After freezing to death in a brutal apocalypse, Vera Irwin suddenly wakes up 30 days before disaster strikes. Armed only with memories from her previous life, Vera realizes she has been given one final chance to save herself and her family before the world collapses into chaos.
With no superpowers, no system, and no miracle rescue coming, Vera convinces her parents to abandon everything and retreat to the countryside. Together, they sell their possessions, gather supplies, and build a realistic underground survival bunker before the deadly blizzard arrives.
But as temperatures plunge to unimaginable levels and civilization begins to crumble, food shortages, desperate survivors, betrayal, and violence spread everywhere. The freezing storm becomes more terrifying than anyone imagined, pushing humanity to its limits.
While cities descend into panic and cruelty, the Irwin family must defend their shelter, ration supplies, and survive wave after wave of escalating disasters. Every decision becomes a fight between life and death.
Can Vera use her knowledge from the future to protect the people she loves? Or will the second apocalypse destroy them all once again?
Blizzard Reset: The Second Life Survival Plan delivers intense survival suspense, family bonds, disaster preparation, rebirth revenge, and realistic apocalypse drama in one addictive story. Watch the full movie with English subtitles now!
#Apocalypse #SurvivalDrama #ENGSUB #DisasterMovie #RebirthStory #FullMovie #BlizzardReset #SurvivalPlan #EndOfTheWorld #FamilySurvival #PostApocalypse #ThrillerDrama #SecondChance #TrendingDrama #ShortDrama
With no superpowers, no system, and no miracle rescue coming, Vera convinces her parents to abandon everything and retreat to the countryside. Together, they sell their possessions, gather supplies, and build a realistic underground survival bunker before the deadly blizzard arrives.
But as temperatures plunge to unimaginable levels and civilization begins to crumble, food shortages, desperate survivors, betrayal, and violence spread everywhere. The freezing storm becomes more terrifying than anyone imagined, pushing humanity to its limits.
While cities descend into panic and cruelty, the Irwin family must defend their shelter, ration supplies, and survive wave after wave of escalating disasters. Every decision becomes a fight between life and death.
Can Vera use her knowledge from the future to protect the people she loves? Or will the second apocalypse destroy them all once again?
Blizzard Reset: The Second Life Survival Plan delivers intense survival suspense, family bonds, disaster preparation, rebirth revenge, and realistic apocalypse drama in one addictive story. Watch the full movie with English subtitles now!
#Apocalypse #SurvivalDrama #ENGSUB #DisasterMovie #RebirthStory #FullMovie #BlizzardReset #SurvivalPlan #EndOfTheWorld #FamilySurvival #PostApocalypse #ThrillerDrama #SecondChance #TrendingDrama #ShortDrama
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:02The pain ceased, replaced by a hallucination of my soul freezing.
00:07What is minus 94 degrees like?
00:09Each exhale turns into shards that pierce your lungs.
00:12Your blood flow slows.
00:15Even steel turns brittle and breaks.
00:16In my past life, I watched my limbs turn dark and go numb.
00:20My younger sister Jess had on the last coat she took from me,
00:24cuddled in Wade's arms, laughing behind the door.
00:26Vera, you have more body fat.
00:28We need this coat more than you do.
00:31I wanted to say something, but no sound came out.
00:34Human malice is colder than the harshest winter.
00:37I woke with a jolt.
00:38My back soaked in cold sweat.
00:40It was extremely hot.
00:42The cicadas outside were loud.
00:44I reached for my phone.
00:46July 15th, 2025, 95 degrees.
00:49I'm still alive.
00:50I searched for a pendant, wishing I had a storage space.
00:53Nothing.
00:54I tried to call out to the system.
00:56Nothing.
00:56Nothing at all.
00:57All that was left was my bank balance and the blazing sun outside.
01:01I had no powers or storage space, but I still had my memories.
01:05I still had my parents.
01:06Vera?
01:07The door swung open.
01:09Seeing me, my parents were stunned and thrilled.
01:12They returned, too.
01:14We tightly hugged one another.
01:16Dad's hands shook.
01:17Tears streamed down Mom's face.
01:19This time, we're done being nice for nothing.
01:21Dad wiped his face.
01:23His gaze hardening.
01:24We'll be fine.
01:25We still have one another, and this house.
01:28It hasn't reached minus 94 degrees yet.
01:30We can build a shelter to survive.
01:32We need money.
01:34Mom dashed to the safe and emptied its contents onto the bed.
01:38Vera, go through all our liquid assets.
01:41Max, sell this house fast.
01:44We'll only take cash.
01:45I opened the banking app.
01:47There were no loans or overdrafts.
01:49It was our hard-earned money.
01:51Every cent had to be used wisely.
01:54Only 30 days left until the apocalypse.
01:57The bell rang.
01:59Even without opening the door, I knew who was there.
02:02It was Jess.
02:03She came for money for her boyfriend Wade's business.
02:06I opened the door.
02:07Jess walked in, wearing an entitled expression.
02:10Are Dad and Mom home?
02:12Give me $500,000 or I'm leaving home.
02:15In my past life, I went all in to get that money.
02:18This time, I looked over at my parents.
02:21Mom kept tapping on the calculator without looking up.
02:25Okay.
02:25Jess froze.
02:26Surprised by how easy it was, her face flickered with joy.
02:30Wait.
02:30Dad put out his cigarette and took a document from his briefcase.
02:34Sign this.
02:35Declaration of Relationship Severance.
02:37Dad, what do you mean?
02:39This money is meant to sever our ties.
02:42Dad's tone was cold.
02:44Take the money and your life is no longer our concern.
02:47We're going to sell this house.
02:50What?
02:50Are you crazy?
02:52Jess stared at us.
02:53You'd sell the house to make me break up?
02:55Will you sign it or not?
02:57I handed her a pen.
02:58Sign it or you get nothing.
03:00With $500,000, you can go wherever you want.
03:03Jess looked at the check.
03:04Greed won over reason.
03:06She thought we were just bluffing.
03:08I'll sign.
03:08Don't come begging me when Wade gets rich.
03:10She quickly signed it, took the check, and stormed out.
03:14As the door closed, Mom briefly trembled, then composed herself.
03:18Without her, there's one less mouth to feed.
03:21What comes next is what matters most.
