18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 562

A thick tangle of seaweed hid the creature’s identity, leaving Amelia with nothing but the sharp pain in her calf as a clue to what had just bitten her. None of them had expected a snake to lurk in these crystal-clear waters, especially after they had been so cautious.

"Probably using the seaweed as camouflage," Stella mused, trying to make sense of it.

She meticulously cleaned Amelia's wound, disinfected it after studying its shape, made a small incision with her knife, and then squeezed the blood out with force. Whether the sea snake was venomous remained a question, but they weren't taking any chances.

Arcadia was stocked with several kinds of antivenom, but Amelia and the others hadn’t gotten a clear look at the snake. Using antivenom haphazardly could be as dangerous as the poison itself; it wasn't something to be administered lightly.

"Only if it’s absolutely necessary," Stella reminded them, as she applied a poultice of crushed herbs to Amelia's wound and bandaged it up. To keep Amelia from panicking, Stella offered soothing words, her tone casual, "Most sea snakes aren’t venomous. Don’t worry. If you feel off, just let me know, okay?"

Amelia had a military upbringing. She had survived a decade of brutal disasters, which had honed her resilience beyond that of an average person. She’d heard that venom could kill quickly and without much suffering—a mercy compared to the alternatives: heatwaves, famine, dehydration, hailstorms, toxic fog, tsunamis... Every disaster imaginable was a worse way to go.

Adjusting her mindset, Amelia assured Stella, "I’m fine, sis."

Amelia was only a year younger than Stella. Having lost her family and lover years back, she cherished life but held no fear of death. It meant no regrets and possibly a reunion with her loved ones. She remained sanguine about life and death, determined to fight for survival but accepting of whatever end might come.

As they conversed, Stella discreetly passed her a piece of guava-flavored candy. Touched, Amelia remembered mentioning in passing how she loved these cheap childhood sweets, a treat her grandmother would secretly buy her every weekend. Peeling off the wrapper, she savored the candy, letting the familiar taste flood her with a sense of happiness, as if her grandmother had returned to her side.

Living was instinct, but death no longer seemed so terrifying. It meant rejoining her family, at least. Still, she did regret not fulfilling her promise to her family to stay alive.

"Let it be," she thought, embracing a sort of philosophical detachment about her fate. She would strive to live, but if there was no way out, she wouldn’t be consumed by regret. She had experienced it all. Yet, deep down, she longed to witness a better tomorrow, having fought so hard to see this day.

Amelia turned chatty, aware that Stella wasn’t much for conversation, but she couldn't help herself. Stella asked gently, "Can you tell me how you all managed after the land sank?"

Having accepted Daniel’s identity, she was curious about his past and eager to learn more. What sort of strength and determination had it taken him to get this far?

Amelia, part of the special forces and an admirer of Daniel, Stella’s father, began sharing her experiences, inadvertently bringing up her commanding officer...