Regressing Through the Apocalypse with the Third Male Lead-Chapter 15

December 16, 2024

Robinsons Mall, Manila

8:00 pm

***

"Lolo*, is she your granddaughter too?"

"Wait a minute, Lolo. You’re an orphan, and *Lola’s an only child. Does that mean... you had another woman?"

"What?! Lolo! How could you do that to Lola?!"

Smack.

Smack.

"Owie!"

"Owie!"

The twins yelped in unison, clutching the backs of their hands after their grandpa swatted them with a folded newspaper.

""You brats! I told you to stop talking like that!"

Memories flooded Freyah’s mind.

"They’re mischievous and say the most ridiculous things," Tatay Timothy muttered, shaking his head. "But they never forget to show their love. Every time they come home, they bring me chop suey, massage my hands, and tell me stories about school. How am I supposed to keep going without them?"

Freyah smiled faintly as she watched the three bicker with each other. "No," she said softly, "I’m not Tatay Timothy’s granddaughter or anything."

"Then why did you hug him like that?" Cherellyn, the female twin, asked, her brows furrowing. Cheral, the male twin, mirrored her curiosity, his gaze fixed on Freyah.

It had only been an hour since Freyah met them.

They were currently gathered in the storage room of the grocery store, sitting around a heater for warmth. Florence sat in the corner with his legs crossed, engrossed in a book he had picked up earlier. Beside him was Harley, quietly observing the group with a thoughtful expression.

Tatay Timothy was with his grand-twin kids and another student, Erica, who appeared to be the twins’ classmate. Since yesterday, the four of them had been staying in this cramped storage room together.

"I’m just happy to see him after a long time," Freyah replied with a soft smile. "You both got my message, right?"

The twins exchanged a glance before nodding at her.

"We did," Cherellyn said. "Honestly, we thought it was just some prank message."

"I turned it into a pass-it-forward message," Cheral added with a mischievous grin. "You know, like, ’If you don’t pass this to 100 people, you’ll be bitter on February 14.’ "

"You turned a prank message into something like that?" Cherellyn gawked at her brother in surprise. "That’s genius. Why didn’t I think of that?"

Really... Freyah thought, unsure how to respond to the chaotic energy of the twins.

"That’s enough, you two," Tatay Timothy said with a sigh. He turned to Freyah. "Yes, they both received your message, and that’s how we managed to find shelter right away. We were at the cinema when the power went out. Cheryllyn and Cheral, with their phone flashlights on, immediately pulled us to the nearest hiding spot. Then the chaos began again. For that, I’m truly thankful. Without your message, we might not have survived."

Tatay Timothy shifted his position, lowering himself to his knees and bowing until his forehead almost touched the floor.

"You don’t need to do that, Tatay! I’m the one who owes you so much." Freyah lunged forward, gently stopping him from kneeling.

Tatay Timothy smiled as she helped him up. "This is the first time I’ve met you, Freyah. Or perhaps I’ve met you before... I apologize. My memory isn’t what it used to be."

"I’ll tell you everything, Tatay, once we leave the mall and get to a safer place," Freyah said with a reassuring smile. "For now, stay here for the night. We’ll leave tomorrow morning." She looked around at everyone before turning back to her father. "Hmm Tatay, since we’re in the mall, I need to ask you a favor."

***

Moments later...

{ Name: Timothy Magsombol

Title: Retired Accountant, Owner of Timo’s Bakeshop

Skills:

Psychic Skill: Storage

Physical Skill: Locked

Soul Skill: Locked }

Standing in front of the grocery store, Freyah’s expression brightened as she reviewed the skill status.

"You said I have a psychic skill? Like a magic power?" Tatay Timothy asked, mimicking the motion of a hand firing a gun. "Is it something like... a ray gun?"

Freyah chuckled softly. "No, Tatay, it’s nothing like that. Your skill is more practical." She picked up a nearby bottle of mineral water and handed it to him.

"This is one of the reasons I owe you so much, Tatay. And this skill of yours? It’s one of the best tools humanity has to survive the apocalypse."

"Me? Holding mineral water?" Tatay Timothy asked, raising an eyebrow.

The others had gathered outside, watching the scene with curiosity. Meanwhile, Florence and Harley stayed alert, their eyes scanning the surroundings for any stray zombies that might be lurking nearby.

"It’s much more than that," Freyah assured him. "Now, please close your eyes, Tatay Timothy."

Still confused but trusting her, the old man complied and shut his eyes.

"Imagine a light surrounding you, like a protective shield," Freyah instructed gently. "Now, imagine absorbing that light and letting it flow through your veins."

Tatay Timothy concentrated, following her guidance.

