18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 413

Jasper knew he had to walk a fine line, balancing relationships with the deftness of a tightrope walker. Both he and Stella had been through the wringer, twice over. They'd seen the darker side of human nature, and it left them wary. Stella eyed Jasper, concern clear in her gaze. "What if one day Rosie and I have a falling out over Arcadia? What then?"

It was a loaded question, without a doubt.

Jasper couldn't provide an answer to a hypothetical, and there was no standard response. "Stella, Arcadia is yours. Don't borrow trouble."

She didn't press him further. Why consume themselves with what-ifs? It would only lead to paranoia and unnecessary problems.

The world was in chaos. Continents collided, landscapes fell, and nothing was the same anymore.

The terrain shifted, ocean currents rerouted, and predictability became a thing of the past. In the morning, you'd drift east; by afternoon, the currents would veer south, changing moods like a temperamental child and keeping everyone on edge. Stella encountered various survivors at sea-lifeboats, makeshift rafts, kayaks, and life rings.

It was like a maritime free-for-all, everyone working their own kind of magic.

Some drifted away with the current, while others passed close by, slapping the sides of their lifeboats, crying out, "Help, help me!"

Blonde hair and blue eyes-no telling where that foreigner hailed from.

Stella had enough on her plate just keeping herself safe, so she turned a blind eye.

After days adrift, the tumult of the sea calmed, and the sun broke through the clouds. Stella pulled the curtains closed and took a midday nap.

By the time Rosie awoke, the lifeboat was securely on board a yacht, which floated serenely on the water's surface.

Stella emerged, stretched in the sunlight, and planted her feet on deck, so full of joy she couldn't help but jump around.

Cooper, previously wilted, sprang to life, wagging his tail and circling them with energetic barks. "Woof!"

They were alive again.

Adrift without a destination, they had no plans to cruise about in the yacht. They'd just float wherever the sea took them, saving a good deal on fuel.

But they didn't drop anchor either. The ocean's mystery was unsettling, and they feared a sudden catastrophe might not even afford them time to weigh anchor. With no wind or waves, the yacht crept along sluggishly.

brought out a parasol and a beach chair, setting a glass of juice at her side. If life was a constant escape, they

were fierce. Jasper, ever the attentive one, offered to apply sunscreen to Stella, who giggled uncontrollably at the ticklish sensation. Rosie covered Cooper's eyes with

hours and enjoying a relaxed lunch in the sea

seem peaceful, but Jasper was

fish?" Stella asked, offering

gear, probably pilfered from Director

fishing but was open to giving

gear and bait for him, warning with a grin, "Just don't get dragged

off by a shark, you'll be a

his chin affectionately and went off to sleep,

the bed was a dream, rivaling the comfort of

a restful two-hour nap, Stella, concerned about Jasper's safety,

still there, and it looked

to peek into the bucket but didn't expect Jasper to be wrestling with his catch at that exact moment. His warning came too late, "Watch out!" Already too late, a fish leaped from the bucket, aiming straight for Stella's nose. Used to rough seas, her reflexes were sharp, and she dodged

splashed back into the bucket,

on

fish put up a fight, and in the moment of distraction, it got away.

believe it. Since when were yellow croakers so aggressive that they'd go for the

the bucket with a

yellow croaker; it was a

with a protruding jaw lined with serrated teeth and topped with a pair of menacing

the

the creature was fierce. It thrashed against the bucket every time Stella drew

look. Is

making it appear incredibly vicious. Wow, could ancient viruses be so potent as to turn a yellow croaker into

wildly aggressive. It attacked

to do, engaged in a bizarre face-off with

lean in, it

back, it

to have the

succumbed to exhaustion,

but laugh. "Are you acting like a