"There's nothing at home. If I'm careful, it should be okay." Nadia agreed after a moment of hesitation. After all, if Harrison had supplies, she would be safer. It was safer for him to go get supplies out there than to target her. Harrison glanced around the living room. "Thanks for taking care of Lily." "No problem. You helped me yesterday too." Cautious by nature, Nadia had already stashed away her supplies. The kitchen now only held some understated winter melon, pumpkin, and cabbage. With a nod of appreciation, Harrison headed out. With her plans for cooking delayed, Nadia turned on the bathroom light and resumed working on the uncleaned pork offals from her domain. Just as she was getting into the groove, the power went out.She quickly shut the door and slipped back into her domain. The domain's power was unaffected, and amidst the relief, Nadia felt a renewed sense of confidence about facing the dark days ahead. Trust was scarce, even when it came to children. Nadia remained vigilant, preparing a simple meal of cabbage pasta for dinner. Since Lily was sick and couldn't eat eggs, she added a sausage to the dish. To her surprise, Lily ate it with gusto. As Lily grew more comfortable, she said, "The food is delicious. Harry messed up the rice." At just over twenty, Harrison's lack of cooking skills was understandable. Seeing Lily enjoy the meal, Nadia added another half serving for her. By six in the evening, the sky had plunged into darkness. SOHO Community, situated on higher ground, was nonetheless partially submerged, with water reaching up to the neighborhood gate. The group chat buzzed with activity, but the posts about food had dwindled. The relentless typhoon and power outage had finally struck fear into people, spreading a wave of anxiety. Nadia raised her price to 30 bucks, but there was no response. Partly because they were neighbors, and cashing in might lead to awkward encounters later; partly because fear had taken hold, making them wary of this dreadful weather. With the power out, the city was swallowed by darkness, the once-brilliant lights now a distant memory. An unsettling sense of unease settled in. Nadia drew the curtains and turned on the solar lights. Lily, frightened, instinctively clung to her dress. Not skilled in childcare, Nadia resorted to using her tablet to play cartoons. Around eight in the evening, Harrison returned. Dressed in dry, casual clothes, he carried a heavy bag containing potatoes, two cabbages, two pounds of pasta, a box of cold medicine, a portable stove, and some gas canisters. He advised, "With the power out, water supply might also be affected. You should stock up just in case." Nadia thanked him and, after a few polite refusals, accepted the supplies. As soon as he left with Lily, she locked the doors and windows, turned on the gas stove, and began cooking. The kitchen was soon filled with the aroma of offal dishes, grilled ribs, sweet corn soup, roast goose, and stir-fried beef with bell peppers. She worked tirelessly through the night. By the time she stepped outside to discard kitchen waste, she noticed water stains on the hallway floor. The wet footprints led to—and disappeared in front of—Unit 1801's door. Did they go out in the middle of the night? The three stainless steel doors seemed to hint at more than just an ordinary concern. Not only had Harrison been hoarding supplies day and night and advised her to stock up on water, but his gifts also seemed to carry a purpose. Back in her room, Nadia pondered over Harrison. He's definitely not an ordinary person. … The rain brought a refreshing coolness, and Nadia slept deeply, cocooned in comfort. When she finally awoke and checked her phone, it was already past 10 a.m. She stepped onto the balcony and saw a bleak, gray world outside. The horizon was blurred, with flood waters merging seamlessly into the sky. A commotion was faintly audible from below. Nadia peered down and saw that the water had already seeped into the neighborhood. The first-floor residents were beginning to face flooding. With the power out yesterday, the group chat had been quieter. Yet, images still emerged showing the water level reaching residents' ankles. Calls to emergency services were futile; the lines were down, and even if they got through, the response points were submerged. Residents grumbled and scrambled to move their belongings to higher floors. The area was close to the university campus, with few vacant homes. Even those that weren't occupied were rented out. Some savvy individuals had already begun asking in the group chat if anyone could temporarily house them. Usually, neighbors could lend a hand, but with the power out and now the gas shut off, everyone was on edge. Who would dare offer shelter when they couldn't guarantee their own needs? Inviting people in was risky—what if they wouldn't leave? Where would they sleep, and how would they manage meals? The last thing anyone wanted was to end up in a feud from helping someone. The group chat fell silent. The first-floor residents were at their wits' end. They couldn't just block the hallways.With the rain and storm relentless, the damp hallways were unbearable. Adults could manage, but what about children? Desperation set in. People began climbing floor by floor, knocking on doors and asking for help. If all else failed, they were even willing to pay for a place to stay. Residents either kept quiet or claimed their homes were already packed. Help was hard to come by. When the door was knocked again, Nadia was surprised to see it was Harrison. He looked weary, just having woken up, and asked, "I've replaced my door—do you think the old one will work for the stairs?" Nadia was more than happy to help. She quickly got to work alongside him. Together, they managed to install the old door at the 18th-floor stairwell. While Nadia mostly held and assisted, Harrison did the heavy lifting. As a bonus, she received a spare key. When the first-floor residents came up and saw the door blocking the stairwell, their frustration was evident. They grumbled and turned back, heading downstairs. Nadia listened to the commotion from above, relieved. This door had saved her a lot of trouble and risk. Though this door was a temporary fix, it might not be enough in the future. She would need to install her own door soon. Others weren't naive, though; if two doors suddenly appeared, they would figure out that the 18th floor had supplies. Once they realized that, no number of doors would keep them out. When the coldest days arrived, she could always take her door back out then. … With the gas supply cut off, Nadia dragged out a propane tank from the space, spent a while setting up the stove, and then sealed the doors and windows tight. She resumed cooking, frying and boiling despite the storm raging outside. The smell might drift out, but the rain would wash it away.Inside, it felt like a sauna with the thick, greasy air. Nadia was drenched in sweat and the lingering smell of cooking. She had no choice but to cook now, as she wouldn't dare turn on the stove later. After a spicy meal that left her dripping with sweat and feeling refreshed, she faced a rising water level that reached halfway up the first-floor residents' calves. To keep her anxiety in check, she turned off her phone and took a soothing nap. After she woke up, she ventured into the domain to clear more land. The timer showed a pitifully low number of hours left. Rolling up her sleeves, she dove into the task. Time was of the essence. The hoe bit into the soil with vigor, and her hands quickly formed blisters. Though just ten square meters, the work was exhausting. After leveling the soil, she divided it into four sections and planted different vegetable seeds, including some eggplant, bell pepper, and cucumber seeds for later. Space was limited, so she had to use it wisely. Time inside the domain matched the outside, but seasons didn't seem to matter. So, she decided to plant an orange tree and a grape vine in the corners. Rushing and working steadily, she spent two hours on the task, feeling as though she was sacrificing a part of herself. Stepping out of her domain, she noticed that the water had stopped rising, but the internet was still on and off. It felt like the world itself was on the brink of coming to a halt.