Apocalypse Rebirth: Crazy from Day One

In the dead of night, the blade Stella Sterling raised cut through the air with a blinding flash, illuminating Tripp Pence’s gaunt face.

The next moment, with a sickening thud—

In the hallway, the men heard something drop to the floor. A moment later, the thick stench of blood assaulted their nostrils.

One of the men shone a flashlight in her direction and saw Tripp Pence’s head hit the floor as his body toppled backward—

THUMP THUMP THUMP.

The severed head rolled right up to his feet. Tripp Pence’s eyes, still wide with confusion, stared right at him!

"AHHH!!!"

The man let out a piercing scream, dropping the flashlight as he fell backward, landing hard on his rear.

Not far away, Basil Xavier, who was helping Gordon Ford back to his feet, saw the whole thing. His pupils constricted, and he swallowed hard.

He then looked warily at Stella Sterling. This woman who had appeared out of nowhere was viciously brutal.

’And he had no idea what her deal was, just showing up and attacking those men. What if...’

With that thought, he propped up Gordon Ford and tried to slip away unnoticed. ’I can’t believe it’s this dangerous inside a single apartment complex!’

"Stella Sterling, are you crazy? We never did anything to you!"

The other men finally snapped out of their stupor and yelled at Stella Sterling.

Tripp Pence was their newly chosen leader, and now he had been decapitated right in front of them.

Stella Sterling’s blade dragged along the floor, its tip dripping blood. She tilted her head and smiled. "I’m not crazy. I just don’t like the look of you."

’What kind of reason is that?’

The men were furious!

Stella Sterling couldn’t have cared less how angry or terrified they were. With an agile movement, she was in front of another man. Before he could even react, she shoved her blade into his stomach, then ripped it back out.

The man clutched his gushing stomach wound, his eyes wide with indignation as he collapsed.

The others were both terrified and furious.

"You lunatic! You psycho! I’ll kill you!"

One man charged at Stella Sterling with a club, but he didn’t even get close before she slit his throat.

Another tried to use the chaos to escape, but Stella Sterling caught up to him in a few short strides and cut him down with a single blow.

Of the men Tripp Pence had brought, only three remained. In the blink of an eye, four of their brothers—their leader included—were dead. This utterly terrified the three survivors.

They trembled, their hands shaking so badly they could barely hold their weapons.

But Stella Sterling, ever so considerate, didn’t let them suffer in fear for long. She quickly sent them to their graves.

Her bladework was clean and efficient, every strike a killing blow. Her victims didn’t even have time to scream before their lives were snuffed out.

One of the bodies fell right beside Basil Xavier, who was still trying to slip away.

Basil Xavier was completely drained of energy and burdened with the unconscious Gordon Ford. He’d barely managed to take two steps. Realizing there was no escape, he simply stopped and turned to watch—

The fallen flashlight lit up the hallway, casting the grisly scene in stark relief.

Even for a man who had seen his fair share of action, the sight before him was horrifying.

The scene was utterly terrifying and gruesome: toppled corpses, a severed head, and blood pooling on the floor...

Every detail of the carnage grated on Basil Xavier’s nerves.

It wasn’t that he’d never seen someone killed before—he had blood on his own hands—but he had never witnessed such unbridled brutality.

The woman standing not far off was nothing short of a homicidal maniac.

He watched her warily, his body tensed for a fight. If she came any closer, he would be ready to attack.

’But he knew he didn’t stand a chance.’

’From her footwork and decisive strikes, it was clear she was a trained professional, not just some random person swinging a blade.’

’In his current condition, unarmed, facing her... a fight would be a death sentence.’

"I’ve failed you, my friend."

Basil Xavier sighed, turning to the unconscious Gordon Ford.

’Gordon had gotten injured and passed out trying to save me, and now that he’s unconscious, I can’t even protect him!’

Having dealt with everyone, Stella Sterling looked toward Basil Xavier.

’Honestly, she was surprised to see Gordon Ford in this building again.’

’Given what happened earlier today, she’d thought he was as good as dead. But just as she was getting ready for bed, she’d heard someone shouting his name.’

She walked toward them. Seeing Basil Xavier watching her with extreme caution, she stopped about six feet away. She didn’t look at Basil, but at the man he was holding up—Gordon Ford.

Basil Xavier’s body was rigid; he didn’t dare relax for a second. As the she-devil walked toward them, his mind screamed, ’It’s over!’

But the woman suddenly stopped about six feet away, her gaze fixed on Gordon Ford.

’This is odd. It seems like she doesn’t intend to kill us.’

His eyes darted for a moment as an idea struck him. "Miss, do you know Gordon Ford?"

’He suddenly remembered that this woman had come from upstairs, and the person Gordon had been looking for lived on the top floor of this very building!’

’Could the person Gordon came to see be this brutal woman?’

Hope began to bloom in his chest.

"Mm."

Stella Sterling nodded. She glanced at Gordon Ford’s pale face before finally turning her gaze to Basil Xavier. "What’s wrong with him?"

Hearing Stella Sterling’s confirmation, Basil Xavier let out a huge sigh of relief, the tension finally draining from his body.

Though he remained on guard, he was visibly more relaxed.

’As long as she’s not an enemy, we’re okay.’

’Besides, she knows Gordon. Judging by how strangely he was acting earlier, she must mean something special to him.’

’Even if they aren’t lovers, their relationship can’t be that bad. She won’t kill us!’

When the man didn’t answer, Stella Sterling’s brow furrowed. A flicker of impatience crossed her eyes, and she suppressed her annoyance to ask again, "What’s wrong with him?"

’Looks like this woman isn’t just brutal, but also impatient and short-tempered,’ Basil lamented internally.

Though he sighed inwardly, Basil didn’t hesitate this time. He quickly explained everything. "Gordon collapsed right after we got back to the complex. He’s in bad shape, and we need to find shelter from the wind and snow. I remembered he was coming to see you, so I brought him here. That’s when we ran into those guys... and you know the rest."

Seeing Gordon Ford’s temperature dropping, Basil Xavier started moving forward again, supporting his friend. "Quick, lend a hand! We need to get him to your place. It’s too cold out here in the hall. He’s not going to make it if we stay here any longer!"