18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

The digital clock struck midnight, resetting the timer to 130 minutes remaining. This meant that time could accumulate.

Stella was ecstatic. Every second counted, and it might just save her life in a crunch. She resolved not to enter Arcadia unless necessary, saving up her time for when extreme cold or earthquakes struck.-

With her supplies and Arcadia as her lifeline, she felt a newfound confidence towards the impending disasters. She had a dreamless night and was woken up the next day by a phone call. The installer for the stainless steel door had arrived. "Miss, you're getting a stainless steel door?"

"There have been break-ins in the neighborhood recently. I need to install high-quality ones."

The workers were bemused. "It's safe alright, but we'll have to drill holes into your ceiling and floor. You sure about this?"

"No worries. Safety comes first."

The landlord was away on work and there were no news from him even when the house collapsed during an earthquake, so the renovations were not a problem.

Workers replacing her windows with explosion-proof glass arrived shortly after. The sounds of drilling filled the apartment. Worried about disturbing her neighbors on the weekend, Stella apologized in the group chat and sent a small gift. She opened her food delivery app and continued her spending spree until her money ran out.

In less than two hours, the door and windows were installed. Stella paid the remaining fee, feeling a huge weight lifted off her as she looked at her fortified apartment.

Her phone rang. Expecting a delivery, she was surprised to find Hector on the other end. "Stella, I'm having a birthday party today. When will you be here?" Hector's voice was gentle and warm, laughter and chatter audible in the background. Stella scoffed. "Sure, I'll be there."

He clearly liked Sadie but kept stringing her along, obviously he was only after her surprise gifts and her superpower. She could even hear Sadie's sweet, flirting voice over the phone.

She had been ignored by Hector when she pursued him in her past life, yet now he was the one seeking her out. Alarms went off in Stella's head. How did Sadie find out about her Arcadia pendant? Judging by Hector's behavior, he probably didn't know about it and it was Sadie who instigated him to call.

Stella grabbed her keys and headed downstairs. Hector lived on the 8th floor, the sounds of cheerfulness seeping out from his apartment.

Stella went straight downstairs without any hesitation. The weather was still sweltering, but the winds were picking up as a sign of the upcoming storm. The streets were filled with the howling wind.

The latest text message informed everyone that the storm was expected to arrive at 9 pm that night.

Stella was shocked. Had the storm been brought forward?

She went to the university library to borrow some medical books and ones on martial arts and spirituality. They could come in handy during the disaster and she could continue her studies. The vast library woule be flooded during the flood, and countless precious books were lost forever. Stella's heart ached at the thought, but there was nothing she could do.

Avoiding the security cameras, she mixed the books she wanted with others and smuggled them into Arcadia.

When Hector called again, Stella directly blocked his number. She left the college and headed to the supermarket. She rode the elevator to the top floor parking lot, took a thorough look around, and then left. Faced with a plethora of goods, she didn't purchase anything. Instead, she wandered around the second floor several times before driving elsewhere.

The car rental company called to inform her that they were closing early due to the storm and she needed to return the car by 3 pm. Stella agreed verbally, but by the time she returned the car, it was already 4 pm. The storm was raging and the wind was howling. The owner was a decent guy and returned her deposit of $2000 after checking that everything was fine with the car.

Disasters didn't strike out of the blue, but people were given time to prepare. Unfortunately, they failed to seize the opportunity.

Stella kept her cash for emergencies and refrained from spending any more.

Back in the apartment, she grabbed her computer, tablet, and phone, continuously downloading data, including various movies, music, life hacks, recipes, offline maps, disaster first aid, and more.

Suddenly, a notification from her shopping app popped up. Stella remembered that she had forgotten about her online order for polar gear. The order was supposed to arrive the previous evening, but due to the seller's delay and courier service issues, it had just reached the courier service station. She immediately called the courier service, which informed her that they couldn't deliver due to the storm and she would have to wait until after the storm, or she could collect it herself before 6 pm if it was urgent.

The winds outside were growing stronger and trees in the neighborhood were swaying wildly. Once the storm hit, the courier service station would be flooded and without the polar gear, she wouldn't survive in temperatures below -60 to -70 degrees Celsius. Unable to get a cab, Stella gritted her teeth and hopped onto a public bicycle, pedaling furiously to the courier service station. The 2 km journey was harsh with the wind blowing so fiercely that she could barely keep her eyes open. Garbage and loose papers were swept up and swirled around in the air.

Covered in sweat, Stella arrived at the courier service station looking disheveled. As the storm had delayed deliveries, the station was filled with mountains of parcels.

Without wasting any time catching her breath, Stella rolled up her sleeves and started rummaging for her parcel. Fortunately, her parcel was large and she managed to find it after about 15 minutes of searching. The storm had intensified outside and the sky was so dark it could have been mistaken for night. Stella braced herself, hugging her large parcel as she stepped outside. Just as she left the door, a gust of wind swept her off her feet. A man who was loading his car nearby quickly reached out and pulled her back. The man was sturdy and managed to pull Stella back onto her feet.

Stella hastily thanked him, but her voice was drowned out by the wind. The man glanced at her. "It's not safe for you to be carrying such a large parcel in this storm." Caught off guard by the early arrival of the storm, Stella had no choice but to retreat back into the station and frantically refresh her Uber, even adding tips and bonuses. However, there were still 300 people ahead of her in the queue and no drivers were accepting orders.

The man had collected a large number of parcels, filling his Hummer to the brim. Seeing her anxious to leave, he hesitated for a moment before asking, "Where do you live?"

Under the light, Stella finally got a good look at him. He was dressed in a black t-shirt and jeans, a young man in his early twenties with a clean crew cut. His jawline was sharp and his face was ruggedly handsome. He was very tall, with long legs that were to die for. Stella thanked him again, and the man replied indifferently, "It's no trouble."

"I live in Sunrise Sanctuary. Could you give me a lift? I can pay for it."

The man nodded and opened the car door.

The back seat was filled with parcels, so Stella opened the front door only to find a little girl sitting in the passenger seat. She was around four or five, with a timid look. She was dressed in a pink dress and her dark eyes were as round as grapes. "Rosie, let her hold you," said the man.

With the end of the world looming, who cared about traffic violations anymore? Stella carried Rosie on her lap and squeezed the parcel into the footwell.

The winds were howling, but the Hummer drove steadily on. The horizon was heavy with gloom, scattered with broken tree branches, and the tin roofs were rattling under the fury of the wind.

Down the distant streets, a girl in a sundress was clutching onto a telephone pole, her lips moving in a silent scream for help.

The catastrophe had officially begun.