Daniel laid on the cold, hard ground, his breathing shallow. Blood trickled out of his wounds, pooling beneath him, the chill of the earth seeping into his skin. Above him, the sky was a swirling mass of dark clouds, the blood-red moon casting an eerie light over the destroyed landscape. He could hear them in the distance—his cousin, his girlfriend—laughing as they divided up the supplies that had cost him everything.

How could he have been so blind?

How could he have fallen for her words, her fake tears, her deceitful promises? He had loved her. He had fought for her. And in the end, she stabbed him in the back. Literally.

His eyes blurred, tears mixing with the blood on his face as the sounds of his cousin's laughter echoed, growing fainter as they walked away. His cousin, who had been his closest friend. His girlfriend, who had been his everything.

"Fuck..." Daniel choked out, his voice barely a whisper. His body shivered as life began to drain from him. "Fuck all of you..."

His last thoughts, full of hatred, anger, and regret, all converged into a single, burning desire. If he could do it again—if he could just have one more chance—he'd never let himself be deceived. He would live for himself, and only for himself.

The laughter faded. His vision darkened.

And then there was nothing.

Daniel's eyes flew open, his breath coming in sharp gasps as he shot upright. For a moment, he didn't recognize where he was—his heart pounded, his eyes darting around in a panic. Then, the familiar sight of his cramped apartment registered in his brain. The dingy wallpaper, the broken blinds barely keeping out the morning sun, the stack of dirty dishes in the corner.

He was home.

He sat there for a moment, dazed, before the realization fully hit him.

He was alive. Not just alive—he was... back. Daniel scrambled out of bed, stumbling to the dirty mirror hung on the wall. He caught sight of himself and froze.

It was him. But not quite. His face, once rough, scarred, and tired, was now... sharper. Smoother. His dark hair fell perfectly, his jawline chiseled, his skin clear and his lips a little plumper. And his eyes—still the same baby blue, but with a depth that hadn't been there before.

"What the hell?" he muttered, touching his face, as if the reflection might disappear if he blinked. He looked... beautiful. No, that wasn't the right word. He looked like someone that people would remember—like someone who could command attention without trying.

He was like a perfect balance between feminine beauty and masculine handsomeness.

A bitter laugh escaped his lips. "The universe must be joking," he said to no one. He had been given a second chance. He looked different, but everything else was the same—his shitty apartment, his sad excuse for a bank account, and the memories.

The memories that were still painfully fresh. The betrayal. His cousin's smug grin. His girlfriend's tear-filled eyes, the knife in her hand as she plunged it into his back.

Daniel clenched his jaw, the anger rising like a fire in his chest. No more. No more of this.

He had one month until it all began—the Great Cold, the apocalypse that would freeze the world and leave it in darkness. He had one month to prepare.

He glanced over at his phone, buzzing on the table. A name flashed on the screen. Ashley. His heart skipped a beat, the anger roaring back to life at the sight of it.

Ashley. The one who had betrayed him. The one who had looked into his eyes, told him she loved him, then turned around and sold him out for a stash of supplies. 

His fucking soon to be ex-girlfriend. Oh, how funny was it that he could exact his revenge so early on?

Daniel's hand shook as he picked up the phone, his mind racing.

He could ignore her. He could block her. But no—he wasn't done with her yet. She deserved worse. Much, much worse. He answered, his voice dripping with forced warmth. "Hey, babe."

There was a pause, then her annoyingly sweet voice filtered through the speaker. "Danny? Where have you been? I've been calling you for hours."

Daniel rolled his eyes, thankful she couldn't see his expression. He forced a smile, though his voice held an edge. "Sorry, been busy. What's up?"

"Busy?" she scoffed, her tone changing. "I needed you yesterday! I tried to pay for groceries and found out you took all the money out of the joint account! What the hell, Daniel?"

Ah, there it was. The money. That's all she cared about. Daniel felt the hatred bubble inside him. He had taken all the money out last night, knowing she'd come calling. It was part of the plan. "Oh, yeah. About that," he said, his voice nonchalant. "I needed it for something important."

"What could be more important than food?" Ashley snapped. "You're leaving me high and dry, Danny. I'm your girlfriend! We're supposed to take care of each other!"

Daniel clenched his teeth, forcing down the urge to scream at her. She had called him 'Danny' even as she'd watched him bleed out on the ground, her expression indifferent. The irony of her words now, talking about taking care of each other, almost made him laugh.

"Yeah, well, things have changed," Daniel said, his voice cold. "I need the money for some investments. Big stuff, you wouldn't understand."

"Big stuff?" Ashley's tone was incredulous. "What the hell, Danny? You've never been good with investments. Are you seriously screwing around with our future for some get-rich-quick scheme? You're supposed to be thinking about us!"

There it was. That same manipulative, gold-digging tone. Daniel had heard it countless times before, but it sounded different now. It sounded pathetic.

"Us?" Daniel said, letting a small chuckle slip. He let his real feelings seep into his voice, the bitterness clear. "You mean me paying for everything while you sit around and complain? Yeah, I'm done with that."

"Excuse me?" she barked, her voice rising. "Are you seriously talking to me like this right now?"

Daniel leaned against the wall, his eyes narrowing. He was done with her lies, her bullshit. He had been her personal piggy bank for far too long. "Look, Ashley, I'll get straight to the point. I'm done giving you handouts. You want money? Go earn it. I'm done being your meal ticket."

He heard her gasp on the other end, then the sound of something breaking—probably a glass. He smirked, imagining her furious expression. It was satisfying.

"You—you asshole!" she shouted. "You can't just leave me like this! I've done so much for you! I've been there for you through everything!"

Daniel laughed, a dark, humorless sound. "Oh, you mean like all the times you 'supported' me by spending every penny I made on yourself? Or like the time you said you loved me but disappeared when I actually needed help? Yeah, you've been real supportive, Ashley."

There was stunned silence on the other end. Daniel could almost hear her brain working, trying to come up with a defense, an excuse, or more manipulation to keep him hooked. But this time, he wasn't going to let her speak.

"Listen," he said, his voice turning cold. "I don't care anymore. You're on your own. I've got better things to do than waste time on you."

He ended the call before she could respond, his hand trembling slightly as he dropped the phone on the table. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. It felt good. Not enough—she deserved more. She deserved to suffer for what she was about to do, for what she would do. 

But this was a start. This time, he'd be ready for her, and she wouldn't get the last laugh.

He ran a hand through his hair, his mind already shifting to his plans. He had a month before everything changed. A month to gather supplies, to prepare for the apocalypse. He needed to move—fast. No time to waste on people like Ashley.

He looked around his apartment, the sense of urgency creeping in. He needed to start gathering supplies, to get his bunker set up, to be ready. He wouldn't be caught off guard again. He wouldn't let himself be weak again.

He wouldn't be a victim.