03:23We had a total of $10 million.
03:25We needed a vehicle for extreme cold, hundreds of tons of cold, a renovated shelter, and food supplies for 10
03:32years.
03:33When survival was at stake, $10 million was nothing.
03:36Let's go.
03:37Dad looked at the empty house.
03:38His expression firm.
03:39Only the air raid shelter in the village can endure minus 94 degrees after proper insulation work.
03:44The house in Irwin Village would serve as our last stronghold.
03:49Without spatial ability, we can't store supplies instantly.
03:52Our greatest challenge was storage and preservation.
03:55Dad used the experience he had built over his career.
03:58Standing before the abandoned shelter, louprints in hand, he shouted at the construction team we paid a fortune for.
04:04What I require isn't insulation, but full isolation.
04:09Isolation!
04:10With just $10 million, Dad still spent $3 million on infrastructure.
04:15Don't worry.
04:16Dad saw the reluctance on my face.
04:18When temperatures dropped to minus 94 degrees, every bit of insulation is life-saving.
04:24My challenge was extreme stockpiling.
04:27I had to account for every cubic foot.
04:30The villagers assembled, as trucks continuously delivered supplies.
04:35Max, are you opening a supermarket?
04:37You sold your city house just for this?
04:39While carrying a 50-pound box of canned peaches, I wiped my sweat and smiled.
04:45Yeah, we couldn't get by in the city, so we returned to run a business.
04:50The glare of the sun was still blinding.
04:52I alone knew that this messy, overcrowded stockpile would turn into a treasure in a month, driving even the rich
05:00to envy.
05:02Mom suddenly rushed over, looking grim.
05:05Vera, we have a problem.
05:07We're out of money.
05:09The diesel generator hasn't been bought.
05:11We also didn't buy enough thermal clothing.
05:13We're selling it.
05:14I glanced at the van used for transporting goods, then at the gold bracelet on my wrist.
05:20We'll sell everything except what we're wearing.
05:23Only three days left.
05:25Temperatures fluctuated abnormally.
05:28104 degrees by day, falling to 50 degrees at night.
05:32The fluctuations made the dogs bark all night.
05:34The yard was packed tight.
05:36Organizing supplies was challenging.
05:38Dad loaded two side rooms with 50 tons of coal, bricked up the windows, left a tiny access opening, and
05:45covered the outside with weeds.
05:47The biggest problem was diesel.
05:48The generator was our final power backup.
05:51Under strict control, storing tons of diesel was impossible.
05:54The construction team's gone, but the fuel?
05:57Mom gazed at the empty metal tanks, her anxiety rising.
06:01Dad gritted his teeth and reached out to a contractor he met back in his construction days.
06:06Nate, I need fuel.
06:08Don't ask why.
06:09I'm running a greenhouse farm.
06:10I'll pay 50% extra.
06:12Cash on delivery.
06:13That night, a modified truck quietly pulled into the yard.
06:17Dad placed two boxes of cash, amounting to $600,000, into the driver's seat.
06:22Once connected, the black tube pulsed like veins as diesel flowed into the underground tank.
06:28Mom and I kept watch.
06:30Heidi from next door came out, peering about.
06:33What are they doing this late?
06:34It reeks of gasoline.
06:36I tightened my grip on the flashlight and told her the septic tank was clogged, and we were clearing it
06:41out.
06:41It stinks.
06:42You should go inside.
06:44Heidi pinched her nose and went back inside.
06:46Once the tank was full, Dad slumped against the wall in relief.
06:50We are all set.
06:51Food, coal, diesel, medicine.
06:55Whatever happens, we can survive three years.
06:58An urgent weather alert suddenly disrupted the news.
07:01Stratospheric collapse will plunge global temps in 24 hours.
07:05I looked at my phone.
07:07Jess sent a photo of her dining at a luxury hotel.
07:10You're out in the countryside, while I'm in a presidential suite.
07:13At midday on August 15th, the glaring sunlight suddenly dimmed.
07:17The sky was cloudless, but it looked strangely gray.
07:21The air became still.
07:23Even the cicadas stopped chirping.
07:25Dad urged us to enter the shelter.
07:27It was pure survival instinct.
07:29We rushed into the shelter.
07:30As rehearsed, Dad shut the outer wooden door and the blast-resistant door.
07:35As the winch turned, the final airtight thermal door shut firmly and locked with a click.
07:41Silence fell.
07:43Battery-powered LED lights dimly lit the shelter.
07:46We had installed periscope-style observation ports.
07:49I looked at the thermometer outside.
07:5095 degrees.
07:5286 degrees.
07:5368 degrees.
07:54It fell below the freezing point in no time.
07:57The raindrops froze into ice.
07:59Heavy snow followed.
08:00Each snowflake was palm-sized, grayish, with a sulfuric smell.
08:05At 3 p.m., it had dropped to minus 4 degrees outside.
08:08It felt like the earth had been submerged in liquid nitrogen.
08:12The loudspeaker came on.
08:13The village chief's voice quivered.
08:15Everyone, keep warm and stay indoors.
08:17The voice stopped.
08:19Perhaps the lines snapped, or the speaker had frozen.
08:22Through the port, I saw a villager who hadn't returned home stumbling toward his house.
08:26As he ran, his movements suddenly stiffened.
08:28Like a rusted, wind-up toy.
08:31Just before reaching his front door, he dropped to the ground.
08:35Chaos outside.
08:36Shelter.
08:37Another world.
08:38The aerogel insulation worked well.
08:41No heating.
08:42Geothermal and body heat kept the shelter at 59 degrees.
08:45A thick sweatshirt sufficed.
08:47A padded sweatshirt was enough to stay warm.
08:49Dad ran a detector over the door seams and vents to ensure they were airtight.
08:52Both carbon dioxide and oxygen levels are normal.
08:55No air leakage.
08:56Mom dug through the supplies and took out a coal stove.
09:00Use coal first to save electricity.
09:02Smokeless coal crackled as it burned.
09:04Fire danced beneath the kettle.
09:06Dinner was simple.
09:07Noodles with three fried eggs and canned meat on top.
09:10At times like this, a bowl of steaming noodles was truly satisfying.
09:14We sat around the coal stove, eating quietly without a word.
09:18The signal was intermittent.
