18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 417

The screams grew louder and more frequent, a chorus of horror as one person had their arm torn off, their bodies dragged mercilessly down into the abyss. The moon hung in the sky, dull and lifeless, its light doing nothing to illuminate the sea creatures that darted below, their teeth tearing into flesh. Blood spread rapidly through the water. Some had their hands bitten, others their legs mangled, and some were pulled under, never to resurface. In the frantic struggle for life, someone's hand struck something hard and round. A flicker of light from a flashlight revealed a large spherical object. A lifeboat! Hope surged within them as they pounded on the lifeboat's hull, "Help! Help!"

Stella felt the vibrations, but the rocking was subtle. The glass curtains were drawn, obscuring the view from both inside and outside. The drop from cruise ship to lifeboat was drastic.

Thankfully, the trio and their dog were pros at adapting. While others fought desperately in the ocean, risking death at any moment, they enjoyed warm meals and the luxury of a hot shower-a stark contrast to the chaos outside. Rosie smiled, sneaking a rib to Cooper.

The next morning, they woke up to the comfort of soft beds and the distant calls of seagulls. Sunlight streamed through the window, tender and bright, like a warm hand caressing Rosie's face. She got dressed and hurried to cook breakfast. Opening the door, she startled a seagull perched on the deck, which took flight against the blue sky.

seagulls at sea, her sister-in-law had warned her to

Cooper will handle breakfast." They'd been up

Stella to review later. In the evening, Cooper came with an urgent bark, "Woof, woof!" Jasper had trained him well. Two short barks meant a discovery! It was Rosie's doing, sending Cooper with news of a submarine sighting. "Is it

was gone, and dark clouds amassed in the distance. Stella was reading in her room when she fell asleep. Rosie, ever vigilant, didn't disturb her brother unless necessary. Wearing her apron, Rosie was cooking while Cooper lounged on the

kitchen lights dimmed. Rosie looked up, alert, but saw nothing amiss. Yet when she looked further out, she nearly dropped the spatula in shock. She thought her eyes deceived her, but blinking did not change the sight. Startled by Cooper's yelps, Stella woke from her dream, leaping up instinctively. She and Jasper rushed outside, arriving on deck to see a monstrous wave rolling toward them. At the horizon, a wall of water, dozens of meters high, crashed forward with unstoppable force. But around Stella, the sea remained

clouds, striking the ocean with ferocious intensity. The electrical storm dazzled more brilliantly than any fireworks display, with flashes of green, blue, and purple lighting up the sky, as if determined to rip the heavens apart. The wave advanced rapidly, growing ever larger. Like the pages of a book flipped violently, the wave rose

the distance was tossed high by the wave, and as the sea rolled, it capsized, swallowed by the churning water. Against the storm's wrath, the sizable vessel was as insignificant as a child's paper boat. Onboard were survivors, clinging to life with all the protective measures they could muster. Yet, they were

moments, the storm seemed to teleport closer, its monstrous maw snapping at them. The sea

The tempest, a hundred meters tall, unleashed its fury, sweeping relentlessly forward. Thunder boomed, and a deluge fell from the skies as the