The moment we witness the last surviving child in the safehouse getting pinned to the wall by a zombie before having his guts torn out, all the men in the team break down mentally.

"Captain, didn't you claim that Selene kept rambling nonsense because she had gone crazy out of fright toward the zombies? Isn't that why you reassured us to keep watch while you and Madeline watched the sunrise on the summit?

"Why is it that my newborn has already gotten devoured by a zombie as soon as I return to the safehouse?"

Quinton Morwood goes deathly pale at the accusation.

My heart feels as though it's gotten torn into pieces as I stare at the tragedy.

In my previous life, when the zombies attacked the safehouse, Quinton, who was the captain of the defence team, had taken the entire team with him just so he could watch the sunrise with Madeline Moore at the mountain summit.

I did everything I could to summon everyone back to the base. That was how everyone's lives were spared from the zombie attack.

But Madeline was pissed that she did't get to watch the sunrise, so she left the safezone angrily on her own. That was how she got grabbed by a zombie and eaten by a horde.

By the time Quinton and his squad killed the entire horde, he just hugged Madeline's femur to his chest without saying a single word.

On the day I gave birth to my baby, Quinton hacked my limbs off before throwing me into the roaming hordes of zombies. I could only watch as the zombies tore my flesh off my bones before Quinton saved me again by healing me.

The cycle kept going on and on until I witnessed the last piece of flesh being torn off my body.

"You're the one who killed Madeline, you wretched woman! Since you like competing with her that much, I'll make sure you'll die a worse death than hers!"

When I open my eyes again, I've returned to the day the zombies are attacking the safezone.

The moment I heard the zombies outside the base howling through the mountain woods, I knew I had been reborn.

Instinct took over. I bolted out of the room and lunged straight for the broadcast station's control panel.

"Attention, everyone! This is not a drill! A large-scale horde is closing in! All personnel, fall back to the underground safe room immediately!"

The words had barely left my mouth when the noise outside spiked. The snarls grew thicker, closer, and mingled with panicked screams from the humans.

"Everyone, move! Now!"

I gripped the dagger in my hand, herding the scattered crowd while slashing down a few zombies that had already broken in. "Head to the safe room. Stay together and keep calm!"

The retreat was a nightmare. Danger came from every corner.

I dragged a few kids who were frozen in shock and shoved them through the reinforced door. Then, I swung back and buried my blade into a zombie's neck before stumbling in after them, barely holding it together.

The heavy door slammed shut, sealing off the hell outside, at least for now.

People collapsed where they stood, still shaking. Then, they broke down completely, sobbing out loud.

A young mother clutching her baby grabbed onto me, desperate. "Selene, you have to find Captain Morwood! Get him to bring the squad back and save us!"

I shut my eyes. There was no gentle way to say it, so I didn't try. "Quinton took the entire squad out to the hills on the outskirts. He's up there with Madeline, watching the sunrise."

The safe room exploded into chaos.

"Watching the sunrise? Now of all times?"

"He's lost his mind! He left all of us here to die just to keep that woman company?"

Just then, the metal door shuddered under heavy blows, clanging loudly. The center panel was already starting to warp. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before the horde broke through.

We couldn't wait any longer.

"Maybe… Maybe we don't need them back."

The idea hit me all at once. I turned to my mother-in-law, Audrey Miller, and said, "Mom, the electric grid! If we power up the high-voltage fence outside, it can fry them!"

Audrey's eyes lit up. She nodded right away. "You're right—the grid!"

She swiftly hurried to the corner and pulled out the hidden communication device. Under everyone's watch, she connected the line.

"What is it, Mom? I'm in the middle of something here," Quinton Morwood said impatiently, like we were the ones interrupting him.

Audrey forced her anger down, speaking fast, as if time was working against us. "The base is under siege, Quinton! A full-blown horde! The safe door won't hold much longer! Get the outer high-voltage grid online now!"

Everyone's heart jumped into their throat.

"Mom, what are you talking about? The power's locked in for the hilltop lights. Not a second can go out. If I divert it to the grid, what happens to Maddie's birthday setup?"

He let out a dismissive laugh. "Is Selene feeding you panic again? She's that jealous of Maddie, huh? I'm just up here watching the sunrise with her. Yet, Selene has gone so far as to team up with you to spin a lie just to drag me back?"

Audrey was shaking with rage. "You foolish idiot! Do you have any idea—"

The line went dead, cut off without a second thought. The safe room fell into a heavy silence. Despair spread like an infection.

"It's over… We're done for this time…"

I stared at the door, which was already warped and buckling. My chest tightened. Even after being reborn, could I still not change the ending?

In a split second, an idea flashed through my mind.

"Wait, Mom," I said urgently. "You trained the entire squad yourself. There's a supply path behind the mountain. Take that route and find them. They won't ignore your orders!"

A flicker of hope flashed in Audrey's eyes. "I'll bring them back right now!"

She slipped out through the side door after adding, "Wait for my return."

The metal door finally gave, torn open under the relentless pounding of the horde. A rotting arm shot through the gap, reaching straight for the baby in the woman's arms near the entrance.

"My baby!"

