18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 1

"Ah..."

Stella Larson bolted upright in bed, sweat trickling down her forehead. Her eyes were clouded with confusion and despair. Her muddled consciousness was jolted by the scene before her. Was this her apartment from before the apocalypse? "Ding-dong, ding-dong."

The sound of incoming text messages prompted her to reach for the smartphone on her nightstand. September 14, 2029, 9:32 AM.

Over a dozen unread messages, all about the impending arrival of a powerful hurricane, "Cleaver," expected to make landfall on the coast in the wee hours of the 17th. The storm was predicted to be a Category 5, bringing heavy rainfall that would last for several days. Stella was bewildered. Hadn't she perished in the chaotic apocalypse? Could her unwillingness to die have plunged her back into this nightmare on the brink of death?

"Ding-dong." Another alert, this time timestamped 9:37 AM.

Stella pinched her arm hard. The sharp pain served as a reminder: this was no dream; she had truly been given a second chance. She had returned to three days before the hurricane that marked the start of the apocalypse. Or more accurately, two and a half days. Stella was far from overjoyed. Instead, she felt an overwhelming sense of fatigue. Hurricanes, torrential rains, floods, extreme cold and heat, and earthquakes, each challenge felt like hell. Was there anything worth starting over for?

But since she had returned, was she supposed to just wait for death? Absolutely not!

She splashed cold water on her face. Looking into the mirror, she saw a young, beautiful reflection. Her face was glowing, untouched by the desperate struggle of the apocalypse. Everything seemed so perfect.

Her weary gaze fell on the pendant around her neck. She had found it in the hospital when she was abandoned at birth. Later, Hector took it from her to give to the cheerleader, Sadie.

Three years into the apocalypse, Sadie still looked pristine and radiant, her clothes spotless, her skin rosy. It was as if she still lived in the prosperous world before the disaster.

Once, Stella had been so hungry she fainted. In her peripheral vision, she saw Sadie take an ice cream from the pendant and start to lick it.

sliced her finger, and let a drop of blood fall onto the pendant. The pendant emitted a bright light. When Stella opened her eyes again, she found herself in a sparsely furnished apartment with no doors, except for the one leading

floated in the

the opulent Arcadia that had allowed Sadie to live so comfortably, the one

apart from the balcony and the garden, every other place had preservation capabilities. When she attempted to store something using her sense, the

out, she didn't have the luxury to contemplate the mysteries within. Now that she had another chance at life and had Arcadia in her possession, she was determined to change her tragic

previous life, Stella lived for only three years. She had no idea what other disasters awaited her, so she used her phone to search for types of natural disasters. After

emotions, she started to make

and although the orphanage seemed peaceful on the surface, there were intense power struggles

picking up scraps and doing odd jobs in elementary school. By high school, she was tutoring and even cleaning toilets - as long as she was paid. She

she dared to do anything as long as it was not illegal. After a decade, she had saved $200K in

and in the evening, she was

and hospitalized, unable to tutor for a

two weeks, and the parents were all well off. Among them, two sent $500 as a get-well gift, totaling $6K

remind them about the impending hurricane

also not available in pharmacies. Stella sent a picture of the list to her childhood friend, Cody, who worked for a pharmaceutical company. [New rich client needs these urgently, and they need to be delivered tonight. Can you

immediately, [Sure

"Stella, this medication list is

client has only one

phone and

Stella picked up her keys and headed out, her gaze falling on the limited edition, brand new Air Jordans on the table. She felt

Hector, it was as if she was under a spell. To win him over, she gave up her dorm and rented an expensive apartment in a school district, even queuing up at the crack of dawn at a specialty store to buy him Air Jordans. She never spent more than $300 on her own shoes, but she didn't hesitate to spend over $8K on a limited edition pair for him. And what did