"Making emotions stronger?" The sounds of yelling and arguing from the Hillside Villa District kept carrying over. Olivia finally understood. "That's why some people are angry, some are scared or sad, and others are just way too excited." Harold nodded. "Yeah, you and I are still calm right now. No big mood swings—zero times anything is still zero." Olivia shivered a little. "Good thing we stayed calm before the fog came, or I'd be panicking like everyone else." Nearby, Ghania kept swearing nonstop. The cage was shaking even more violently. Harold sighed. "My mom has always struggled with mood swings. This fog just amplified the mania she usually keeps under control." Olivia suggested, "Let's go inside. I can do some needle therapy. That should calm her down quickly." Harold agreed. "Good idea. Even with the gas masks, we don't know what's in this fog. Better not stay outside too long." They had planned to sleep in the yard tonight and move indoors tomorrow after confirming there were no aftershocks. But now, outside felt way more dangerous than inside. Olivia brought Ghania into the house first and started the needle therapy to calm her. Harold used the time to carry some food, fuel, and other important stuff into the house. They locked the gate tightly and split the supplies between the yard and the house. That way, no matter what happened—earthquake or not—they'd be prepared.After about thirty minutes of needle therapy, Ghania was much calmer. Olivia gently took out the needles and said softly, "Good thing you didn't breathe in too much fog. Your condition seems fine for now." Ghania finally relaxed. "Thanks so much for helping me." Olivia smiled. "It's nothing. We just have to look out for each other." Harold breathed a little easier. "I'll bring in the lab equipment next and see if I can figure out what's in this fog. Gotta know what we're dealing with." "I'll help you," Olivia said. Ghania looked around. "Let's all sleep in the living room tonight. If another earthquake hits, we can get out quickly." Harold nodded. "Sounds good." Olivia added, "We also need to watch out for those homeless neighbors who might try to break in. Let's not sleep too deeply and keep some weapons nearby, just in case." Ghania frowned. "Hearing those neighbors, I think their moods are even crazier than mine." Harold thought for a moment. "What if we take turns keeping watch? That way, someone is always awake to warn the others." Olivia agreed. "Sounds good to me." They decided Harold would go first, Olivia would take the next shift, and Ghania, who normally wakes up early anyway, would take the last shift. After they finished planning, the chickens and rabbits in the cage finally calmed down. Harold said, "Seems like the fog's effect on moods isn't permanent. Stop breathing it in and wait, and you'll get back to normal."Olivia let out a sigh. "We've barely adjusted after half a year of floods and over two years of the Great Heat. And now this fog shows up out of nowhere. I just hope it doesn't last long." Harold and Ghania stayed quiet. Usually, the fog would last just a day or two. But ever since the city got flooded, nothing in the world has been normal. Being stuck inside because of the thick fog made all three of them feel even more nervous. Harold tried to cheer them up with a smile. "Let's not think too much. We're probably just feeling the fog's effects. "Let's stay positive. We've got a house, supplies, and gas masks. If we're this down, imagine how hard it is for people outside." Olivia forced a small smile. "Yeah. We can't change the world, so we just have to deal with it. Things will get better. We survived the floods and the Great Heat." Ghania suddenly said, "Hey, about the Great Heat, doesn't it feel way nicer now?" Olivia nodded. "I was just thinking that. We haven't even turned on the AC, and it's not hot at all in here." Harold grabbed a thermometer. "It's 102°F!" Before the apocalypse, this would have been considered hot, but compared to the nearly 120°F of the past few days, it felt incredibly comfortable. Olivia grinned. "At the worst, it got up to 140°F, and the ground could reach 190°F. Now this feels like heaven." Harold smiled too. "If the temperature goes back to normal, maybe we can handle the fog." After all, high temperatures meant they had to run the AC, which used up a lot of fuel and electricity. If it got cooler, they could save a lot of their precious fuel.Before going to bed, they checked all the doors and windows and closed every crack. It wouldn't make the house completely airtight, but it would keep most of the fog from getting inside.