The successive teorite strikes had thrown the town of Lu’er into a state of panic.
Although the town wasn’t large, it had a high occupancy rate. Many residents knew that tonight would feature the most spectacular teor shower in recent years. Even after the announcent that the teor shower would beco a teor storm, it didn’t dampen their enthusiasm for stargazing.
Lu’er Town had no skyscrapers or neon lights, making it an excellent spot for nightti stargazing. Even though it wasn’t the best viewing point for the teor shower, many people planned to watch it from their terraces while drinking beer and chatting.
However, these teorites served as a harsh wake-up call, striking fear into everyone’s hearts.
The once peaceful town descended into chaos.
So people abandoned their tasks and rushed ho imdiately. Others hurriedly called their family mbers, while so ran into the nearest cafes or restaurants to switch the TV to a news channel.
The television was broadcasting the latest news about the teorites, which had been airing for so ti.
Besides the teorites that landed near Lu’er Town, teorites had also fallen in the central and southern regions over the past hour.
The teorites varied in size. So were as small as pebbles, destroying umbrellas and tables at a cafe. Others, the size of fists, struck tall buildings, creating holes in the walls and destroying entire offices.
One teorite, about half a ter in diater—the largest of this event—landed in a forest between the central and northern regions, its burning fragnts destroying the entire area.
Fortunately, this was an uninhabited area, so there were no casualties.
…
So far, the most casualties occurred in L City, where a teorite about thirty centiters in diater struck an overpass, destroying several cars and part of the bridge. The collapsing concrete crushed the cars below, resulting in severe casualties.
The news then showed aerial footage from a helicopter, revealing the destroyed section of the overpass. A massive, blackened hole emitted black smoke, while cars piled up in a chain-reaction crash behind the impact site. In this incident, the rear-end collisions were considered lucky; those hit directly by the teorite did not survive.
Throughout the country, around a dozen teorites struck within an hour, mostly concentrated in the central and western regions.
Overall, the number of falling teorites wasn’t high. Most cities and towns in the central region were unhard, as seven or eight teorites landed in uninhabited areas.
Although the teorites had temporarily stopped falling, authorities urgently advised people to seek shelter. Based on monitoring and expert predictions, tonight’s teor storm at 9 PM could turn into a teorite shower. They also recomnded halting all flights, ship routes, and public transportation, advising travelers to find shelter where they were.
In an apartnt, soone angrily smashed a remote control.
“First, it’s a teor shower, then a teor storm, and now it’s a teorite shower! Which of these damned experts knows what they’re talking about?”
“Stop yelling! Honey, hurry and pack up. Everyone in this building is heading to the nearby subway station to shelter!”
…
Soone called their child.
“Sweetie, stay at school. Mommy is coming to pick you up!”
“It’s okay, the teacher said there’s a basent in the school. We’re all going there to take shelter!”
“Alright, sweetie, go to the basent first. I’ll call you when I get there! We’re going to your grandpa’s house; his villa has a basent!”
…
In big cities, information spread quickly. Everyone was scrambling to find shelter—especially those who had witnessed the teorites up close.
So, thinking ahead, rushed into supermarkets to quickly buy food and water.
Those originally shopping in the supermarket, unaware of the news, stared in confusion at the panic buyers. It didn’t take long before they joined in, their faces filled with anxiety.
Traffic accidents piled up on the streets. So roads beca heavily congested with constant shouting and honking. Passengers in stalled taxis chose to get out and head for the subway instead.
The subway station was even more crowded. So people, who were already alone, decided to stay in the station, thinking that arriving early ant they could secure a more comfortable spot.
In contrast to the panicking public, firefighters, police officers, and dical personnel were all mobilized. The teorite strikes had caused fires and injuries, leading to the cancellation of all leaves and a return to duty for everyone. dical staff in hospitals were busy transferring patients, especially those in high-rise buildings, to basents and underground parking lots.
In Lu’er Town, people gathered in cafes and restaurants to watch the news. The close-knit community mbers started discussing what to do next. Most were anxious and needed advice or comfort from those around them. The suddenness of the teorites had caught everyone off guard, and the news reports of the devastation in other areas only heightened their fear and panic.
So were at a loss, while others, quick to respond and decisive, suggested going to a nearby underground bomb shelter that could accommodate everyone in town. The idea was t with mixed reactions. So agreed, prioritizing safety, especially since the news advised imdiate evacuation. Others were reluctant, arguing that the old bomb shelter, likely empty and uncomfortable, was not a better option than staying in their own hos, many of which had basents.
Regardless, the suggestion prompted action. People called their families, so rushed to the supermarket to stock up on food and water, and the once peaceful town turned chaotic.
Yu Xi slowly brought the truck to a stop in the villa’s driveway. She saw Yu Qi rush out of the house. As she approached the truck, her steps faltered, and her expression turned to one of shock.
