Reborn Before The Apocalypse: The Last Safe Hotel

Chapter 008 – Old Wounds, Enemies from the Future

*****

The moment Ronan stepped out of the café, he closed his eyes and tilted his head upward, letting the warm summer afternoon sun wash over him.

He stood there quietly, savoring the heat against his skin.

In one month, this same sunlight would become something people would kill for.

He slowly opened his eyes and looked around.

People hurried beneath awnings and building overhangs, shielding their faces from the relentless afternoon heat.

A bitter smile tugged at his lips. ‘If only they knew…’

He checked the time.

Three o'clock.

He still had plenty to do, but most of his plans would have to wait until he received the keys to the apartment building.

Returning to the Frost family was out of the question.

If he went back now, he couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't lose control and beat one of them. Law and order still existed, and Ronan had no intention of wasting time behind bars.

He headed down the street, welcoming the sunlight everyone else seemed desperate to escape. Twenty minutes later, he stopped before a bar and stepped inside.

In his previous life, Ronan had spent years bending himself to other people's expectations. He had tried to become the husband Celeste wanted and the son-in-law the Frost family could accept.

And what had it earned him?

Nothing.

This time, he no longer cared about pleasing anyone.

The bar was only half full. Laborers who had just finished work sat around drinking, while several rough-looking men occupied the other tables. Smoke hung heavily in the air, mixing with the sharp smell of alcohol and sweat.

Ronan found an empty seat and ordered a cup of ale.

The strong bitterness spread across his tongue.

In his previous life, a drink this strong would have left him struggling after only a sip.

But three months of surviving the apocalypse had changed him. Compared to what he had been forced to consume back then, this was almost pleasant.

He emptied the cup in one gulp.

The bartender stared.

Ronan placed the empty cup down.

"Another."

The bartender hesitated before filling it.

Ronan merely picked up the second cup and took a slow sip.

The bitterness lingered on his tongue, stirring memories he had spent years trying to bury.

His parents were scientists. They had given him a warm home, a comfortable childhood, and everything a child could have asked for.

Then, on his tenth birthday, the car carrying them was involved in an accident. By the time Ronan reached the hospital, his father was already dead, and his mother was barely clinging to life.

Ronan still remembered the hospital, the blood, the frantic footsteps, and his mother's pale face as she lay beneath the harsh white lights.

Most of all, he remembered the guilt in her eyes.

“I'm sorry.” She said weakly. “We couldn't protect the world for you.”

She died before she could explain what those words meant.

His grandfather took him in and gave him the love he had lost, but that happiness didn't last.

When his grandfather died, Ronan was left with relatives who saw him as little more than an inconvenience.

They took what belonged to him and slowly pushed him aside until, at seventeen, he finally walked away.

Six years later, he married into the Frost family.

Somehow, that became another mistake.

Ronan's fingers tightened around his cup.

‘What did I do to deserve this?’

He had never found an answer.

His parents were taken from him. His grandfather followed. His uncle stole what should have been his, the Frosts stripped away what remained of his dignity, and the apocalypse had taken everything else.

He lowered his gaze.

‘Perhaps the universe finally realized how unfair it had been to me.’

The bitterness in his chest loosened, if only slightly.

Just at that moment, a woman's drunken voice broke through his thoughts.

"Leave me..."

Ronan turned his head.

Three burly, tattoo-covered men surrounded a woman who could barely stand.

She was beautiful, and even drunk, she carried herself differently from everyone else in the bar.

Her expensive clothes, flawless skin, and the delicate watch glittering around her wrist marked her as someone who didn't belong in a place like this

Yet here she was, helpless and intoxicated.

Ronan's eyes narrowed.

‘These three...’

He knew them.

The Three Aces.

In the apocalypse, their names became synonymous with terror. They robbed survivors, preyed on the weak, and eventually became strong enough to dominate entire settlements.

Ronan had once fought them inside the Frost residence.

He could still remember being beaten bloody, barely surviving while those three monsters laughed at him.

And yet here they were.

Ronan’s expression darkened.

‘They were already scum before the apocalypse.’

The woman begged them to leave her alone, but the three only laughed.

Most customers kept their heads down. A few watched with pity; others seemed entertained.

No one intervened.

Neither did Ronan. He had seen far worse during the apocalypse, and he had no desire to play hero now.

He finished his drink, placed some money on the table, and stood.

