Butterfly Effect

An awkward but comfortable silence settled around them. Ambrose started to move slowly.

It was obvious that he was about to leave. 

"Wait! I have something to speak to you about." Roxie began.

Ambrose stopped his movement and focused his gaze on her.

"What do you want to speak to me about?" He said. 

Roxie hoped she wasn't being too weird to Ambrose. In this current life, this was their first meeting.

Even to her, having a strange person appear while trying to behave in a familiar manner was something to be wary about.

Thankfully, Ambrose didn't show any unusual behavior or moves.

Roxie took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, "So, what I am about to say can seem strange to your ears but I don't want you to panic. I would like it if you believed me too. If you don't believe me, that is also fine."

She really wanted Ambrose to believe her but this was reality. The percentage of Ambrose thinking she was a fool or that she needed to visit the psychiatric hospital was very high. 

Roxie continued, "The end of the world is here and it is going to happen very soon. This world would soon be destroyed by asteroids and meteors. There will be no chance of survival. At the end of everything, a strange being is going to appear. That being is called the system. You might be selected to be a player. Agreeing to be a player is a chance of survival for the humans it was offered to."

Ambrose didn't say anything to interrupt her words. He listened intently. Her strange words did not prompt him to make any expression that showed disbelief.

After Roxie finished speaking, she looked at him. Ambrose didn't say anything to break the silence. 

"What do you think about everything I said? Do you think I need to be sent so a mental hospital?" Roxie questioned.

She monitored every action and expression from Ambrose like an hawk. 

She would have loved to show him her space but she wouldn't do something like that. 

Firstly, she does not know if a different person can enter the space. She was the master but she didn't know how the space would react to others. Roxie was still discovering more things about the space herself.

Secondly, this was the secret that was closest to her heart.

She wasn't planning on telling Ambrose about it. It hadn't gotten to that stage yet. Although he was her savior and she was obsessed with repaying him, her space and any related knowledge was not part of the things she wanted to use to repay his lifesaving grace. 

Human nature was unique. 

A person that didn't have any hint of envy or other negative emotions might change the moment she showed them her space. Sometimes, a person that remained unmoved when they are tempted wasn't strong-willed. It might just be because the temptation wasn't strong enough yet.

Before she can reveal anything, she would have to test Ambrose properly. 

She felt like a bad person for thinking like this but she can't help it. The apocalypse had ironed pessimism and suspicions into her heart and character.

Telling him about the imminent apocalypse was already a huge step. 

Ambrose shook his head, "I don't think you belong in a psychiatric hospital. Still, I find it hard to believe everything you are saying. It is too supernatural."

Roxie smiled.

She didn't mind Ambrose's disbelief. The things she was saying was too strange. If she was still in her past life and someone told her something like this, she might not believe that person too.

Without face-to-face evidence, it was hard for humans—with their suspicious nature—to believe anything. 

"I understand. I am not going to force you to believe me. I said all these things to you because I wanted to give you an heads-up in case anything happens." Roxie said.

Suddenly, a strange phenomenon occurred.

The clear sky was changing. Uncountable clouds filled every inch of the sky. The clouds weren't the normal white ones humans on earth were familiar with. The clouds were dark and reddish.

The overall heat level rose sharply.

Sweat beaded on Roxie's forehead.

Color drained from her face.

Why was this happening?

When she discovered she was reborn, she had given herself a time frame. She wanted to prepare everything she needed before the apocalypse came. Now, everything was going the wrong way. 

Before the asteroids dropped in her past life, the sky changed into the same sky she was seeing now.

She didn't doubt her rebirth. It seemed many things would change because of this fresh start. All the memories she had been depending on lost most of their effectiveness.

Now, those memories could only act as a reference, not a guidebook.

It was a painful realization.

She was back to square zero. 

She hadn't even prepared properly. Nothing had gotten into her hands yet. She was still comparing prices a few minutes ago. 

Now, there was no time to do something like that. 

She had to get what she wanted and she had to do it fast. 

The money in her bank account might not be enough to get everything she wanted but Roxie had a plan. 

Her plan was simple. She would buy whatever she wanted and settle the down payments only.

She would drop her identification while promising to bring the rest of the payment later. It might be against the universal moral code to do something like this but Roxie had no choice. Her survival was the top priority.

Nobody knows how much time is left for the inhabitants of Earth. The asteroids might drop anytime. 

Ambrose looked at the sky in wonder. 

His voice was low, "Is this the apocalypse you were talking about?"

"Yes. I have to go now. Good luck. Roxie said her goodbyes. 

She would have loved to bring Ambrose everywhere she went during this limited time they were working with but, the things she was going to do next was confidential.

Besides, she felt a little embarrassed to make Ambrose see her cheating people out of their goods and products. 

It was better to part ways here.

If God permitted it, they would meet in the future.

Ambrose's intense black eyes stared at her for a while.

"Okay." He finally nodded.

Roxie turned around to leave the moment she got his acknowledgment. 

Time waits for no man. Or rather, time waits for no woman.