As months passed,the base had more improvements,it had leveled up and had more land but unfortunately Qianqian stats remained stagnant.
Around late October, whispers began to spread in the news. At first, it was subtle, almost unnoticeable. Minor reports began filtering through the media. Satellite feeds were picking up unusual signals—waves that seemed to distort the airwaves in irregular patterns. The government and research institutions brushed it off as a minor glitch, perhaps a satellite malfunction. But the reports kept coming. The scientists involved in the investigation noted odd fluctuations that didn't belong in normal frequency bands.
News outlets even began discussing possible space anomalies, mentioning strange phenomena occurring in orbit. As well as sightings of weird creatures.
The government tried as much as possible to keep such news from the public,but Wei Jian had caught such news,and alerted Qianqian. These disturbances grew stronger with each passing day, though they seemed to have no immediate effect on the public.
Still, Qianqian couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. She had no idea yet that this was tied to the distortion caused by her time-reversal and the powerful forces that had brought her back.
As November neared, Qianqian started to feel a strange emptiness in the air. Echo, her ever-present companion, had been a constant source of support and guidance ever since her rebirth. Yet, recently, Echo had grown quieter. His once cheerful, witty remarks and advice had become sparse.
Every time Qianqian tried to reach out to him, there was a strange hesitation in his voice, a lingering uncertainty. She'd ask him for clarification on certain matters, only to be met with cryptic answers that didn't provide much help. It was as if he was being pulled away, drifting farther from her with every passing day.
She first noticed it on a day when she was reviewing the new system upgrades in her core building. As she tapped into the resource management, Echo had responded with an almost distant tone, telling her, "You'll be fine, Qianqian... but don't be too eager. Not all things can be controlled." His words lingered long after he spoke them, and Qianqian felt a strange knot in her stomach.
By early November, Echo's presence had become almost nonexistent. When Qianqian tried to reach out for advice, there were long stretches of silence before he responded, often giving vague guidance. The once comforting voice that accompanied her every decision now felt distant, as if it were coming from a place far away.
Qianqian became suspicious. She knew something was amiss but couldn't understand why Echo was behaving like this. It didn't feel like him to be so detached, to leave her in the dark when so much was on the line. She began questioning the nature of her mysterious companion. What was happening?
Meanwhile she speed up her plans,she went speed shopping. She kept feeling unsettled.
It was an ordinary evening in the city when the world changed. Xu Qianqian, normally calm and collected, was sitting with her brother Jinhai at his apartment, savoring the rare moment of peace.
The rain had started unexpectedly in the middle of the night, the sound of heavy drops tapping against the windows unnerving Qianqian as she sipped her tea. Something felt wrong, though she couldn't place it.
She quickly checked the time,it read 30th November, 3018. She kept reassuring herself,there's still time,it's not time yet. She kept telling herself,but just to be sure,she called the group and warned them to stay at home until the rain stops.
The rain didn't really turn people into Zombies,in the future they had realised that it was actually airborne in a way. But She didn't really want to take chances.
She kept trying to connect to Echo but received Silence.
After sometime,the rain stopped as abruptly as it started.
______
It was just after midnight when Lin Mei received the call from Qianqian. The rain had started, and something about it felt wrong. Lin Mei quickly passed the phone to her sister, Lin Na, who was pacing nervously around the living room. The words Qianqian spoke were clipped, full of urgency, and warning them to stay inside until it was over.
"Don't leave the house. Stay inside, no matter what," Qianqian instructed, her voice tight with tension.
Lin Mei quickly packed a bag, but as she was about to hang up, she heard a loud scream from the house next door. Lin Mei froze, her pulse quickening. The scream sounded like it came from someone in pain. Her heart pounded, and instinctively, she stepped toward the window.
"Stay here, Lin Na," Lin Mei said, her voice commanding. "Don't move."
But before Lin Mei could stop her, Lin Na rushed to the door. "I need to check on them, Mei. It's a woman's scream—someone might be in trouble."
