cassidy’s hand, and looked at Officer Ryder with cold eyes. “I’ve come to demand justice.” Before I could continue, Cassidy suddenly pulled her hand from mine and rushed forward. “Blaze!” Blaze was Cassidy’s warhorse. For ten years, he had accompanied her into battle. From a weak, scrawny pony, he had grown into a strong, magnificent lead stallion, accompanying Cassidy through days of blood and sweat. But now, Blaze lay on the ground, his bright mane stained red with blood. His eyes were wide, as if proclaiming his brutal death. Cassidy knelt beside him, weeping until she retched. I knew how important Blaze was to her. “Who did this?!” Cassidy’s eyes were bloodshot as she glared at the three of them, her hands trembling uncontrollably with rage. Serena instinctively flinched, intimidated by Cassidy’s fury. I seized the moment, pulling Serena out from between the two men. I wound up my arm and slapped her directly across the face. “That’s for falsely accusing others! We had no quarrel, so why did you keep trying to frame us?” “And that’s for your cruel heart, for not even sparing Blaze!” Dr. Julian Hayes lunged forward and roughly shoved me to the ground, his eyes filled with a ruthless malice I had never seen before. “Who gave you permission to touch her?! It’s just a horse. Are you really making such a scene over an animal, Jordan?!” The rough concrete scraped against my skin, leaving my arms and shins instantly bruised and swollen. I gritted my teeth and struggled back to my feet. Serena hid behind Dr. Julian Hayes and Officer Ryder. Only her eyes were visible, glaring at us with a sly malice, like a perfectly sheltered princess. “Julian is right, Jordan. No matter how much affection you have for it, it’s just an animal. If an animal is disobedient, shouldn’t it be gotten rid of?” She stared at me with gleaming eyes, a clear implication in her words. Hearing her, my anger surged again, and I lunged forward, trying to grab her. My fingers barely brushed her clothes when her face suddenly twisted in pain. Then, she coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed into Dr. Julian Hayes’s arms. “Serena!” Both men cried out simultaneously. Dr. Julian Hayes awkwardly scooped her up and rushed towards the lab. Before leaving, he turned, giving me a cold, chilling look. “If anything happens to Serena, you’ll join her in hell.” I stood there, feeling utterly drained, in silent despair. The murmuring voices of the surrounding crowd drifted into my ears. “It’s just a horse. Why can’t she be more understanding? Serena’s right, no matter how good you are to it, it’s just an animal.” “I think Dr. Hayes was so sweet to Serena just now. Are they getting married soon?” “Yes, Serena said their wedding is just around the corner.” I woke up again to find myself confined in that dark lab. I looked down to see my hands and feet bound tightly to a chair, unable to move. Dr. Julian Hayes walked in, wearing a white lab coat and safety goggles, a syringe in his hand. The sight of the needle sent me into a desperate struggle, painful memories flooding over me like a tidal wave. I recalled the repeated agony of needles piercing my skin. The helpless inability to control my body, and the dizziness, vomiting, fever, and spasms that followed. I twisted my body, trying to break free from my restraints, despair etched on my face. “Julian, what are you doing? The apocalypse is over, isn’t it? The antidote has been developed, right?” My wrists were raw and chafed from struggling. Dr. Julian Hayes looked down at me. Perhaps my sudden submission stirred a flicker of pity in him, or perhaps mentioning the apocalypse reminded him of my sacrifices. He gently patted my head, a gesture meant to be comforting. His voice was no longer as harsh as before, yet the words he spoke sent a chill through me, like being plunged into an ice-cold abyss. “Jordan, Serena has a very rare disease, and there’s no known cure on the market yet.” “People have to be responsible for their actions. You hit her, so testing experimental drugs for her could be considered evening the score between you two.” “As for your best friend, Officer Ryder threw her into the stables. Since she loves horses so much, she can just live and eat with them from now on.” “Just bear with it a little longer, Jordan. Once I develop the medicine, we’ll get married, okay?” I stared at him in disbelief, unable to fathom that those words had just come from his mouth. I hit her, so I have to pay with my life? “Get out! I’d rather die than ever marry a man like you!” I weakly raised my arm, trying to swat him away. Dr. Julian Hayes held my struggling hand, seemingly unfazed by my words. “Jordan, don’t say such things out of anger. Just be a good girl and be quiet. We can finish this sooner.” My heart pounded with dread; I was utterly terrified. “No! Please, no! Julian, I don’t want anything anymore. I won’t marry you. I’ll stay far away from you, okay? I just beg you, let me go.” Tears streamed down my face. My desperate struggles were futile. Dr. Julian Hayes covered my eyes, and the cold needle pierced my skin. My body began to shiver uncontrollably, my teeth chattering. Finally, I couldn’t bear it any longer and passed out.
