"Huh?" Natalie asked in surprise. "What happened to them?" Very soon, she pieced together the story from the three people standing before her. Lucky, Cash, and Baron had sensed the coming earthquake before anyone else. At the time, Harold was tinkering with something in his backyard. He looked over the fence and spotted the pets from next door breaking out from the villa like little escape artists. He thought they were sneaking off to play while Natalie was gone. He was overwhelmed with his emotion and was just about to herd them back. Lucky hurriedly darted over, pulled open the gate, and rushed up to him. Before Harold could react, Lucky bit onto his sleeve and tugged him toward the street. Then she spun around and barked like crazy at the house. Cash went wild too. He flapped up to Harold's roof and let out ear-splitting crows. One after another, so loud they drew neighbors out of their homes. Olivia and Ghania were shocked by the noise. They came out to see what was going on. Ghania even laughed and teased, "You've still got it, huh? Even without half your feathers, you can still fly up to the roof?" Hearing that, Natalie couldn't help but smile. Olivia added, "Anyway, thanks to their warning, many people came outside to see the commotion. That's the only reason they weren't trapped when the quake hit." Beside them, Baron twitched his long ears and thumped the ground. He jumped three feet high, clearly upset that no one had mentioned his part. Harold quickly spoke up. "Right—credit goes to Baron too. He helped us round up the chickens and rabbits before the house came down."He glanced toward the flock. Over time he had grown attached to those animals. Sure, in the end they were his food supply, but they were still lives, and he couldn't watch them get buried. Once Harold, Olivia, and Ghania realized what Lucky and Cash were warning about, they rushed to save the animals as well. But unlike Natalie's pets, the chickens and rabbits didn't understand people and refused to follow orders. The more nervous the three got, the more chaotic it became. If not for Baron muscling through, they never would have gotten them out in time. Natalie raised her brows. "Baron can herd chickens?" Harold nodded. "Mostly by brute force." That giant rabbit was all muscle. Any chicken that didn't listen got smacked. Natalie smirked. "Well done! Tonight, all three of you heroes get extra dinner!" Then she turned back to Harold and the others. "But why did you come all the way over here?" Olivia explained, "Our house got too damaged. It's not safe to live in anymore. So we hurried over to find someplace new before the other neighbors realized and staked claims." Natalie gave her an approving smile. "Smart move." Since the day the apocalypse hit, Greenhaven Mountain had felt like a quiet bubble cut off from the world. For the homeowners there, this was the first time they faced the true force of disaster head-on. But Olivia and Harold were different. They had lived through the chaos of the cities, the bloodshed, and the panic. They were seasoned survivors now. Fear was no longer their first reaction. Instead, they immediately looked for the next way forward.While other homeowners stood frozen on the main road, too scared to step near their damaged houses, Olivia and Harold were already scouting out new shelter. "There are several empty houses nearby," Olivia pointed out. "This one is on a bend in the main road, which gives us some privacy. Not bad." Harold nodded, pointing at two houses they had just inspected. "These two passed the first check. Solid structure. No serious damage." "Nat, you pick first," Ghania said politely. "We'll take the other one." Just then, Cassian, who had been quiet most of the time, suddenly looked toward the far end of the road. He pointed to the tall and untouched Villa One. "Nattie, why don't we just move back home?" Now that he knew about the storage space and the reason she had tried to keep her distance from him, Cassian felt things were different. She didn't need to hide anymore. Natalie hesitated only a moment before nodding. "Alright." Why bother cleaning up someone else's empty house when they had their own, safe and ready? Besides, she no longer had to keep secrets from him. The others immediately teased them. "See? Hard times bring people closer. That earthquake really boosted your relationship!" Olivia even leaned in and whispered to Natalie, "Make sure you play it safe!" Natalie had no words. They were still laughing when the ground shook again, strong enough to make everyone stumble. "Aftershock!" someone shouted.Everyone quickly moved to the middle of the road, away from the leaning houses. The tremor wasn't as strong as before. It lasted over a dozen seconds before fading. Harold and the others went back to check the houses. Natalie, with Lucky, Baron, and Cash at her side, followed Cassian straight to Villa One. The villa stood at the edge of the Hillside District, larger than any other house around. It was the crown jewel of the neighborhood. And its quality matched its size—completely untouched by the quake. Even the power inside was still running without a glitch.