My best friend, Lana, and I unexpectedly transmigrated to a post-apocalyptic world where women were few and far between. In this shattered world, men constantly presented Lana and me with the most delectable food, dedicating every effort to defending our safety. As days turned into weeks, Lana gradually became immersed in this new reality, losing all desire to return to our original world. "This place," she'd exclaim, her voice bubbling with delight, "is truly my paradise." But as I gazed at the men who hovered around us, ever vigilant, like loyal guardians, a profound dread settled in my heart. I knew, with chilling certainty, that genuine kindness never came without a price in this world. Under any circumstances, the primary instinct of male organisms always remained the same: to procreate. 1 As that chilling realization dawned, eight security officers had already silently infiltrated the living quarters Lana and I shared. They stood rigidly in their crisp black uniforms, forming an ominous perimeter in the dim light. A cold, lethal aura radiated from them, each one young, strong, and imposing. After a moment of unsettling stillness, two of them slowly moved towards Lana's room and my own. My heart hammered, a frantic drumbeat against my ribs. I forced myself to feign sleep, silently praying they were merely conducting a routine patrol. Yet, deep within me, an unsettling premonition whispered: their presence here, tonight, was likely to ensure Lana and I conceived. Just this morning, during our medical examination, I had inadvertently overheard snippets of the doctors' conversation: "These two girls possess exceptionally robust physical conditions. The Ark Sanctuary hasn't encountered bodies this healthy, this superior, in twenty years." "And we've already identified eight highly genetically compatible males for them." "If all proceeds smoothly, new life will be born by this time next year." "Heaven truly has favored us after all." There were a few other women undergoing examinations at the time, so it hadn't immediately registered that they were speaking about Lana and me. After the check-up, we had been transferred to this towering structure—the only place in the Sanctuary with a view of the world beyond its walls. On our table, in addition to the milk, tender beef, and soft bread we enjoyed daily, rested two incredibly rare apples. Such luxuries were typically reserved only for the highest-ranking personnel within the Sanctuary. The common folk struggled to survive on coarse grains like yams and corn. Yet, ever since Lana and I arrived, despite being classified as commoners, we were regularly given these precious foods. I knew the Sanctuary enforced an extremely strict post-apocalyptic rationing system. You received only what you earned. And for us to receive such valuable treatment, we would undoubtedly have to provide something equally precious in return. Lana and I possessed nothing. Except... our bodies. Lana, as usual, picked up her milk, stood by the window, and gazed out at the vast, desolate landscape beyond the walls. Bathed in the warm sunlight, her skin was as fair as snow, gentle and appealing, like a pristine angel. I, on the other hand, stared at the food on the table, my heart filled with mounting anxiety. Lana turned, her brow furrowed in confusion. "What's wrong?" I recounted, word for word, everything the doctors had said. "This place is too strange. We need to find a way back to our original world, fast." She remained silent, not immediately responding. After a long pause, she softly asked, "Skye, isn't it good here?" I frowned, bewildered. What was good about this place? The apocalypse had raged for a century. The climate was brutally extreme, the ecosystem severely unbalanced, food was desperately scarce, and mindless husks roamed everywhere… This, clearly, was a living hell. But she continued, her voice wistful: "Here, we don't have to worry about finding jobs, or fret over food and clothes. We don't have to toil tirelessly just to buy a house or pay off a mortgage. No one bullies us. Everyone takes great care of us, showing us profound concern." "For me... this place is paradise." I shook my head, my voice firm. "There's no such thing as kindness without cause in this world. All good intentions have a price, a root. "With women so scarce here, our price is likely childbirth. It's the sacrifice of these bodies." Lana gently brushed a wisp of hair from her face. "But Skye, in our original world, we would also have to give birth, to dedicate our bodies, wouldn't we?" 2 A man stepped into my room, stopping by my bed. I knew him. His name was Caleb. He was the son of the former Ark Sanctuary Commander. And also the most ruthless, cold-blooded security officer. Rumor had it he'd personally ended his parents' lives when he was just ten years old. The first time I saw him, I was struck by