Apocalypse God Mode: Unlocked (Cecilia) novel Chapter 1

"Cece, I'm begging you. Quit being so spoiled."

A woman's voice, almost pleading, sounded in her ear.

Cecelia York forced her eyes open while fighting through a pounding headache.

When she saw the familiar, gentle face in front of her, her mind went blank.

"Ivy?”

She was completely stunned, and her eyes widened in shock.

Her sister Ivy York, who had been dead for seven whole years, was standing right in front of her.

But—hadn't I died with Brandon, trying to avenge Ivy?

How am I still alive?

Questions flooded her mind. She stared at the woman before her. Even the tiny red mole on her eyebrow was painfully vivid and familiar.

Ivy frowned slightly, her voice uneasy. "Ryan's really angry, Cece. He said he'll forgive you this time for my sake, but he also told Timothy that next time we go on a mission, he's not going if you are.”

Ryan? Timothy?

Why did those names sound so familiar?

Cecelia jolted and quickly looked around. The room was unfamiliar, and through the window she could see that the street below was completely empty.

It looked just like the very beginning of the apocalypse.

She didn't dare believe it.

So, she reached out and touched Ivy's face.

It's warm!

Ivy brushed her hand away in confusion. "Stop fooling around, Cece. I'm talking about something serious.”

"I know, but can I hug you, Ivy?”

After confirming that her sister was alive, Cecelia's eyes instantly turned red.

She stared at Ivy, her voice trembling. "Cece, you—”

Ivy felt that something was wrong as Cecelia's voice choked and her eyes turned red.

Had I scolded her too harshly just now?

Before she could say more, Cecelia had already pulled her into a tight embrace.

She could feel Cecelia's body shaking. She was crying.

Ivy was stunned for a moment. "Cece, I know you're still not used to life in the apocalypse, but we don't get to choose anymore. Even if we want to leave this team, we have to wait until we're strong enough. If we leave now, we're basically walking to our deaths,” she said with a sigh.

"I understand, Ivy.”

Cecelia hugged Ivy tightly, whom she had almost lost, and quickly said, "I can change!”

That only made Ivy more confused.

She wondered if Cecelia really understood her.

Then, she studied her face.

Cecelia was acting strangely again today.

No—

To be precise, she hadn't been normal since the apocalypse began.

Including right now.

Thinking about everything Cecelia had done over the past month, Ivy's brows furrowed tightly. She didn't quite believe her but still said seriously, "Cece, if you truly understand, then think carefully about how we're going to survive in this apocalypse. If you still insist you did nothing wrong with Ryan, then we'll leave the team tomorrow and go on our own."

Her tone was firmer than ever. After saying that, Ivy turned and walked away.

"Ivy...”

Cecelia watched her leave, and the storm of emotions inside her slowly began to quiet.

She lifted her gaze and saw herself in the full-length mirror.

Her face was still pale and delicate, without a single scar.

She had long, soft curls.

She was in clean clothes.

And her hands were fair and smooth, without calluses or wounds.

None of this belonged to the version of her who had struggled to survive in the apocalypse ten years later.

She had really been reborn!

But every time Ivy gave Cecelia part of her own food, their resentment began to grow.

Over the past month, she had only gotten worse.

She had been acting like a spoiled princess, demanding a big room with a proper bed.

She also wasted water by taking long showers or threw away food to feed stray dogs.

This time, it was the worst yet.

While everyone was focused on fighting off zombies and escaping, she deliberately led a zombie right behind Ryan Ingram. When it was about to bite him, she just stood there with a sinister grin.

She did it purely out of a sudden urge for revenge, sparked by an earlier argument with Ryan.

Ivy's warning just now hadn't been empty words.

Her antics over the past month had put Ivy in a very awkward position.

She was stuck between Cecelia and Timothy's team, and she had started considering leaving with Cecelia.

But with Cecelia being useless and Ivy's fragile body despite her healing ability, the sisters would have no way to survive if they left the team.

In her previous life, after hearing Ivy say she wanted to leave, Cecelia had behaved herself for a while.

But not long after, Timothy's team suffered a devastating blow, with more than half of them killed or injured.

The sisters had no choice but to join Brandon's team to survive, the very place where their nightmare had begun.

Cecelia's eyes sharpened as she clenched her teeth, fury and hatred flaring in her gaze.

This time, she would never join Brandon's team, and she wouldn't let Ivy have so much as the slightest contact with him.

For now, the best option was to stay with Timothy's team and grow stronger as fast as possible.

...

Outside the door, Ryan stood with his arms crossed, staring at the closed door with narrowed eyes.

After a cold snort, he gritted his teeth and said to Ivy, "You don't have to keep apologizing for her or cleaning up her messes. I've said everything I needed to. In this team, it's either me or her!”

Click.

The door was pulled open.

Ryan jumped in surprise when he met Cecelia's dark, icy gaze.