Chapter 6

Leah had no time to rest.

She hurried to the airport’s duty-free collection counter and picked up the boxes of skincare products she had ordered.

She contacted the staff beyond security.

At the boarding gate, she arranged to check the oversized boxes and paid the required excess baggage fees.

At last, everything was taken care of.

Before she could sit down and catch her breath, the boarding announcement sounded.

Leah took Vivian’s hand and hurried into the line.

They settled into their seats on the plane.

Only then did Leah begin to relax.

Vivian had been silent the entire time.

She simply watched her daughter rush from one task to the next.

Her unease kept growing.

Leah’s strange behavior today was no passing whim.

Something serious must have happened. Her daughter just had not found the time to explain.

A quiet dread spread through Vivian.

She reached for Leah’s hand and held it tightly.

The warmth of her daughter’s palm helped steady her anxious thoughts.

Once they were seated, Leah turned gently toward her mother.

She lowered her voice, her expression solemn.

“Mom, it’s too crowded and noisy here for us to talk properly. Once we meet Dad, I’ll explain everything. All right?

“You’ve been on your feet for hours. Close your eyes and rest. I’ll wake you when we land.”

Vivian looked at her daughter, nodded quietly, and closed her eyes.

She was used to a comfortable life, and hours of rushing about had left her exhausted.

When Leah saw her mother resting, she finally allowed herself to ease up a little.

The cabin door closed, and the plane began to climb. At last, the weight on Leah’s chest lifted.

She closed her eyes and tried to rest during the short flight.

But her mind buzzed. Her thoughts were too tangled for her to feel sleepy.

There was no point forcing it. She had not been awake for long anyway.

She might as well use the flight to learn more about her storage space.

Leah took her carry-on bag and phone to the galley. She asked a flight attendant for a cup of piping hot water and a cup of chilled bottled water.

Then she hurried to the lavatory at the back of the plane.

She shut the door behind her, cutting herself off from the cabin.

With both cups in hand, she entered the space.

She wanted to test whether time really stood still in the storage area.

The test she’d done using her phone at the hotel was hardly conclusive.

She placed both cups of water in the storage area and watched closely.

She could not see any change in the chilled water.

But the instant she put the steaming hot water inside, the rising steam seemed to freeze.

It hung above the cup without spreading or changing shape.

Leah took the hot water out of the storage area.

As she moved, the steam began to drift away again.

Sure enough, time stood still in the storage area!

She set down the cups and began to explore the space carefully.

She paid particular attention to the storage area.

She repeatedly tried to reach its boundary with a thought, but no matter which direction she went, she could see no end.

It seemed her storage area was boundless.

The discovery eased her mind.

She had a storage area with no apparent limit, and time stood still inside it.

Now she could stockpile as much as she needed without worrying about running out of room.

The stretch of black soil clearly looked suitable for growing crops.

She would have to test it when she had time.

If it worked, her family could grow their own food during the apocalypse instead of fearing their supplies would run out.

The mountain and ocean were still sealed behind invisible barriers. Since she could see them, she suspected the space could be upgraded.

She simply did not know what an upgrade required yet!

Leah tried to listen to the cabin from inside the space, but she heard nothing.

The space appeared to be completely cut off from the outside world, at least for now.

She glanced at the timer above her. She had been inside for fifteen minutes.

Leah left the space and checked the phone she had deliberately left outside.

Fifteen minutes had passed there too.

That proved time passed at the same rate inside and outside the space.

Now that Leah understood those rules, she calmed herself, pushed down her excitement, and left the lavatory.

Fortunately, the flight only recently took off, and no one was waiting outside.

It would have been awkward to step out after so long and find a line of passengers waiting!

She hurried back to her seat.

Vivian was awake and looking around anxiously for her.

Leah went to her, took her hand, and sat down.

She patted Vivian’s hand to reassure her that she was all right.

She could not keep the smile off her face.

Vivian saw how much more relaxed her daughter looked, and some of her worry eased.

“Sweetheart, did something good happen?”

Leah leaned close and whispered in her mother’s ear.

“Yes, Mom. Something good happened. It’s a secret about me. I’ll tell you properly when we get to the hotel.

“For now, please don’t worry!”

Vivian could only set her questions aside.

She would find out soon enough!

The flight lasted a little over an hour. Leah and Vivian landed and collected their luggage.

Vivian stared at the mountain of large boxes in front of them, unsure how they would move them all.

Before she could ask, Leah made a call.

“Hello, Mr. Lewis. We’ve landed. Could you and Wesley meet us at Exit Three? We have quite a lot of things.”

Back at Palmhaven Airport, Leah had messaged Martin, who managed their company’s Tavarian branch. She asked him to bring another employee and a truck to collect them.

After the call, she hurried off to fetch several luggage carts. She loaded the boxes and both their suitcases onto them herself!

Vivian watched Leah take charge and load one heavy box after another.

She could only stare at her in shock.

When had her sheltered daughter become so capable?

Ever since Leah woke up in Palmhaven, everything seemed the same, yet somehow everything had changed!

Leah finished loading the carts and turned to see Vivian standing there in a daze.

For a moment, she felt dazed herself.

Four years of struggling through the apocalypse had changed her.

She was no longer the pampered young woman she used to be!

Still, this body was weak. Her arms and back ached terribly!

“Mom, could you watch our bags while I take the first load to the exit?”

She pushed one cart toward the exit.

Martin was already waiting there.

Leah handed him the cart and made four more trips.

On the last trip, she and Vivian each pushed a cart out together.

Once she sat in the truck, Leah’s whole body ached.

At least Bayport Airport was small. She could barely imagine doing this at a larger one!

Leah silently promised herself that once they settled in, she would start training.

How could she face the apocalypse in two months with a body this weak?