18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 594

After the land sank, everyone scrambled with the evacuating masses, getting separated from many familiar faces. Father and son managed to squeeze onto the evacuation ship amid the chaos.

Disease, darkness, and bloodshed were constants, an ultimate test of human nature. People were falling ill, dying, and going mad all around us. Looking back, it’s hard to believe how we survived.

When we disembarked, our old comrades and their families were gone, leaving only our two solitary shadows. If it hadn't been for bumping into Monkey at the base, Austin might never have shaken off the gloom.

A mate to share a smoke and a drink with became the last man standing. Monkey had a keen eye, his hand tugging at Austin's sleeve, "Boss, should we tell him Rosie is still alive?"

"Monkey, Willowbrook is our new home now. We've got to plant our roots here." Austin reflected, "Jasper and the others have moved on, and who knows where. We might never see them again.

Dylan’s life is just beginning; he can’t be hung up on Rosie forever. He needs to slowly forget and start anew." Monkey believed without question, "Sis is a survivor, she'll flourish wherever she goes."

Austin had no doubt about their skills, Rosie included. But he didn't want his son to keep pining hopelessly. A son grows beyond his father’s reach, and while Dylan’s heart ached for Rosie, Austin knew she had been too young to feel the same way back then. Even if they met again now, grown up, they’d be worlds apart.

Having lived a full life, Austin understood the complexity of romance, especially in these apocalyptic times. Better to forget unrequited love early than to endure prolonged agony. So, Austin and Monkey kept silent about Jasper and Stella ever being in Willowbrook.

Fate, however, has a strange way of weaving its threads. Years apart, when they met again, Rosie was holding her own, and Dylan had emerged anew. Love is not easily concealed in one's gaze. Stella, having been through it all, recognized Dylan’s affection for Rosie. It was not love at first sight but a bond of childhood sweethearts. In peacetime, Stella would’ve wholeheartedly blessed their union, but now she hoped for a halt. One in Willowbrook, the other in Griffith, worlds apart.

Selfish as it may be, or just a mother’s wish, she hoped they would both remain sensible. Stella didn’t want Rosie to journey across the world for love, nor did she wish for her daughter to be used as leverage against her and Jasper. Rosie was still young, her life ahead of her. Everything could wait until after the disaster.

Stella didn’t linger, heading next door to the breeding farm. Under Poppy’s direction, the farm was disinfected thoroughly, bustling with the task of incubation. They had to move quickly to breed more poultry and recoup their losses.

“Ginger Stella.” The Porras family also suffered from moth powder allergies, but thanks to Stella’s timely care, they recovered quicker than most. The harsh reality of survival had instilled in Poppy an admiration for strength, and Stella, the legend of the base, naturally became her idol. Especially after the moth extermination, her admiration bordered on worship.