09:19Before the network collapsed, I opened social media.
09:22Panic everywhere.
09:24Despite being set to 86 degrees, it's still freezing.
09:27My window froze and shattered.
09:29A message suddenly popped up.
09:31It was Jess.
09:32Vera, what's going on?
09:33The air conditioning system went down.
09:35We're freezing here.
09:36We want to stay at your place.
09:38Come pick us up.
09:39I stared at the screen and told her the roads were blocked, so we couldn't pick them up.
09:43I then blocked her.
09:44As I set down my phone, a dull thud came from the ventilation duct above.
09:49Someone was hitting the camouflage layer.
09:52It stopped after a few thuds.
09:54Dad motioned us to keep quiet.
09:55He listened closely with a listening device.
09:58It's Frank and his gang.
10:00They're seeking shelter.
10:01Our camouflage is well made.
10:03Topped with rotten wood and bricks.
10:05Thinking it was a ruin, they left after kicking it twice.
10:08Frank was the village's bully.
10:10Needless to say, he had no food stored at home.
10:13Over three days, temperatures fell below minus 40 degrees.
10:16Life in the shelter grew boring.
10:18There was no entertainment, only faint light and relentless snowstorms.
10:22To conserve fuel, we only used the coal stove for four hours a day.
10:26We used arctic sleeping bags for the rest of the time.
10:29On the fourth day, villagers went around asking for coal.
10:33Through the port, I saw villagers wrap tightly in quilts.
10:36They used axes and crowbars to smash Heidi's door.
10:40Heidi, we're fellow villagers.
10:42Give us coal.
10:43Open up or we'll break in.
10:45Heidi's cries could be heard.
10:47Then I heard the door break.
10:48The screams stopped in under five minutes.
10:51The villagers carried off two sacks of coal.
10:53One of the axes still had blood on it.
10:55They'll find us soon.
10:57Dad cleaned his composite bow.
10:59It was his only ranged weapon, though we minimized chimney smoke.
11:02Thermal imaging or starving people with sensitive noses can still detect heat.
11:07A face suddenly appeared in the observation port.
11:09Frank was at the hidden ventilation outlet, sniffing hard.
11:13His face lit up with excitement.
11:14There is meat below.
11:16We were found.
11:17But Dad didn't panic.
11:18This shelter was built for this exact day.
11:21Frank motioned for two of his men to dig into the vent.
11:24As soon as they touched the mesh covering the vent, a blue-violet spark flared.
11:28It was a high-voltage device.
11:31It wasn't lethal, but it could knock them off their feet.
11:34A scream was heard outside.
11:36There's electricity!
11:37Max has been on guard against us.
11:39At minus 40 degrees, getting injured or sweating from panic can lead to hypothermia.
11:44They retreated after cursing in frustration.
11:47This was only the start.
11:48A greater crisis came that night.
11:50The power grid went down.
11:52The town's faint lights were visible earlier, but they all went out.
11:55The world became pitch black.
11:57Our phones became useless.
11:59Even the last signal vanished.
12:01We were isolated.
12:03Dad told us to start the diesel generator.
12:05A low rumble came from the soundproof room.
12:07Despite the soundproofing, we could still feel the floor faintly vibrating.
12:11We turned on the old radio.
12:13There were occasional transmissions.
12:15Global disaster.
12:16Stay put.
12:17Await rescue.
12:18While counting the remaining coal, Mom suddenly panicked.
12:21Max, look at this corner.
12:23Frost had built up along the shelter's wall.
12:25What's happening?
12:26Dad touched it, and his face went pale.
12:29It's frozen all the way through.
12:31The soil has frozen 10 feet deep.
12:33The cold seeps into the wall.
12:35If it drops to minus 94 degrees, our insulation may not withstand it.
12:39The city's once glamorous hotel had become a huge ice coffin.
12:44Even in her expensive fur coat, Jess couldn't stop shivering.
12:48Wade crouched in a corner, wrapped entirely in the curtains.
12:51All the wooden furniture had been burned.
12:52Even the luxury bed was turned to ash.
12:55There's no food left.
12:56Wade had a sinister gaze.
12:58They had spent the entire $500,000.
13:01They spent it on designer bags, watches, and a useless fur coat.
13:05They didn't buy any food.
13:07Let's go find your sister.
13:08Wade suddenly stood up.
13:10His eyes flickered with madness.
13:12She must be prepared.
13:13And the countryside has firewood.
13:15How do we get there?
13:16It's minus 58 degrees outside.
13:18I have a car.
13:19Wade took out a car key.
13:20It was an off-road vehicle key he took from a corpse.
13:24That car still works.
13:25If we make it through, we'll live.
13:27The two charged out frantically.
13:29Frozen dead bodies filled the streets.
13:31Some froze as they crawled.
13:33Some were smashing doors.
13:35Luck favored the wicked.
13:36The car really started up.
13:38And it had a full tank.
13:39They drove straight to Irwin Village.
13:42The next day, a car emitting black smoke crashed into a large tree.
13:46The doors opened.
13:47Two figures slowly crawled out.
13:50Jess' face was pale from the cold.
13:52She looked toward our house.
13:54It wasn't fully covered in snow.
13:56Her tears froze at once.
13:57We did it, Wade.
13:58We will live!
13:59We were having dinner.
14:01To stay warm, we had a pot of stew for dinner.
14:03The observation port alarm suddenly buzzed.
14:06Someone was here.
14:07I peered outside and my eyes widened.
14:10It was Jess and Wade.
14:12They weren't alone.
14:13Frank and his men were following them.
14:15Vera!
14:16Dad!
14:17Mom!
14:17I'm Jess!
14:18Her voice echoed from the loudspeaker, breaking the village's dead silence.
14:23I know you're inside!
14:24Wade said you sold the house and car and made ten million dollars.
14:28You must have a lot of food!
14:30Damn it!
14:30This idiot!
14:31To get Frank's help and mercy, she had given away all our secrets.
14:35Everyone!
14:36Jess shouted at the villagers.
14:38My parents are here.
14:39They've hoarded supplies.
14:40If we open the door, we can all survive.
14:43How cruel of her.
14:44Now the villagers were certain we had food.
14:47At the thought of ten million dollars worth of supplies, Frank waved his hand.
14:51Smash it!
