... I postponed this question until after my survival. As soon as I reached the store.
I broke the door with my shoes and then received a message from the pilot that the flood had 15 minutes to reach me.
"Damn it," I said while shouting, then turned to see my uncle, the store owner, who had been injured in his stomach due to the collision.
Honestly, the uncle is one of the people I respect because he is kind to everyone, and I'm sure he wouldn't create such affection and kindness ، this is his true nature.
When our eyes met, he was more worried about me than himself.
After I told him that there were 14 minutes left for the flood, he realized that it was not a joke and that time was of the essence.
I explained what I would do and what he should do. Then I saw the rest of the message: it would reach a height of about 1.3 kilometers, and after the wave passes, it will start to decrease back to 800 meters within thirty minutes. But it would take about a week for most of the water to disappear.
So, I thought I needed a means to lift me quickly and protect me from the immense pressure because after calculating the momentum and water pressure at 1300 meters from the surface
I found it could crush a car like candy. I concluded that I needed something as hard as steel and reinforced from within, also waterproof.....
Then I thought of a solution: a water tank, but at this moment, it could be called an air tank. I took expandable sticks from my pocket because they are made of carbon fibers and will act as internal supports for the tank under this pressure.
"Honestly, I only used them to turn off the light from my bed because I'm sometimes lazy more than necessary, so I made them. Who would have thought they would be of great help."
And i will need a cover to protect from the sun. It might seem strange, but if I didn't protect myself from the sun for a week , I would melt due to the heat produced by the sun, considering we are in a desert climate and will get closer to the sun as the water lifts us.
I took everything needed to stay a week in the water: five swimming rings, in case I meet someone who was fortunate enough to survive.
and first aid kits, bandages, solar-powered folding panels. As for the remaining food and medicine, it was the uncle's responsibility from the nearby store, and I told him to focus on high-energy and high-calorie foods, along with fast-inflating boats for exiting the tank when the air runs out.
Then, the second most important thing after our safety from food and air would be a multi-charging power generator.
It was what I had been working on in my lab and tried to integrate with my pilot assistant, but one piece was still missing.
It was on the top shelf. I quickly took one of the remaining sticks and extended it until it touched the latest solar panel. "Damn it, the irony of fate. Who would have thought these damn sticks would help me in life-or-death situations as that person said."
And when I finished the preparations,me and the injured uncle pushed the tank 20 meters toward the large garden next to me.
It was good that it had wheels, otherwise, I couldn't have moved it even a millimeter with the injured uncle. This was to avoid being trapped inside the building that would fill with water, as its presence in the garden wouldn't obstruct the air tank's path to anything.
There was for the total destruction according to my assistant's estimate, but something unexpected happened. "...drdrrrrd....drb drb..."
"Thud... clatter." I heard the sound of products falling from the shelf, and I turned.I heard the sound of products falling from the shelf and turned around.
As planned, I had told my uncle to contact someone.
It was one of my few acquaintances—Julius, sixteen years old, 185 cm tall, with beautiful, soft blond hair and deep blue eyes.
He had dimples on his cheeks, fair skin, and a physique more like a warrior than an athlete—muscles sculpted and balanced between bulk, flexibility, and agility.
He had several medals in various sports: swimming, karate, taekwondo, Muay Thai, long jump, and shot put—all at the national level. Summoning a beast like him was necessary in a world ruled by ruin.
But when Julius appeared, he had a small boy with him. Did he bring him along?
Ah, me… there was no time left for greetings or to be surprised by the presence of a child. I shouted, "Everyone, get in the tank now! The tank, now!"
Julius understood me instantly and moved before I even finished my sentence, while the little boy stood there, confused and unsure of what to do.
I grabbed his hand as I ran toward the tank.
"Listen, kid. From now on, only the strongest, the fastest, and the smartest will survive in this world.
Keep that in mind—it's going to be a struggle to stay alive. Either you become strong and quick-witted, or you accept your fate and die."
When I finished, I couldn't see the boy's face to know how he reacted, but I noticed his ears were red and his hands were warm. Was he running a fever? Doesn't matter.
When I reached the tank, I wanted to climb in. I turned and saw the boy struggling, so I decided to help. I shouted, "Hey Julius, catch! I'm going to throw you the kid!"
"Hey, hyaaah!"
But as soon as I picked him up, I said one word:
"Heavy…"
A direct blow hit me in the chest. "Ughhh… cough cough"
I shouted, "What's wrong with you? I was trying to help and you hit me!"
A soft, gentle voice replied, "That's because you're weak… hmph."
