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.

her

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

enjoying a relaxed lunch in

seem peaceful, but Jasper was always cautious. He stayed on

to fish?" Stella asked, offering

pilfered from Director Feng's study.

much for fishing but was open to

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

smiled back. "If I get dragged off by a shark, you'll be a

his chin affectionately and went off to sleep,

bed was a dream, rivaling the

restful two-hour nap, Stella, concerned about Jasper's safety, slipped into casual clothes and returned

was still there, and it looked

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

fish splashed back into the bucket, water spraying

flabbergasted. "What on earth did

of distraction, it got away. Jasper reeled in his line, "A yellow

when were yellow croakers so aggressive that they'd go for

a net and peered in

this wasn't a yellow croaker;

with a protruding jaw lined with serrated teeth

was the stuff

fierce. It thrashed against the bucket every time Stella drew

another look. Is it a barracuda

was shocked to find it was indeed a yellow croaker, just grossly enlarged and deformed, making it appear incredibly vicious. Wow, could

it wasn't just ugly; it was wildly aggressive. It attacked anything

to do, engaged in a bizarre face-off with the

lean in, it

pull back, it

to have the

the fish succumbed

acting like a