14:52Pickaxes and hammers struck our blast-resistant door.
14:56Mom's hands shook as she held onto Dad's arm.
14:59Dad was expressionless.
15:01He walked to the control panel and turned the valve.
15:05It was connected to a high-pressure pipe.
15:08At minus 58 degrees, water was the deadliest weapon.
15:12Open it!
15:12Dad spoke coldly.
15:14I pulled the handle.
15:16Nozzles hidden above the door frame sprayed water.
15:19It wasn't just water.
15:20Dad added salt to lower its freezing point.
15:23It was liquid before spraying.
15:25On contact with objects, it would freeze instantly.
15:28Screams broke out outside.
15:30Those breaking the door were drenched.
15:32Their clothes froze in seconds.
15:34Their hands were stuck to their tools.
15:36I saw Wade take cover behind Jess, using her as a shield.
15:40She stood frozen like a statue, covered in ice.
15:43Her eyes reflected disbelief and despair.
15:46The extreme cold cut the screams off.
15:49Dad's high-pressure spray system, originally meant for decontamination, had become a deadly defense.
15:54Even at minus 58 degrees, the concentrated salt water stayed liquid and dispersed as super-cooled mist.
16:02But on contact with any object, it rapidly absorbed heat and solidified into ice.
16:08Frank ran forward with a homemade shotgun, but was doused instantly.
16:13His fingers stiffened before he could fire.
16:16Frost formed over his face almost instantly.
16:21He tried to wipe his face, but his gloves stuck to his skin.
16:26Wade, save me!
16:27Jess's scream was filled with terror.
16:30Through the port, I saw something terrifying.
16:33When the water burst out, the man who claimed to love her used her as a shield without hesitation.
16:41Her fur coat was quickly drenched.
16:45The soaked coat clung to her slender body.
16:48Wade used her as a shield.
16:50Are you crazy?
16:51It's so cold!
16:52What are you doing?
16:53Jess struggled, but Wade kept her from moving.
16:56He took cover behind the trembling woman.
16:58His gaze burned with a mad urge to survive and hatred for us.
17:02Don't move!
17:03You're my woman!
17:04You should protect me!
17:05Wade's voice trembled.
17:07Vera, open the door!
17:08Or Jess will freeze to death!
17:10Jess stopped struggling.
17:12Not out of will, but because she was frozen.
17:15Her fur coat had solidified into icy armor.
17:18Immobilizing her completely, she looked at our observation port.
17:21Her gaze turned from panic and rage into a despairing stare.
17:25Frank's men collapsed and writhed in pain.
17:28The more they struggled, the thicker the ice became.
17:31Even Frank knelt, his body hardening into an ice statue as he wheezed heavily.
17:37Is the threat over?
17:38No.
17:39Dad pointed to the monitor.
17:41Wade's still alive.
17:42He hardly got wet.
17:44What is he doing?
17:45Realizing Jess was frozen solid, Wade knocked her to the ground.
17:49He pulled out a homemade incendiary bottle, lit the fuse, and charged toward our vent.
17:55I want all of you dead!
17:58The bottle struck the vent's cover.
18:00Flames erupted, but the extreme cold snuffed them out.
18:04Dad had reinforced the vent with fireproof insulation.
18:07It burned for less than half a minute before extinguishing.
18:10But Wade didn't stop.
18:12Like a madman, he smashed the duct with a crowbar.
18:15Come out!
18:16Give me food!
18:17I have money!
18:18That fool gave me all the money!
18:20I'll pay you!
18:21He yelled, his words incoherent.
18:23But he forgot it was minus 58 degrees.
18:26He dodged most of the water.
18:28But his pant legs still got wet.
18:30Through the port, I watched coldly.
18:32His movements slowed.
18:34Five minutes later, the banging stopped.
18:37He knelt there, holding the doorframe.
18:39Face pressed against the steel.
18:41Eyes wide open.
18:43Outside the door stood five ice statues.
18:46The threat was eliminated, but our position was exposed.
18:49The ice statues were both a warning and a marker.
18:52The next morning, Dad checked the instruments.
18:55Suddenly, his face turned pale.
18:57He tapped the barometer.
18:59His fingers trembling.
19:00This is bad.
19:01My heart immediately sank.
19:03Dad turned to me, fear in his eyes.
19:06Air pressure is dropping rapidly.
19:08A severe blizzard is coming.
19:10The winds can tear houses from the ground.
19:13Our door was sealed shut by thick ice formed from last night's water.
19:18If snow blocked the vents, we'd suffocate from lack of oxygen.
19:22The legendary super blizzard is more brutal than expected.
19:26It no longer howled, only gravel scraping steel.
19:29Just then, the oxygen monitor lets out a glaring red light in alarm.
19:33The carbon dioxide levels shoot up.
19:36The air duct is blocked.
19:37There's too much snow, or the layer has collapsed.
19:40If we didn't clear it, the three of us would suffocate within three hours.
19:44Dad acted without any hesitation.
19:46He pulled out the spare hydraulic jack and the alloy drill bit and aimed at the shaft.
19:50I steadied the drill rod as Mom cranked the fan to vent leftover air.
19:54The lack of air made me dizzy, and my lungs burned.
19:58Ten minutes later, there was a sharp clang.
20:00The drill got stuck.
20:01It hit metal.
20:02A hint of joy showed on Dad's face.
20:05It's a car chassis.
20:06Wind flipped a car onto the shaft.
20:08The jack let out a heavy groan.
20:10With a dull thud, the creaking of metal came from above.
20:13A stream of cold yet incredibly sweet air rushed in.
20:16We gasped for air greedily.
20:19Dad pushed open the cover.
20:20I quickly looked out through the gap.
20:22Sure enough, it was Frank's SUV.
20:24It was like a giant lid blocking the snow.
20:27I turned and looked into the distance.
20:29My heart suddenly jolted.
20:31On the silent snow field lay fresh footprints.
20:34I followed the trail and adjusted the periscope.
20:37Three hunched figures appeared.
20:39Jason, a guy from the village, led them.
20:41Usually harmless, he now led two guy to pry open the shared grain storage.
20:46The door opened, but the inside was empty.
20:48Only a few moldy old grains and rat droppings remained.
20:52In that instant, any pretense of decency was gone.
