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Apocalyptic Utopia

CHAPTER 1: Tenth Year of the Apocalypse and Rebirth

The air was thick with despair, the once vibrant landscape of Li Wei’s childhood now unrecognizable. Ten years into the apocalypse, the world had become a twisted reflection of itself. Trees, once proud and green, now loomed like skeletal sentinels, their bark peeling away to reveal dark, pulsing veins beneath. The sky, choked with ash and pollution, cast a permanent twilight over the land, as if the sun itself had abandoned humanity.

Animals had morphed into grotesque forms—some, once simple creatures, had gained incredible powers, their eyes glowing with unnatural light, while others had become the terrifying living dead, stalking the remnants of humanity. The plants that had once flourished now posed threats of their own, some with venomous thorns ready to ensnare the unwary, while others devoured anything that dared to approach, their roots creeping like hungry serpents.

Li Wei crouched behind the wreckage of what had once been a bustling marketplace, heart pounding in his chest. Around him, the world was alive with the sounds of chaos—the distant howls of the zombified wolves echoing through the ruins, the crackle of energy from Superhumans unleashing their powers in the hunt for nuclei—the precious, pulsating orbs that had become the new currency in this harsh reality. The strongest and most capable had risen to the top, while those like him, unawakened and powerless, were cast aside, forced to scrape by in a world that had little use for the weak.

His hands trembled as he tightened his grip on the makeshift weapon... a rusted pipe he had scavenged from the debris. He was painfully aware of his insignificance in this world of the powerful. In the past, he had been sheltered and cared for, the youngest son of the influential Li family. But everything had changed when the apocalypse descended like a thief in the night, stealing his family, his home, and every dream he had ever held.

The memory of that fateful morning replayed in his mind like a haunting melody. He had awoken to chaos, his parents scrambling to protect him as the ground shook with fear. They had made it to the military base, a fleeting sense of security that had quickly deteriorated as Superhumans emerged, reshaping the social order. His father had succumbed to the infection five years in, a brave man brought low by a world gone mad. His brothers had fought valiantly, but the darkness of the apocalypse had swallowed them one by one, leaving him to navigate the shadows alone.

Li Wei’s heart clenched as he recalled the faces of his family—their laughter, their warmth. He had clung to them in his memories, a fragile thread of hope in a world that had turned to ash. But hope had proved to be a double-edged sword. In the end, it was the betrayal of those he had considered friends that had delivered his final blow. As he had been used as bait to lure a horde of zombified wolves, his so-called comrades had stood back, watching him perish with cold indifference, their eyes filled with the belief that he was nothing more than a burden.

In those last moments, as pain enveloped him and darkness closed in, Li Wei had found clarity. If only he could turn back time. If only he could awaken a special ability and protect his family.

Li Wei thought "If there is a chance to go back in time before the apocalypse, I would protect my whole family and live a very fulfilling life of peace and happiness even if the whole world is in chaos".

And just as the world around him faded, it felt as if the universe itself had heard his wish.

In the stillness of death, there came a soft glow—a golden light enveloping him, blinding in its intensity. The chaos, the pain, and the betrayal melted away as he felt himself being pulled, spiralling through time and space. With each passing second, he sensed the weight of his past lifting, the burden of sorrow dissipating.

Then, with a gasp, Li Wei awoke.

He bolted upright, instincts kicking in as he scanned his surroundings, heart pounding. In the apocalypse, sleep was a luxury, and waking up meant staying alert, ready for danger at any moment. But this room...this quiet, familiar room...was nothing like the cold, harsh spaces he’d grown accustomed to.

He glanced around, eyes darting to the walls, the bed, the small study desk neatly stacked with books. He tensed, certain it had to be a dream or worse... a cruel illusion. His gaze fell on the music notebooks, their pages worn from years of use. He remembered clutching these notes in those early days, taking them with him when the military had come for them.

He reached out, fingertips brushing the cover of one book, then recoiling. "No… this isn’t real," he whispered, his breath shallow. He looked at the walls, noting the light pink paint, the familiar accent chair in the corner. Everything looked untouched, just as it had been before the world fell apart.

Shakily, he moved to the bedside table, grabbing his phone. Swiping the screen, he stared, frozen, at the date. His heart sank, then raced, his chest tightening. "It’s… two years before the apocalypse?”

