18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 4

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."

Sadie but kept stringing her along, obviously he was only after her surprise gifts and her superpower. She could even hear

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

Hector lived on the 8th floor, the sounds of

hesitation. The weather was still sweltering, but the winds were picking up as a sign

the storm

the

during the disaster and she could continue her studies. The vast library woule be flooded during the flood, and countless

the books she wanted with others and smuggled

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

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

were given time to prepare.

cash for emergencies and refrained

computer, tablet, and phone, continuously downloading data, including various

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

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

sweat, Stella arrived at the courier service station looking disheveled. As

it could have been mistaken for night. Stella braced

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