The Beast World Resets

PROLOGUE- Code Pink

Colette had always been a force to be reckoned with. At eighteen, she was already breaking away from her family's long-established path in medicine, forging her own way through the rigorous world of engineering. Her parents, both well-known surgeons, had their own dreams for her—dreams that involved white coats, stethoscopes, and operating rooms. The entire family, in fact, was steeped in the medical field. Colette's uncle owned a pharmaceutical company, her aunt specialized in pediatrics, and her cousin was in vet school. Medicine wasn't just a career in her family; it was a legacy. So when Colette declared her desire to double major in engineering and medicine, her parents had protested.

"Be a teenager," they insisted, yearning for her to savor the carefree years of youth. They wanted her to be like other kids her age, to live and explore before settling down into the demanding world of healthcare. But Colette was never one to follow expectations.

In high school, many had assumed she'd pursue fashion design, given her love for costume-making. But Colette had always thrived on challenging assumptions. While other girls her age were caught up in the latest fashion trends, Colette was mastering parkour and gymnastics, all to recreate the action moves she saw on TV. Bruises, fractures, even the occasional broken bone—none of it deterred her. She had a curious, fiery spirit, always pushing the limits, always yearning for more. As she grew older, she tempered her boundless energy with focus, turning to activities like sword dancing and aikido. These interests were just her way of channeling her intensity, even if it seemed bizarre to outsiders.

Starting college was a wake-up call. Colette quickly realized that not everyone shared her unique outlook. She learned to blend in, to be just another student. Her peers never guessed that she was the daughter of two of the most respected surgeons in the country. She kept a low profile, knitting and doing DIY projects, skills she had picked up from her grandmother. To her classmates, she was just a regular girl who grew up with her grandparents while her parents were too busy with their careers.

No one could have predicted how those seemingly mundane traits would one day matter. When Colette and her friends decided to attend Coachella, they were just looking for fun. They had no idea how quickly things could turn dark. One moment, Colette was there, laughing and dancing with them. The next, she was gone, vanished as if into thin air. Her friends couldn't comprehend how it had happened so fast, so silently. They searched for her, called her name until their voices were hoarse, but Colette was nowhere to be found.

Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, months into years. No ransom calls came, no clues emerged. It was as if Colette had never existed. The tragedy shattered her family, leaving a gaping hole in their hearts.

"She was the only girl in the family," her eldest brother, Carlton, said during a televised interview, his voice thick with emotion. "But she was not to be bested in our hunting competitions."

"She did a giant swing move on a tree branch once," added her second brother, Cameron, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "That's how she got the nickname 'Monkey'."

Their mother, overcome with grief, broke down. "Just please, whoever took her, please give her back," she sobbed, her voice cracking. "You can't just take someone else's child!" Her husband wrapped his arms around her, his own face a mask of pain.

Three years had passed since Colette's disappearance. Three long, agonizing years, and her family still refused to give up hope. This was the third interview they had given that year, a desperate attempt to keep her name, her memory, alive in the public eye.

The crew had just finished packing up when Colette's mother's phone rang. She glanced at the screen, her breath catching in her throat. The name displayed felt like a punch to the gut. "Monkey?"

The room fell silent. She answered the call, her voice trembling. "Baby, where are you? Are you okay?"

Her husband quickly put the phone on speaker. They all strained to listen, but all they heard was static. "Mommy?" Colette's voice was faint, broken by interference. "I miss you and Daddy. I miss Carlton and Cam too, and Grandma. I—I can't come back, Mommy. I can't."

"Why, baby? Why can't you?" Her mother's voice was filled with desperate hope. "Just tell Mommy where you are."

While she spoke, Cameron hurried to his laptop, trying to track the caller's location. His fingers flew over the keys, but the result came back empty.

"I don't know where I am," Colette's voice crackled through the static. "But I can't talk anymore, Mommy. Just know that I'm safe. I love you all. Tell Grams, Gramps, Gammy, and Grumpy too. And everyone. Just know that wherever I am, I'm safe. You have to—" More static cut her off.

"Hello? Baby? Are you still there?" Her mother pleaded, panic rising. "Please, baby, don't leave just yet. Mommy has so many questions. Please!"

"Mommy? Tell Carlton and Cammy that this time, it's Code Pink."

The words hit like a physical blow. Carlton and Cameron froze, the weight of those words sinking in. Code Pink was their secret code for saying goodbye, for letting go, for moving on.

"I can't talk anymore. Just know that I love you all. Live life to the fullest. I will too. I hope that I can still meet you on the other—" The line went dead.

"Hello? Baby?" Their mother's voice was frantic. "Hello? Monkey?"

She looked at her sons, her eyes wide with fear and confusion. "What does Code Pink mean, Carlton?"

Cameron checked his laptop again, but the trace was futile. The location couldn't be found. He sighed, his shoulders slumping. "It means... it means she's saying goodbye, Mom."

"No!" She shook her head violently. "Why should we give up?! That's our baby girl! That's your sister."

"It's what she wants, Mom," Cameron said quietly, closing his laptop. "Given all this time, she must have thought this was the best way."

"How can you say that?" she demanded, her voice breaking. "She's your sister!"

"She's my sister!" Cameron's voice rose, raw with emotion. "That's why I know we have to respect her wishes. This is Colette we're talking about. She's smart, she's resourceful. If she says she's safe, then we have to believe her. But she knows you'd keep looking, that you'd never stop. That's why she wants us to move on."

Cameron stood up, needing space to breathe, to think. "Where are you going?" Carlton asked.

"I need air," Cameron replied, his voice tight. "I need to take all this in." And with that, he left the room.

These were the moments Colette couldn't witness but had imagined over and over. She had thought of all the possibilities, and Code Pink was the only choice she could make.

No matter how much she wanted to go back, she knew she couldn't. That's what the gods and the system had told her when she woke up in a different world.

She had begged for one last chance to talk to her family. If she had to complete her mission without any hope of returning, she wanted to say goodbye. It took a lot of bargaining, but in the end, they agreed. And so, she made her final call.