Trembling, he staggered back, one hand clutching his chest as if to calm the storm of emotions threatening to overwhelm him. He tore his gaze from the phone and found a mirror, his reflection staring back—young, unhardened, and safe. The reality of it crushed him, and before he could stop them, tears slipped down his face. This was truly his old life, his home, his family—all intact.

With a mix of despair and sudden, fierce hope, he whispered, "I’m… I’m back. Back to a time when I can change everything."

But before he could process the enormity of it, a chilling thought struck him: How long did he have before the apocalypse began again?

Chapter 2: Echoes of the Past

Li Wei’s heart raced as he contemplated the daunting task ahead. The thought of how long he had to prepare for the impending doom weighed heavily on his mind. Telling his family about the horrors to come felt like a monumental challenge. How could he break the news without sounding like a dramatic news anchor? “Ladies and gentlemen, we interrupt your regularly scheduled breakfast for a special report on the apocalypse!”

For now, he decided to push those troubling thoughts to the back of his mind. He needed to see for himself if the people downstairs were truly his family—alive and vibrant. With determination firming his resolve, he descended the stairs, the familiar creaks echoing beneath his feet like a dramatic soundtrack heralding his arrival.

As he reached the bottom, the sight that greeted him made his breath catch in his throat. There, in the living room, sat his father, Li Jian, reading the morning newspaper as he always did. “I swear, if he’s reading about stock prices again, I’m going to lose it,” Li Wei thought, rolling his eyes. At fifty-two, he still bore a handsome countenance, a comforting pillar of strength—though he sometimes felt like that pillar was covered in old cobwebs and dad jokes.

His gaze shifted toward the kitchen entrance, where the unmistakable sound of his mother, Yun Mei, rang through the air. She was instructing the servants on what to prepare for breakfast, her voice a melody of love and authority. Once a world-renowned actress, her graceful presence and dazzling performances had won her numerous accolades, including international awards. (He sometimes wondered if she had more awards than he had pairs of socks—definitely more than he had left after that one laundry incident.)

Feeling a surge of warmth, Li Wei stepped into the living room and approached his father and older brother, Li Chen. “Good morning, Father! Brother Chen!” he greeted, a smile spreading across his face. The familiarity of their presence filled him with a sense of comfort. It felt surreal, almost like stepping into a dream where everything was right again.

“Ayo , good morning, my son,” Li Jian replied, looking up from his newspaper with a proud smile. “You’re up early! I hope you didn’t stay up too late reading those ridiculous comic books again.”

Li Wei chuckled, a hint of embarrassment creeping in. “Just a few chapters!"

“it is not the first time you've said this,” Li Chen added with a rare smirk, his eyes glinting with mischief. Though he often seemed aloof, moments like these reminded Li Wei that his brother had a sense of humour hidden beneath his serious demeanour.

As they exchanged pleasantries, Li Wei’s heart swelled with joy. The warmth of their bond enveloped him, momentarily dispelling the darkness of his memories. He could almost forget the horrors that awaited them. Almost.

But just then, the sound of the door creaking open interrupted his thoughts, and a chilly breeze swept through the room, sending a shiver down his spine. In walked his second brother, Li Jun, fresh from his morning jog, with their third brother, Li Feng, trailing closely behind.

“Brother Jun! Brother Feng! You’re back early!” Li Wei asked, trying to maintain the light-hearted atmosphere.

"Mmn, i went out for a morning jog and met your third brother on the way to the house,” Li Jun replied, his serious demeanour unyielding.

" Why is third brother home? are you not supposed to be that military camp?” Li Wei asked, earning him a dramatic hug from Li Feng

" I missed my baby brother so much that i couldn't concentrate on my training, so i run away....i am going to get punished but its whatever,” Li Feng shot back, a playful grin lighting up his face.

Li Wei couldn’t help but laugh. “I miss third brother too.”

As they settled into a comfortable embrace, a sense of normalcy washed over Li Wei, momentarily distracting him from the unsettling thoughts swirling in his mind. Whatever lay ahead, he would face it head-on, armed with his wit and survival experiences he had learned from his previous life. After all, the world might be unpredictable, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t find a bit of happiness in their daily lives

The warmth of the moment felt precious, a stark contrast to the shadows that loomed outside their door. He would protect them, and for now, they would enjoy this happiness together.

