I Only Wish Us Safe and Sound

It was the tenth year of the apocalypse. After countless brushes with death, I finally found my best friend, Ivy Chen, who had been separated from me for years. She had a very capable boyfriend, and their relationship seemed intimate. But then, I saw the comments appear. [Oh, look! The drama queen side character is finally going offline! She’s been clinging to the male lead, causing the main couple’s romance to stagnate. I’m so sick of it!] [Good riddance! She’s lazy and dramatic; people like her don’t deserve to live in the apocalypse.] [Who understands? I wanted to punch her when she forced the male lead to go out at night to find her a face mask…] [Once this cannon fodder best friend arrives, the drama queen side character will quarrel with the male lead multiple times for her, even almost getting the male lead killed. The male lead’s last bit of affection for her will be completely gone.] [Female lead, appear quickly! I love seeing strong, capable women!] The "drama queen side character" the comments were referring to was my best friend, Ivy Chen. And Ivy… she was eventually despised by her boyfriend and became zombie fodder. But, were they perhaps mistaken about something? I’m number one on the ability rankings, you know? No matter how dramatic my best friend is, I can protect her. 1. I was surrounded by zombies, my life hanging by a thread. And to make matters worse, someone was trying to exploit my weakened state to dig out my crystal core and steal my ability. I feigned unconsciousness. The moment the woman approached me, reaching out her hand, a blinding bolt of lightning erupted from my palm. In just one second, the woman ceased to breathe. I pushed her away, tossed her body downstairs to attract the zombies' attention, then fled in a panic from the other side. … After half a month of escaping, I finally reached another safe zone. My ability was completely depleted, and my physical endurance had reached its limit. I collapsed on the road. In a daze, I heard a familiar voice. “Liam, look, someone’s there!” “Go save her, please! Hurry!” Such a familiar voice… “Ivy! Are you trying to get Liam killed? We just came to the outskirts for supplies! A zombie horde is coming, if we don’t leave now, we’ll all die!” “Exactly, Ivy, you need to pick your moments for drama!” “Liam, you’re really going?! No way… that woman looks dead.” Her companions seemed extremely displeased. I listened to the commotion, struggling to open my eyes. Because I’d heard a familiar name. Ivy. My best friend. I used my last ounce of strength to roll over, propping myself up to look. On the pedestrian bridge opposite, five or six people were watching me warily. The man leading them was well-built, with a strong presence; clearly, an ability user. But I didn’t have time to properly examine him, my gaze fixed solely on the woman nestled beside him. Compared to before, she was a bit darker, a bit thinner. But she wasn’t injured, and she was alive. A surge of immense joy burst within me. I wanted to call out to her, but the next second, I collapsed heavily to the ground, utterly exhausted. Before losing consciousness, I heard Ivy’s desperate shout. “Seraphina!” 2. They saved me. When I woke up, night had fallen. Ivy was hugging my neck, sobbing uncontrollably. “Oh, thank goodness you’re alive! Thank goodness!” I patted her back. Just as I was about to offer comfort, I suddenly saw those strange comments appear in mid-air. I read through the comments again and again, finally understanding the whole story. Apparently, we were in a post-apocalyptic romance novel. Ivy Chen was the "drama queen side character" they spoke of. Dramatic, lazy, and lacking common sense. And my appearance, as the "cannon fodder best friend," would hasten Ivy's inevitable demise. The male lead, Liam Thorne, would only feel guilt after Ivy's death, leaving an emotional wound. This wound would be healed by the female lead. The comments kept scrolling. [I love seeing strong, capable women! The female lead and male lead are a match made in heaven, okay? One has lightning abilities, the other has water abilities. Used correctly, the power doubles!] [Yeah, and what's even better is that the female lead has psychological trauma from accidentally killing a cannon fodder character. After they meet, they grow and heal together. This kind of storyline is so addictive!] [Female lead, please appear quickly, I really can't stand this drama queen anymore.] Lightning abilities? I frowned. Like mine? 3. “Seraphina, why aren’t you saying anything?” Ivy, seeing no reaction from me, reached out and pinched my cheek. “Did you get too scared?” I snapped back to reality, looking at her face. Ivy smiled