Mia woke up slowly, feeling the soft hum of the bunker's ventilation system in the background. For a moment, everything felt peaceful.
She had slept well.
That alone felt like a small victory.
She sat up on the bed and stretched, letting out a quiet breath. The bunker room was comfortable, designed to feel like a normal bedroom rather than an underground shelter.
But reality quickly returned to her mind.
Five days.
That was the countdown she had predicted.
Her thoughts drifted to Daniel, her uncle in Sydney, Australia.
She hoped he was alright.
Daniel had taken her warning seriously during their call yesterday. She could still picture the stacks of supplies behind him.
But it wasn't just him she worried about.
Her two little cousins were still very young.
Too young to understand what was coming.
Too young to experience an apocalypse.
Mia sighed softly.
Please stay safe, she thought.
She got out of bed and changed into training clothes.
If the world was going to collapse again, she refused to be weak this time.
She walked down the hallway toward the bunker's small training room.
Inside were treadmills, weights, punching bags, and training mats.
Luis's family had designed the bunker to support long-term survival.
Mia picked up a tablet from the table nearby.
Last month, she had spent hours downloading everything she could think of.
Movies.
TV series.
Documentaries.
Exercise programs.
Medical tutorials.
DIY repair guides.
Cooking instructions.
Survival manuals.
Anything useful.
Anything entertaining.
If the internet disappeared one day, they would still have knowledge and something to pass the time.
She had also told her parents and Luis to do the same.
Luis had just laughed when she mentioned it.
"You're late," he had teased her.
Mia had stared at him.
"What do you mean?"
Luis had turned his laptop around.
Thousands of files were already downloaded.
Movies.
Entire TV series collections.
Offline maps.
Video games.
Even music libraries.
Mia had burst into laughter.
"You prepared before me?"
Luis had shrugged with a playful grin.
"Of course. Entertainment matters too."
But they had prepared something even more important.
A communication system.
Luis's father had invested in a private satellite communication network, allowing internet access even if ground infrastructure failed.
They also had several satellite phones stored inside the bunker.
Even if civilization collapsed, they could still attempt to contact the outside world.
At least for a while.
Meanwhile, in the control room area of the bunker, Luis was sitting in front of a communication console.
He held a phone in his hand.
The call finally connected.
"Luis?"
A familiar voice came through.
Luis relaxed slightly.
"Pablo. How are you?"
Pablo had been his secretary for years.
But more than that,
He was a trusted friend.
Luis had warned him about the possible apocalypse a month ago during the early stages of bunker construction.
At the time, Pablo had looked shocked.
But Luis had insisted.
"Prepare supplies. Stay with your family."
Pablo's voice came through clearly.
"We're okay so far."
Luis felt relieved.
"I'm glad."
"My wife thought I was crazy at first," Pablo admitted with a nervous laugh. "But after seeing the news… she's glad we prepared."
Luis leaned back in his chair.
"Stay inside with your family."
"We will."
Pablo hesitated before speaking again.
"Thank you for warning me."
Luis smiled slightly.
"You're not just my secretary."
There was a pause.
"I know," Pablo replied quietly.
The call ended.
Luis stared at the console for a moment.
His thoughts drifted elsewhere.
Last month he had also purchased a small island in Hawaii.
The decision had shocked many people.
One person in particular had been furious.
Felix Hill.
Luis had heard about the man's anger through business channels.
But Luis didn't care.
The island was home to several native families he had befriended over the years.
Good people.
Hardworking.
Kind.
He had warned them too.
Encouraged them to stock supplies and prepare shelters.
Luis closed his eyes briefly.
I hope they're safe.
In another part of the bunker, the atmosphere felt almost normal.
Mia's parents and Luis's parents were gathered in the living area of Mia's family section of the bunker.
They sat around a small table.
Playing cards.
Trying to distract themselves.
Helen laughed softly as she placed a card down.
"You're losing again, Frederick."
Frederick raised an eyebrow.
"We'll see about that."
Olivia smiled quietly beside him.
Michael leaned back in his chair.
"This is strangely relaxing."
For a moment, it felt like a family gathering rather than the days before the end of the world.
Then suddenly.
The television made a loud alert sound.
Breaking News.
Everyone looked up.
The screen flashed red.
The news anchor spoke urgently.
"We are receiving multiple reports of violent incidents in several international cities involving individuals who appear to have been bitten."
Images began appearing on the screen.
A map.
Red markers spreading across countries.
"Authorities in Madrid, Spain have confirmed multiple attack cases in the past twelve hours."
Another image appeared.
"In Rome, Italy, hospitals are reporting several patients admitted with unusual bite wounds after violent encounters."
The map zoomed again.
"Authorities in Prague, Czech Republic, are investigating reports of citizens attacking others in public areas."
Helen slowly lowered her cards.
The room became quiet.
The anchor continued speaking.
"So far there have been no confirmed cases in Viremont City, but local authorities are monitoring the situation closely."
Videos played on the screen.
Crowded supermarkets.
People pushing carts filled with food and water.
Shelves completely empty.
Panic buying had begun.
Some interviews played.
One man spoke angrily.
"This is fake news!"
Another woman looked terrified.
"People are attacking each other!"
The reporter continued.
"Several countries have announced emergency travel restrictions. Flights from affected regions are being suspended."
Airports filled the screen.
Canceled flights.
Crowds shouting.
Confusion everywhere.
The world was beginning to panic.
Olivia stared at the television in disbelief.
Her hands trembled slightly.
"I… I can't believe this is happening."
Frederick placed a hand on her shoulder.
Everything had changed so quickly.
Only days ago, life had been normal.
Now,
The world felt like it was collapsing.
Olivia's voice broke slightly.
"I hope we survive this."
Frederick gently pulled her into a hug.
"We will."
Across the table, Helen's eyes were filled with sadness.
She looked at Mia.
Her daughter had already lived through this nightmare once.
The thought alone broke her heart.
Michael quietly stood beside them.
The three of them embraced.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
The television continued reporting chaos across the world.
But inside the bunker,
The silence was heavy.
Helen whispered softly.
"It's really starting…"
Michael nodded slowly.
"Yes."
Mia stood nearby, watching the news.
Even though she had expected it,
Seeing it happen again was still terrifying.
The memories of her past life felt too real.
Cities falling.
People dying.
The collapse of civilization.
She clenched her fists.
This time would be different.
They were prepared.
Luis walked into the room quietly and stood beside her.
"Just like you predicted," he said softly.
Mia nodded.
"But earlier."
Luis looked at the screen.
Panic spreading across nations.
Flights shutting down.
Governments struggling to respond.
"It's only the beginning," Mia said.
No one in the room argued.
Because deep down,
They all knew.
The world outside their bunker was beginning to fall apart.
And this time
There was no stopping it.