He needed to wake early and continue preparing.

He had barely taken two steps when one of the Three Aces noticed him.

The man's eyes lit up. "Where did such fresh meat come from?"

He slowly ran his tongue across his lips

Ronan's stomach churned, but he kept walking.

"Where do you think you're going, cutie?"

Ronan ignored him.

The First Ace laughed. "This is even better. Second Ace can have him. The two of us will have the bitch."

The Second Ace laughed excitedly as he greedily stared at Ronan.

But seeing that Ronan simply continued toward the door, his smile vanished.

"Don't blame me, then."

He charged forward and reached for Ronan's shoulder.

Ronan's eyes turned cold.

He sidestepped.

The Second Ace couldn't stop himself in time and slammed into the door with a loud bang, staggering backward from the impact.

Silence swallowed the bar.

"Bastard!"

"Did you just attack our second brother?"

"How dare you!"

Their smiles disappeared.

The Second Ace wiped the blood from his mouth and glared at Ronan. "You've got some nerve."

He lunged again.

Ronan didn't move.

He simply watched him approach. ‘He's weak.’

For a moment, he almost couldn't believe it.

In his previous life, the Second Ace had been a terrifying opponent… strong enough to nearly kill him.

Yet now...

He seemed ridiculously slow.

Then Ronan understood.

The apocalypse wouldn't only empower him.

The Three Aces would grow stronger too. So would everyone else who survived the coming transformation.

But not yet.

Right now, they were still ordinary humans.

Ronan calmly stepped aside again.

His foot drove into the man's stomach.

Bang!

The Second Ace staggered backward, all the air rushing from his lungs.

The other two rushed forward to catch him. "Bastard! You dared hurt our brother?"

Just then…

WEE-OOO!

Police sirens screamed outside.

The Three Aces froze.

"Police?"

"Run!"

The Second Ace glared at Ronan. "This isn't over!"

His brothers dragged him toward the back door.

The front door burst open just then, and several police officers stormed into the bar.

The Three Aces disappeared through the back entrance, with the officers chasing after them.

The tension inside the bar slowly eased. Then several customers turned toward Ronan.

"If I were you, I'd leave Fidelity City."

"The Three Aces don't forget."

"You'd better watch your back."

Ronan didn't bother responding.

He had already faced the Three Aces at their strongest. Compared to what they would become, these three were nothing.

He simply walked out of the bar.

"Please wait for me!"

Ronan stopped.

He glanced over his shoulder. The woman from the bar was stumbling after him.

"Why are you following me?"

She struggled to keep her balance. "You... saved me."

Ronan frowned.

"I didn't save you."

She didn't seem to hear him. Instead, she hurried forward and grabbed his shirt.

"You're a good person."

Ronan glanced at her hand.

‘What is wrong with this woman?’

He tried to pull his shirt free, but she only tightened her grip.

Ronan sighed and flagged down a taxi. As soon as it stopped, he climbed inside and quickly shut the door.

"Don't leave me behind!"

The woman's cry rang through the street.

Ronan froze.

Several pedestrians turned to look at him. Almost immediately, their expressions changed.

"What kind of man is that?"

"He got that woman drunk and is abandoning her?"

"Look at her. She's practically begging him not to leave."

Even the taxi driver looked at Ronan strangely.

Ronan's face twitched.

"Drive."

The driver didn't move.

"What's the problem?"

The driver glanced toward the woman.

Ronan followed his gaze. She was standing there with tears in her eyes, still reaching toward the taxi.

Ronan rubbed his forehead.

‘This is going to be troublesome.’

He opened the door.

"Get in."

The woman immediately climbed inside.

"Thank you..." She leaned against the seat with a relieved smile.

Ronan sighed.

"Where do you live?"

There was no answer.

He looked over. The woman had already fallen asleep.

Ronan stared at her for several seconds.

‘You've got to be kidding me.’

With no other choice, he turned toward the driver.

"Take us to a hotel."

The taxi pulled away.

After making sure the woman had a room, Ronan booked one for himself as well.

He didn't think much more about her. As far as he was concerned, their paths would never cross again.

Ronan had no idea that the drunken woman would become one of the most important people in his new life.

He showered, ate a quick dinner, and finally lay down.

Tomorrow, the real preparation would begin.

He closed his eyes, and within minutes, exhaustion dragged him into sleep.

……

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Loud pounding on the door jolted him awake the next morning.