"Good. Now let that light travel all the way to your head, as if your brain is drawing it in, absorbing every bit of it."

A warm sensation surged through his body, spreading from his veins to his head. It wasn’t unpleasant—in fact, it felt soothing, like a gentle massage easing every muscle. Moments later, a faint breeze stirred around him, radiating outward.

"Are you seeing anything in your mind, Tatay?" Freyah asked, her tone both curious and hopeful.

"Yes, it’s a vast, empty green field. In the middle stands a three-story house," Freyah described, a sly grin forming on her lips. "Now, imagine bringing the bottle of mineral water you’re holding down to that green field."

Tatay Timothy raised a brow but nodded. "O...kay." He closed his eyes and pictured the bottle in the middle of the green field.

A collective gasp erupted around him.

"The bottle—it disappeared!" Cheral exclaimed, his eyes wide with amazement.

"You can open your eyes now, Tatay Timothy," Freyah said, her tone calm but expectant. ƒreewebɳovel.com

Tentatively, he opened his eyes and stared at his now-empty hands.

"Now, without closing your eyes this time," Freyah continued, "imagine bringing the mineral water back from the green field to your hand."

Tatay Timothy hesitated for a moment, then followed her instructions. Almost instantly, the bottle reappeared in his grasp.

Everyone stared, awestruck.

"This is your skill, Tatay Timothy," Freyah explained, her voice steady. "A storage ability. You can store anything in that green field. It won’t spoil or expire, and it’s perfect for plants and inanimate objects. But who knows? It might evolve further in the future."

Tatay Timothy turned the bottle over in his hands, making it disappear and reappear repeatedly, his amazement growing with every flicker of the bottle. "This is incredible. A skill like this could help humans survive in an apocalypse."

Freyah’s smile faded, replaced by a serious expression. "Exactly. Which is why you must never tell anyone about this skill."

Her gaze swept over everyone present. "And none of you must speak of it either. If you value Tatay Timothy’s safety, you’ll keep this secret. The danger won’t come from zombies—it will come from humans. In desperate times, people will stop at nothing to take advantage of such a gift."

Silence fell, heavy with the weight of her warning, as the group exchanged uneasy glances.

"I understand," Tatay Timothy said with a firm nod.

"We won’t tell anyone," the twins chimed in, nodding in agreement. The others silently followed suit, their heads bobbing in unison.

"Good. Now that we’ve settled that," Freyah said, her grin returning. "Let’s start hoarding everything from this mall!" Her excitement was evident.

’Aren’t you the one who’s going to abuse this power?’ Tatay Timothy thought with amusement, but he let out a hearty laugh instead. "Yes, let’s clear this mall!"

***

Several hours later...

The group lay sprawled across the storage room, fast asleep. Freyah, however, couldn’t sleep, as usual. She sat against the wall, massaging her temples as a dull throb came and went.

Her gaze softened as she looked at Tatay Timothy and his grandchildren sleeping soundly nearby. A genuine, relieved smile spread across her face. Little by little, if she kept going like this, she could save everyone dear to her.

Each member of the group had their own skill—Freyah was certain of it. It was only a matter of time before she could help them unlock and master their abilities.

Unable to sleep, Freyah stood and glanced around. Her eyes landed on an air vent in the ceiling. She decided against using the door—no one had bothered to lock it, and she didn’t want to risk waking anyone.

Quietly, she removed the vent cover and was about to climb up when a soft voice whispered behind her.

"Where are you going?"

Freyah turned to see Florence standing there, his eyes calm but curious.

"Just looking around," she replied.

"Can I come with you?"

"Can’t sleep either, huh?"

"I managed to nap for a bit, but yeah, I’m wide awake now. And you? You haven’t slept at all, have you?" Florence’s concern was evident.

"I don’t know. I just... can’t sleep. But I’m fine—I’m not tired or foggy, so I’ll manage."

Freyah began climbing into the vent and reached down to help Florence up. They crawled quietly until they reached a new section of the mall. Through the vent, she could see what looked like a department store they had passed earlier.

Prying the vent open, Freyah jumped down gracefully. Florence followed, landing just as smoothly.

Freyah’s eyes wandered over the racks of clothes before settling on Florence. He was still wearing the loose black polo and pants she had grabbed for him during her last "shopping spree." It struck her then—he had nothing of his own since arriving in this world. He hadn’t even picked anything for himself earlier.

For a prince, he was surprisingly frugal.

Freyah smirked and crossed her arms. "Now that we’re here, Your Highness, let’s get you some decent things," she declared.

Florence raised an eyebrow but didn’t protest.

***

(Terminologies):

Lolo - Filipino word for grandfather

Lola - Filipino word for grandmother

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