Chapter 3: Echoes of the Past. pt.2

As Li Wei sat with his siblings and father, their laughter and voices filled the air, a rare comfort in a world that will soon fall into chaos. His mother stepped in from the kitchen, her beauty untouched by the apocalypse, radiating a gentle strength.Her presence alone offered a glimpse of peace, of normalcy that seemed long forgotten.

Li Wei’s gaze softened, yet the happiness he felt was tinged with sorrow, for he remembered all too well how fragile their lives had been during the apocalypse. Memories came flooding back ... memories that made his heart ache and his fists clench. He remembered that dark day when everything began to crumble.

Their base had come under attack by the relentless Zombies. His father, a man of strength and honour, had thrown himself in front of them, shielding his family from the merciless onslaught. Li Wei’s father had paid the ultimate price, leaving behind a legacy of sacrifice and love, but his death shattered something within their family. Li Wei could still hear his mother’s anguished cries, see her clutching his father’s lifeless body, refusing to let go. The image haunted him ... a powerful reminder of the fragility of life in these dark times.

Not long after, his eldest and third brothers, whom he admired deeply, left for a dangerous mission to gather nuclei. The glowing, iridescent stones were now the currency of their world, valuable yet deadly to obtain. Days passed, and then weeks, with no word of their return. When news finally came, it wasn’t the reunion Li Wei had hoped for. They had been killed, ambushed by the Zombies that were far stronger than they could handle. The grief was unbearable, and the silence that followed their deaths seemed to stretch on forever. Li Wei’s heart sank deeper into despair, guilt gnawing at him as he felt utterly powerless. While his brothers had braved the unknown, he had remained behind, too weak and untrained to help. A useless burden, that’s what he felt like, though his family never said it aloud.

Then came the final blow, one that would change him forever. His second brother, the last of his siblings, was taken from him in a senseless act of violence. He had defended their mother against a group of rogue ability users who had grown drunk on their power. Li Wei had watched helplessly as his brother was stabbed, his body collapsing to the ground, lifeless and still. Rage and sorrow consumed him, but he was powerless to avenge his brother, left only with the hollow ache of loss.

Desperate for justice, Li Wei went to the base leaders, clinging to the hope that they might intervene. But he was met with cold indifference. “Young Master Li,” one of the leaders sneered, “we’re in the last days. Ability users are the force of this base; they protect the common people. If you’re looking to blame someone, look in the mirror. You’re weak, unawakened, and that’s no one’s fault but your own.”

Their words struck him like a physical blow, the cruelty slicing through him. The harsh reality set in – his family’s suffering meant nothing to those who held power. It was a brutal awakening, a slap in the face that shattered any illusions he had held. For the first time, he saw himself through their eyes: powerless, irrelevant. And as he stood there, trembling with rage and grief, he realized that he had no one left but his mother.

With a heart heavy with sorrow, he vowed to protect her. If he couldn’t awaken like the others, he would become strong through sheer determination. He enlisted in the military, joining the ranks of unawakened soldiers. The training was gruelling, a test of endurance and will, but he clung to his purpose – to shield his mother from harm. Yet life, it seemed, had one final cruelty to deliver.

Only three days into his training, his mother passed away. She had succumbed to the grief that had been consuming her, her heart broken by the loss of her husband and sons. Li Wei was now truly alone. His mother, the one person he had left to live for, was gone, and with her went the last of his hope. He was no longer the sheltered young man he once was. In a blink of an eye, he had been stripped of everything he held dear.

Nights were the worst. Li Wei would lie awake, haunted by memories of his family, the hollow silence pressing in on him. The loneliness was unbearable, and he would cry himself to sleep, his body trembling with the weight of his grief. Each morning, he forced himself to rise, whispering the same words over and over: “Get stronger and Survive.”

Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. Slowly and painfully, he built himself up, turning his pain into resilience. He trained harder than anyone else, pushing his body to its limits. He knew that he would never awaken an ability, but he vowed to make himself a force to be reckoned with, a survivor in a world that had taken everything from him.

But even as he rebuilt himself, fate wasn’t done testing him. Believing he had found companions he could trust, he opened up to a few fellow soldiers, hoping to find some semblance of friendship of family. But they, too, betrayed him, using his trust.

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