“Dad…. I lived in the zombie apocalypse for almost ten years,” Zou Yue dropped the bomb waiting for it to explode. He carefully analysed his father’s expression. As of now there was no exceptional reaction at all, so he continued.

“I—I lived twice. This is my god given second chance.” He twindled with his thumb anxiously. “I managed to survive the apocalypse for almost ten years but sadly I was…… killed by a group of thugs,”

His father’s hand clenched tightly.

Zou Yue shrunk back. He glanced at his trembling hands, unsure how to continue the conversation… “I am telling the truth. I don’t wish to deceive you and mother any longer. i…”

Suddenly, he was pulled into a warm hug. “Yue… I believe in you. So stop trembling. It hurts me so badly so see you afraid to share things with me.” He cupped his face tenderly. “Dad believes you. Even if you say the earth is flat, I will believe you.”

“The earth is flat?” Zou Yue said immediately.

His father slapped the back of his head. “How many times have I told you earth is round?”

“But you said you will believe anything I say.”

“Tell me something factual, you idiotic kid,” his father grumbled even more.

Zou Yue sniffed. “You want proof right. Wait here.” he ran over to his room where Trexa’s carrier was. He bent over to glance in. She was sleeping soundly on her back with her limbs all flayed out.

“Trexa gran?”

The rat squeaked softly and rolled over in her sleep.

“Sorry baby, I will pick you up now.” he picked her up gently and placed her in the centre of his cupped palm. He then ran back to his father’s room.

“See, this is proof,” he held out the little rat to his face.

His father adjusted his glasses and peered at her. “That’s a rat?”

“Yes, a zombie virus infected rat,” he sat next to him and swept through her fur. The needle marks had disappeared, but the bald spot created by the repeated injections still remained. “She was a test subject called subject 0. I believe she escaped from the labs,”

His father sighed loudly and leaned back. “Now I am thoroughly confused. You said world will get destroyed because of a virus a meteor brings to earth, now you are saying that a rat has this virus.. Yue what’s going on? I need a clear narration. Tell me everything from the beginning,”

“y—yes…. you see the meteor falls, and that brings about the pandemic virus. It makes humans into zombies. But I firmly believe that a sample of it was retrieved and tested on Trexa gran.”

His father’s gaze became even more sceptical. He wore his glasses and peered at her. “I see no proof to this theory you have just motioned.”

“dad~ switch off your professor mode and listen. This is the truth. And I can prove it more easily,” he picked up the teacup and dropped in. It shattered into the pieces.

“Yue. Careful, get up here. I’ll clean it… what are you doing!!”

Zou Yue picked up a sharp shard in hand and sliced his palm.

“Yue!!!” his father ran to him and held his hand carefully. “bandage.. We need to stop the blood. Oh my god it’s not stopping,” he pressed it down with his hand.

“Dad it’s okay. Just watch. Trexa gran, can you heal me?”

The little rat excitedly ran into his palm and touched it with its cute paws.

The wounds instantly disappeared, leaving behind no scars or marks.

“Do you believe me now?” he intently looked at his father.

Zou Wei’s glasses slipped down his nose. “The rat.. its.. what… how…. WHY?”

“Dad, I think you are glitching,” Zou Yue chuckled loudly.

“n—no I am just trying to piece together what I saw just now. What was that? How is a rat able to heal a wound that severe? Why a rat, though?”

Zou Yue pulled his father back to the bed and sat him down. “I told you right, she was a test subject. Most of the scientist use rats to test drugs efficiency and potency. I believe she was used to testing this virus’s potency.”

“That doesn’t explain how it can heal?” his father’s eyes went wider.

“Oh, did I forget to mention? When some humans survive the virus they get super human powers. Some have water, thunder, lightening, telekinesis, earth, metal…. speed….”

“….”

Feeling his father’s dazed state, he decided to explain everything in detail once more.

After hearing his side of the story, his father went stiff. He gently pulled him close and hugged him tight. “Do you know who killed you? Can you identify them at least?”

“I—I don’t…” Zou Yue said a white lie. As of now he did not know why Liwei decided to kill him, but he wanted to keep his family away from him.

His father went into professor mode once again. He took out his tab and started to note down everything he said. “You said human who survive the infection turn into an ‘ability’ user? What if they survive and don’t possess an ability?,”

“Oh, they exist too… some humans developed an immunity to the virus. They neither got infected by the virus or by the zombie bites but…..They are the ones who suffered the most.”

“What powers did you have,” he mumbled, scribbling something in his tab.

“Speed…”

“Speed, that sounds cool.” his father smiled softly.

In all his explanations, his father never asked about what had happened to them or why he never mentioned them in his stories. Somehow his father might have guessed it.

Zou Yue clenched the sword tightly. “Dad, I won’t let anything happen to you and mum..”

“Silly if there was such virus you can’t control it. It’s all in god’s hands,”

“No! It’s not! I can control it! I think you might be immune to the virus too,” Zou Yue urgently corrected him.

“hmmm..” his father did not reply after that.

Zou Yue continued explaining about the food stock he had brought and about the warehouse.

“What of the attic now?” his father removed the glasses and massaged his brows.

“I kind of made it into a walk-in refrigerator, I’ll show you,” he excitedly pulled his father to his room.

“Here.” he handed him a warm woollen jacket. “it gets cold up there,”

He pulled down the stairs and walked up after his father.

Zou Wei stooped right near the entrance. “Yue….. is this really for storage? You are not planning on stashing some dead body here, eight?” he worriedly mumbled.

Zou Yue glanced at him peculiarly. “Why would I? I’m not a serial killer. Wow, I’m super offended.”

“Just asking, you know. You purchased a new sword I thought you would use it against someone,”

“It’s for protecting us from the zombies.” Zou Yue pouted and followed as his father explored the enormous space.

Hs father paused, wiping his glasses. “So how do you plan to slice a zombie. You can barely swing it ten times.”

“I can train!!”

“Yes how,”

Zou Yue had no words…. “I have to find a master,”

“I’ll ask wen… he’ll definitely give me shot about this but if it’s for you…”

“Dad~~” Zou Yue hugged his stiff shoulders. “Have I told you, you are the best~~~”

“Stop it,” his father laughed softly.