As soon as Yu Xi got out of the truck, Yu Qi hugged her tightly, examining her from head to toe as if checking for injuries.
“I’m fine—” Yu Xi almost called her “Mom” but swallowed the word, “Sis, why didn’t you go to the basent?”
“How could I go there and relax when you two weren’t back yet?” Yu Qi said, glancing at the truck’s rear end, “Those second round of teorites landed pretty close. Did you run into them on the way back?”
Ya Tong jumped out of the truck and closed the door. “How did you know?”
Yu Qi pointed to the back of the truck. The three of them looked and saw that a small part of the truck’s rear top corner was missing, as if sothing had gouged it out.
The missing part was surrounded by charred edges, indicating that it had been grazed by a teorite fragnt. Fortunately, the fragnt was very small, and the explosion it caused was only about as powerful as a hand grenade, allowing the truck’s rear to remain intact.
The evidence was clear, leaving Yu Xi no chance to lie and reassure Yu Qi that they hadn’t encountered the teorite.
She could only change the subject. “Let’s go inside first!”
Ya Tong glanced at the truck and asked Yu Xi, “Aren’t we going to unload? So things might have gotten burnt, but most should be fine.”
Yu Xi: …
The items were already in her spatial storage; there was nothing left in the truck to unload.
Yu Qi understood and patted Ya Tong’s shoulder. “We’ll worry about the supplies later. Safety cos first. Let’s get to the basent.”
Ya Tong: …
Yu Xi suggested that they check the villa one more ti before heading to the basent, locking doors and windows since the villa might not get hit directly by a teorite and shouldn’t be left unattended.
Ya Tong, looking serious, nodded and imdiately ran upstairs.
Yu Qi glanced at her sister in surprise. Ya Tong was actually following Yu Xi’s instructions so readily?
Pretending not to notice Yu Qi’s look, Yu Xi quickly went to a door behind the kitchen that connected to the garage and stored the nearly new SUV in her spatial storage, just in case a teorite hit the garage.
Once the SUV was in the transportation storage space, it visually appeared to overlap with the truck already there, which was quite magical.
She then locked the door connecting the garage to the villa and returned to the living room just as Ya Tong ca running downstairs.
“Co look at this!” Yu Qi was standing in the dining room, where a small TV was on. “A large teorite hit the overpass in L City, not far from our apartnt…”
The screen showed scenes of teorite disaster sites across the country, with footage from on-site reporters and aerial shots from helicopters, covering both urban and rural areas.
Footage of the heavily damaged overpass in L City due to the teorite strike, along with reports of significant casualties, continued to air. Experts, with solemn expressions, warned that the teor shower at 9 PM would turn into a teorite storm and advised everyone to take shelter imdiately.
The three of them watched the familiar streets and buildings in silence. Just yesterday, they had been in that area, and now it was a disaster site…
“The news channel has been broadcasting live updates on teorite-related incidents, rescue efforts, and the timing of teorite landings,” Yu Qi said as she flipped through other channels, all showing the sa footage. “All the other channels are rebroadcasting this one.”
Ya Tong frowned, “Even at a ti like this, there are still so many people outside, and helicopters are still flying…”
“Because most places haven’t seen any teorites yet. Look at these city interviews; so people are even celebrating in the streets, saying it’s the end of the world, so there’s no need to go to work. They’re planning to party instead…”
Yu Qi shook her head, “Living in peace for so long has made them foolish. If the apocalypse really cos, they’ll regret it…”
Ya Tong sighed, turned to the room, and grabbed the luggage bags for herself and Yu Qi, then picked up Yu Xi’s bag from the floor. “Let’s go. We’ll take these things down first, and later, if we can, we’ll move the supplies from the truck into the villa. We’ll get as much as we can.”
As they were about to head to the backyard, the doorbell suddenly rang.
Ya Tong frowned. Who would be visiting at a ti like this?
She took a handgun from her travel bag, handed the other bags to Yu Xi, and walked to the front door, calling out coldly, “Who is it?” in the local language.
“Hi, it’s great that soone’s ho. We’re from the villa next door. We saw you drive up and wanted to ask about the situation outside,” ca a young woman’s voice.
Ya Tong motioned for Yu Qi and Yu Xi to stay back and out of sight. She flipped the safety off the gun and concealed it in her hand before opening the door halfway.
Standing outside was a woman in her thirties, with two tall n in the yard behind her. When Ya Tong opened the door, they looked over.
“Hi, thank you for opening the door. I’m Sunny. Did you just co back from town? What’s it like there now?”
“I don’t know. We left before the teorites started falling. You can watch the news for updates.”
“Thank you. We’re here on vacation and aren’t familiar with the area. We were planning to drive into town for party supplies, but given the situation, it might not be safe?”
“You can decide after watching the news. Sorry, we have things to do and can’t give you much advice.”
Ya Tong’s answers were cautious to avoid any future trouble. Despite her easygoing nature, she was well aware of the necessity to be cautious, especially in a country where everyone could carry firearms.