"No, Lin Na. Stay put!" Lin Mei tried to grab her sister's arm, but Lin Na was already out the door and running toward the house next door.
Reluctantly, Lin Mei followed her, but when she rounded the corner, the sight that met her eyes made her blood run cold. There, in the dim light, her neighbor—Mr. Chen—was hunched over his wife's body, gnawing on her flesh. His eyes were vacant, a hollow look that sent a chill through her spine.
"Lin Mei, what's happening?!" Lin Na's voice trembled as she stepped forward, but Lin Mei quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
"Stay away from him!" Lin Mei hissed, trying to pull Lin Na into the safety of their house.
But Lin Na refused to be swayed. "The kids... they're in the house! I need to save them."
Lin Mei hesitated, fear gnawing at her, but her sister's determination couldn't be ignored. Lin Mei reluctantly followed Lin Na as they hurried into the neighbor's home. Inside, they found the children hiding in a small closet, fear etched into their faces.
"Get them out, fast!" Lin Mei yelled. The children, though terrified, responded quickly.
Just as they reached the front door, they heard a guttural growl from behind. Mr. Chen, his body twisted unnaturally, had turned on them. Lin Mei and Lin Na barely had time to react before Mr. Chen lunged, his hands grasping wildly. Lin Mei shoved her sister to the side and grabbed the nearby vase, smashing it across his head.
The force of the blow staggered him, but it wasn't enough. Lin Na grabbed the kitchen knife from the counter and stabbed it into his side. But it didn't stop him. The growl from behind turned into a shriek, and Lin Mei turned just in time to see Mrs. Chen—the wife—dragging herself toward them, her face a twisted mask of hunger.
With no time left to think, Lin Mei and Lin Na worked together, fighting both Mr. Chen and his wife as they attacked in a frenzy. It was a close call, but eventually, the two managed to subdue them both long enough to get the children out of the house.
"Go, now! We need to move fast!" Lin Mei shouted as they ran for the door, the children clinging to them for dear life.
They boarded the car and drove quickly,heading to the warehouse.
_____
Wei Jian had been out with the brothers, heading toward the warehouse when he decided to stop by He Jun's house. He couldn't bear the thought of leaving his friend behind, especially knowing that He Jun's family was nearby. The closer they got, the more uneasy Wei Jian felt.
When they arrived at He Jun's house, they found the front door ajar. The house was eerily quiet, but as they stepped inside, they were met with He Jun was sitting on the floor of his living room, his eyes dazed and confused. His daughter, no older than seven, was beside him, her face streaked with tears.
But what froze them all in place was He Jun's wife—she had turned. Her body was slumped against the wall, her skin mottled, her belly still heavy with pregnancy, her eyes wide with hunger as she gurgled in her throat. She lunged at He Jun with inhuman speed, but he seemed paralyzed with fear, unable to react.
"Get out of the way!" Wei Jian shouted to the others, his voice raw with urgency. He lunged forward, pulling He Jun away from his wife. He was about to strike with his weapon when He Jun, still in shock, shoved him away.
"No!" He Jun screamed, his voice breaking. "She's still my wife! Don't hurt her!"
Long Hao stepped forward, his expression hardening. "He Jun, you have to listen to us. She's already—"
Before Long Hao could finish, He Jun's wife charged toward him, forcing Wei Jian to make the tough decision. He swung his weapon, hitting her in the head. The sound of impact was sickening, but it was the only way to end the madness.
"Go, get the girl!" Wei Jian barked as the others rushed to pull He Jun's daughter away from the chaos.
He Jun collapsed to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably as he realized what had happened. The brothers worked quickly to get He Jun and his daughter out of the house. But He Jun couldn't stop shaking, still in disbelief that the woman he loved was now a monster.
The night had already felt like a never-ending nightmare, but it was about to get even worse. As Wei Jian, Long Hao, and the others piled into the car with He Jun and his daughter, they knew they had to get to the warehouse as quickly as possible. But the tense silence in the vehicle was interrupted when a sudden screeching noise pierced the night air.