at me, tears in her eyes. That smile was still as pure as ever, just like before… My eyes felt a familiar sting, and I reached out and hugged her tightly. “No, I’m just… too happy.” … I’d always known Ivy had her flaws. Before the apocalypse, her family was well-off, and her parents pampered her like a princess. So she was inevitably a bit of a perfectionist. She liked to eat beautiful food, wear beautiful dresses, and make friends with everyone. Initially, I didn’t like her. Because I was dark-hearted; I envied her. I envied her looks, her family, everything about her. But one day, she walked over to my desk one afternoon. I looked up, bewildered, but she simply held out her hand to me. “Hi, Seraphina. Would you like to be my friend? I think you’re super cool.” Half an hour earlier, I had just been made to stand in the corner for an entire class for talking back to the teacher. She leaned in and whispered, “Actually, I hate Mr. Daniels too.” My heart was dark, and I didn’t dare openly say I disliked her. I just stayed silent. Ivy took my silence as agreement. She clapped her hands. “Great! We’re friends now!” I found her too delicate, crying red-eyed over minor bumps and scrapes. I found her too fussy, discarding anything with the slightest imperfection. I also found her tactless, constantly chattering noisily in my ear. I knew my place. I knew a rich girl like Ivy wouldn’t consider me a real friend… Until the second semester of junior high, when I had a car accident. I was an orphan to begin with, living with my aunt and uncle. When they learned I might never walk again, my aunt and uncle hesitated for a few days before deciding to give up on me and send me to a rural orphanage. At that time, I had lost all hope for life. But I never expected that the ray of light that shone back into my life would be Ivy. She came to visit me. Chattering ceaselessly in my ear. Finally, as she left, she said she would come to see me every day. She didn't break her promise. For the next three months, she didn't miss a single day. It was only later that I learned she had taken all the New Year's money she had saved since childhood and used it to pay for my medical expenses. She argued with my aunt and uncle. Saying I was a human being and shouldn’t be casually discarded. Still so self-righteous… But I, however, began to find her fussiness and self-righteousness somewhat endearing. 4. Ivy and I truly became friends. It could be said that my indulgence and leniency were the main culprits behind Ivy's dramatic and delicate nature. People who knew us would always say, “Seraphina, just keep spoiling Ivy like this. If she can’t find a partner later, are you planning to support her for life?” I buried myself in writing my business plan, not even looking up. “It’s not out of the question.” Ivy burst into laughter. “Hahahaha, you guys think you can drive a wedge between Seraphina and me? No way!” … My startup had just begun, the company hadn’t found its footing yet, when the apocalypse arrived… Ivy and I got separated while fleeing. I searched for her for a very, very long time. I never expected to see her again, now in the tenth year of the apocalypse. And those so-called comments told me. My best friend, Ivy Chen, was about to go offline. 5. I watched the comments without showing any outward signs of surprise. I pretended to be an ordinary person without abilities, settling down in this safe zone. I gradually came to understand Ivy's situation. She and Liam truly loved each other, and Liam was willing to tolerate and accommodate her. But her personality and behavior still caused a lot of dissatisfaction among others… I had no doubt that if Liam ever got into trouble, or if he stopped loving Ivy, then Ivy wouldn't be able to stay in this safe zone. As I pondered, I heard Ivy’s voice from ahead. “Liam, can you please give Seraphina an extra share of supplies? She’s so thin, she must have suffered a lot these past few years.” Ivy’s voice was low. “You know, I’ve been looking for her.” Liam looked a bit troubled. “The supplies we’ve given her are already more than others. Giving her another share might cause resentment.” The comments were cheering. [Exactly! Keep it up, side character, keep being dramatic.] [The male lead is already getting a bit impatient with the side character.] [I can’t wait to see the drama queen side character go offline!] [Agree!] [Same!] My face darkened, and I deliberately made some noise. Liam, hearing the sound, immediately looked over cautiously. Ivy also saw me. “Seraphina!” “Why did you come out?” She scanned me from head to toe. “Are you rested?” I smiled at her. “I’m fine.” On the other side, Liam nodded curtly at me, then turned and left. Liam