Her fist clenched tightly, her resolve hardening like steel. The soft light of the morning sun reflected in her eyes, a fierce glint that spoke of her unyielding determination.
"This time," she said softly, her voice imbued with deep, resonant strength,
"even if I must make the hardest decisions and confront the darkest parts of humanity to change my fate and protect my family, I will not falter. I will do everything in my power to ensure our survival, even if it means becoming something others fear."
The weight of her words hung in the air, a solemn pledge to herself and her lost loved ones. She understood that this journey would demand more than mere survival—it would require her to face moral dilemmas and make choices that might estrange her from others.
Yet, her resolve was unwavering. She would become a force to be reckoned with, a guardian of her family's legacy and her own destiny.
As she prepared to step out in her room, Levana felt a profound sense of clarity. The path ahead was fraught with danger and uncertainty, but it was also filled with the possibility of redemption and hope.
She had been given a rare gift: a chance to reclaim her life and ensure that the apocalypse would not claim her or her loved ones.
With a final, resolute glance at her reflection, she stepped away from the mirror, her heart steeled for the trials to come.
The world outside might still be untouched by the horrors that would soon unfold, but Levana was ready.
She was no longer just a survivor—she was a warrior of destiny, prepared to shape a future that had once been beyond her grasp.
After taking just a few steps, Levana was abruptly seized by a sharp, pulsating pain in her head. The sensation was familiar, almost like an old, unwelcome friend, and it spread through her entire body. In the blink of an eye, everything around her shifted dramatically.
When the throbbing in her head subsided and she opened her eyes, she found herself standing in an immense and seemingly boundless landscape. Her gaze swept across the horizon, revealing a vast expanse of lush, green grass stretching endlessly beneath a serene blue sky.
The ground was covered in a thick, vibrant carpet of grass, and the sky above was clear and unobstructed. However, the view was partially obscured by a dense, swirling fog that hung low over the terrain, making it impossible to discern the true extent of the land.
Despite the fog's concealment, Levana instinctively understood that the fog was a manifestation of her space superpower, currently at its first level. She knew that as her power advanced to higher levels, the fog would recede, revealing more of the land.
For now, she could only see a portion of the vast area, which was already impressive, stretching over approximately 64 hectares. This substantial area was more than enough to accommodate the materials and supplies she intended to collect.
Levana had initially planned to rent a warehouse to store the items she would purchase for the impending apocalypse.
However, standing in the middle of this vast, open space, she realized that this step might be redundant. With her space superpower, she had an almost limitless storage solution at her disposal, rendering the need for an external warehouse unnecessary.
As she surveyed her surroundings, a sense of calm washed over Levana. The enormity of the space offered her a profound sense of relief. It meant she could not only safeguard herself but also provide for her siblings and niece when the apocalypse struck, as long as she could first ensure their safety.
However, with exactly one hundred and thirteen days remaining before the predicted apocalypse, Levana faced a delicate dilemma.
She could not reveal the impending catastrophe to her family just yet. Doing so would only lead to widespread panic and constant anxiety, undermining the tranquility she wished to maintain in their final days of normalcy.
Instead, she decided to let them enjoy their remaining time. Her plan was to have her siblings and niece with her a day before the apocalypse began, so she could protect them effectively.
Levana emerged from her space realm, leaving the newly expanded area and returning to her everyday life. She grabbed her laptop and proceeded to the kitchen to prepare her favorite coffee.
The comforting aroma of the brewing coffee filled the kitchen as she worked, offering a moment of normalcy amid the chaos of her preparations. Once her coffee was ready, she carried it with her to the dining table and sat down, ready to plan her next steps.
Before the onset of the apocalypse, acquiring crucial supplies and materials was a privilege reserved for those with ample financial resources. Levana's world was irrevocably changed when, at the tender age of 15, both of her parents—highly respected state researchers—died unexpectedly in a tragic accident.
Her parents' sudden death left her and her younger sisters, who were only thirteen, in an extraordinarily precarious situation. Both of her parents were orphans, and as such, the girls had no immediate family to turn to.
The responsibility of caring for Levana and her sisters fell to Alina, a close family friend who had grown up with them in the same orphanage and attended school alongside them.
Alina, having since married a foreigner and moved abroad, had limited contact with the family. Despite the physical distance, she had remained a steadfast friend to Levana's parents and, by extension, to Levana and her sisters.
Upon learning of the tragedy, Alina returned to her home country to manage the funeral arrangements and assume legal guardianship of the girls. Levana, though overwhelmed by grief, recognized Alina's role and accepted her assistance without objection. Alina's presence provided a semblance of stability during an otherwise tumultuous period.
Despite Alina's offer to take the sisters into her own home, Levana chose to remain separate, believing it was important for her and her sisters to maintain some semblance of independence.