The woman seed disappointed but smiled at Ya Tong before turning back to her companions. The three of them left the villa yard, and the two n glanced at the truck parked at the gate as they walked by.
Ya Tong frowned as she closed the door and re-engaged the gun’s safety, tucking it into the back of her waistband.
She intended to grab so blankets from the living room to take downstairs, but she noticed that two large and three small sofas had been reduced to one large and one small sofa. The large TV was also missing.
Ya Tong: …?
Yu Qi quickly ca up and hugged her. “Let’s go, let’s get to the basent.”
The three of them locked the back door of the villa and made their way to the basent through the vertical shaft in the backyard.
Yu Qi, being the last to enter, took care of closing and locking the two doors. It was her villa, so she knew every corner and explained so key points to Ya Tong as she secured the doors.
Ya Tong’s face had been growing paler since entering the first vertical shaft. She had a mild case of claustrophobia, and the thought of being underground in a confined space made her feel suffocated.
Yu Qi, aware of her friend’s condition, patted her on the back when she saw her hesitating at the entrance to the second vertical shaft. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Ya Tong replied, knowing that the current situation didn’t allow for hesitation. Faced with life and death, she had to overco her fear. “Just a minor issue, it’ll pass.”
Yu Qi smiled reassuringly at her.
In the living space at the bottom of the vertical shaft, warm yellow lights were already on. Yu Xi had arrived first and turned on the lights in the living room, adding a touch of warmth to the otherwise dark and oppressive underground space, which eased Ya Tong’s anxiety a bit.
“Sis, I’m going to take a shower first!” Yu Xi called from below. With the water and electricity still working, she wanted to take advantage of it while she could.
Yu Qi responded affirmatively.
Seeing the warm light below, Ya Tong hesitated before asking, “So, what Yu Xi said about dying and being reborn… is it true?”
“Yes,” Yu Qi replied. “I know it sounds unreal and completely overturns everything we’ve known, but it’s happening. We managed to leave L City safely because she knew about the disaster in advance due to her rebirth.”
“I scolded her today, thinking she was just causing trouble again…” Ya Tong said, rubbing her forehead.
Yu Qi could guess why Ya Tong had scolded her. When she woke up and found her friend and sister had gone to town, she knew Ya Tong would freak out at the quantity of food Yu Xi had ordered.
Honestly, if Yu Xi hadn’t demonstrated the reality of her spatial storage, Yu Qi wouldn’t have believed the rebirth story alone.
Yu Qi chuckled, “You scolded her. So what? We’ve scolded her plenty over the past two years. She used to get into so much trouble that I couldn’t control her at all. Only you could sowhat keep her in check.”
“You don’t understand. This is different. She used to deserve the scolding when she did wrong. But this ti, she did nothing wrong…” Ya Tong said, reflecting on how Yu Xi didn’t even retort or get angry this ti. “She’s completely different now…”
Realizing the change in Yu Xi made her heart ache.
A troubleso kid can be frustrating, but a suddenly well-behaved one can be heartbreaking.
Ya Tong sighed in frustration. “Let’s organize things down here first. Let her rest a bit. I’ll go up and move the supplies from the truck into the villa.”
With so much food, even if they couldn’t eat it all, they couldn’t just leave it. Yet, sothing about the supplies bothered her…
It wasn’t until she descended the second vertical shaft and entered the living space that she realized what she had overlooked.
What happened to the supplies in the truck?
They had left L City with the truck fully loaded. When she and Yu Xi went to town to pick up food, she hadn’t looked closely at the back of the truck, but she had seen the boxes. If the original supplies hadn’t been removed, how did the new boxes fit in?
If the original supplies had been taken out, how did one person manage it? And she hadn’t seen those supplies in the villa. They couldn’t have all been moved to the basent, could they?
Also, the living room sofas and TV were missing, and the kitchen seed emptier with many appliances and even the refrigerator gone…
All these questions halted abruptly when Ya Tong saw the newly arranged and fully furnished living space.
She stepped down the last rung of the ladder and touched the L-shaped fabric sofa with trembling hands—it was real…
The TV was real…
The refrigerator was not only real but fully stocked with a variety of frozen and refrigerated foods, fruits, milk, and drinks.
Even if they could have brought the food down, what about the sofa? An L-shaped sofa wouldn’t even fit through the bomb shelter door…
Ya Tong closed the refrigerator door, took a step back, and took a deep breath to calm herself, then closed her eyes, muttering, “It’s just an illusion…”
When she opened her eyes again, the refrigerator, sofa, coffee table, and all the other furnishings were still there.
Cold sweat broke out on Ya Tong’s back as she instinctively reached into her pocket for a cigarette, only to rember she couldn’t smoke in the bomb shelter.
“Actually, there’s sothing else Yu Xi didn’t tell you besides the rebirth…” Yu Qi stepped forward and patted her friend’s shoulder.
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