was extremely proud. In ten years of the apocalypse, he had gradually grown to disdain ordinary people who couldn’t help with anything. Even though I was Ivy’s best friend, he still saw me as useless. After Liam left, Ivy comforted me. “Don’t be mad at him, that’s just how he is. I’ll teach him a lesson later!” Ivy pulled me along to tour the safe zone. She told me about her experiences these past few years. Then she badgered me with many questions. We sat on the bed, chatting late into the night. Ivy grew sleepy and rested her head on my shoulder, falling asleep. The comments were sarcastic. [The drama queen side character doesn’t even know her value is just to warm the male lead’s bed? Now she’s not even returning to the male lead’s room? Staying here with her best friend?] [I can only say she’s asking for trouble.] [I can’t wait for the female lead to come online!] [Here are two beautiful photos of the female lead to feast your eyes on, hehe.] I stared into the void, my gaze sharpening. The two pictures that popped up in the comments caught my attention. It was a girl with a delicate yet heroic face. But, she looked so familiar! 6. Just before going to sleep, I suddenly sat up with a jolt. I remembered where I had seen that girl… Half a month ago, a girl tried to steal my crystal core and my ability when I was weak. I killed her in self-defense. So, it was her. Was she the female lead? But I had already killed her… Before I could fully process it, a piercing alarm suddenly blared outside. Someone shouted, “Zombie horde! Ability users, prepare to engage! Unawakened, find cover!” Ivy woke with a start and grabbed my hand. “Seraphina, don’t be scared.” “Come with me, I’ll find Liam. He’ll protect us.” She pulled me off the bed… but I didn’t move. I gripped her wrist in return. Ivy looked back at me, confused. I looked into her eyes. “You follow me. I’ll protect you.” Ivy froze. But she didn’t have time to think much, only saying, “Let’s go to the underground mine first.” The zombie horde was coming with fierce momentum. Some zombies would cross the defenses and enter the safe zone. They had a certain level of intelligence, knew how to hide, so ability users needed to conduct a thorough search of the safe zone after repelling the horde. During this time, unawakened individuals generally hid in the underground mine. We rushed out of the room without stopping and ran towards the underground mine. Along the way were unawakened individuals like Ivy. Some were with their families, looking anxious but not overly panicked. After all, such events happened every few days, and with powerful ability users present, they weren't too afraid. My heart, however, gradually sank. The unawakened in this safe zone trusted the ability users too much… I turned to look at Ivy, unable to help but frown. During this time, I had carefully observed her and Liam. I found that Ivy’s dramatic tendencies were all within Liam’s tacit approval. Some, in fact, were even intentionally indulged by Liam. Liam was good to her, and by extension, the unawakened in the entire safe zone received much better treatment, which then squeezed the benefits that ability users should have enjoyed. Those ability users felt discontent, but they wouldn't resent all the unawakened or Liam. Instead, they directed their anger towards Ivy. And those unawakened wouldn’t thank Ivy; their gratitude went to Liam. So they supported Liam’s management of the safe zone even more, diligently planting vegetables and food, willingly providing supplies. Liam was using Ivy. Did Ivy… realize any of this? My grip on her wrist tightened. In a moment of distraction, an accident suddenly occurred. Just a second before we were about to enter the underground mine, a zombie that had been hiding in the shadows suddenly lunged out. It snarled and pounced on Ivy, who was frozen in terror, standing motionless. I yanked her wrist, pulling her back forcefully, and using the momentum, I stepped into the spot where she had just been. “Seraphina!” Ivy cried out in alarm. Before her words finished, I had already plunged a knife into the zombie’s eye socket, completely destroying its brain. 