20:55Jason suddenly raised half a brick and smashed his companion's head.
20:59Blood sprayed everywhere, like a glaring red flower.
21:03He iced the two men and took the spoiled grain.
21:06He grabbed a handful and ate it greedily.
21:08Down in the shelter, I was eating lunch.
21:10It was a steaming hot self-heating meal kit.
21:12The aroma filled the room.
21:14Starvation erases humanity.
21:16Dad picked up some beef and stared at the screen blankly.
21:19This is the current gap.
21:20Some kill for moldy rice, while others eat meat in a warm shelter.
21:24Jason dragged the bloodied sack to leave.
21:27Suddenly, he froze.
21:28Three pairs of glowing green dots appeared in the distance.
21:31It was three starving wolves.
21:34Beasts that survived in this frozen hell were the top of the chain.
21:37Jason had no time to run.
21:39The first wolf quickly snapped at his calf.
21:41The second one went for his throat.
21:43His screams lasted a short while on the audio receiver.
21:46The red liquid quickly froze on the snow.
21:49The bag of moldy grains he killed for spilled everywhere.
21:52The wolves didn't even look at it.
21:54After feeding, they didn't leave.
21:55The three wolves circled around the vent.
21:58Their nostrils twitched.
21:59They caught the scent of humans.
22:01Dad put down his utensils and walked to the workbench.
22:04He welded spiked iron bars behind the blast door.
22:06A forced entry spells death.
22:09While mom was sorting the coal we used for heating, she suddenly gasped.
22:12Max, look!
22:14A box fell from a hidden compartment of the coal bin.
22:16Inside were ten boxes of antibiotics.
22:18This was a gift from the coal seller.
22:20We didn't care before, but now it was life-saving medicine worth a lot.
22:25As we celebrated the unexpected gift, the quiet radio lit up red.
22:29After some static, a man's voice came through with a sneer.
22:32Found it.
22:33There's a good target in Irwin Village.
22:35We act tomorrow.
22:36Bring the flamethrower and burn through the shell.
22:39The static was like fingernails on a chalkboard.
22:42Dad tuned the old radio.
22:43His face flickered in the red indicator light.
22:45The stranger's voice from before came again.
22:48It felt like he was next to us.
22:50Confirmed.
22:50It's that house.
22:51Frank died there a few days ago.
22:53There are noticeable ice statues at the entrance.
22:55It was our goods.
22:57Those bodies frozen at the entrance had finally attracted vultures.
23:00There must be something underground.
23:02Those statues aren't even searched.
23:04Dad turned it off.
23:05The shelter fell silent.
23:07Prepare to fight.
23:08This time, we were no longer just defending.
23:11Mom dug out bottles of high-proof liquor from the supplies.
23:13We usually couldn't bear to drink it.
23:15The bottles were smashed open.
23:17The liquid was poured in glass bottles.
23:19Oil-soaked rags were stuffed into the openings.
23:22I sat by the whetstone and held the bow.
23:24The arrowheads made a scraping sound against the stone.
23:27A cold glint reflected.
23:29No fear.
23:30Just adrenaline-fueled calm.
23:32In this brutal world, being weak was a sin.
23:34Late at night, the voice came again.
23:36They sounded overly confident.
23:38Tomorrow at midnight, us three will go.
23:40It's so few people.
23:41I'm sure they can't withstand a flamethrower.
23:44Wind and snow raged.
23:46A roar split the darkness.
23:48Three snowmobiles burst through the snowstorm.
23:50They stopped at the entrance.
23:52Through the periscope, I saw three heavily bundled-up figures.
23:55They wasted no time.
23:56The leader waved.
23:58And a man with a tank stepped forward.
24:00Whoosh!
24:01A flame of over 30 feet long burst out instantly.
24:04It was an industrial flamethrower.
24:06The orange flames looked unnatural in this minus 58 degrees world.
24:10The thick ice sealing the door melted under the heat and turned into steam.
24:15The steel door turned from black iron to deep red.
24:18Then, cherry red.
24:19Inside the shelter, the temperature alarm blared.
24:22The initially cold shelter instantly turned into an oven.
24:25We stripped off our gear.
24:26Sweat poured down our faces.
24:28Heat seeped through the cracks.
24:29It smelled like burning metal.
24:31It won't last much longer.
24:33The gaskets will melt.
24:34Mom tightened her grip on the Molotov.
24:35Dad just calmly stared at the screen.
24:38His hand rested on a red button.
24:39It was a dry powder fire suppression system he designed.
24:42But this time, it wasn't loaded with fire suppressant.
24:45Instead, it had starch he'd gotten from a mill.
24:47You want a fire?
24:48I'll give you a big one.
24:50Dad slammed down the switch.
24:53Blast!
24:54Hidden overhead vents gushed white plumes.
24:56That wasn't smoke.
24:57It was extremely fine flour.
25:00The immense pressure made it engulf the entire entrance at a high concentration.
25:04It enveloped the man with the flamethrower.
25:06He clearly hadn't studied physics.
25:08He had no time to react.
25:10He kept his finger on the trigger.
25:11The open flame met the high concentration dust.
25:14Boom!
25:15An explosion sounded like a thunderclap from the sky.
25:18A fiery shockwave engulfed everything.
25:20The periscope screen flashed white.
25:23Then came a violent tremor.
25:25Dust rained down from above.
25:27A short while later, I could see again.
25:28The ground was scorched.
25:30The man with the flamethrower was gone.
25:32Nothing left but charred remains.
25:34Another man nearby was blasted over 30 feet away.
25:37He hung on a branch.
25:39His fate was unknown.
25:41I tightened my grip on the bow.
25:42Dad stared at the corner of the screen.
25:44The leader was lucky.
25:45He was farther away and had gotten knocked over.
25:48His face was covered in blood.
25:50One arm twisted.
25:51Still, he managed to stagger to his feet.
25:53He sneered.
25:54With his other hand, he pulled a green object from his coat.
25:57He pulled the pin and pressed it firmly against the mangled door.
26:01Come out, or I'll let go.
26:03We'll get blown up together.
26:04Calm down.
26:06I turned on the loudspeaker.
26:07I was so calm that it felt strange even to me.
26:10You can blow a hole, but I've got piles.
26:13We have 10 tons of TNT down here.
