Chapter 2

The pain jolted me awake. I suddenly stood up.

The whole class turned to look at me, accompanied by some snickering.

"Aria! What are you doing?" The English teacher's voice pierced my ears. I was still processing the vivid sensation of being torn apart by zombies.

Looking at the familiar classroom, I wondered if it had all been a dream.

A familiar, nauseating voice spoke up beside me: "Teacher, Aria's dad was some kind of psychic who just died. Maybe he's sending her messages from beyond."

The class erupted in laughter.

"That's enough! Aria, take your book and stand at the back of the class!" The English teacher slapped her desk loudly.

I obediently took my book and walked to the back of the classroom.

I was still thinking about that dream. If it was a dream, it felt too real. The sensation of being ripped apart by zombies still lingered on my skin.

As soon as class ended, I rushed to the bathroom with my phone.

There was no news of zombies in the country yet, so I searched foreign platforms for related information. Sure enough, I found something about zombies.

In the video, a man staggered towards the camera. He was covered in blood, his face unrecognizable. The visible parts of his skin were mottled with black and blue veins.

I was certain - he wasn't human. He was a zombie. Exactly like the ones in my dream.

I confirmed it then - I hadn't been dreaming. I had traveled back in time.

I exited the page and checked the date. September 28, 2025.

One month until the zombie outbreak. I had to find a safe place within this month.

Knock knock knock!

Someone was pounding on the bathroom door.

"Aria, hurry up and come out!" It was Vanessa.

I remembered everything she had done in my previous life. It was just like her to do such things.

I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay calm. It wasn't time yet.

I walked out to see her and her two sidekicks.

Vanessa raised her hand and slapped me, then spoke coldly: "You're so slow. Be quicker next time!"

"Taking so long in the bathroom, maybe a ghost was pulling you down," one of her minions sneered.

"How could she be afraid? Maybe she inherited her dad's psychic powers!" Vanessa laughed, her eyes full of mockery.

They said I wasn't afraid simply because my dad had been a psychic.

My mom died when I was young, and my dad had raised me alone.

I was never ashamed of his profession, but I always avoided the topic around my classmates.

Then my dad died of stomach cancer, and my homeroom teacher brought Vanessa to visit me, pretending to care.

When I returned to school, I became the target of everyone's mockery.

They didn't seem to care that I had become an orphan. They just thought it was fun.

Led by Vanessa, they threw balls at me during PE class. One person started it, then more joined in.

They poured toilet water into my water bottle.

They smeared glue on my chair and wrote disgusting things on my desk.

I tried to tell the teachers, but each time it only led to worse bullying.

Some people, when subjected to this kind of treatment for a long time, choose to silently endure it. I was one of them.

I ignored them and walked straight out of the bathroom.

Their vulgar insults grew louder behind me.

I went directly to the teachers' office to find my homeroom teacher.

"Teacher, I've been feeling really unwell lately. I'd like to take a few days off," I said, my voice trembling slightly. I knew very well what I was shaking about.

In my previous life, my ending was a tragic death. This time, I absolutely wouldn't let that happen again.

The homeroom teacher noticed the red mark on my face, probably thinking I had been self-harming.

She took out a leave request form, approved a week's leave for me, then told me to relax for a few days before coming back.

I took the form, thanked her, then turned and walked straight out of the school.

I had no intention of returning to that nightmarish class.