Morning inside the bunker felt different.
Not calmer.
Just quieter.
Mia woke before the lights in the hallway automatically brightened. For a few seconds she lay still in bed, listening to the soft mechanical hum of the bunker's ventilation system.
It was the only sound.
The world outside was beginning to fall apart, but underground everything remained controlled, orderly, safe.
For now.
Mia slowly sat up and ran a hand through her hair. The events from the previous night replayed in her mind: the breaking news reports, the spreading bite attacks, the panic in several countries.
The beginning had arrived.
She stood and changed into comfortable clothes before stepping out of her bedroom.
Her family's section of the bunker felt like a small underground house. The hallway led to a private kitchen, several bedrooms, a bathroom, and their own living room.
Everything had been designed to make long-term living possible.
When Mia entered the living room, the television was already on.
Her father, Michael, sat on the couch watching the news.
He looked up when he saw her.
"Morning."
"Morning, Dad."
Mia sat beside him and looked at the screen.
The news anchor spoke with clear tension in his voice.
"Authorities in Berlin, Germany, have confirmed multiple violent incidents overnight involving individuals biting others during public altercations."
Video clips appeared.
Police vehicles.
Ambulances.
Crowds being pushed back behind barricades.
Mia's expression grew serious.
Another clip replaced it.
"Medical centers in Paris, France, are currently overwhelmed with patients suffering from unexplained bite wounds after violent attacks."
Michael sighed.
"This is spreading fast."
Mia nodded quietly.
"Faster than before."
Michael glanced at her.
"You mean faster than in your previous life."
"Yes."
Mia leaned forward slightly.
"In the original timeline, these incidents appeared in different regions days apart."
"And now?"
"Now they're happening almost at the same time."
Michael shook his head slowly.
"That's not good."
"No," Mia said softly. "It isn't."
---
Meanwhile, in the other section of the bunker, Luis was already awake.
He sat in the living room of his family's area with a laptop open on the table in front of him.
Multiple news windows filled the screen.
His mother, Olivia, stood behind the couch watching quietly.
"This feels unreal," she murmured.
Luis didn't look away from the screen.
"It's happening whether it feels real or not."
Another news alert appeared.
Authorities in Amsterdam, Netherlands, were investigating violent public incidents after several people were attacked and bitten in a crowded subway station.
Olivia covered her mouth slightly.
"My God…"
Luis's father, Frederick, walked into the room carrying a cup of coffee.
"What's the update?"
Luis turned the laptop slightly so his parents could see.
"More cities."
Frederick frowned.
"That's too many at once."
Another notification appeared on the television.
Breaking news.
"Emergency travel restrictions have been announced across multiple European countries."
Footage of airports filled the screen.
Long lines of passengers.
Canceled flights.
People shouting at airline staff.
The reporter continued speaking.
"Several governments are suspending flights from heavily affected regions including Italy, Spain, and Germany."
Frederick crossed his arms.
"They're trying to contain it."
Luis shook his head.
"They're too late."
---
Later that morning, Mia walked through the central corridor that connected both family sections of the bunker.
This part of the underground complex contained shared facilities.
The control room.
The security monitoring station.
Storage rooms.
The training gym.
Luis was already in the control room studying several screens.
One of them showed a world map covered in blinking red indicators.
Each marker represented a reported attack.
Mia stepped beside him.
"More?"
Luis nodded.
"Several new reports overnight."
She studied the map.
Red points were spreading across continents.
A new news broadcast appeared on the main screen.
"In the United States, authorities in Los Angeles have responded to multiple violent incidents involving citizens attacking others in crowded areas."
Another clip appeared.
"Police in Chicago are investigating several cases of unexplained assaults resulting in severe bite injuries."
Luis exhaled slowly.
"That's spreading faster than expected."
Mia watched the screen carefully.
"In my previous life, the first major American outbreak happened in New York City on the fourth day."
Luis looked at her.
"And now?"
Another news alert appeared.
Police barricades.
Emergency vehicles.
Crowds running.
"In New York City, authorities are responding to several violent incidents near major subway stations."
Luis rubbed his forehead.
"That's day two."
"Yes," Mia said quietly.
The timeline had changed again.
Luis leaned back slightly in his chair.
"That means everything we expect could happen earlier."
"Exactly."
She folded her arms.
"We can't rely completely on my previous memories anymore."
Luis nodded.
"Then we adapt."
---
Around noon, Mia returned to her family's section.
Her mother, Helen, was sitting at the dining table looking worried.
The television continued broadcasting updates.
Helen looked up as Mia entered.
"It's getting worse, isn't it?"
"Yes."
Helen sighed.
"I wish the world would listen sooner."
Michael joined them at the table.
"Even if they listened, people would still panic."
The news showed footage from Tokyo, Japan.
Crowds were running through busy streets while police struggled to control the situation.
Helen's face fell.
"It's spreading everywhere."
Mia sat down slowly.
In her past life, Asia had been affected later.
Now it was happening already.
Everything was accelerating.
---
A short while later, Luis and his parents visited Mia's family section.
Frederick knocked lightly before entering.
The families often visited each other, even though each section had its own living space.
Olivia looked tired.
"I think everyone should hear the latest news together."
They all sat in the living room.
The television volume increased slightly.
The reporter spoke urgently.
"Governments across the world are urging citizens to remain calm while investigations continue."
Footage of empty grocery store shelves appeared.
People were rushing to buy supplies.
Some were fighting over food and water.
Michael shook his head.
"Panic spreads faster than the infection."
Frederick agreed.
"That's always the way."
Olivia leaned against him quietly.
"I feel terrible for the people out there."
Helen nodded sadly.
"So many families don't know what's coming."
The room fell silent.
Everyone was thinking the same thing.
How quickly the world had changed.
Luis finally spoke.
"We need a daily routine."
Everyone looked at him.
"If we're going to stay here for a long time, we can't just sit around watching disaster."
Michael nodded.
"That makes sense."
Luis continued.
"Training, maintenance, monitoring communications, checking supplies."
Frederick smiled slightly.
"You're thinking ahead."
Luis shrugged.
"Someone has to."
Mia stood beside him.
"I'll help with the training schedule."
Helen managed a small smile.
"That might help us keep our minds off the news."
But the television suddenly interrupted again.
Breaking News
The room grew quiet.
The anchor spoke with clear urgency.
"We are receiving unconfirmed reports that the violent incidents may be linked to an unknown infection causing extreme aggression."
Mia felt a chill.
They still didn't understand.
Not yet.
Luis looked at her.
Outside the bunker, civilization was beginning to crack.
And inside the reinforced underground shelter near Viremont City, they could only watch.
And wait.
Because the true collapse of the world had only just begun.