26:16If you let go, we'll all burn together.
26:19That was an outright lie.
26:21Now it all hinged on who feared death more.
26:23Sure enough, the man's eyes flickered.
26:25His fingers stiffened slightly.
26:27He weighed his options and hesitated.
26:29At that moment, Dad stood still in front of the firing port.
26:32He drew the bow fully.
26:34The bowstring hummed.
26:36The man's wrist was magnified through the scope.
26:38The bowstring snapped.
26:40It was a specially made carbon steel arrow.
26:42It whistled and pierced clean through the man's wrist.
26:45It pinned his hand firmly to the ground.
26:48The pain made him instinctively let go.
26:51The grenade rolled down the steps and fell into a snowbank.
26:53It exploded over 30 feet away and kicked up a cloud.
26:56It didn't damage the blast door at all.
26:58Before the man could even recover, Mom had already lit the Molotov and thrown it precisely
27:03through the port.
27:04Flames instantly engulfed the writhing figure.
27:07We didn't step out.
27:08We watched as they turned into smoking, charred lumps.
27:11And everything stilled.
27:13Thirty minutes later, after it was safe, Dad went out to clean up.
27:16He pulled out a fireproof bag from the corpse of the leader.
27:19Inside was a hand-drawn map with Irwin Village circled in red.
27:22They had wrote,
27:23Suspected entrance to underground water vein.
27:26That map made Dad's eyes light up.
27:28If we had running water, our quality of life could change.
27:32Dad pointed at the lines on the map.
27:33Groundwater stays at a constant temperature.
27:36It's better than bottled water.
27:37According to the map, that potential groundwater vein is actually right beneath our house.
27:42The shelter became a work site for the next few days.
27:44We took turns.
27:45In this tiny area, we dug down.
27:48It was hard work.
27:49The frozen ground was as hard as iron.
27:52Each dig of the shovel sent a shock through us.
27:54We had to use an electric drill.
27:56Then ship it with a pickaxe.
27:57Sweat ran down our backs.
27:59Then quickly cooled in the chilly air.
28:01To conserve energy, we ate extra hardtack with our meals.
28:04The cramped space was filled with the smell of earth and sweat.
28:07But no one complained.
28:08We all knew that in this apocalyptic world, water was life.
28:12It was a currency stronger than food.
28:15By the third night, we had reached nearly 10 feet.
28:17Dad was swinging the pickaxe when he suddenly stopped.
28:20Thump.
28:21It was no longer a dull fud, but a hollow echo.
28:24Dad carefully struck again.
28:25The previously solid ground collapsed inward and revealed a pitch black opening.
28:30A damp breeze drifted up from below.
28:33The beam of the flashlight pierced the darkness.
28:36Down below that opening was actually a man-made tunnel.
28:39Moss covered the concrete walls.
28:41We could still see traces of slogans from decades ago.
28:44This was an abandoned air raid network from the war and famine era.
28:48Dad went down first to scout.
28:52A while later, his trembling voice sounded.
28:55Come down!
28:55Quickly!
28:56It's running water!
28:57Mom and I slid down the ladder.
28:59We went through a narrow hall.
29:00The view suddenly opened up.
29:02At the tunnel's end, a river flowed.
29:04It wasn't large, but under the light beam, the water sparkled.
29:08I reached out to touch it.
29:09The water was a little warm.
29:11About 39 degrees.
29:12Dad held the thermometer.
29:13His cheeks were flushed.
29:15The underground layer means it's not frozen.
29:17We can use a circulation system to heat the shelter.
29:20We can even take showers!
29:22At minus 58 degrees, 39 degrees water was like a hot spring.
29:26We stared greedily at the river, as if it were flowing diamonds.
29:29But then, just as I was about to take a water sample,
29:32the light beam suddenly swept across the silt.
29:34I froze instantly.
29:36A set of footprints was clearly imprinted on the soft mud.
29:38It was very small and barefoot.
29:41Their toes dug deep in.
29:42The mud was still wet.
29:44Besides us, there were actually other people living underground.
29:47We followed the small, wet footprints and felt our way through the air raid shelter.
29:52We turned a corner piled with moldy crates.
29:54The flashlight beam froze on a corner.
29:56Something huddled there.
29:57He was thin from going so long with no food.
30:00His clothes were torn.
30:01His skin was pale from years without sunlight.
30:04If not for those wide, terrified eyes, I would have thought it was a skeleton.
30:08It was Dwayne, the mute orphan from the village.
30:10He was clutching a dead rat and had blue liquid coming from his mouth.
30:14Besides him was a pile of what looked like moss.
30:17Dad snapped up Heobo instantly and aimed between his eyes.
30:20Few supplies.
30:21Another mouth to feed meant big risk.
30:24Also, he knew our secret about the water source.
30:27He gave up, closed his eyes, trembling like a leaf.
30:30For a few seconds, all we heard was the water.
30:33Forget it.
30:34Dad lowered his bow.
30:35He took two buns from his coat and tossed them over.
30:38Dwayne's eyes snapped open and he lunged at the buns.
30:41He swallowed them without chewing.
30:43After eating, he crawled over.
30:44He grovels frantically to us, then pointed up.
30:47He spread his arms wide to mime a huge circle and made anxious sounds.
30:51He made fists and mimicked holding a steering wheel, then drew a finger across his throat.
30:56He warned us that something had come with killing intent.
30:59We barely had time to catch our breath back home when the ground shook.
31:04It was machinery vibrating on frozen ground, not an earthquake.
31:07Even the glasses on the table rattled.
31:09I immediately went to check.
31:10A convoy tore through the snow, breaking the silence of Erwin Village.
31:14It was three heavily modified trailers.
31:17The fronts were fitted with snow plows.
31:19Bright red flags were displayed.
31:21Pledia, Sector 9 Rescue Team.
31:23It was the government?
31:24Mom's eyes lit up.
31:25No.
31:26Dad zoomed in the periscope.
31:27Look at their shoes.
31:29Those in camouflage wore cheap, no-name shoes.
31:32Their weapons also weren't standardized.
31:34It was a collection of rifles and makeshift shotguns.
31:37More importantly, they didn't immediately search and rescue.
31:40They kicked a corpse from the road, then lit up cigarettes and laughed.
