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."

only after her surprise gifts and her

in Stella's head. How did Sadie find out about her Arcadia pendant? Judging by Hector's behavior, he probably didn't know about

headed downstairs. Hector lived on the 8th floor, the sounds of

straight downstairs without any hesitation. The weather was still sweltering, but the winds were picking up

storm was expected to arrive at 9 pm

shocked. Had the storm been brought

she could continue her studies. The vast library

mixed the books she wanted with others

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

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

given time to prepare.

kept her cash for emergencies and refrained from spending

and phone, continuously downloading data, including various movies, music, life hacks, recipes, offline maps, disaster

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

-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

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

could have been mistaken for night. Stella braced herself, hugging her large

this storm." Caught off guard by the early arrival of the storm, Stella had no choice but to retreat back into the station and