The Walking Dead: A New Beginning From the End of the World

My name is Jason, and as far as I can tell, I'm about twenty-five years old. Right now, I'm in a military prison, serving a sentence for things I never actually did.

I'm sure you're thinking that to be in a military prison, I must have committed unforgivable crimes.

But that idea couldn't be further from the truth—a truth that even I took a long time to accept.

A few months ago, I blacked out while in my room. When I woke up, I was lying on a bed in an individual cell in a military prison, looking completely different.

Not only had my age changed, but also my appearance, name, and history.

It was hard to accept that when I woke up, I had a completely different identity. Apparently, I was serving a sentence for military crimes—insubordination committed by the man who had owned this body until recently.

The situation wouldn't have been so bad if the former host of this body hadn't been stationed abroad, in an area rife with hostile activity.

What little I could recall was that Jason had been part of a high-priority mission. During this mission, he had received orders that he considered either morally unacceptable or tactically unsound.

Jason, having been a soldier in his past life as well, could imagine what this man must have endured to end up in this situation. Anyone in his position might have refused to attack a civilian target, abandon allies under fire, or ignore a critical threat.

The problem with these situations is that when someone chooses to disobey, acting according to their own judgment, it never ends well. No soldier has the right to make decisions that contradict direct orders from their superiors.

When Jason returned to his country, he was charged with insubordination, disobedience, and potentially compromising a major strategic operation that endangered the nation.

That's why he was imprisoned in a military facility, where he ultimately died—shortly before I woke up as the new occupant of this body.

The sentence lasted six long months, and it would have been longer if Jason hadn't been forced to sign a document stating that he would never disclose what he saw or did abroad.

Jason wasn't perfect, but he wasn't stupid either. He knew that if he made a single mistake in these final months, he'd be locked away indefinitely, never to see daylight again.

While Jason's previous life as a soldier had been tough, his current life seemed to have placed him in a much higher rank, so he had some understanding of what had happened.

It was hard to get through those first few days, haunted by thoughts that all of this was just a dream. But over time, everything changed completely.

Now that his release was close, nothing else about this reality seemed to matter.

…

"Just a few more days…" Jason lightly touched the tattoo on his shoulder, unique to his battalion, and thought about many things with a cold detachment.

He had been reincarnated into what seemed to be the absolute rock bottom of a man's life. Mistakes happen, but that didn't mean this was the worst possible start he could've had.

The only comfort was that this body wasn't weak—no one in a prison like this would have a weak body.

Unlike a regular prison, this one forced inmates to start their day early with pre-defined activities like physical training, assigned tasks, and military education.

In some cases, inmates could receive military education or retraining programs tailored to their profile.

For minor offenses, the focus was on preparing prisoners to reintegrate into service or civilian life.

For Jason, there was no second chance—he wasn't that lucky.

But that wasn't a problem. The fact that he had died made more sense to him than the idea of living a new life. Still, if he was here, it had to mean his luck was extraordinary, and perhaps there was a purpose far greater than the value of his existence waiting for him.

He could feel it clearly…

"Something better… Why do I feel like everything is about to get even darker for me?" Jason coldly mocked himself, sensing that something very bad was about to happen.

This feeling was like his personal radar—he always knew when things were about to go wrong, and he had only a short window to figure out exactly what it was.

The last time he felt this way, it had terrible consequences. He knew something was about to go south.

"Hey, man. Everyone knows you're about to get out, so the guys and I were wondering—what did you do to end up in this place?"

Jason was sitting in the outdoor confinement area, a favorite spot for soldiers to exercise and relax. The man speaking to him was Tommy, a medium-height man with a strong build. His fair skin contrasted with his short blond hair, making him quite striking.

Tommy had become a friend to Jason. Even though Jason didn't talk much, Tommy was always by his side, sharing stories of his experiences in the military.

Jason sighed, gazing at the sunset, and replied without hesitation: "I signed an ultimatum. If I talk, they'll lock me away forever in a place no one's ever escaped from."

"Screw those ultimatums. A lot of guys here have signed them, and no one would dare to spill secrets in this place—it's like a sanctuary for secrets." Tommy was curious. He knew that for Jason to have been in a special forces unit, he must have been very skilled, and he respected that.

"We've talked about this, Tommy. When are you going to leave Jason alone?"