his striking appearance. But who would have thought that the next second, his gun would be pointed directly at my head? Lana and I had transmigrated while we were at an amusement park. A sudden sinkhole had opened up, and Lana and I simply plummeted down. At that time, I was still wearing my gray-blue contact lenses. And gray-blue eyes, in this post-apocalyptic world, were the mark of an infected. Caleb had mistaken me for one. Although the misunderstanding was later cleared, he always held a deep aversion to me. He hated that I, a human, had adorned my eyes with the color of the infected. Yet, the Sanctuary had assigned him to oversee Lana's and my safety. He was an absolute enforcer of orders; even if he loathed me, he had no choice but to carry out his duties. I held no fondness for him either. Many in the Sanctuary disliked him. They whispered that the security officers were mere lapdogs of the elite, and Caleb was the fiercest, most loyal one among them. Caleb stopped beside my bed. I heard the sharp, metallic click of his belt buckle being unfastened. My guess was right. Their objective tonight was to ensure our impregnation. I stopped pretending to sleep. I sat up, pressing the small, pre-prepared knife against my throat, articulating each word carefully: "Get out, or I'll die right here in front of you." The knife was meticulously sharpened. My hand trembled slightly, and the blade sliced into my skin. Warm blood welled, tracing a searing line down my neck. I was gambling. Gambling that he couldn't, wouldn't dare, let me die. Sure enough, Caleb froze. A flicker of confusion crossed his expression. It seemed I wasn't supposed to be awake. I immediately thought of the milk from earlier today. I hadn't drunk mine. Lana, not wanting to waste it, had consumed my portion. That's why she had fallen asleep so early. They had drugged the milk. Now, another man had already entered Lana's room. I continued to leverage the threat of my death against Caleb: "I said, get out now, and take them with you." But the next second, my knife was snatched away, and my mouth was firmly covered by his hand. I struggled, but I was utterly powerless. For the first time, I felt a desperate, stark awareness of the immense strength disparity between a man and a woman. Especially against the most formidable fighter in the Sanctuary. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. I did not want to be forced to conceive. So I bit down hard on Caleb's hand, the metallic taste of blood quickly filling my mouth. Caleb remained impassive. But he made no further move. A voice crackled through his comms unit: "Major Caleb, what's your status?" Caleb glanced at me. "She's awake, uncooperative, and engaged in self-harm." The voice paused. "Understood. Terminate the mission for now. Don't let her injure herself." Caleb: "Understood." He released me. I pushed him away and jumped off the bed. I had to save Lana. But Caleb simply tossed me back onto the bed. Assuming he intended to continue, I sneered, "What, is your dog going to defy his master's orders now?" He lowered his gaze, saying nothing. He unfastened his belt and bound my hands to the headboard, then gagged me with a cloth. Then, he pulled up a chair and sat facing me. 3 In the silent darkness, the creaking of Lana’s metal bed in the next room was starkly audible. Along with her soft, muffled whimpers. She should have been deep in sleep. But now, she was clearly lost in physical pleasure. It seemed the milk contained more than just a sedative. And there were six other men outside. The doctors had said these were our "matches." I didn't know if all of them were meant to participate. I blamed myself for not preparing Lana, for not warning her in time. After what felt like an eternity, the sounds from Lana's room finally ceased. Someone spoke to the man. Then, the man led Lana away. Panic surged through me. Once Caleb finally untied me, I demanded, "Where are you taking Lana?" Caleb didn't answer directly, only saying, "Your current state would affect her. You'll meet again when the time is right." I asked others, but no one offered an explanation. Two months since we transmigrated, and for the first time, Lana and I had lost contact. 