The infant was dragged out before anyone could react. The crying cut off abruptly amid the chaos outside.

"My baby…" the mother wailed, collapsing to the ground. The light in her eyes went out in an instant.

As the people in the safe room slipped deeper into despair, the side door burst open, and someone rushed in. It was Audrey… drenched in blood.

"Quick—seal the breach!" she ordered.

I rushed over to steady her. She grabbed my arm hard. Her voice was shaking. "Quinton, that bastard… He's locked down every route, just to keep anyone from interrupting that woman's birthday sunrise."

Her eyes were bloodshot with rage. The room went dead silent.

A chill crept up from the soles of my feet as I staggered back. So, Quinton had gone this far, even blocking his own mother, just to keep me from reaching him.

"No. We can't just sit here and wait to die…" I looked up, continuing, "If we can't reach the squad, we call for outside help."

As I spoke, I kept tuning the communication devices, cycling through other bases' frequencies, quickly laying out our situation and sending out an urgent distress call.

There was a stretch of silence on the other end before they finally replied, "Sorry. We can't provide assistance. Three hours ago, Captain Morwood personally issued a warning.

"He said someone at your base might be spreading false intel. He ordered that all distress calls tonight are to be ignored."

I hadn't expected Quinton to go this far. For the sake of Madeline Moore's birthday sunrise, he had cut off every possible outside lifeline in advance, sealing off every escape route we had left.

Audrey's face turned deathly pale. "I'm Quinton Morwood's mother. I'm begging you—"

"Mrs. Morwood Senior," the person on the other side interrupted in a cold voice, "Captain Morwood emphasized to respect that order, especially regarding your instructions. Unless you or Mrs. Morwood comes in person to request aid, we will not deploy support."

The line went dead again.

Went in person? Crossing dozens of miles through a raging horde was practically a suicide mission.

The breach in the safe room was patched up for now, but everyone knew it wouldn't last for long.

I reached out to steady Audrey. "Mom, I'm going with you!"

I glanced at the blood on the floor. My voice was firm. "Everyone's counting on us. If we push through, we still have a shot!"

Audrey looked at me for a long moment, then finally nodded. I helped her along as we moved forward. A zombie had torn off her left arm, and blood was pouring out of her.

"Once we get over this ridge… we're almost there…"

From halfway up the mountain, we could already make out the outline of the distant base. Hope flickered back to life. And then…

A flare shell exploded right in front of us. The blast wave slammed into us, sending us flying.

I looked up in shock. Through the haze, I could make out Quinton with his arm around Madeline. A second later, his voice boomed from the loudspeakers on the hilltop, dripping with mockery.

"Just as I predicted, Selene. Your little act didn't work, so now you're forcing your way through, huh?"

His tone turned cold. "I knew you wouldn't give up and that you'd come to ruin Maddie's birthday. Not today, Selene. I won't let you get what you want."

The bombardment grew heavier. Blast after blast shook the slope. Blood poured even faster from the stump of Audrey's left arm.

"Mom, tell Quinton it's you!"

She forced every bit of strength she had into a scream toward the hilltop. "It's me, Quinton!"

There was a brief pause up there. Then, Quinton's laughter rang out again, this time louder and more unhinged. From this distance, he was just a silhouette.

"You really went all out just to ruin Maddie's birthday, Selene. When getting my mom to talk me down over the comms didn't work, you hired someone to act? My mom, missing an arm—you think I'd fall for that? Stop trying to fool me!"

At that, Audrey trembled with rage. "I am your goddamn mother! Can you not even recognize my voice anymore?"

A flicker of hesitation crossed Quinton's face.

Beside him, Madeline quickly grabbed his sleeve. Her voice was soft and aggrieved. "Q, I know Selene has never liked me. Maybe we should just skip the birthday party tonight and go back. It's fine. I'm used to being treated like this, anyway…"

At that, Quinton's expression softened instantly before slowly twisting into anger. "Keep going!"

At his command, more flare shells rained down, cutting off every possible route in and out. The night sky above us grew heavier, almost suffocating.

"We don't have much time. I'll hold them here—you go!" Audrey said, grabbing my shoulders tightly. "You must bring back reinforcements! Everyone's waiting for you to save them!"

Before I could respond, she shoved me away and forced herself forward toward the hilltop where her son stood. I rushed after her, trying to pull her back. "Mom, they don't even recognize you. You'll die!"

From the hilltop, Quinton's cold voice came again. "Selene, if you're dead set on ruining Maddie's birthday, even if it means sacrificing your life, then by all means, I'll grant your wish."

A rocket launcher was already on his shoulder, aimed straight at me. In the next second, a massive flare shell screamed through the air toward me.

"Watch out, Selene!"

Audrey lunged at me and knocked me to the ground, shielding me with her broken, bloodied body.

The explosion nearly shattered my eardrums.

Thick sticky blood splattered across my face. Audrey's body collapsed on top of me. Her back had been torn open by the blast. A massive gaping wound started oozing blood nonstop.

My hands trembled as I reached for her. She was still warm.

I shook her slightly, but there was no response at all. A broken wail tore out of me.

"Mom!"