Just past noon, the New York bus stop was immersed in a scene of busy, chaotic rhythm. Sunlight streamed through the gaps between the tall buildings, casting speckled light onto the concrete pavement by the bus stop, illuminating the shadows of passing pedestrians. The small advertising board at the stop was plastered with various posters, some of them torn by the wind, with curled edges. These little ads promoted nearby apartment rentals, language courses, and an array of miscellaneous services.
The bus stop itself was unremarkable, with just a simple shelter overhead, its steel structure showing signs of rust. A row of transparent plastic seats was lined up beneath it, where a few passengers sat waiting. One person, dressed casually and wearing headphones, stared vacantly into the distance. Next to them, an elderly man patiently flipped through a newspaper, occasionally glancing up to check the time. On the ground, a few fallen leaves and plastic bags, carried by the wind, gently swirled in circles.
On the sidewalk, more pedestrians passed by. Some rushed toward the stop, waving bus tickets or their MetroCards in hand, while others strolled along at a leisurely pace, seemingly unconcerned about time. A mother and her young daughter stood off to the side, the mother bending down to speak quietly to her child. The girl clutched an old, worn stuffed toy, her eyes filled with the excitement of the bus soon arriving. Nearby, a young man was engrossed in his phone, his fingers swiping quickly across the screen, all while the noise of the city swirled around him—completely absorbed by the digital world.
In the distance, a yellow New York City bus slowly approached, the electronic display on the front flashing the route number, "M15 Downtown." The deep rumble of the bus grew louder as it neared, accompanied by the hum of its wheels rolling over the street. With a soft buzz, the doors opened, and the people at the stop began to shuffle forward, lining up to board. A notice posted by the door reminded passengers to wear masks, alongside the latest local transit updates.
Passengers tapped their MetroCards or dropped coins into the farebox one by one. Some hurried to find seats, while others instinctively stood in the middle of the bus, gripping the handrails. Inside the bus, a mix of smells filled the air—perfume, the lingering scent of takeout lunches, and the slightly humid summer atmosphere. Outside the windows, the city streets sped past—skyscrapers, shops, street vendors, and all manner of passersby—each a fleeting part of the daily life in New York.
As the bus pulled away again, the crowd at the stop gradually dispersed, leaving behind empty seats and a quiet street corner. In the distance, the sounds of traffic resumed as the dominant hum of the city, and the next wave of passengers was already approaching along the sidewalk, and Ander Davis was one of them.
A red four-seater Ferrari sped past the bus stop but then screeched to a sudden halt before parking on the roadside in front.
"Ander! Ander, over here!"
Ander thought he heard someone calling his name. He looked up and saw her.
Isn't that Celine Farach, the latest pop sensation? She knows me? Ander was dumbfounded, a mix of surprise and confusion crossing his face.
"It's Celine Farach!"
Someone screamed, and others pulled out their phones to record the moment.
"Ander, get in the car! If we don't leave now, we won't be able to get out of here!" Celine called out to him.
Seeing that things could get out of control, Ander quickly hopped into the car.
As soon as he was inside, Alexa Breit floored the gas pedal, speeding away from the bus stop.
"Ander, you know, we've been looking for you for two months!" Celine said, visibly emotional.
Only then did Ander realize that the driver was none other than the famous actress Alexa Breit. Shocked, he asked, "You know me?"
"Of course we do. We've known you for ten years," Alexa replied while keeping her eyes on the road. "I know this must be confusing, but we'll explain everything once we get to your house, okay?"
Ander nodded, still full of questions.
"Could you give me directions to your house?" Alexa asked.
Celine muttered in frustration, "Back then, you just pointed in a general direction without giving us the exact address. We wouldn't have had to search for you so long otherwise."
With Ander directing them, they soon arrived at his place.
"Sunglasses!" Alexa handed a pair to Celine as she prepared to step out of the car. "Put them on quickly. Remember, we're still celebrities."
The three of them entered Ander's house, and Alexa looked around before asking, "Is Marina not home?"
"You even know Marina?" Ander was taken aback.
"Of course we do." Alexa sat down on the couch, and Celine took a seat next to Ander, naturally wrapping her arm around his. She seemed entirely at ease, but Ander was flustered. Celine Farach was a pop star, the ultimate dream girl, and here she was sitting beside him, holding onto him. It was surreal, but his attention quickly shifted as Alexa spoke.
"Ander, have you ever heard of rebirth?"
"Yes, of course," Ander replied.
"I, Celine, our manager Anllela Sagra, and someone you haven't met yet, Sandra—all of our souls have been reborn, brought back ten years to 2025," Alexa explained. "In one month, this world as we know it will end. The streets will be filled with zombies; there will be no water, no food. People will do anything to survive. Men will sell their wives for a scrap of food, and even girls under the age of fifteen have become prostitutes
Alexa's expression turned sorrowful, her eyes glazing over as if haunted by memories.
