Three hours later, Elara jolted awake.
Gods, that headache was murderous. How did she pull through?
She stumbled to the window, staring at the streetlights flickering below—colorful, fragile, like shattered crystals.
With a flick of her fingertip, a dark purple throwing knife materialized in her palm.
Damn, it was stunning. The blade was paper-thin, almost translucent, its faint metallic sheen sharp enough to cut air. Blade and hilt merged seamlessly, as if carved from a single chunk of violet iron!
Elara smirked, flicking the knife away.
Her fingers pinched together. A tiny transparent bubble wobbled on her fingertip, catching the light to glow with rainbow hues.
No spatial Superpower.
The ink jade pendant still lay on her desk, cold and useless.
Shit. She'd schemed for that pendant—traded her red agate bracelet just for its hidden spatial power, as Lila had let slip in her past life.
Yet here she was, cheated of the one thing she needed most.
Instead, two Superpowers had awakened: gold and air.
In her past life, she'd been a helpless nobody, hidden behind Kael's back. She'd dreamed of Superpowers not for glory, but to run from him.
Now, with the apocalypse still days away, she had two.
Even without the spatial cheat, she was thrilled.
Was this God's way of letting her atone for Kael? With these powers—especially the offensive gold one—she could finally protect him.
But facing Kael? That's where the trouble began.
She had no clue how.
Both powers were only Level 1. She needed Beast Core energy to level up, and she couldn't waste time.
She had to practice—no one would teach her, not like in her past life.
Today was the 4th. Ten days left.
No space meant no way to hoard supplies. What the hell was she supposed to do?
Her thoughts raced when a soft knock broke the silence.
"Elara? Are you awake?" Mother Voss's worried voice drifted through the door.
Her daughter had slept three hours straight—she couldn't help but fret.
Elara opened the door, bleary-eyed and leaning weakly against the frame. "Mom~"
Mother Voss sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. You feeling better? Any aches?"
Warmth tugged at Elara's chest. Her tone softened, even as her face stayed blank. "I'm fine, Mom. Don't worry."
"Good. What do you want for dinner? I'll cook it myself."
Elara mumbled a few requests, then headed to the bathroom.
After washing up, she stared at her long hair in the mirror—she'd always cherished it, refusing to tie it up for fear of damage.
But today, she grabbed a hair tie, pulled it into a sleek ponytail, and changed into casual clothes.
Refreshed, she headed downstairs.
In the living room, Father Voss read the newspaper while Kael hunched over a tablet, scrolling furiously.
Both looked up at her entrance—and froze.
The Elara they knew was a proud peacock with flowing hair.
Now, her ponytail and calm demeanor made her seem like a different person—quiet, elegant, unrecognizable.
Father Voss smiled. A blessing in disguise, this illness. His daughter had grown up, and he couldn't be happier.
Kael's jaw tightened. Something had definitely happened to his "sister."
Her old hatred was gone, replaced by something unreadable.
But she still wouldn't call his name—trouble.
He scowled, suppressing the urge to roar. His men had found nothing about her recent contacts. Idiots.
Elara's lips moved. "Dad~"
Father Voss pushed his glasses. "Feeling stronger?"
She nodded, sitting on the sofa.
"Living alone's too risky," Father Voss said. "Move back home. Your mom'll have a heart attack if you get sick again."
Elara fell silent.
Kael's eyes burned into her, full of barely contained hope.
"Okay," she said. "I'll pack tomorrow."
Father Voss blinked in shock.
Kael's eyes lit up like wildfire—did this mean she didn't hate him anymore? That he'd get to see her every day?
"Let your brother help you tomorrow," Father Voss added, glancing at Kael.
Elara's lashes fluttered.
Kael's hope dimmed—she still resented him, didn't she?
"Thanks, brother," she said softly.
Kael jumped off the sofa, grinning like an idiot. "Really?!"
He froze under her gaze, realizing he'd lost his cool.
