At the height of midday, as the golden sun reached its zenith, a strikingly beautiful woman with cascading red hair lounged gracefully on her balcony. The sunlight danced upon her tresses, casting a radiant glow that seemed to illuminate her very essence.

“Eva, darling,” she called out, her voice a melodious blend of warmth and authority, capturing the immediate attention of the young girl seated beside her.

“The weekend has come to an end. It’s time for you to return to your grandmother. Let’s prepare ourselves,” she continued with a gentle yet firm tone.

In no time, they were on their way, the journey marked by the quiet hum of the car and the occasional rustle of leaves in the summer breeze. Upon arriving at the grandparents’ house, Eva eagerly greeted her grandmother with a joyous embrace and hurried inside, her laughter echoing through the halls.

Both women watched her retreating figure until she vanished from sight. Once alone, the grandmother turned to Amelia, her eyes hardening with a mixture of disdain and resolve.

“Amelia, you’ll soon be granted full custody. I hope you don’t flee again this time,” she said, her voice dripping with unspoken accusations and past disappointments.

“No, I won’t,” Amelia replied, her voice steady but her heart heavy with the weight of her promise.

Without another word, she turned abruptly, her movements sharp and decisive. She entered her car and drove off, the familiar road home triggering a cascade of memories from her youth.

She was once a coquettish girl, brimming with untamed energy and reckless abandon. At the tender age of fifteen, she found herself pregnant, uncertain of the father’s identity. Her parents, upon discovering her condition, reacted with predictable fury, forcing her to abandon her education and trust funds to raise the child.

Unprepared for motherhood and unwilling to sacrifice her dreams, she made the heart-wrenching decision to leave her newborn behind, determined to carve out a new path for herself. As a runaway with no steady income, she dabbled in various side hustles, to stay afloat and sponsor herself. She applied for scholarships and sought student sponsorships, resolute in her quest to rebuild her life and leave her past indiscretion behind.

Of course, her hard work had paid off, leading her to become the successful woman she was today. Yet, the thought of finally being ready to embrace motherhood and reunite with her daughter, whom she had abandoned 11 years ago, filled her with a mix of hope and trepidation.

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Unfortunately, the reunion was far from the seamless transition she had envisioned. Her mother, who had taken on the burden of raising her child, greeted her with a cold, unwelcoming demeanor. Her daughter, Eva, was unaware of her existence, having grown up believing her grandparents were her only family. The repercussions of her decision to run away and shirk her responsibilities weighed heavily on her.

Her father, who had been her pillar of support, had passed away three years prior. Determined to make amends, she fought tirelessly for her daughter's love and trust. Gradually, her efforts bore fruit, transitioning from supervised visits to gaining partial custody of Eva. It was the first step towards reclaiming her life and achieving a semblance of perfection.

Lost in a nostalgic reverie, Amelia was abruptly pulled back to the present as an inexplicable but familiar sensation washed over her, and she suddenly fell unconscious. The vehicle veered off course, slamming into a street pole. Miraculously, no one else was harmed, but Amelia suffered minor bleeding and a concussion.

Rushed to a nearby hospital, she received immediate medical attention. Despite the doctors' best efforts, she remained in a coma, her condition baffling the medical staff. Her next of kin, her estranged mother, was notified. Accompanied by Eva, they visited Amelia daily.

Two weeks had passed, and Amelia had yet to wake up. The doctors were at a loss, unable to pinpoint the cause of her prolonged unconsciousness. Then, as if the situation couldn't become more dire, an amber alert was issued, urging residents to seek refuge in the nearest bomb shelters for their safety.

The entire hospital was engulfed in a maelstrom of panic, yet her mother could not summon the strength to abandon her side, nor could her daughter bear to depart. Realistically, however, they knew the grim truth: it was impossible to carry her out of the hospital and reach the bomb shelter in time. With heavy hearts and reluctant steps, they were forced to leave her behind.

As the corridors filled with frantic, rushing bodies, chaos erupted into a cacophony of terror. To add to the pandemonium, grotesque creatures of unknown origin emerged, joining the fray and mercilessly slaughtering anyone in their path, the death toll rising with horrifying rapidity.

Amelia, lying motionless on her bed, suddenly stirred and found herself in a shadowy, dimly lit corridor. An inexplicable pull, as though something or someone beckoned her, drew her further into the darkness. Guided by this mysterious summons, she walked towards the source.

At the end of the corridor, she entered a hall devoid of doors. In the center lay a woman curled in the fetal position. As Amelia stepped into the hall, the woman’s body began to levitate, gracefully extending her legs until her feet touched the ground with perfect poise. The woman then opened her eyes.

It was at that moment Amelia realized the uncanny resemblance between herself and the enigmatic woman, though this woman possessed an ethereal beauty far surpassing her own. Her lustrous red hair cascaded to her waist, her pronounced cheekbones framed perfect cherry-red lips, and her eyes, with their striking red pupils, held an otherworldly allure.

The woman's previously vacant eyes gained a sudden clarity. She smiled gently and spoke, her voice a soft melody in the eerie silence.

“You are finally awake."