18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 68

Cody's playful jab had Stella laughing, not bothering to rebut. If she was really a jinx, she secretly wished this icy chill would never arrive.

A quick observation revealed that Jasper was as stoic as ever, and his expression was neither sad nor happy.

Cooper was a bit restless, and still had not settled down after four hours of training, making occasional whimpering sounds.

Uncertain of when the severe cold would strike, Stella kept the electric blankets, down comforters, and cotton quilts at the ready. She put on thermal clothing before going to sleep. The intense training during the day had drained her energy. She had planned to stay up late but was soon fast asleep.

Abruptly, Cooper's noisy barking and the crackling of the walkie-talkie woke her. Stella opened her eyes and was hit by the bone-chilling cold. Sharp squeals of rabbits echoed in the room. She switched on the flashlight to find over 20 rabbits huddled in Cooper's bed, shivering uncontrollably.

"Stella, Stella!" Jasper's anxious voice came from the walkie-talkie.

"I'm... I’m here." Her teeth were chattering from the cold.

He urged her through the walkie-talkie, "It's getting cold. Get dressed quickly."

The air felt like a knife, making it hard for her to speak.

Stella brought Cooper and the rabbits into Arcadia. As the warmth enveloped her, her stiff limbs took a while to thaw.

She quickly pulled on the clothes she had prepared earlier: thermal gear, cashmere sweaters, fur coats, multiple pairs of socks, snow boots, scarves, and a warm face mask.

She bundled up Cooper in thermal gear, a cashmere sweater, and a fur coat. The two rabbits, Smoky and Snowy, were also wrapped like little balls. The rest of the rabbits were stuffed into a foam box lined with several blankets. Whether they survived or not, was up to fate now.

After all these preparations, Stella poured herself a steaming bowl of hot ginger tea, the spicy warmth spreading through her throat and stomach.

Just as she stepped out of Arcadia, the loud knocking on her door made her ears ring. "Stella!" The force was so strong that even the stainless steel door seemed to give in.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Stella called out.

As she stepped out, the icy air hit her like a blade. The cold air took her breath away, causing sharp pain in her chest. Cooper was coughing and kept scratching his nose with his paw.

After bringing the rabbit's nest into the room, Stella hurried to open the door to find Jasper kicking it. The moment she opened the door, an anxious voice reached her. "Stella, are you alright?" As he spoke, he wrapped a fur coat tightly around her.

Stella stared at Jasper, who was wearing a giant coat, in surprise. For a moment, she was dazed. But she quickly snapped back to reality. "I'm fine, I was just stunned by the cold. I thought I had gone deaf."

"As long as you're alright." Jasper buttoned up her fur coat and then knocked on the door of room 1803.

The occupants of room 1803 had been awakened by his earlier knocking and were now frantically putting on warmer clothes. "Got it, got it!"

Wrapped in two fur coats, Stella now resembled a ball.

Noticing that Stella was a little slow, Jasper shook her by the shoulders. His expression looked stern. "Go back to your room and start a fire for warmth."

"Okay." Stella turned to go back to her room.

Jasper reminded her, "Don't lock the door."

Stella didn't. Once back in her room, she got the kettle out. Seeing that the door of room 1801 was still ajar, she quickly went in. "I've made some ginger tea. You and Rosie should have some to warm up."

Rosie was bundled up like a ball on the bed, and her little face was pale from the cold. She was shivering and couldn't speak. Jasper picked her up and carefully fed her the hot ginger tea. "Careful, it's hot."

After gulping down a full mug, Rosie finally revived. Her lips trembled as if she were about to cry. "Jasper..."