7. Inside the underground mine, Ivy kept looking at me, her eyes shining slightly. Her gaze made me chuckle wryly. “Don’t look at me like that. I’ve been surviving on my own for so many years; I still have some tricks to stay alive.” Ivy hugged me tightly. “Seraphina, you’re amazing! Seraphina… you’ve suffered so much these past years.” My heart softened, and I patted her back. I still hadn’t revealed my identity as an ability user. I had no doubt that once Liam discovered my ability, he wouldn’t easily let me leave here. And I needed to get Ivy out of here as soon as possible. Outside, the commotion continued. Ivy and I hid in the underground mine. I watched the rapidly scrolling comments above and began to think furiously. [Something’s wrong. The zombie horde is almost gone, how come the female lead hasn’t appeared yet?] [I’ve been waiting to see the female lead make a heroic entrance and save the male lead for so long! Where is she?] [Didn’t you guys notice what’s happening with the drama queen side character? Her cannon fodder best friend isn’t dead!] [What? So the drama queen side character won’t quarrel with the male lead? How come the entire subsequent plot is messed up?!] … Amidst their chattering discussions, I finally figured out the truth. In the original plot, the female lead successfully stole my ability, and I became a weak ordinary person, losing my powers. I miraculously survived and reunited with Ivy, but died in a zombie horde shortly after reaching the safe zone. As for the female lead, she used my lightning ability to help the male lead solve a small crisis during the zombie horde, was invited to join his team, and from then on, they fought side by side, their feelings gradually deepening. Ivy, distraught by my death, became unreasonable and blamed the male lead. She even deliberately left without a word, wanting the male lead to come looking for her. The male lead couldn’t stand her. When she acted out again, he didn’t go after her immediately. This time, Ivy didn't make it back alive. The drama queen side character thus went offline. And I, was pure cannon fodder. But now… [The plot has changed! What’s going on?!] [Oh my god, oh my god! The author just announced that the plot has deviated severely, and she can no longer control the story’s direction. It seems a paper character has developed self-awareness!] [The person above, you missed the main point! The main point is the female lead is dead! The female lead is dead!!] [I’m numb. What is this? A super disastrous ending?] [This is so exciting! Now no one knows the plot’s direction. It’s like opening a blind box. I must keep following!] My heart pounded. I turned to look at a sleepy Ivy, my heart beating furiously in my chest. Could the meaning of those comments be… that our predetermined fate could be changed! Or rather, it already had changed! 8. I started to waver. I didn't know if I should still take Ivy away now. Without the female lead… would Liam truly be devoted to Ivy? Would she be safer with Liam than with me? After all, I was alone. But what happened next solidified my decision to take Ivy away. … In the latter half of the night, the zombie horde was completely repelled. The ability users had also thoroughly searched the safe zone, confirming there was no danger. We walked out of the underground mine. And ran straight into the returning team of ability users. It was clear that the zombie horde that day had been fierce. Most of them looked battered, especially Liam. He was being supported by a man beside him, likely having exhausted his abilities. Ivy ran over, a little worried. “Liam, are you okay?” Her hands ran up and down Liam’s body, checking his injuries. Liam’s gaze at her gradually darkened. He cupped Ivy’s face and kissed her lips. The two embraced and kissed in front of everyone. Having survived a close call, I found it a bit distasteful but understandable. But gradually, the catcalls grew louder, especially from the men watching. And Liam’s actions became more and more unrestrained and bold. His hand moved to Ivy’s thigh, even attempting to go further… Ivy’s slight struggle caused her loosely worn jacket to slip to her shoulders. She was about to be exposed. I could see she was extremely uncomfortable, so I rushed out without hesitation, pulling Ivy out of Liam’s embrace, and the next second, I pulled her clothes back into place. Liam froze for a moment, not yet reacting, when he was slapped across the face. It was Ivy who slapped him. The crisp sound of the slap instantly froze the heated atmosphere. Everyone exchanged glances, and strong displeasure appeared on the faces of the ability users. “Damn it, Liam works so hard guarding the safe zone, only to come back and be slapped by a woman. This is too frustrating!” “I feel bad for Liam.” “This woman is too much…” Liam’s face also darkened. He looked at Ivy, a forced smile on his lips. “Are you mad?” “Alright,” he sighed. “My actions were too rough, I apologize.” His attitude was completely dismissive. Ivy’s eyes were red, she ignored him, turned and walked away. I followed her. After a few steps, I couldn’t help but stop again. Turning to look at Liam, my expression was somewhat cold. “You don’t respect her.” Liam paused, then let out an ambiguous scoff.