The year was 2040.
The world had long forgotten what peace felt like.
Cities that once glowed with life now stood in ruins, swallowed by silence and fear. The outbreak had changed everything. What started as a strange infection soon turned humanity into something unrecognizable—zombies that wandered endlessly, driven by hunger.
Amid this chaos lived Thara, a 21-year-old agricultural student.
Or rather… she used to be a student.
For the past six years, survival had been her only subject.
Unlike many others, Thara didn't just run—she fought. She had learned to use whatever she could find as a weapon: farm tools, knives, even broken metal scraps. Her strength wasn't just physical; it was her ability to think fast and adapt.
But what truly set her apart was something simple… yet powerful.
She could cook.
In a world where food was scarce and often unsafe, Thara could turn the most basic ingredients into something nourishing. She knew how to preserve food, identify edible plants, and prepare meals quickly—even under pressure. That knowledge had saved her life countless times.
Eventually, she was brought into a secured facility—one of the few safe zones left. High walls, armed guards, strict rules. It wasn't freedom, but it was safety.
At least… that's what everyone believed.
One quiet evening, Thara sat alone in her small room. The dim light flickered above her as she absentmindedly twisted the ring on her finger.
It was an old heirloom—passed down through generations in her family. She had worn it for as long as she could remember, but in this broken world, she had never given it much thought.
Until now.
The ring felt… warm.
Naina frowned, staring at it.
"Strange…"
As she rubbed the surface, a sudden dizziness hit her.
The room disappeared.
When she opened her eyes, she was no longer inside the facility.
Instead, she stood in a vast open space.
Endless land stretched before her, covered in neatly arranged fields. The air was fresh—clean in a way she hadn't experienced in years. There were storage structures nearby, filled with grains, vegetables, dried foods… all perfectly preserved.
Her breath caught.
"This… this isn't possible…"
She walked forward slowly, touching a sack of rice. It was real.
Everything was real.
There were tools too—old-fashioned farming equipment, clay pots, wooden storage boxes—things that belonged to another era. A time before the world collapsed.
A time of abundance.
A strange feeling rose in her chest.
"This place…"
It felt familiar.
Not in memory—but in blood.
A thought struck her.
Could this be…?
Her ancestors.
This space… this hidden land… it felt like something they had created. A secret storage, preserved beyond time itself.
Thara looked down at her ring.
Realization hit her like lightning.
"This… is connected to you, isn't it?"
The ring glowed faintly in response, as if acknowledging her.
For the first time in years, Thara felt something she hadn't allowed herself to feel.
Hope.
In a world ruled by death, she had just discovered a place full of life.
And deep down, she knew—
This was only the beginning.