Before I could respond hysterically, I felt my body grow lighter again.
"No no no no, not again… this gravity won't spare us even—"
A deep voice interrupted me, choked by the blood in his mouth:
"Calm down… cough cough… it's me…"
My uncle had lifted me and the girl toward the tank with one arm despite his injury. We climbed in one after the other. Now, only my uncle and I remained.
[10 seconds remaining]
I turned to him. "Come on, Uncle!"
He said, "Sorry, kid… you'll understand one day." Then he pushed me.
"Nooooo!" Julius caught me, while my uncle closed the hatch.
"Nooo! No no… Julius, let me go! I said let me go, you—damn you!"
[4 seconds remaining]
"Nooooo!" I looked at Julius with intense anger. "Why?!"
Julius replied calmly, sorrow in his eyes:
"Listen… it was Uncle's last wish—for you to live well and in peace. He knew his injury would only hold you back."
"Shut up! What does it matter if he'd hold me back? You shouldn't have listened to him! You're just like those creatures…"
[0 seconds remaining]
My watch started to beep, followed by a series of collisions that didn't let me finish my sentence…
Julius's phone lay in the middle of the tank, lighting up the room.
Ali was lying on the neatly arranged supplies—Julius must have placed him there after organizing the scattered items caused by the impact. There were piles of blood-soaked bandages everywhere.
"Ow… my head…" I woke up, my head bleeding. Julius was in the corner of the tank, holding the child in his arms.
"Hmm… long silver hair…?"
Ah, so it was a girl from the beginning. That explains a lot. The moment she hit me when I called her heavy, and that soft voice—it all made sense now.
After a brief silence, brought on by the whirlwind of recent events, I finally spoke:
"I'm sorry, Julius. I lost my temper. I didn't mean what I said."
He turned to me and said, "After everything we've been through together… I know you didn't mean it. Otherwise, you wouldn't have chosen me out of thousands to save."
He said it with a smile that reassured me.
Then we offered a prayer, hoping our uncle would find peace in the afterlife.
But after that, silence took over again. Honestly, I was used to it. The other two remained in shock and silence after the recent series of events.
I couldn't blame them for staying like that for a quarter of an hour.
Then, the silence was broken by the sound of a message from my assistant, confirming through my smartwatch that he had found us and was now next to the tank, as I had instructed.
I had to speak to break the tension, so I said to them:
"Listen, I've given you enough time to process what happened—to be scared, to panic, and to feel all those other emotions. But now, wipe away all those silly feelings."
I forgot to mention that the reason people disliked me was because of my arrogant personality—especially with girls. That was mostly because most women in my society looked down on men.
What's even stranger is that men didn't seem to mind; they even tried to get closer to them. And if someone had money, power, authority, or beauty, the rules changed for those people. Shallow, beautiful women clung to them without reason. Only a rare few women were truly wise.
As for me, someone who had nothing—an idiot face like this and a rude attitude—I was always the object of everyone's contempt, especially women's. I wasn't like those fools who tried to prove themselves to them. I acted according to the law of action and reaction.
From all that social resentment, a sharp-tongued boy was born.
I can't remember how many women I made cry just by unleashing my venomous tongue. I lacked the most basic manners of speech.
Anyway, how could a boy like me—my tongue—break the silence without making it worse?
Well, no need to complicate things, Ali. Let's start by getting to know each other.
I said, "Hi, my name is Ali Vender, first year of general secondary school… What about you two?"
Julius replied, "We're in the same school, same year, same class. We know each other well—and so does she.
So I'll skip introducing myself."
He turned to the girl. "Can we get to know each other?"
After a brief silence, the girl clung tightly to Julius in his arms, burying her face in his chest. She was a small girl, around 11 years old, but her appearance hinted that feminine maturity was in her genes.
She was delicate and graceful—in short, stunningly beautiful. The glow of the phone's light reflected off her white hair, and her blue eyes leaned toward sky blue.
The scene Ali saw was indescribable: a little beauty in the arms of her handsome, towering knight.
After overcoming her silence, she turned to me and spoke:
"I'm Julius's sister, Noor Asterion. A first-year student in Orthodox education. I think that's enough… isn't it?"
As soon as she finished, I was stunned. Orthodox education is the highest level of schooling in our Fourth Empire. It opens doors to the greater empires, like the Sixth or Seventh.
But I had a question that surprised me even more—something strange I didn't want to ask, thinking it might be too personal. Still, it filled my mind with countless thoughts:
She's Julius's sister? Then why…?
why...…?