31:44They're disguised bad guys.
31:45This rescue team was just a big looting gang pretending to be officials.
31:50They stopped at the village and discussed the route.
31:52The last truck, loaded with coal and generators, suddenly smoked and broke down.
31:57The lead vehicle didn't stop.
31:59They left behind two men and the broken truck.
32:01The main force rumbled onward.
32:03The stranded truck was like a treasure that had stopped close to our front door.
32:08It's a generator with five fuel barrels.
32:11Our fuel reserves were nearly gone.
32:13If we want to keep the heat and lights, this might be our last chance.
32:17Let's do it.
32:18The blizzard at night was the perfect cover.
32:21Dad and I put on white polar suits and crawled across the snow.
32:24The two guards left behind had clearly underestimated this weather.
32:27They huddled in front with the heater on and napped after drinks.
32:31Dad pulled out a towel soaked in ether.
32:33I had to pick the lock.
32:34Click.
32:35The lock was frozen brittle, so it opened easily.
32:38Dad quickly covered the man's mouth and nose.
32:40He struggled twice and then went limp.
32:42I did the same to the driver.
32:44We didn't try to move the generator.
32:46Instead, we took three barrels of diesel, just as we made to leave.
32:49My flashlight swept under the driver's seat.
32:51I spotted a long black box.
32:54When we opened it, both Dad and I stopped breathing.
32:56It was two gleaming 95 auto rifles and five full boxes of ammo.
33:01This was stolen loot from a real military outpost.
33:04Come on!
33:05We carried the guns, dragged the barrels, and ran back.
33:08We had just climbed over the wall when we heard engines.
33:10The main team was back.
33:12The blinding headlights lit up the now empty truck.
33:15Furious shouts and a chaotic burst of gunfire followed.
33:19The two missing 95 rifles felt like a huge slap in the face that struck the outlaws hard.
33:24Enraged roars echoed over the village.
33:26But that wasn't the worst part.
33:28The worst was they took out more professional tools.
33:31Industrial handheld thermal cameras.
33:33On that greenish screen, any trace of body heat would be completely exposed.
33:37Through the periscope, I stared intently at the disguised outlaws.
33:41They combed through the few remaining ruins of Irwin Village.
33:44A gunshot rang out.
33:46Mr. Royce, who was hiding in the east, was hauled out.
33:49Mr. Royce was 70.
33:51In order to ration his food, he was stick thin.
33:53He kneeled on the snow.
33:55Before he could even beg, a cruel-looking thug smashed his jaw with a rifle.
33:59Where's the gun?
34:01The diesel?
34:01Who took them?
34:02The thug stepped on Royce and spoke coldly.
34:05Mr. Royce could only manage unintelligible sobs.
34:08Useless!
34:08Another shot fired.
34:10Blood stained the snow.
34:11His body was kicked into a pit, as if tossing out the trash.
34:15The second house and the third house.
34:17The few remaining survivors were dragged out, then killed when they couldn't give an answer.
34:22This wasn't a search.
34:23This was revenge.
34:25Suddenly, my heart clenched.
34:26The man holding the thermal imager stopped walking.
34:29He stood in front of the pile of rocks at the entrance.
34:31That was the air raid shelter, as well as Dwayne's hiding spot.
34:35Sir, there's a heat source below.
34:37It's weak, but it's a living person.
34:39The outlaws instantly got excited.
34:41Like sharks that smelled blood, they swarmed around it.
34:44They used crowbars to pry at the slabs covering the opening.
34:48Dwayne's terrified screams seemed to reach my ears even through the thick soil.
34:52He had been found.
34:54Should I save him?
34:55I thought about it for just a second.
34:57Dwayne knew the secret of the water source.
34:59If he broke under torture and talked, our whole family would die.
35:03Besides, he was a child.
35:05Someone who had survived this world by catching rats.
35:08Prepare to fight.
35:09Dad grabbed the new 95 rifle.
35:11Determined.
35:12Vera, go to firing port number two.
35:14It's high ground.
35:15Use the bow with the scope.
35:17Or just use the gun.
35:18Create chaos and draw their fire.
35:20I'll go save that kid.
35:21Dad didn't use the main door.
35:23He climbed into the tunnel we dug that linked to the air raid shelter.
35:26I took a deep breath and ran to firing port two.
35:29Through the scope, I saw that the thugs had already dragged Dwayne out.
35:32Dwayne's face was covered in blood as he struggled.
35:35A burly man suspended him in the air.
35:37Won't talk, huh?
35:38You mute?
35:39The man sneered and pulled a knife from his belt.
35:41I couldn't wait.
35:42I braced the rifle.
35:44My first real fight.
35:45Yet survival instinct studied my gun.
35:48Bang.
35:48I missed the first shot.
35:50It hit the ground beside the man's feet and kicked up some mud.
35:53But that was enough.
35:54The gunshot echoed like across the silent snowfield.
35:57It sent the thugs running and covering their heads.
35:59They dove for cover.
36:00It's guns.
36:02The thieves are over there.
36:03In that moment of chaos, a strong, large figure shot out.
36:07From the shadows of the opening, Dad grabbed Dwayne's ankle and yanked him back into the dark tunnel.
36:11Pull back! Now!
36:12I yelled into the walkie-talkie.
36:14I blindly fired the gun into the crowd and prevented their counter.
36:17The thugs snapped back to it.
36:19A hail of bullets poured into the opening.
36:21Dad pulled Dwayne along and rolled into the tunnel through the gunfire.
36:25In the final moment before he went in, I saw his body jolt violently.
36:29Blood burst from his left leg.
36:31He stumbled, then fell heavily into the hole.
36:34The air in the shelter froze.
36:36Only a thick smell of blood spread.
36:38Dad lay on the workbench.
36:39His face was pale.
36:41Cold sweat soaked through the cushion beneath him.
36:43On his left thigh, a gruesome, bloody hole was gushing blood.
36:47We could even see the bone.
36:48Luckily, the main artery wasn't hit.
36:50But the bullet was lodged inside.
36:52It had to come out immediately.
36:54Mom's hands shook.
36:55But her gaze was steady.
36:57She was a veterinarian.
36:58She wasn't new to surgical sutures.
37:00We had no anesthesia.
37:02The little bit of lidocaine we had expired long ago.
