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.

sea, her sister-in-law had warned her to keep her distance.

waist and nuzzled her neck, "Sleep some more. Rosie and Cooper will handle breakfast." They'd

dozed off. Only Jasper persevered, taking diligent notes for 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 from South Base?" Rosie asked, full of hope. Far off, only a periscope was visible above the water, impossible to identify. But one thing was clear: the presence of the submarine indicated deep waters, a playground for her little sub. Yet, for all the appeal of the cramped

dog, the sunset was gone, and dark clouds amassed in the distance. Stella was reading in her room when she fell asleep. Rosie, ever vigilant, didn't

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,

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

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 as ants before the tempest, swallowed by the furious sea

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

of an eye, Stella enveloped them and the ship within Arcadia. No sooner had the cruise liner disappeared than the storm struck. The tempest, a hundred meters tall, unleashed its fury, sweeping relentlessly forward. Thunder boomed, and