I woke up again on the cold floor. This time, however, I was roused by the system’s alert tone. “Host detected attempting to exit. Due to excellent mission completion, system will automatically approve exit request. Upon exit, you may return to the real world.” Tears welled up in my eyes. I could finally go home! I immediately contacted Cassidy. She was still being tormented in the stables. “We can finally go back!” Cassidy cried out tearfully on the other end. I knew her days had been rough. “Then let’s go back now, Jordan! I really can’t stand it anymore.” I thought of the pain of these past days, and the decade of sacrifice we had made for them in the apocalypse. “Not so fast. Before we leave, we have to give them a grand parting gift.” Cassidy, thrown into the stables, wasn’t in good shape. Bloodshot veins spread across her eyes, and her face was smudged with dirt. As soon as Officer Ryder entered, he instinctively covered his nose, frowning. The overwhelming stench almost made him gag. “Do you regret what you did?” He looked at the woman huddled in the corner, his voice softening slightly. I watched Cassidy’s live stream through the system, secretly marveling at her acting skills. Cassidy slowly lifted her head from her knees, forcing a painful smile with her bruised lips. “Regret? I regret nothing!” “I think you haven’t spent enough time in this stable. If you want to come back, apologize to Serena. She’s magnanimous; she won’t hold a grudge.” “Yes, Jordan,” Serena chimed in, idly fiddling with her hair. “I just want to see some remorse from you. I’m not the type to hold a grudge.” “Is there any point in me going back? Wouldn’t it be exactly what you want, finally, no one to bother you and your Serena?” Officer Ryder stepped forward, pulling Cassidy up. He gripped her wrist tightly. “What’s happened to you? You never used to talk to me like this.” Cassidy winced in pain, pulling her hand away. She looked at Officer Ryder with despair, her voice firmer than ever before. “Because I don’t love you anymore, Ryder. I’ve given up on loving you.” Officer Ryder snorted, his face filled with suspicion and disbelief. “How many times are you going to pull this trick? Stop playing games, okay? Just go apologize, and we can still…” Before Officer Ryder could finish his sentence, a dark shadow flashed outside the stable. A long, whistling sword flew straight towards him. Everything happened too fast. Officer Ryder couldn’t dodge. He could only watch as the sword tip tore through his clothes, aiming for his heart. A small figure suddenly moved in front of him, taking the fatal stab to the chest for him. The person in his arms rapidly lost color, a large mouthful of blood spilling from their lips. Officer Ryder’s pupils constricted, his face a mask of disbelief. He never expected that the person who, a second ago, had adamantly declared she would never love him again, Would, in the next second, rush forward without hesitation to block that deadly blow for him. Serena, meanwhile, had found an opportunity to flee the moment the assassin appeared. Cassidy lay in Officer Ryder’s arms, weakly gasping for breath. “Ryder, from now on, we are even. In our next life, I will never love you again.” Officer Ryder clutched Cassidy’s hand tightly, his eyes wide and unblinking, terrified that she would disappear at any moment. “No! Don’t! I’ll get someone to save you right away, okay? You’ll live!” The only response was the growing coldness in his arms. I glanced at Dr. Julian Hayes, who had just entered the lab. It was my turn to perform. As Dr. Julian Hayes, as usual, prepared his reagents, I looked at him with feigned tenderness. “Can you please stop using me for experiments, Julian?” Dr. Julian Hayes said nothing, a cold, hard refusal. “If I had another chance, I would never fall in love with you again.” Dr. Julian Hayes’s hands paused. “You won’t have a chance to leave me.” I curved my lips into a slight smile, then plunged the syringe next to me into my body. Moments later, I began to tremble violently and then passed out. The last thing I saw before my eyes closed was Dr. Julian Hayes smashing the reagent bottle to the ground and frantically rushing towards me.
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