18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 6

Stella couldn't believe it. Not only had apartment 1801 acquired a new tenant, he was also the same young man who had lent a helping hand at the courier service station.

The man was tall and lean, with a handsome, cool demeanor. His clothes hinted at a muscular physique that suggested explosive power.

After a brief nod of surprise, he continued his work and Stella quickly retreated back to her room.

This time it was different. Not only had the hurricane arrived early, but she also had a new neighbor. Who in their right mind would install three steel doors? She didn't want trouble, but she maintained a level of caution. He was indeed brave enough to help her, but after all, it was before the natural disaster, and with the decline of morality in the end of the world, who could guarantee that he would remain kind?

Now, she found herself in her apartment, brushing her teeth and grabbing some breakfast. The weather was still dreary, and she could hear the howling winds of the hurricane against her windows. In just one night, the streets were flooded and many cars were submerged. The lower-lying areas were completely swept away by the floodwaters.

The rain obstructed the view, and in the distance, everything appeared hazy and ominous. The sky grew darker, as if two invisible hands of darkness were compressing the entire city in their grasp, crushing it with relentless force.

She stood on her balcony with her binoculars, watching as a tornado formed, quickly sucking up everything in its path. Were there tornadoes in her previous life? She couldn't remember. She had a feeling that things were getting worse. Her phone kept buzzing with messages. She switched off her network, annoyed by the constant notifications.

meal. When she turned off the kitchen fan, she could faintly hear a child crying. She

to recognize that the child's crying sounded off. After a moment

as she was about to leave, she heard the door unlatch. The door opened to reveal a child with tear-streaked cheeks, her face abnormally flushed. "Rosie, why are you crying?" Stella touched her forehead, which was burning hot. The child was clearly sick with a fever. "Where's

voice was hoarse from crying, "My brother doesn't want Rosie as

seemed she had been abandoned

assuring her that her brother would be back soon, and offered to take her to her

the unfamiliarity, but she remembered the

children's cold medicine, and left a note

the neighbor. Wasn't going out in this kind of weather

and anxious, Stella's mind drifted back to her childhood. She thought about how she would get sick and curl up in bed, crying into her pillow, feeling

downloaded cartoons for Rosie to watch. The animations certainly did the trick as they seemed to provide a slight boost

down to check her phone, she noticed a message from Hector. [Stella, I was rude yesterday, don't be

him to be such a wimp.

his house who hadn't left. Parties were all about snacks, beer and cake. They didn't know how to cook, so where would they get their supply of food? Even if