Free Web NovelChapter 23: Chapter 23 Apocalypse 002 begins.
The screen rang once, twice.
Then It connected as two small, familiar faces appeared on the screen.
Ivy’s eyes lit up instantly, her entire face brightening with excitement.
"Aria! Lila!" she called out happily.
"Mommy!" Lila’s voice rang out first, her face glowing with excitement. "Where are you? I miss you!"
Aria appeared beside her, calmer but just as concerned.
"Yes, Mommy," Aria added softly. "It’s already late... aren’t you coming home tonight?"
Ivy’s heart clenched slightly at the worry in her eldest daughter’s voice.
"Oh, my sweethearts," she said gently, her lips forming a small pout. "Mommy won’t be able to come home tonight. I’ll be back tomorrow, okay? Something important came up."
She paused before adding,
"You both have eaten, right?"
"Yes, Mommy!" Lila replied quickly, nodding eagerly. "We ate!"
Aria continued, her tone steady and responsible.
"We had the chicken you prepared this morning. I microwaved it, and we also ate some fried chips from the fridge."
Ivy smiled, clearly relieved.
"That’s good... very good," she said warmly.
Then Lila leaned closer to the screen, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Mommy, are you okay? And... what about my baby?" she asked, placing a tiny hand over her own stomach with a cute smile.
Ivy couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
"I’m fine, sweetheart," she replied, her voice gentle. "And your baby is doing just fine too. She’s growing perfectly in Mommy’s tummy."
Both girls smiled brightly at that.
"Alright," Ivy continued softly, her voice filled with affection. "You two take care of yourselves, okay? I’ll be back tomorrow. I miss you both so much."
"We miss you too, Mommy!" Aria and Lila said together.
"Muah!"
"Muah!" the girls chorused, both leaning forward to kiss the screen of their tablet.
Ivy laughed lightly, her heart feeling full.
"Goodnight, my loves," she whispered before ending the call.
*****
After speaking with her children, Ivy felt an unexpected sense of calm wash over her.
The tension in her chest eased as her body relaxed and surprisingly...sleep came.
Before she even realized it, her eyes closed, and exhaustion pulled her into a deep slumber.
***
"What the hell...?"
Ivy’s voice came out as a low murmur as a loud, piercing siren shattered the silence.
Her eyes snapped open.
The sound echoed through the air.....ambulances, multiple ones.
Her heart began to race.
She pushed herself up into a sitting position, her brows furrowing in irritation and confusion.
"What’s going on...?"
Still slightly groggy, she reached for the glass of water beside her bed....a habit she never skipped and took a few steady sips before placing it back down.
Then she stood, walked toward the window and pulled the curtain aside.
Her breath caught as outside, chaos unfolded.
Ambulances crowded the entrance of the hotel. Doctors and nurses rushed about frantically. Police officers struggled to maintain order. freewёbnoνel.com
Stretchers were everywhere as eople lay on them.
Some were vomiting foam, some convulsing violently as their bodies were being restrained with straps, their bodies thrashing uncontrollably.
Ivy’s grip on the curtain tightened.
"What the hell is happening...?" she whispered, her throat going dry.
A cold realization crept into her mind.
Without wasting another second, Ivy quickly changed back into her clothes from the previous day, tied her hair up neatly, and grabbed her phone.
She rushed out of her room only to walk into a hallway of chaos.
Guests ran back and forth, panic evident on every face. Some were crying, others shouting. Medical staff attended to several people lying on the floor, trying desperately to stabilize them.
Ivy moved quickly but carefully, her eyes scanning everything.
Then she saw a doctor knelt beside a guest, trying to stop the bleeding from his arm.
A bite mark which was beginning to turn blue with obvious veins.
Ivy’s heart skipped.
"No..." she whispered internally. "No, it can’t be now..."
Her pulse spiked.
She turned immediately, intending to leave but as she turned, a figure lunged toward her.
A hotel attendant.
Her mouth was wide open, revealing ragged, blood-stained teeth. Her eyes were unfocused, almost feral.
Two nurses were struggling to hold her down while attempting to inject something into her arm.
She broke free for a split second and lunged straight at Ivy.
Her teeth came within inches of Ivy’s face.
"Shit!"
Ivy stumbled back just in time, her heart slamming violently against her chest.
The nurses restrained the woman again, forcing her down as she screamed incoherently.
Ivy’s breathing turned shallow.
"Oh my God..." she thought, her mind racing. "It has started... already!"
Her expression darkened.
"This is exactly how it began but this time... it’s earlier."
Way earlier.
By nightfall... she thought grimly, this place will turn into hell.
*****
Without wasting another second, Ivy turned and sprinted toward the stairs.
She didn’t even consider the elevator.
That would be suicide right now.
Step by step, she descended rapidly until she reached the lower levels.
Instead of heading straight outside, she slipped into a nearby shopping complex connected to the hotel....a space that hadn’t opened yet for the day as she could see the hotel exit crowded hence there’s a high risk of getting bitten.
From the glass windows, Ivy watched in horror as the situation outside has escalated.
Infected individuals were now attacking doctors, nurses, police officers....No one was spared.
Right before her eyes, some of the infected began to change as their teeth elongated into sharp fangs.
Their hands swelled, veins bulging as their skin turned a sickly pale blue.
Others developed boil-like growths across their faces while their movements became erratic...monstrous.
Ivy swallowed hard, her throat dry.
What did I expect...? she thought bitterly. Nothing is following the timeline of my first life anymore.
Her gaze hardened.
I can’t even assume transformations will wait until nightfall.
The medics had fallen as victims had turned into attackers.
"I need to get out of here," Ivy muttered under her breath, her voice tight with urgency.
"And you better help me, System," she added sharply.
Ding!
{New Mission}
Ivy froze for a split second.
"...Mission?" she said incredulously. "Are you serious right now?!"
The system continued as if nothing was wrong.
{Host has two hours to acquire goods worth twenty thousand dollars in order to unlock one cubic meter of additional portable storage space.}
Ivy let out a dry, disbelieving scoff.
"Oh, hell no..."
Her eyes darkened as chaos continued outside.
"You must be joking," she muttered. "The mission can wait."
{I’m sorry but it can’t.}