Scratching his head sheepishly, he sat back, kicking himself internally. Way to ruin the moment.
Father Voss chuckled. "Your sister said yes—of course it's real."
Kael nodded frantically, his joy impossible to hide.
Elara watched him, her chest tight.
This brute, this man she'd loathed, had loved her humbly all his life.
But they were siblings—how could their parents ever accept this?
Dinner was the calmest their family had shared in years.
Elara excused herself afterward, retreating to her room.
Kael lingered on the sofa, watching her go.
After a minute, he kissed his parents goodnight and stormed out.
He drove to the bar, slamming into the private room.
Three men scrambled to their feet, ditching the women in their laps.
"Voss!"
"Boss!"
Kael nodded, sinking onto the sofa. "Reno Stark. Spit it out—what did you find?"
Reno, the scrawny yellow-haired kid, scurried over. "Miss Voss's calls are clean—only girls from school. No sign of that pretty boy Felix. But…" He hesitated.
"Speak!" Kael's voice turned icy.
Reno flinched. "She went to see Felix. He refused to meet her!"
Crash!
Kael kicked the glass table into the air. It shattered into a million pieces.
The women screamed—until Kael's glare shut them up.
Reno waved the other men to drag them out.
"I should've killed that pretty boy when I had the chance," Kael growled, his eyes dark with rage.
Reno bit his tongue. It wasn't Felix's fault—Elara had been the one chasing him. But he'd sooner die than say that.
"Want us to teach him a lesson, boss?" Yang Sanyuan asked, sucking up.
Chen Gaoshan nodded. "Just say the word—we've got guys. I'll crush him for you!"
Kael's jaw clenched. Then he sighed, hard. "Not yet. But make his life miserable—no mercy."
Reno grinned—he knew exactly what to do.
With that, Kael left for another VIP room.
Inside, four men waited, their greetings warm, not servile.
Li Jiangtian, the bespectacled financial heir.
Ye Haobo, the burly military scion.
Chen Zian, the flirtatious luxury heir.
Zhou Lin, the tattooed arms tycoon.
Five men—only Kael had no family backing, yet they were blood brothers.
"Boss," Zhou Lin spoke first. "The arms you ordered arrive tomorrow. Drop them at the usual spot?"
Kael nodded. "Find the buyer—flip them fast. No mistakes."
"Got it," Ye Haobo rumbled.
Chen Zian grinned. "Someone's in a good mood. Let me guess—Elara?"
Kael's scowl softened, just a little. "She's moving back home. I'm helping her pack tomorrow."
Li Jiangtian frowned.
Ye Haobo and Zhou Lin exchanged glances—they'd never liked Elara, not with how she treated Kael.
Chen Zian's smile faltered. "Need help?"
Kael shook his head. He wanted Elara all to himself.
Before leaving, he turned to Chen Zian. "Pick me a new necklace. Spare no expense—I want the best."
Chen Zian nodded, sighing internally. Kael was whipped—and Elara didn't even know it.
Back in her room, Elara locked the door.
She grabbed the ink jade pendant and rummaged for a knife.
She sliced her finger without hesitation.
Blood dripped onto the jade—this was her last shot.
In her past life, she'd overheard Lila admit the pendant held her spatial Superpower, not something she'd awakened naturally.
That's why she'd traded her useless bracelet for it—calculated, cold, just like how she'd survive the apocalypse.
Elara stared, waiting for a glow, a hum—anything.
Nothing.
Disappointment crushed her. Of course. Happy endings were just fairy tales.
She went to toss it aside—then a searing pain exploded in her head.
She didn't even scream.
Her body crumpled to the floor, unconscious.
Next Chapter Teaser:
Elara wakes to master her dual Superpowers, but Kael breaks into her room—clutching the ink jade pendant he stole! Will he discover the pendant's secret? And as the apocalypse counts down, how will Elara convince Kael to hoard supplies without revealing her rebirth? Plus, a shocking truth about the pendant's true owner is about to unfold…