Chapter 1

Overwhelmed by pain, Phoenix Ashby felt it searing through every bone. This was no mere sensation but a cruel reality that had befallen him. Betrayed by friends and neighbors he had once aided, Phoenix was now being torn apart by those he trusted. In a world starved of resources, their gratitude had faded, replaced by the cold steel of butcher knives.

With his life ebbing away, Phoenix caught sight of Mira Nightingale, the woman he once adored, now part of the mob. Her voice, pitiful yet forceful, pierced the chaos, "I made him open the door. Leave me a rib for my soup!" It was she who had deceived him, leading to his fatal downfall.

As resentment and regret filled his gaze, Phoenix cursed his naivety. His kindness had made him prey, merely sustenance in this harsh new world. If only he could start over, he mused, vowing that mercy would be a stranger to him.

Suddenly, darkness gave way to light as Phoenix jolted awake on his sofa. Gasping for air, drenched in sweat, he was bewildered. "Wasn't I just killed?" As recognition dawned, he realized he was home, yet the warmth in the air was strangely comforting, especially since December 2050 had unleashed a catastrophic Cold Weather Storm across the globe due to a supernova. Solstice City, his home, now lay buried under relentless blizzards.

Standing up, Phoenix guzzled water from his fridge, a precious commodity in these frigid times. He then noticed the date on his phone: November 12th, a month before the disaster. It dawned on him—he had been reborn.

The agony of his past death was too vivid to be a dream. Grateful for this second chance, his eyes sparkled with a newfound resolve. He would remember those who had wronged him and live well beyond their reach.

With no family left, Phoenix possessed a modest home and savings, which seemed futile against the impending doomsday. Survival would demand more than just scraping by; he aspired for a life filled with quality, including proper diet and entertainment.

As he pondered, a mysterious white light appeared, drawing him into an immense, blank space. "An alien dimension?" he wondered, realizing his rebirth had granted him extraordinary abilities. With this space, he could hoard supplies for the end times.

His mind raced as he experimented with the capacity of this space, finding it could hold anything from household items to large appliances. The discovery buoyed his spirits. As a supervisor at a Walmart warehouse in South Draconia, he knew he could exploit his knowledge to secure a lifetime's worth of high-quality goods.

With his plan set, Phoenix's stomach rumbled, prompting him to discard his takeout food. Time was of the essence; he intended to savor life's pleasures while he could. As he strode out, determined to indulge at a Michelin-starred restaurant, Phoenix mused, "Money will soon be obsolete. Better to enjoy it while it still has value."