18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 222

Upon drawing closer, they saw a boy of about ten years old, ceaselessly trying to shift the rubble of a collapsed wall. Beneath the wall lay a woman, her blood long since dried, her body rigid and cold.

The ten-year-old boy, who had already grasped the concept of death, stubbornly continued his futile attempts to move the debris. But he was just a scrawny little kid, lacking the strength necessary for such a task. Even as his hands became raw and bloody, the wall remained immovable.

Jasper stepped forward, lending a hand to move the heavy rubble. Once the wall was removed, the boy desperately tried to rouse the lifeless body of his mother. A little girl joined him, her voice hoarse from crying. Unfortunately, no matter how much they called out to her, the woman would never open her eyes again.

Rosie's eyes reddened as she tightly clutched her brother's hand.

Stella asked the sobbing little girl, "Do you have any other family members at home?"

The little girl shook her head, "My grandparents and dad are all gone."

Stella pulled out a bottle of water from her backpack and handed it over. The thirsty little girl gulped it down gratefully, thanking Stella.

After drinking half of it, she passed the bottle to her brother. The boy held the bottle tightly but didn't drink.

Jasper patted his head, "You're older than your sister. You understand what's happening. You need to accept reality. Take your sister to the city and look for the official rescue teams. They will take care of you. Don't linger here. Go immediately."

The place was too remote, and the two defenseless children were in great danger.

The boy remained silent, continuously wiping his tears.

Stella handed over another bottle of water along with five or six packs of crackers, "Hide these well, and don't let anyone replace out. Go to the city with your sister."

"Thank you." The boy choked out.

With time running out, Stella continued her journey.

As they walked, Rosie couldn't help but glance back, "Stella, they're following us."

Looking back, Stella saw the boy and girl in the distance. The boy was holding his sister's hand, and the little girl was occasionally glancing back at their destroyed home disappearing in the distance.

As they approached the city, they encountered more survivors, both severely and lightly injured. Most of them were homeless, while some stubbornly searched through the ruins for their belongings. Some of them stopped Stella and her group, begging for food and water, "We're injured. Do you have any water? Please, help us."

Regardless of their genuine injuries and desperate pleas, their eyes had a calculating glint. Stella ignored them and kept moving.

Some persistent survivors tried to follow them, but Stella pulled out her crossbow without a word and coldly warned, "Stay away." Seeing her weapon, they didn't dare to approach any further. This delay gave the little boy and girl a chance to catch up. With a face full of dirt, he pulled his sister past the survivors who wanted to stop them, and cautiously and fearfully hid behind Jasper. Stella frowned, but said nothing.

Upon reaching the city, Stella saw that most of the buildings had collapsed. Only a fraction remained standing, their structures dangerously compromised.

Despite the devastation, the sight of these surviving structures gave some survivors a glimmer of hope.

However, most of the survivors were in despair, their faces numb and hopeless. Without food or water, and now without homes, their situations were dire.

Several months ago, the city had started issuing earthquake warnings. Despite repeated broadcasts, there were still many casualties. Many had the chance to flee but couldn't bear to leave their possessions behind. The rescue team had just pulled a body from the wreckage, a man in his fifties or sixties. His movements were slower compared to young people, and he was still clutching a quilt, unwilling to let go even in death. Stella could only sigh facing such tragedy.

She stopped, turned around, and said to the boy, "Go replace the uncle in the rescue team and see how they arrange for you."

The boy hesitated for a moment, but finally went over. He said something, and the man in the orange rescue suit pointed to the survivors in the distance.

The boy looked confused and hesitant. He came back, took his sister's hand, and said, "Thank you."

Stella took a deep breath and handed over a folding knife. "Take good care of your sister. Don't tell strangers that your parents are gone."

Without a word, she turned and walked away, not looking back. She didn't miss the unease and helplessness in his eyes, but what could she do? In this life or the past, there have been too many such looks everywhere.

Stella and her group finally reached the Griffith River, but it had been severed by a large fissure. The roads were either destroyed or blocked by collapsed buildings. It took them a while to finally reach their destination, Eastwood Eden.

The outer wall had collapsed, and Mark was organizing a team to rebuild it, "Hurry up, everyone. We can only be safe once the wall is up."

When Christian saw Stella and her group, he rushed over, "Are you all okay?"

"We're fine, just suffered minor injuries." Stella asked, "How is everyone?"

Christian was injured, but it didn't look serious, "I didn't expect the earthquake to be so severe. We were on the riverbank when it happened, and many people were injured."

Since Stella and her group were safe, Mark came over and invited them to sit in the security room.

"We need to thank Jasper. If it hadn't been for his warning, we might not have noticed the earthquake in time. Most of the people in the neighborhood are safe, but there are still many casualties elsewhere. The official rescue teams are understaffed, and the city is calling for civilian rescue organizations."

Mark suggested forming a rescue team in their neighborhood to help search for survivors nearby, a plan Stella had heard from Jasper before. Therefore, she wasn't surprised when Mark brought it up again.

She didn't rush to speak, instead, she sank into contemplation.