Apocalypse!
It was coming!
When Farah heard the news, she froze all over, unable to accept it for a long time.
The reports about the end of the world were everywhere. Whether it was on TV, the internet, or outdoor advertisements, all kinds of information flooded in. The first thing Farah thought about was the mysterious space she had accidentally obtained.
She didn't know much about apocalypses, but she did know one thing: staying alive was all that mattered.
And to stay alive, you needed food, clothes, shelter, and transportation. That was it.
"Stock up!"
Once she reacted, Farah quickly grabbed a pen and paper to make a list. Besides grains, meat, and vegetables, she needed tons of seasonings and medicine. Because of the space she had, she also needed to buy more seeds.
From the first day she discovered the space, she had started farming. Although she had already bought some seeds, most of what she planted were her favorite vegetables and various flowers.
She actually wanted to grow medicinal herbs too. As a professional herbal pharmacist, she recognized many herbs. Unfortunately, she couldn't find any herbal seeds no matter where she looked. That was a real shame.
Buy, buy, buy—until she spent all her savings. Only then did Farah feel a bit more confident.
"Attention! Attention! The apocalypse is arriving. All residents, please enter the underground safety shelters. The apocalypse is arriving. Please enter the underground safety shelters…"
The broadcast echoed through the sky. Farah rushed out of her house at full speed toward the special access tunnel. But just as she got close, a loud bang sent her body flying out of control. She didn't even have time to scream. She was airborne, falling, and then everything went black…
She couldn't breathe.
It felt awful.
It felt like a dream. A nightmare, really.
But it was too real. Even the pain felt real…
Pain.
Pain??
How could you feel pain in a dream?
Could it be… this wasn't a dream?
She opened her eyes and found herself in the water. She flailed for a moment before remembering that she knew how to swim.
Farah had no idea what was happening. She had been rushing toward the shelter. She had been hit and knocked away. How could she suddenly be in the water?
"Farah, Farah! Quick, grab the rope! Farah, hold on to the rope!"
She heard a boy yelling. She looked over and saw a ten-year-old boy in ancient-style clothes on the shore, shouting at her in panic.
Farah?
He couldn't be talking to her, right?
But there was no one else in the water. He was calling out to her.
Farah… what a strange name to hear someone calling. It was almost funny.
She was thirty-six years old and still single. How could she accept being called something like that by a young boy?
She caught her breath and swam hard toward the rope.
After a few strokes, she realized something was wrong. Normally, this short distance would've been easy for her. But now, even though she was using all her strength, she still hadn't reached the rope.
"When did my body get this weak?" she thought, frustrated.
Finally, her effort paid off. Farah grabbed the life-saving rope. The boy pulled, and she got closer to the shore. Once she was finally pulled out, she barely managed to see the boy who rescued her and a woman with red, tearful eyes before she lost consciousness again. The last thing she heard was their panicked, desperate voices calling her name: "Farah!"
Tristan was very anxious. He had finally rescued Farah from the river, but her face was pale and her eyes shut tight. His heart sank. Without caring about anything else, he picked her up and ran toward home. But as he ran, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"Mom, our… our home is gone."
The flood had swallowed up the house and farmland. There was nothing left. Tristan felt hopeless and didn't know what to do.
Madam Shaine was panting heavily as she followed close behind him. Hearing his words, she collapsed to the ground, muttering, "Yes, the house is gone, it's all gone. What are we going to do…"
The Li family's village sat on flat land, perfect for living. But now it was completely underwater. If the flood had come at night, everyone would have died in their sleep. Even so, those who didn't escape in time were all swept away by the flood.
"Mom, what should we do?" Tristan was overwhelmed. He was just a boy around fourteen or fifteen, and now he could only hold his little sister and cry silently.
Tears were already streaming down Madam Shaine's face. She walked to Farah's side, eyes vacant, gently stroking her cheek without even realizing it.
Farah frowned tightly. Being squeezed in Tristan's arms made her very uncomfortable. She let out a few soft moans. Madam Shaine suddenly came to her senses and forced herself to stay calm.
"Tristan, let's go. We need to find your father or Doctor Henry, even the village chief Grandpa would do. We need to find someone."
As long as they found others, they'd be safe.
Madam Shaine and Tristan had rushed to save Farah when they saw her swept away by the flood. They hadn't followed the others and were now far away from the rest of the village.
Suddenly, Tristan had a flash of inspiration and shouted, "Mom, earlier Grandpa asked everyone to hide food. I went to the cave with them too. Doctor Henry must be there!"
Madam Shaine's eyes lit up. She grabbed her son's hand with joy. "Tristan, go, go, go! Lead the way quickly!"
Farah slowly woke up to find herself inside a cave.
She tried to sit up, but Madam Shaine gently pushed her back down. Her warm hands touched Farah's forehead, making her feel comfortable enough to close her eyes. Then the woman's voice spoke softly, "Farah, don't get up. Wait until the porridge is ready. I'll feed you. You'll feel better after you eat."
Farah found it funny. She thought to herself, I'm not a child. I've been through so much, I don't need someone to coax me.
"I… cough… I'm fine."
Her dry, raspy voice sounded weird, but it also had a soft, childlike tone.
She lifted her hand, but a large hand immediately wrapped around it.
Wait. What was going on? Why was her hand so small?
She held out both hands. They were pale, soft, and had no calluses at all. If not for the red marks left by being tied up with rope, she wouldn't even believe they were hers.
She had turned into a child?
Thunder on a sunny day… no wait, there was no sun.
It was like misfortune piling on top of disaster. At least let her become a teenage girl if she had to. But now she was a tiny little girl…
"Farah, the porridge is ready! Drink some!" Tristan came over quickly with a bowl.
After half a bowl of hot porridge, Farah's mind finally cleared.
She could only smile bitterly.
If it had been her original body, she wouldn't have been able to swallow the thin, choking porridge. But somehow, this little body took it all in without a fuss.
She had been fed?
Another embarrassing memory to add to the pile.
Farah truly wished she could go back to her old self.
Yes, she now had this child's memories. This five-year-old girl was also named Farah.
The Li family was big, and in this generation, she was the only girl. Everyone doted on her and lovingly called her little sister.