18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 525

Jasper's mind went blank when he heard Rosie had fallen into the depths of depression. In his previous life, Stella had battled loneliness, depression, and a hefty dose of anxiety. These weren't things to be taken lightly, which is why she had stocked up on medication as soon as she got a second chance at life.

Despite a decade of material comfort, loneliness had managed to knock the usually cheerful Rosie off her feet. Truth be told, even Stella, surrounded by a loving husband and a loyal dog, felt the creeping shadow of solitude.

Life wasn’t about scraping by anymore. They had enough wealth to laze around for the rest of their days. But sometimes, the aimlessness of a life reduced to eating when hungry and sleeping when tired gnawed at her.

The shows, movies, and series she had downloaded were played to death over ten years, and the more she watched, the more restless she felt. Even the little bit of fun they had when the lights went out had lost its spark, sometimes leaving her disinterested halfway through.

It wasn’t just her; sometimes, she could tell Jasper was just going through the motions. Their passion for playing cards had dwindled so much that even after nearly three months, neither felt like shuffling and dealing.

Life had lost its flavor, a dreary existence despite having everything one could wish for.

Stella looked at Jasper, lost for words, "What do we do with the next several decades?"

Maybe that was the complexity of human nature. Craving eternity when facing death, food when starving, and health when in pain. They had longed to leave the endless sea for solid ground, only to find themselves questioning the essence of life once they were on land.

Only nine months had passed, and the overwhelming joy Stella had felt when she first set foot on solid ground had now faded.

Humans were fickle creatures.

In the end, Rosie was too lonely. Her spiritual desolation made her yearn for the world beyond. Despite their close living situation, the emotional gap between her and the couple only seemed to widen. Stella and Jasper had their own little world, a place Rosie couldn’t always fit into.

Rosie was growing up, with her own spiritual world and aspirations. Neither Stella nor Jasper could prevent her from reaching out for help.

Depression was serious. If left unchecked, it could lead to thoughts of self-harm.

After a long silence, Stella wrapped her arms around Jasper’s neck and whispered, "Let’s step out into the world."

It wasn’t just for Rosie; it was for themselves too.

Jasper hugged her close. "The outside world can be brutal. Aren’t you afraid?"

Stella pondered for a moment, "Maybe the meaning of life is to struggle against the odds."

Their current haven was just a resting spot, not the final destination.

The next day, Rosie spaced out and forgot to add salt while preparing the oatmeal.

Stella gently chided her, "What’s on your mind, Rosie? Don’t forget the salt."

While eating, Stella announced, "We’ve been here over nine months, and we haven’t seen the sea in ages. Are you all tired of this?"

Jasper glanced at her, "You want to go out for a while?"

"Why not?" Stella replied cheerily. "All the work’s been left to you and Rosie. I’ve been lazing around too much; my limbs are practically withering. Let’s go out and see if there’s a better place to settle down."

Rosie wasn’t naive. Seeing the couple’s back-and-forth, she felt guilty, "Brother, sister-in-law, are you doing this because of me?"

She hurriedly added, "Maybe I’ve just had too much idle time, and that’s why my thoughts are scattered. I’ll plant more crops and raise more chickens in the coming days."

Such a sensible and heart-wrenching girl.

"Don’t overthink it. It’s for us," Stella reassured her, patting her shoulder. "We’re still young. Let’s explore while we can, before we’re too old and feeble to even run."

Rosie’s eyes welled up, "You’ll never get old, but if you ever do, I’ll take care of you."