Chapter 321: Departure (1)
Later that evening, Elena decided to show the triplets around their unit outside of Paradise.
Since the babies were wide awake and wouldn’t be sleeping anytime soon, it was the perfect opportunity for them to catch one last glimpse of their birthplace.
By 5:00 PM tomorrow—their scheduled departure time—the triplets would almost certainly be sound asleep, following their usual routine, and she didn’t have the heart to wake them.
Besides, she needed to gradually acclimate them to the real world.
Although they had been born outside, Elena had kept them safely hidden within the sanctuary of Paradise throughout their entire first month of life.
Until now, none of them had ever ventured beyond its safe haven, making this the perfect opportunity to introduce them to the world.
Cradling the youngest, baby Max, in her arms, Elena walked toward the balcony.
It was already past 9:00 PM, yet the sun still clung to the horizon, painting the sky with unnatural streaks of fiery orange.
Before the apocalypse, such a late sunset would have been a breathtaking sight.
But now, amid the suffocating heatwave and the unsettling phenomenon of extreme polar daylight, the lingering sun was nothing more than a chilling reminder of an apocalypse.
"Look, Max. That building over there? That’s where Mommy used to live," Elena murmured softly to the tiny bundle nestled against her chest.
"Take a good look. It might be the last time you ever see it."
Hearing his mother’s voice, baby Max lifted his tiny head and smacked his little lips before puckering them into a small ’O’.
A moment later, his forehead scrunched into an adorable frown, as though the bright sunlight was bothering him.
Elena chuckled, unable to resist planting a gentle kiss on his chubby pink cheek. His reaction was simply too adorable.
Taking his tiny hand in hers, she gently waved it toward the building.
"It’s so hot outside, so Max can’t go out just yet," she cooed. "But when the time comes and the weather turns nice again, Mommy and Max will explore the world together."
Baby Max broke into a delighted grin, soothed by the gentle rhythm of his mother’s voice.
Outside, the temperature had already soared to a staggering 52 degrees Celsius, and it continued to rise by two percent every month.
Coupled with the ongoing polar daylight phenomenon—which had already stretched daylight to sixteen hours and continued to lengthen by one hour each month—the world’s surface had become increasingly hostile.
For ordinary humans who had yet to awaken abilities, such extreme heat meant severe burns, dehydration, and potentially fatal heatstroke.
Only Awakeners, with their enhanced physiques, could truly adapt to and survive under such brutal conditions.
So far, the heatwave had already lasted for half a year, and Elena had a grim feeling it was far from over.
She feared the ever-expanding daylight would eventually consume the night altogether, leaving the world trapped beneath an unending sun.
A double catastrophe of scorching heat and an eternal day—it was a truly terrifying disaster.
Elena was lost in thought as she cradled Baby Max when Grandma Ford called everyone over for dinner.
"Dinner is ready!"
The children cheerfully headed to the dining table alongside the other adults currently staying in the unit.
They were still animatedly discussing their earlier battle against the Tier 1 mutated beast as they waited for the rest of the group to join them for their final meal in this unit.
"It’s been more than half a year since we settled here, but tomorrow we’re leaving. Time really flies," Oslo said, a trace of nostalgia in his voice.
He couldn’t help feeling a little reluctant to leave—this place had actually been quite good to them.
At the same time, he couldn’t help worrying about what awaited them at the main base.
Still, deep down, he knew it was only a matter of time before this area became far too dangerous for them to remain here.
"What’s there to hesitate about?" General Kaiser countered.
"Reaching the main base early will allow us to consolidate our power and establish enough influence to keep our group safe."
Indeed, this location had served them well. But as the days passed, sightings of mutated beasts, pests, and alien threats were steadily increasing.
Worse, the surrounding structures were beginning to deteriorate.
He feared that a single new disaster could bring the remaining buildings crashing down, forcing them into an emergency evacuation anyway.
Moving to the main base was their best option, especially since the military already had plans to construct both underground and surface shelters capable of withstanding almost any crisis.
"Alright, that’s enough talk for now. Let’s eat and finish our discussion later," Grandpa Caldwell interrupted, gently cradling Baby Leo in his arms.
The little one eagerly gulped down his favorite bottle of milk, with his eyes darting between the adults as they talked.
