Chapter Forty-Seven

What greeted her eyes was an expanse of white, as though she were a child soaring toward the light.

Mo Yu lay on the lush green grass, still visibly shaken. Ever since the apocalypse, what she feared most was the sight of zombies that posed her no threat, and the endless darkness. That vast darkness was like the devil’s hand, dragging her into hell. Each time, she could only cling to the edge of the abyss, barely surviving.

Her left arm held tightly to an egg adorned with intricate patterns, while her other hand rested gently on her face, palm inward. Through the slender gaps between her fingers, she watched sunlight weaving through the dense leaves, finally falling in warm patches upon her.

How warm it felt.

A sudden, violent movement in the crook of her left arm made Mo Yu turn her head. Sunlight shone on her face, revealing a broad smile on her pale features. Her eyes were like deep, limpid pools—clear and bright, with a shimmering light that seemed to reach straight into one's soul.

Mo Yu lifted the egg, pressing it to her heart. "Don’t be afraid; from now on, you are my spirit companion. We must help each other." She paused. "Until you break through your shell, I will protect you." As if cradling a child, she raised the egg to her face and placed a tender kiss upon its shell.

The round egg seemed to grow bashful, no longer struggling against her embrace. It merely twisted shyly in her arms, nestling deeper into her hold.

At last, it felt its master’s affection. The little egg grew quiet; all its earlier grievances melted away in that moment. It wanted nothing more than to stay forever in its master’s fragrant embrace.

――――

Following her memory, Mo Yu circled to the other side of the rock and found a path leading upward. The trail, formed of uneven stones, was difficult to climb. She had to shield the little egg with one arm while clambering with the other, making the ascent all the more arduous.

What first met her eyes was a sweeping meadow. In the distance, a stream meandered by, and a few small country houses dotted the landscape.

Her mind felt momentarily blank. Had she ever been here before? Why did it feel so familiar?

Wasn’t this place supposed to be a Gothic palace? Wasn’t it once the ocean?

Had her memory failed her?

Never mind. Mo Yu shook her head. She knew she must have forgotten or lost something in her mind.

But, as the old saying goes: “When you seek it, it will not appear; but when you are not looking, it comes to you unbidden.”

Cradling the egg, Mo Yu walked toward one of the small farmhouses.

The exterior walls were painted a creamy white. The house didn't cover much ground, at least not from the outside.

She gently pulled open the gleaming wooden door and stepped into another world.

The ground floor was vast—perhaps the size of a standard football field. Inside, everything was neatly arranged in rows: clothes, food, medicine, and all sorts of miscellaneous supplies.

Mo Yu looked over each item. These must have been things she’d bought in preparation for the apocalypse.

Suddenly, a pile of unremarkable odds and ends caught her attention.

There weren’t many items in the heap, but they were covered with a piece of black cloth, upon which a white sheet of paper was placed.

“Important.”

Mo Yu frowned. What could be so crucial that her past self felt compelled to mark it so boldly in red?

She gently lifted a corner of the black cloth, revealing a black plastic bag underneath.

Seeds?

Mo Yu sprang to her feet in excitement. No wonder she’d thought so highly of this at the time—it truly was invaluable!

She set the egg down and rummaged through the pile, finally retrieving a spade and a packet of tomato seeds before heading outside.

The little egg rolled along behind her, as loyal as any devoted pet. No one would have suspected that just moments before, it had attacked Mo Yu.

Author’s note: Good evening, ladies!