A flash of lightning ripped across the sky, turning the night blinding white for a split second. A heartbeat later, a thunderclap boomed so loudly it seemed to shake the earth itself.
Lan Jin was sound asleep, curled around her child. The two of them were completely unprepared when the thunder jolted them both awake.
Qiao Qiao blinked at her in confusion at first, not fully understanding what was happening. But when the second roll of thunder crashed down from the heavens, Qiao Qiao suddenly broke down, letting out a gut-wrenching wail and burying her face in Lan Jin's arms.
Lan Jin held her tightly, trying to soothe her, but barely got a word out before more lightning streaked through the sky and wave after wave of thunder drowned out everything else.
The whole scene felt eerily familiar. An uneasy thought formed in Lan Jin's mind.
"Had it come early?"
In her past life, the apocalypse had started with this exact kind of thunderstorm—then came the earthquake, the tsunami, and finally the poisonous fog. Three disasters, one after the other, left people with no time to react. That brutal chain of events had killed millions before the apocalypse even properly began.
Lan Jin's mind raced as she dug through the memories of her past life. She remembered clearly: the thunder lasted for exactly three minutes. As soon as it ended, the earthquake would hit. Her city, J City, didn't sit on a fault line or near the ocean, so the only sign she had last time was the chandelier in the living room.
Lan Jin didn't hesitate. Still holding her sobbing child, she rushed into the living room. She kissed Qiao Qiao on the forehead, gently rocking her while trying to calm the trembling Rottweiler at her feet—Nana, who was shaking like a leaf. At the same time, her eyes stayed fixed on the ceiling.
Sure enough, the moment the thunder stopped, the chandelier above them began to sway.
Most cities had lightning rods installed by now, so no matter how loud or long the thunder lasted, as long as you were indoors, people generally felt safe. No one panicked just because of some thunder.
But an earthquake? That was a different story.
Even though J City wasn't anywhere near a seismic zone, if the tremors were strong enough, the buildings might collapse anyway. And just like before, Lan Jin saw people beginning to run. From the window, she watched groups of two or three break into sprints outside.
This was just like her previous life—identical, down to the details. Even though she had moved to a different neighborhood this time, Lan Jin had no doubt left in her heart.
The apocalypse had truly come early.
Oddly, that realization brought a strange sense of relief. These past few days, her nerves had been stretched taut. One moment she feared the end would come, the next she feared it wouldn't. Watching the calendar tick closer had left her unable to settle.
But now?
Now that the truth was clear, she felt strangely calm. Since it was already happening, she would simply deal with it. Whatever came next, she would face it head-on. Her only goal was to raise her daughter safely and live in peace, no matter what happened outside.
With the thunder gone, Qiao Qiao slowly began to quiet down in her arms. The little one sniffled and said in a pitiful voice, "Mama… want water."
"Okay, Mama will get it for you."
Qiao Qiao took the cup and gulped down a full glass. Then she pointed at Nana by her feet.
"Nana want too. Nana barked. Throat ouchie."
Lan Jin couldn't help but sigh as she poured another bowl of water, this time for the dog.
While Nana drank noisily, Lan Jin kept glancing toward the window. Down below, she could still see the small, dark figures of people running through the streets.
Qiao Qiao tilted her head. "Mama… people."
"That's right. Lots of people are running outside," Lan Jin said softly. "But we're not going out. We're staying right here at home."
The shaking had lasted even less time than the thunder. After just two minutes, the chandelier stopped moving. Lan Jin pointed up at it.
"See? It stopped. We don't need to go downstairs. Everyone will be coming back soon anyway."
But just as the words left her mouth, the lights in their home suddenly flickered and died. Lan Jin turned toward the window—pitch black. Even the streetlights were out.
Power outage.
Just like last time.
It didn't take long for the people outside to realize they couldn't see where they were going. One by one, phone flashlights lit up as they tried to find their way through the dark. From the 32nd floor, Lan Jin watched the sea of tiny moving lights below. It looked like a swarm of headless flies, scattering in every direction. Occasionally, she could even hear the distant sounds of people arguing.
Lan Jin didn't care what those people did. But the total darkness in the house made Qiao Qiao anxious. Lan Jin quickly pulled a candle out from her space and lit it on the dining table.
The flickering flame brought a soft glow to the room. It wasn't much, but it was enough to calm Qiao Qiao. And truthfully, it eased Lan Jin's own nerves too.
Then a broadcast rang out across the neighborhood speakers:
"Emergency notice, emergency notice. Due to earthquake activity in a neighboring city, widespread damage to electrical systems has occurred. Repair crews are currently en route. Residents are asked to remain indoors and await further updates. Do not leave your homes. The tremors have already stopped. Any residents who have already left their homes, please return immediately. Community staff will begin door-to-door registration shortly. Do not wander around. Remain inside and wait."
The announcement echoed through every corner of the complex.
As the words reached them, people who had been running outside slowed to a stop. Slowly, they began to turn around and head home. From her window, Lan Jin could see their lights shifting direction, like lanterns floating back toward safety.
Qiao Qiao watched them with wide eyes. "Back?"
"That's right. The broadcast told everyone to stay inside." Lan Jin paused, brows furrowing. "But… that was fast. Too fast."
The chandelier had barely stopped swaying before the broadcast started.
Qiao Qiao leaned into her, not quite understanding. "Mama? What fast?"
Lan Jin glanced down at her and said quietly, "The community news… came way too fast."
In both her past life and now, the announcements had come almost immediately. But this time, it struck her how strange that really was.
It was the middle of the night.
Community staff worked nine-to-five. Who would be in the office at this hour? And how could they not only send out a broadcast, but also organize door-to-door checks?
The whole thing felt off.
The pieces didn't quite fit—but there was no time to dwell on that.
What mattered now was staying safe.