Celine continued, "A month from now, the apocalypse will begin. In our previous lives—let's call those ten years our 'past lives'—once the zombie virus outbreak started, countless people turned into zombies. Shops were filled with food and water, but no one dared go outside. Alexa and I were stuck at the studio, surviving on bottled water, bread, and snacks for seven days. Just when we thought we were going to die, you showed up like an angel, like a knight in shining armor, to save us. From that day forward, we became your lovers, and we lived with you for the next ten years."
Ander found this story hard to believe. But then again, these were no ordinary people—they were a top actress and a famous pop star. Why would they lie to him?
After swallowing a nervous gulp, Ander asked, "Did I… did I use food to tempt you or force you into being my lovers?"
Alexa chuckled and replied, "Do you really think you're that kind of person?"
Embarrassed, Ander asked, "Then, how did you become my lovers?"
In fact, it was Alexa and the other two women who agreed to give Ander an aphrodisiac.
Alexa, Celine and agent Anllela Sagra, before the three of them met Ander, they were all lesbians, and they didn't have superpowers at that time.
Ander possessed a wide array of potent superpowers and could provide them with food and clean water, at that time, and even in the following ten years, Ander was always the man that female survivors wanted to rely on most.
When Alexa and the three of them were having fun, they would also drink some drinks mixed with trace amounts of aphrodisiacs to add to the fun. The aphrodisiacs were provided by Anllela Sagra. At that time, she also gave Ander three times the amount of aphrodisiacs, and then the three women took turns to offer them to Ander. Did it for the first time and took photos of the process as evidence.
Remembering this, Alexa and Celine blushed slightly. Thinking of this, Alexa and Celine blushed, Alexa turned her face to the side, and Celine shyly changed the subject and said: "We come to you because we want you to spend all your money quickly, otherwise when the doomsday comes, the U.S. dollar will Become waste paper."
Ander still had around a hundred million dollars, but spending 100 million US dollars on Alexa and Celine's few words is really child's play.
Sensing his hesitation, Alexa reassured him, "I'm an actress, and Celine here is a top pop star. What would we gain by lying to you?" With that, she opened her palm, and a phone appeared out of thin air.
Alexa's superpower was related to space; she had a storage space with a preservation function and could also use spatial confinement abilities to trap or attack zombies.
Alexa's storage space will expand as her superpower level increases. Her current space capacity is 50 meters in length, width and height. Notably, superpowers were tied to their souls, so upon rebirth, Alexa and the others retained their abilities, along with everything in their storage spaces, including this phone.
"This is my spatial ability. I have a storage space that can be kept fresh. This phone came from that space." Alexa handed the phone to Ander after pressing a few buttons.
"What?" Ander was stunned by what he saw in the video.
"This is the first time the three of us have sex with you." Alexa added, hiding her guilty. "The first time should be remembered, right?"
In reality, the video was their insurance in case Ander ever tried to deny their relationship. But it wasn't a complete lie to call it a keepsake.
At that moment, Ander felt his heart racing, filled with a complex mixture of excitement and desire,After all, this is a sex video of a movie queen and a popular singer., and he was the male lead.
After watching briefly, Ander returned the phone to Alexa, advising, "Keep that phone safe. Delete the video if possible; it could be a problem if someone finds it."
"Don't worry, for the past ten years, I've kept it safely in my storage space. No one can find it except me." Alexa continued, "Now, do you believe me? Trust me, use your money to buy supplies. We've already spent all our assets on food. If you need help with procurement, I can arrange it through my family. Large purchases by individuals tend to draw attention from certain people or government departments. In the apocalypse, these people will target you, causing a lot of trouble. Even though you'll be powerful enough to fend them off, it's best to avoid unnecessary issues."
"Ander, Alexa's storage space isn't large. Sandra is a ten billion woman, has bought even more supplies, so we'll need to store most of our things in your space. Could you set up separate areas for each of us?" Celine asked.
When Ander was five, he was blind, which may have been why his parents abandoned him.
One day, Ander was electrocuted, fell unconscious, and, upon waking, found he could see again and had a personal storage space. This space could be shared with others. Since childhood, he had created separate zones for a few close friends, allowing them to use his space.
In the space area designated by Ander, they cannot see or take things that others store in the space. However, Ander can see and take them, but this is personal privacy, so Ander will never look at it. It's even less possible to take other people's things.
After the apocalypse, for all his lovers who had sexual relations with him, Ander designated storage spaces for them so that they could store their personal belongings.
"Who is Sandra?" Ander asked Celine.
"Sandra was part of our team for a while. After we found her parents, she left us," Celine answered.
"She's 43 now and very beautiful, but not one of your lovers," Alexa added. "Our ability to be reborn is connected to her. Two months ago…"