The rain only intensified after the typhoon. It poured down relentlessly as if the skies themselves were waging war against the Earth.
As the thirtieth day arrived, Grace was hoping for the storms to finally start slowing down, just as they had in her previous life. But this time, the rain showed no sign of stopping. Instead, it grew only fiercer because of the super typhoon.
The country was drowning. Thousands had lost their lives, and countless others were injured or displaced from their homes. Entire towns and cities were submerged, and the residents were forced to flee to higher grounds or huddle in overcrowded rescue stations.
The government was struggling with the rescue mission. There weren’t enough places to keep the rescued people, resources were stretched thin, and the unyielding storms were destroying or hindering every attempt at effective aid.
Though the military and frontline forces were working tirelessly as they evacuated survivors, set up makeshift shelters in high-rise buildings, and distributed dwindling supplies, the harsh weather made every mission hard if not outright impossible.
Helicopters were struggling against the fierce winds, boats were capsized in the rushing floods or got lost in the giant sinkholes, and rescuers were risking their lives with every attempt of rescue.
The situation in Building K12 was also changing once again. Since supplies dropped by the military ten days earlier were nearly gone and the rain continued fiercely, the water rose up to the first floors of the buildings and panic started spreading like wildfire.
Driven by hunger and fear, the acts of robbery and theft resurfaced among the residents of not only Greenstone Residential Area but throughout the country. It started in the nearby buildings and spread to Building K12 in no time. Those who were desperate enough targeted their neighbors. They broke into apartments to steal what little food or supplies remained. Yet, no one dared to approach the top three floors.
For the residents of Building K12, the twentieth floor and the two above were off-limits. After what happened to the group of men who tried to break into twentieth floor days ago, the residents were scared from those living up there.
But as days started passing and the desperation and panic grew further, the fear was slowly subsiding.
On the thirty-fifth night, a group of six men from the lower floors decided to take their chances. This time, they didn’t repeat the same mistake as the previous time. They were armed with knives and makeshift weapons as they climbed the darkened stairwells, heading to the twentieth floor. They were determined to force their way into the forbidden floors.
The first obstacle in their way was the metal door barring the staircase entrance to the twentieth floor. It was solid and locked tight as usual. For a long time, they tried to break it down. Their muffled grunts and clanging tools echoed in the cold, damp stairwell.
Since there was no power, the elevator wasn’t working, and thus, the entrance of the elevator to the twentieth floor was no longer available for them to try their luck on. Hence, they were stuck with the stairwell entrance.
Though they once again failed at unlocking the metal door, their real plan actually worked just like they were expecting. Finally, the sound of their efforts drew attention and the metal door was pulled open from the other side.
Just like the previous time, a group of five people was standing in the hallway. All of them were dressed in those leather fighting gears, looking as dangerous and mysterious as ever.
The intruders wasted no time as they raised their weapons and started shouting threats. "We know you have food! Hand it over, or we will take it ourselves!"
But the residents of the twentieth floor did not flinch even a little, neither they appeared surprised. Instead, they silently unsheathed their own weapons.
Before the group of men from lower floors could have realized what was going on, the group in leathers was already moving with terrifying precision.
One of the intruders fell as a dagger sliced cleanly across his throat. Another screamed as a blade plunged into his chest and pierced his heart. A third crumpled to the floor, his neck twisted unnaturally.
Then, a sharp crack of a gunshot echoed through the stairwell and the fourth man slumped with a bullet lodged in his skull. Two more men dropped moments later with bullets shot right through their hearts.
In no time, only two out of the eight men remained standing. They both were trembling violently as they looked at their fallen companions.
From the group of fighters of the twentieth floor, a familiar woman stepped forward whom one of the two men recognized immediately from his last visit. Just like last time, her expression was calm and her voice was cold as she addressed them.
"You will serve as a warning." She said while tilting her head to the side and looking at the two of them with a glint in her eyes. That look in her eyes terrified the two men to their very core. All of a sudden, they wanted to run away to save their lives. But they didn’t have that option left.
"Your deaths will protect your fellow residents from making the same mistake." She added and a smile suddenly bloomed on her lips.
In a single, fluid motion, she withdrew two identical daggers and drove them into the necks of the last two men. Blood sprayed all over the walls and floor, even on Valeska’s face and clothes. The next moment, the two men collapsed on the cold floor, lifeless even before they hit the ground.
The fighters cleaned their weapons without a word with their faces unbothered by the carnage that just took place.
"After tonight, everyone will learn that the top floors were not just forbidden, but a fortress of ruthless survivalists who shouldn’t be messed with." Valeska said as she spared one last glance at the eight dead bodies spread across the hallway.