"Stay out of this, Butcher. Damn it, you always have to meddle in other people's crap." Tommy glared at the man, who seemed like the resident politician of the prison.

"Well…"

All of them, including Butcher, turned to Jason, who seemed about to speak. This was a moment many of his companions had been waiting for; after all, he was the only one who hadn't shared his experiences yet.

Perhaps because Jason had regained his composure long before, his gaze showed a certain indifference upon hearing the question, and he thought to himself, What more could I tell them?

"Let's just say I didn't want to wipe out an entire village because they saw what we did to the criminals we were hunting. I didn't want to be part of that massacre, and that's why I'm here." Jason had long since embraced the experiences and mistakes of this body as his own, knowing that he would have done the same in that situation.

"Dear God…"

"Son of a bitch, I knew that's why you're here." Tommy and the others turned away, avoiding Jason's gaze. Jason, however, had taken this experience as something that could only make him a better person.

Everyone here was military, from various branches, including drone operators, many of whom were here because they had disobeyed orders.

No one would judge Jason here; they all understood and respected him.

"Then you're really screwed, buddy, but it doesn't matter. Someone with your skills could be hired by a private security firm and make a lot of money," said Butcher, who knew Jason's military career was over.

"I don't know. Maybe I'll buy a farm and live quietly from now on." Jason didn't see himself using his skills to stay in the private security business. It wasn't what he had envisioned, and he didn't feel ready to move on as if nothing that had happened mattered to him.

At that moment, a guard approached the training area, and everyone resumed their exercises.

"Jason, you're coming with us. The rest of you can head to the cafeteria for lunch."

Jason looked coldly at the guard and asked, "Isn't it lunchtime?"

"Just follow me and don't ask questions. You might get to leave today."

"Isn't it supposed to be a few more days?" Jason remembered the exact day he was supposed to be released, so confusion overtook him.

"Well, let's just say your process got expedited due to some complications. Since you've been on good behavior, the plan was to release you a few months early, but we couldn't because of the persistence of those who wanted you inside."

"And now it doesn't matter?"

"Ha, apparently not. You're not the only one being released."

Jason's situation was unique. He hadn't committed a crime on his country's soil but abroad, so he couldn't be released on bail. But it seemed things had been accelerated for some reason.

"Alright, here are the papers."

When Jason entered a secluded room, a man in a green uniform with many stars, who was already present, stood to greet him and said, "Well, as I promised, I managed to get you out a week early."

"Was it you, Colonel?" Jason recognized his superior.

"Let's just say I could only pull this off for you." Anderson knew Jason's story, so he had worked harder than ever on his case to get him out as soon as possible.

Jason, with a look of gratitude, said, "No, no, I should thank you for taking such an interest in my case. Truly, I'm very grateful for your help, Colonel."

"You're a free man now, Jason. Please, live the way you've always wanted and stay out of trouble."

"Yes, Colonel." Jason gave the man a military salute, appreciating the effort that had sped up his release.

After signing some papers, he grabbed his belongings and left without any issues.

Jason took a deep breath and looked around. He didn't have any family here either, so he instinctively walked without a destination.

…

Kings County, a suburb of Atlanta.

In a police car parked on the side of the road, two men were casually chatting while eating.

"If that bastard from earlier dared to move forward again, I'd have really smashed his damn face."

"Calm down, there are idiots everywhere."

"Rick, sometimes I really don't know what to do with everything I'm holding inside. This county job isn't for me."

"What are you going to do if you don't do this? Please, become a mechanic in this place?"

"Haha, maybe I'll consider it." Shane then asked, "By the way, how's Carl?"

"My son? Come over for dinner tonight, and you can find out yourself."

"Alright, just make sure you've got my favorite beer ready."

"Don't worry."

The two were sitting in the car, chatting and eating fast food. If Jason, who had just been released from military prison, were here, he would know that these two police officers were none other than Rick and Shane, two of the most important people in the main plot of this world he didn't know he was in.

Now, as Jason wandered aimlessly, thinking about his newfound freedom, he unknowingly arrived in the town where these two worked as county officers.

While pondering all this, he entered a shopping center to grab something fresh to eat. He needed to hydrate before continuing on his way.

"I should abandon the idea of a farm…." Jason muttered, thinking of all the difficulties he'd face with his limited knowledge of running a farm on his own.