18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 429

Jasper might have been clueless before, but after nine years with Stella, he'd picked up on everything he needed to know. Stella didn't hold back. "Yeah, your sister's all grown up."

Jasper paused, feeling a mix of happiness and a touch of melancholy.

"What's wrong?" Stella teased, tapping his chin playfully. "Not thrilled that Rosie's growing up?"

"Of course I'm happy. It's just... time flies, you know?"

Stella chuckled, "Feeling like an old dad who's going to walk his daughter down the aisle soon?"

Jasper opened his mouth, struggled for words, and finally admitted, "Yeah, and you're turning into an old mom, too."

But growing up was something to be celebrated. If their parents could see them from the beyond, they'd surely be comforted.

Raising a child in a post-apocalyptic world was no small feat, especially with Rosie turning out so well-most of the credit went to Stella. He wrapped his arms around Stella and kissed her. "Stella, thank you for all these tough years."

Feeling playful, Stella flirted back, "So, how do you plan to thank me?"

As their kisses deepened, he murmured, "My life for you."

Stella laughed, "What good is your life to me?"

He whispered in her ear, "What about my body, does that work?"

Stella playfully kicked him, "Be serious."

She went to deliver sanitary pads to Rosie and then turned to Jasper with a knowing look. "What are you waiting for? Clean up."

After five days in the submarine, Rosie's period had ended.

Blue Blue's relentless scratching finally paid off, clearing its body of barnacles over the past couple of days, and it hadn't reappeared since.

The silence of the deep sea was eerie, and the initial wonder at observing the marine life had turned to ennui. Not even the prettiest jellyfish or the strangest creatures could stir much excitement in the trio and their dog. Meals were eaten in silence, punctuated only by the clink of cutlery, chewing of food, and the sound of breathing.

Even Cooper's snoring had lost its charm, becoming a source of oppressive irritation.

Stella recognized the signs: deep-sea cabin fever was setting in.

creatures, dim lighting, and cramped space could suffocate the spirit if endured for

ease the stress, they surfaced

sun, the open view, and soothing music softened the moods of the three humans and

seeds on

such pastimes, took turns patrolling

finishing with the seeds and noticing Jasper's

sea. "I've got

instinct, especially as someone who'd lived two lives, wasn't

horizon with binoculars but found

"Our

the mutated Iran, Stella shivered. "You mean someone might be watching us from afar, and we just haven't spotted them?" Without evidence but trusting his gut, Jasper felt

them comfortable. But as ordinary people with limited resources, they couldn't ignore that others might have far superior gear. Ordinary folks might lack

countries, and despite the catastrophic disasters, the will to

would they watch us?" Stella frowned slightly. "To see Rosie

I'm just being

safe than sorry, they took a deep breath and

was cautious. They moved the submarine away from that area,

No disturbances, for now.

a hundred nautical miles,

bottom of the sea

couldn't focus on, Stella shared her worry, "Do you think it'll get harder from

referring to human-caused

the land submerged, even amidst severe human conflicts,

as tectonic plates shattered and nations became mere "nations," if they faced survival threats and dropped their national façades, it could lead to even greater catastrophes. The scarcer the resources, the

didn't provoke others, they might come

to see the future, Stella comforted

lead to

besieged, the submarine breached and flooding, water rising to

was trapped under the hatch, struggling in vain to open

jerked awake in the pitch

arms enveloped

her

back gently, and handed her a warm

the time, it was barely

drinking the water, tossing and turning

his arm as a pillow, and eventually, her breathing