4 I was isolated. Even Caleb, who had been my constant shadow, didn't appear. The door was locked. I picked up a chair and slammed it against the window, only to discover the glass was specially reinforced. My strength was useless against it. This tower, once the only place with a view of the world outside, had become an aerial cage. I dared not eat. I feared they would drug the food. After enduring a full day and night like this, Caleb and an elderly man with white hair appeared before me. Hope ignited in my heart when I saw the elder. On the day Caleb had almost killed me, mistaking me for an infected, it was this old man who had stopped him. I didn't know his identity, but from his attire and demeanor, his rank was clearly higher than Caleb's. He asked kindly, "Is the food not to your liking, child? Grandpa can have them prepare something else." I thought he was my savior. "Please, let my friend and me go. We can work for our food." I told him Lana and I had both studied bioengineering, surely we could contribute to the Sanctuary. The old man listened patiently, then gently stroked my head. "Child, your work is to bear children." I stared at him in disbelief. I thought, a wise elder like him should understand that procreation should not be forced. He then pointed to Caleb and asked, "Does Major Caleb not appeal to you? He is the most handsome man here, and his genetic compatibility with you is the highest." "However, if you truly cannot accept him, you may choose someone you prefer." "Your feelings are paramount. We will fully respect your choice." I slowly backed away. "I refuse to be a breeding machine. I'd rather die." The old man showed no anger. He calmly instructed Caleb to remove all food and water, leaving nothing behind. Caleb paused, "All of it?" The old man nodded. "All of it." Caleb looked as if he wanted to speak further but held his tongue. I didn't care. Because at that moment, I genuinely felt that being forced to procreate was worse than death. But in the days that followed, they gave me no food, only a small cup of corn juice daily to sustain my life. And the windows were all sealed with iron plates. I couldn't hear sounds or see the sunlight. Initially, I could endure the darkness and hunger, sustained by memories of my beautiful life in the original world. But the hunger gradually made my throat and stomach burn as if on fire, becoming increasingly unbearable. By the seventh day, my consciousness began to blur. I thought I heard Lana's cries, begging someone to save me. I used every ounce of strength to crawl to the door, weakly banging on it. It felt like ages, but finally, a pair of leather boots appeared before me, the light so blinding I couldn't open my eyes. I clutched the boots tightly. "I... agree... to... your terms..." A bowl of plain white porridge was handed to me. I clutched the bowl with both hands and devoured it ravenously. I had believed my will would be as unyielding as a revolutionary martyr, but in the end, one bowl of bland porridge reduced me to begging on the floor. I also clearly realized that if I didn't yield, they truly would let me starve to death. In their world, procreation was more important than life itself. After eating, I finally regained some strength. I looked up at the person who had given me the porridge. It was Caleb. He still wore that indifferent expression. "Going too long without food can hurt your stomach. You don't need to eat so fast." The person who came with him scoffed at me. "I thought you were so tough. Couldn't even last seven days. There was someone else who..." Caleb shot the person a look, and they immediately shut up. The old man also arrived, bringing a few other potential partners. He still spoke to me kindly. "We respect your feelings. You can choose someone you like." 5 I still chose Caleb. He was the one with the highest genetic compatibility with me. Though the old man outwardly said he allowed me to choose, he was a wolf in sheep's clothing. And the female doctor who had examined me earlier had also said: "Combining with the person of highest genetic compatibility is beneficial for you." "If a less compatible match doesn't result in conception within two months, they will immediately be replaced by someone else." "This will continue until you successfully become pregnant." I asked her, "Why don't you use artificial reproduction?" "Because all children conceived through artificial means will die from various sudden illnesses around six or seven months. Only natural, human conception is the most stable." "Are all the women here living like this?" She shook her head. "Not all. Some women... they no longer have the ability to bear children." "Is it because they're old?" She didn't answer me, her expression shadowed with sadness. She reported to the old man that my physical functions had declined due to starvation, and I needed a few days to recover before being intimate with Caleb. The old man did not agree. She sighed and advised me, "Major Caleb isn't a bad person. Since you've accepted the pairing, try to embrace him. It will be easier for you, and it will benefit your future." Her expression was earnest. I thought she must have gone through something similar to say those words to me. Only Caleb and I remained in the room. He was cleaning his firearm. I stood by the window, gazing at a white building in the distance. Lana and I had materialized just outside that building when we transmigrated. I had tried several times to reach that building, hoping to find a way back to our world, but I could only observe it from the outside; I couldn't get in. I had yielded to my present circumstances, but I never intended to stay here forever. I had to find a way back into that building. 