MasukI felt a swirl of emotions as I looked at him.As someone he had let down, a part of me wanted to think he got what he deserved.But seeing him, injured so badly while trying to save humanity from the apocalypse, pulled me back to basic decency.I gave him a slight nod.“We haven’t met in a long time. That experiment you couldn’t complete… I finished it for you.”Sebastian’s body bore burns over 70% of his skin, yet his face remained untouched. He could still speak clearly.He pressed his pale lips together and gave a bitter smile.“You’re incredible, Rose!“Oh… and in a few days, I’ll be sent back to the mainland.”I looked slightly to the side. “Good luck to you then.”Sebastian looked at me with red eyes. “I’ll wait for you… even if it’s the end of the world.”Hearing this same old line after all these years made me smirk with irony.I smiled and said, “It was just a joke when we were kids. Don’t take it seriously.”His face went pale, and he stared at the floor gloomil
After repeated discussions, the cause of the scorching apocalypse was confirmed: extreme solar activity had triggered a superflare, making the sun burn nearly twenty times brighter than normal.“How long will it last?”“Based on our preliminary observations, the superflare’s effects will continue for about two more years.”The researchers present all looked grim.The Arctic base could only hold around 10,000 people, but billions of people across the continents had nowhere to go.The urgent task was to develop heat-shielding materials or build underground shelters to survive the two-year solar upheaval.Sebastian was an astrophysicist. He stepped forward to volunteer. “Mr. Cooper, I’ll take charge. This falls within my expertise.”Zane, always strict about separating personal matters from professional ones, nodded.Sebastian listed a few people, including Vivien.In the end, he looked at me. “Rose, join us.”I raised my hands to dismiss the idea. “Sorry. That’s not my field.”
Zane was holding a gun as he stood at the entrance of the base.We had not seen each other in years. The sharpness in his eyes had only deepened.He wiped the muzzle of his gun and said, “They’re my family.“Does anyone have a problem with that?”The surrounding crowd fell silent.Then, the tone shifted instantly.“The Cooper family led the construction of the Arctic base! Of course, Mr. Cooper can bring along two members of his family!”“Exactly! Which ignorant fool dared to criticize Mr. Cooper’s family? How dare you?!”But Sebastian’s expression darkened. He immediately moved to the front of the crowd.“Zane Cooper, since when did my wife become your family?”I immediately spoke up. “Sebastian, don’t forget that we’re divorced.”A quiet scoff cut through the cold air, and Zane said, “Oh? Your wife? I thought your wife was the master’s student standing next to you, Mr. Jenkins.”The words struck like lightning. Whispers rose from the crowd immediately.“Wait, I’ve seen S
Mr. Cooper, the person in question, was Zane Cooper, whose name had always made Sebastian jealous. Years later, Sebastian heard that name again.Sebastian’s calm facade broke apart, and a vein bulged at his temple. “Rose, explain to me why you’re still in contact with him!”I pulled open the vehicle door.This time, it was my turn to be indifferent. “I just want to survive. If you won’t help me, someone else will.”The vehicle drove away without bothering with Sebastian’s hysterics.My mother felt anxious. She asked, “Rose, aren’t Sebastian and that girl getting in?”I said, “Mom, don’t worry. They’ll take the next one. This is ours.”My mother was silent for a while, then gently patted my back.“Are you and Sebastian fighting? Don’t be sad. I’m here for you.”I bit my lip. The tears I had held back for days finally spilled over.Three days later, Noah’s Ark arrived at the Arctic base.Here, the heat had not yet reached. It felt like the last untouched land on Earth.Seba
Sebastian frowned.“Rose, what are you smiling at?“Are you trying to put me on the spot so I’ll have no choice but to take your mother along?”I opened the suitcase without looking at him.“Don’t worry. My mother and I won’t affect your spots on Noah’s Ark.”I began emptying drawers into the suitcase, then swept the souvenirs from the cabinet straight into the trash.When the apocalypse was here, everything became garbage, including love.Sebastian picked up a souvenir toy from the trash bin, and his face darkened.I did not want to talk to him anymore. I just moved my things to the guest room where my mother was staying.Over the next three days, supplies grew tighter. Each meal came with only a single glass of water.On the second day, I woke up at night. I saw Vivien pressing ice cubes on her face.I said nothing.Her eyes instantly reddened. “Rose, my skin is too dry. I just wanted to cool it down. I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”When Sebastian heard the noise, he ru
A huge weight had finally been lifted off my heart.But the bedroom door did not open again.Sebastian stayed in the living room. He had a long discussion with Vivien about the problems of the apocalypse.I could already imagine the excuses he would give if I stepped out.It would be either a scientific discussion or teacher-student communication.I had heard it too many times. It was the same old stuff.I did not even have the strength to open the door.I decided to let it go. It was the apocalypse. In this heat, every surge of anger felt like heartburn. I needed to conserve my strength to get my mother out alive.When life and death were at stake, love did not seem so important anymore.Eventually, I fell into a deep sleep.The next morning, Vivien was still there.She was sitting at the dining table, eating breakfast off my plate.When she saw me, she stood up stiffly and bowed politely.“Good morning, Rose. My… my air conditioner broke. I came over only this morning.