When they reached the table, Baby Leo scrunched up his face at the sight of the tantalizing dishes overflowing with spiritual energy, clearly wanting a taste for himself.
Before the triplets could break into a full-blown cry, Elena quickly stepped in.
She settled them into their infant crib rockers in a shaded spot nearby, with Poochi and Mimi staying beside them.
Ethan then used his shadow ability to hold their milk bottles steady, while the two pets gently rocked the cribs to keep the babies soothed.
The rest of the group chuckled at the clever, resourceful idea, though the older members couldn’t help feeling a wave of sympathy for the little ones.
"I’ll take care of the babies first and eat afterward," Grandma Ford offered.
"No need, Grandma," Elena reassured her. "As long as they can see me, they behave. They won’t be falling asleep anytime soon anyway—they just love watching us. Come on, let’s all eat together."
Elena didn’t want to spoil the babies, and considering how long it had been since everyone had shared a meal together, this felt like a true family reunion.
Grandma Ford conceded with a warm nod, and before long, everyone dug in with enthusiastic appetites.
"Wow... so many fruits!" Little Mia exclaimed, reaching out to grab one.
Before her fingers could reach the fruit, Aunt Liza gently stopped her, wanting her to finish the main dishes first before moving on to the fruit.
The dining table was filled with a wide variety of dishes, beginning with refreshing main courses specially prepared for the scorching weather: chilled cucumber and avocado soup, cold tofu with ginger and soy sauce, Greek salad with feta, rotisserie chicken lettuce wraps, cold sesame peanut beef noodles, and light chicken rice porridge.
Alongside them were hydrating fruits, including watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, oranges, bananas, pineapple, peaches, grapefruit, blueberries, and fresh cucumber slices.
Finally, there were chilled treats that the children loved: fruit juice popsicles, coconut water jelly, chilled mango sago, berry smoothie bowls, frozen yogurt bark and different kinds of ice cream flavor.
Every dish had been carefully chosen to help combat heat exhaustion while remaining refreshing in the extreme temperatures.
Even by pre-apocalyptic standards, it was a lavish feast.
Everyone ate heartily, leaving empty plates scattered across the table.
Ever since their abilities had awakened, their metabolic needs and food consumption had skyrocketed to an entirely different level.
"Finally, a well-deserved dinner," Xander commented as he reached for a selection of desserts.
The children nodded enthusiastically, chatting and laughing as they sampled different flavors of ice cream.
"Don’t overdo it. Consuming too much cold food in this extreme heat can shock your digestive system and trigger a spike in metabolic heat," Dr. Paige warned, eyeing her sister, Sera, who had joined in on the treats.
"Mmm, I know, Brother," Sera murmured with a nod, though she couldn’t resist sneaking another bite.
Watching Little Mia eat with equal enthusiasm, Grandpa Ford frowned slightly and gave her a gentle nudge.
"Listen to Dr. Paige, Little Mia. You’ve had more than enough dessert today."
"I know, I know, Grandpa!" Little Mia replied cheekily, continuing her feast alongside Little Koby and Erick.
"By the way, did you all finish your exercise routine today?" Elena asked, watching the children with a stern look.
"Yes, Sister Elena! Brother Daniel and Sister Lucy accompanied us to the rooftop today so we could acclimate to the heat," Little Erick reported proudly.
Over the past few days, Elena had tasked Ethan with leading the children through outdoor training sessions under the sun.
She wanted to ensure they were accustomed to the brutal temperatures, knowing the long trek to the main military base would be far from easy.
"Good," Elena said. "Make sure to visit Butler Aki later to replenish your supplies and collect whatever else you need for tomorrow’s journey."
The children nodded obediently.
Before long, dinner came to an end, and everyone dispersed to finish their preparations.
Once the area had cleared, Ethan and Elena scooped up the triplets and stepped into Paradise, where they gently lulled the babies into a peaceful sleep.
******
The next day, Elena and Ethan stood on the rooftop, watching a long stream of refugees pour out of the surrounding buildings.
The crowd moved with urgent, hurried steps, spurred on by military officers shouting at everyone to gather their belongings and fall into line without delay.
Checking her watch, Elena saw the hands nearing 4:25 PM.
She stopped watching the street below and turned to Ethan with a brief nod.
"Let’s go. It’s time."
Ethan took her hand, and together they descended to the lower levels to join the departing group.