18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 524

Jasper eyed Snowflake, the stubborn glint in her eyes undimmed even in defeat. "Snowflake hasn’t been tamed," he mused. "She’s just bowing to reality for now."

Surviving in the Arctic was no picnic, and a lone wolf like her would’ve eventually been snuffed out by humans, but then she met Cooper...

Their love was the real deal, no question. She chose to stay, but that didn’t mean she wanted this life for her pups.

So, she raised them until they were old enough, then started teaching them the ropes of survival.

Stella got it. “Does Snowflake want to send Hugo back to the wild?”

That’s what Jasper thought. Why else would such a close-knit couple be at each other’s throats?

Even the best couples have their brawls, neither willing to back down.

Stella felt torn. Hugo had grown quite attached to her, and the idea of him being driven away was gut-wrenching.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say she doted on him like a cherished grandchild.

But Snowflake was Hugo’s real mom, and each species had its own way of living. Stella had no right to make decisions for them.

Suddenly, Stella thought of Daniel. He'd almost made it to the courthouse, ready to tie the knot, but in the end, he chose to accept a mission from the state.

In that moment, she understood Snowflake's actions.

It hurt, but Stella didn’t interfere. She just turned and walked away.

If Snowflake was Hugo’s mom, then Rosie was like a second mom to them.

She couldn’t fully grasp it, but she took her brother's words to heart.

That evening, the couple came home with the kids.

Despite the rough play, only minor scrapes were visible, and the silent treatment between the adults began.

The next day, Snowflake took Hugo out again.

Predictably, another fierce battle broke out, but Cooper didn’t run to Stella to complain.

He probably knew Stella was protective and might go after Snowflake.

Stella was both amused and concerned but chose not to step in.

She kept a close watch, though. Snowflake was smart—maybe she’d taken Stella’s previous advice to heart, just like her own mother might’ve taught her.

Snowflake’s fishing skills were top-notch. She wouldn’t eat the deformed fish, instead teaching her pups the tricks of the trade.

Hugo had been raised on Stella’s handouts and was initially scared of fishing, but the scent of blood soon awakened his wild instincts, and he got more and more into it.

After more than a month of training, they could catch live fish like pros.

Alpha, carrying a live fish, sprinted joyfully towards Stella and dropped it at her feet.

Stella was touched. She remembered when Cooper had caught a live fish during the early days of the disaster.

She crouched down to pet Alpha’s head, her heart heavy with reluctance. “Learn well from your mom, and if one day…”

If you have to go it alone, steer clear of humans.

After several days of conflict, Cooper was visibly deflated.

He seemed heartbroken but appeared to have come to terms with it.

Snowflake went out every day, leading her pups either to the sea or to the mountains, moving with agility across the rugged terrain.

This training went on for three months, from autumn into winter.

Winter was unpredictable, one moment you could wear a tee, the next it dropped below freezing. But greenery was starting to flourish around the RV.

Stella stood in front of the RV, scanning the distant sea with her binoculars.

It was no longer in sight.

When they had first arrived, the sea was only a couple hundred meters away. Now, it was tens of kilometers distant, and the salty scent of the sea was gone.

The reduced marine influence meant the howling winds were less frequent.

Nature was miraculous. What was once barren land now sprouted seaweed-like grasses in several places, slowly growing.

Lost in thought, Stella heard a pained cry in the distance.

Snowflake was driving Hugo away, biting him if he resisted.

Hugo lingered, but with each bite, Snowflake drove him further away, several kilometers in the end.

The couple fought several times over their child, not speaking to each other and even refusing to eat.

After a long wait, Rosie murmured, “Hugo is gone.”

Jasper thought she was pining for Hugo and was about to comfort her when a realization struck him. “Rosie, do you want to leave too?”

Rosie didn’t answer directly but looked towards the vegetable garden and the poultry shed. “Brother, is there any point in me watering the plants and raising the poultry?”

“Of course, there is.”

“Are we short on vegetables or meat?” Rosie countered. “The vegetables we grow, the poultry we raise, do we even eat them?”

They didn’t, partly out of safety concerns and partly because they truly didn’t lack food.

Jasper was at a loss for words.

“I feel like what I’m doing is pointless,” Rosie confessed.

Big brother and sister-in-law were all for supporting her, simply because they were worried she’d get bored twiddling her thumbs.

After a brief silence, Jasper spoke, “Rosie, what is it you want?”

Rosie gazed into the distance, “Big bro, I want to go out and see the world beyond our doorstep. Would you be okay with that?”

He would definitely not be on board with that idea!

Rosie fell quiet, staring off into the horizon.

She felt like she was being held back by some invisible force, struggling to break free but feeling utterly helpless and suffocated.

Jasper didn’t speak either, but he empathized deeply.

That evening, after Rosie had her dinner and retreated to her room.

Jasper cleaned up the kitchen and did the dishes.

Post-shower, back in their bedroom, Stella brought up Rosie’s situation with concern, “Did you get anything out of her?”

He had, but there was no easy fix.

The end times were no laughing matter, and Jasper couldn’t just let Rosie go out into the world on a whim.

Learning about Rosie’s turmoil, Stella also sank into silence, and after a long while, she finally said, “Rosie might be suffering from depression.”