6 I finished showering and lay in bed. In the silent night, I heard faint sounds of intimacy. From the bottom of the tower to the top, floor by floor. Like a dense, interwoven net, it suffocated me. Caleb moved over me. The pain forced me to find something to distract myself. I asked him, "Did your previous partner have a child?" He gripped my waist. "She died." "How... did she die?" "Infected." "And did she successfully conceive before she died?" "No, I hadn't even met her when she passed." He looked at me, his amber eyes devoid of desire. Only instinct. The instinct to reproduce. He hadn't even removed his shirt. The stiff fabric chafed my skin, a dull ache. His gun remained in his hand, a constant vigilance. I stared at the cold night moon outside the window, wishing for dawn to break quickly. Such nights continued for three days. On the morning of the fourth day, the Ark Sanctuary's alarms blared. Infected had breached the perimeter. Normally, Caleb wouldn't have to go, but this issue was particularly tricky and required his expertise. My second designated partner was left by my side. He wasn't much older than seventeen or eighteen, and like Caleb, he was a man of few words. I asked him his name. His eyes were hidden in the shadow of his cap brim, but his earlobes flushed. "Jaxon." I smiled. "Your name means 'star of the game,' doesn't it? It's really beautiful." He nodded, a little nervous. "Th-thank you." I started to get up and get dressed. He turned away to give me privacy. I deliberately called out to him, "You don't have to be so formal. Anyway... if I don't get pregnant in two months, you'll be the one sleeping here with me." He stopped, stumbling over his words. "Major Caleb... he has the highest compatibility with you. You two will succeed." "Who knows? I've heard many people fail." "No... no, he's very capable." "This isn't something capability alone can ensure." I walked up to him, tilting my head back to meet his eyes. His eyes were beautiful, and filled with a frantic energy. His breathing was unsteady, his chest gently rising and falling. I knew when to stop. "I'm hungry. Could you get me something to eat?" "Okay." He fled as if released. Lana was returned at that very moment. 7 Lana hugged me tightly, her eyes welling with tears as she remarked on how thin I had become. Anxiously, I asked her, "Where have you been these past few days?" "Just on the floor below." "With whom?" "With a few other girls, and…" She instinctively bit her lip, then glanced towards the door. Following her gaze, I saw the man who had entered her room that first night. The dim light had obscured his features then, but now I recognized him as Reid, the son of the Sanctuary's current Commander. It was strange. Why were all these highly genetically compatible men the sons of the elite? Even stranger that Reid would agree to be paired with Lana. He had always been aloof, looking down on commoners, even advocating for abandoning them and keeping only the elite due to resource scarcity. It was ironic. Even with the Sanctuary's population dwindling to less than three hundred thousand, its class divisions remained stark. Lana said there were other girls in the tower. Remembering the intimate sounds I'd heard last night, it seemed this tower housed others like Lana and me. "So, you've been with him all these days?" Lana softly assented. "So you knew what we were going through?" "Yes." "And you agreed?" "Whether I agreed or not, I couldn't change anything." Her nature had always been to endure hardship. This was likely due to her orphaned childhood, living under the care of others. But we were best friends. I wouldn't leave her behind. "If I can find a way back, you'll come with me, right?" She nodded. "Yes." My heart settled a little. Ever since she said this place was paradise, I worried she truly intended to stay. 8 I lived day to day, waiting for an opportunity. By day, I followed their instructions, taking my medicine and eating, and with Lana, we tried to recall details of our transmigration, hoping to find a clue. By night, I lay on the narrow bed, enduring Caleb. Lana adapted to all of this more easily than I did. She adapted to Reid's bad temper, and also to his arrogance. Ten days later, my period arrived as expected. The doctors were somewhat disappointed, believing my prolonged starvation had affected my body. But they quickly rallied, because Lana was pregnant. A wave of jubilation swept through the Ark Sanctuary. Initially, I couldn't understand such intense excitement, until Lana told me she was the first natural conception in the Sanctuary in nearly five years.
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