**Chapter 1: I Reincarnated**
Peter Coleman jolted awake, his heart pounding furiously in his chest. The memory of a tentacle piercing his heart still vivid in his mind. He sat up abruptly, gasping for air, his eyes darting around his familiar bedroom. Sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the familiar surroundings. The alarm clock on his nightstand read 6:00 AM.
It took a moment for Peter to realize that he was not in the midst of a demon-infested apocalypse. He was home. Alive. Five days before the end of the world. His breath came in shaky gasps as he struggled to process the impossible: he had been given another chance.
"Five days," he whispered, his voice trembling. "I have five days."
Peter's mind raced with the memories of his previous life—or lives, as it seemed. He had survived through stages of horror: zombies, mutated animals, monstrous beasts, and finally, the demonic entities that had ended him. Each stage had been more nightmarish than the last, and each had taken its toll on him and those he loved. His twin brother, Alex, and their close-knit group of friends had all perished, one by one, in the cruelest ways imaginable.
Not this time, Peter vowed. He would not let them die. Not again.
His resolve hardened as he reached for his phone on the nightstand. His fingers trembled slightly as he opened the group chat he shared with Alex and their friends: Sarah, Mike, Jenna, and Chris. They had always been his support system, the people he trusted most in the world. And now, they were his reason to fight.
Peter typed quickly, his mind already formulating a plan. He knew that the forest near their town would be a safe haven, at least for the initial stages of the apocalypse. It was isolated and defensible, with plenty of resources. He had to get them there before the chaos began.
"Hey everyone," Peter typed, "I've been thinking. Let's go camping in the forest in five days. It'll be a great escape before things get too hectic with work and everything. We could all use a break, right?"
He hit send and waited, his heart pounding in his chest. One by one, the replies came in.
"Sounds like a plan!" Sarah replied, followed by a thumbs-up emoji.
"Count me in," Mike responded.
"Needed this! I'm in," Jenna texted.
"Can't wait. I'll be ready," Chris added.
Finally, Alex chimed in: "You know I'm always up for a camping trip. Let's do it!"
Peter breathed a sigh of relief. They were on board. Now he just had to prepare.
He got out of bed and quickly dressed, the urgency of his mission propelling him forward. He knew he had to gather supplies—food, water, weapons, anything that would help them survive the coming apocalypse. But first, he needed money.
Peter stepped outside, the early morning air cool against his skin. The familiar sights and sounds of his neighborhood greeted him, a stark contrast to the desolate wastelands he had traversed in his previous life. He walked briskly to the nearby bank, his mind focused on the task at hand.
As he approached the bank, Peter paused, taking in the bustling scene before him. People went about their daily routines, unaware of the impending doom. He felt a pang of sorrow for them, but he couldn't afford to dwell on it. He had to stay focused.
Standing in front of the bank, Peter steeled himself for the days ahead. He knew the challenges would be immense, but he had one advantage: knowledge. He knew what was coming, and he would use that knowledge to protect the people he cared about.
"Not this time," Peter whispered to himself. "I won't let you die."