37:05Do it!
37:05Dad bit down on a stick wrapped in a towel.
37:08The veins on his forehead bulged.
37:10I have a feeling those bustards will break in.
37:12Mom took a deep breath.
37:14Then heated a scalpel over a lamp.
37:16The sound of flesh being cut made us grit our teeth.
37:20Dad's body tensed up sharply.
37:22And he let out a growl.
37:23His hands gripped the table.
37:25The metal tabletop was actually dented from his grip.
37:27I held Dad's leg down as my eyes welled up.
37:30But I couldn't let them fall.
37:31Dwayne huddled in the corner.
37:33He shook with fear.
37:34He stared at the bloody hole in Dad's leg with a guilty look.
37:38Ten minutes felt like a century.
37:40Clink!
37:40A deformed bullet was tossed into the tray.
37:43Mom cleaned the wound and stitched it up.
37:45When the last stitch was done, Dad had fainted from the pain.
37:48The stick in his mouth was mangled.
37:50The surgery went well.
37:51But Dad would be crippled for at least a month.
37:54We lost our strongest fighter.
37:56Before we could even relax, a strange hissing sound suddenly came from the tunnel.
38:00I looked through the observation window.
38:03My pupils dilated.
38:04Thick, yellow smoke seeped through the cracks of the tunnel.
38:08It was chlorine gas or some homemade poison gas bomb.
38:11They couldn't enter and didn't dare use the tunnel.
38:14So they chose the cruelest method.
38:16Smoke us to death inside here.
38:18The yellow smoke was like a snake slithering through the gaps and silently seeping into the shelter.
38:25The air was filled with the choking smell of bleach.
38:27It was high-dose chlorine gas or some even deadlier poisonous gas.
38:32Quick, start the ventilation system!
38:34Mom shouted with her voice sharp with tension.
38:37She pushed Dad back onto the bed and rushed to the panel.
38:40This system was the last line of defense Dad designed.
38:43It was simple.
38:44A high-powered fan would blow filtered air into the room, increasing the indoor air pressure.
38:49That way, the gas couldn't flow in.
38:51The backup generator roared to life.
38:53The fan blades spun crazily.
38:55I stared at the pressure gauge and watched the needle move to the right.
38:58At the same time, I could smell the odor being diluted and pushed out.
39:02Although the sealed door blocked most of the smoke, when I flashed a light at it, I could see the
39:07edges of the door hissing and corroding.
39:10It bubbled strangely.
39:11They couldn't enter, and we couldn't leave.
39:13I gripped the gun with sweaty palms.
39:16The gas attack lasted half an hour before it stopped.
39:18They clearly didn't want to waste their precious ammo.
39:21But then, an even more terrifying sound came from above.
39:24Thud.
39:25It was a digging sound, and the vibration of drilling the ground.
39:29It's explosives.
39:30Dad spoke weakly from the bed.
39:32His face was ashen.
39:33The gas didn't work.
39:35They'll blow the top and bury us alive, or rip the lid.
39:38If the top collapses, even just a corner, the cold would flood in instantly.
39:42We'd have no chance.
39:44We can only await our end.
39:46We must act first.
39:47I glanced at the still-struggling dad and held him down.
39:50Dad, you rest.
39:51This time, Dwayne and I will go.
39:53Dwayne couldn't speak, but in his clear, sharp eyes, there was a fierce tenacity.
39:58He pointed to an area on the map and made a breaking gesture.
40:01A natural limestone cavern was deep inside.
40:04Its structure was unstable.
40:05Even a mild tremor could cause a collapse.
40:08That would be the graveyard and the burial ground of those thugs.
40:12Dwayne and I put on gas masks and slipped into the intricate underground maze.
40:16Dwayne led the way.
40:17He moved as nimbly.
40:19He didn't even need any light.
40:21We deliberately made noises.
40:23We banged on pipes, making it seem as if we escaped in a panic.
40:26Sure enough, the digging above stopped.
40:29The outlaws heard the noise underground and thought we were trying to escape.
40:32They immediately gave chase.
40:34Over there!
40:35Don't let them escape!
40:36Chaotic footsteps echoed through the empty tunnels.
40:39Dwayne and I led them into the cavern area.
40:41The rock walls were covered with dangling stalactites.
40:44Even the floor had cracks.
40:46At the designated spot, Dwayne quickly ducked into a hole that only he could fit in.
40:50I hid behind a large boulder, clutching the grenade we'd stolen from their truck.
40:54When the flashlight swept around the corner and the thug's shout sounded close enough,
40:58I pulled the pin and counted silently to three.
41:01Go to hell!
41:02The grenade arced through the air and landed by the support pillar in the center.
41:06Boom!
41:07The blast was magnified in the enclosed space.
41:09It was deafening.
41:11What followed was the sound of rock breaking.
41:14The rock layers above collapsed like dominoes.
41:16Tons of boulders mixed with soil crashed down.
41:19The thug's cries faded into the noise.
41:22Dwayne and I scrambled back.
41:23The tunnel behind us kept collapsing, as if death itself was chasing us.
41:27We retreated to safety.
41:28A final rumble blocked our way.
41:30All was quiet.
41:32Those men were trapped forever.
41:33But we paid a price too.
41:35All the exits to the surface were completely blocked in this man-made collapse.
41:39We became true underground dwellers.
41:42Outside threats buried beneath rock, sealed off from the cruel world.
41:46We couldn't get out, but that made it safer in a way.
41:49Days passed under dim lights and the drip of water.
41:53Dad's legs slowly healed under mom's careful care.
41:55Even though he still limped, he could already stand again and work on his machines.
42:00Dwayne officially became part of our family.
42:02Although he couldn't speak, he was so endearingly hardworking.
42:05He took over the farming, keeping the dozens of sprouts neatly organized.
42:09With the ground water and grow lights, we grew our first batch of bean sprouts.
42:13We even grew mushrooms in the damp corners.
42:15When a pot of mushroom and spam stew hit the table, the smell almost made us all want to cry.
42:20There was no killing, looting, or scheming among us.
42:23The four of us sat together.
42:25Dad served some meat to Dwayne, who grinned toothily.
42:28In that moment, it felt like the apocalypse didn't exist.
42:31Half a year passed in a flash.
42:33Our hair grew, and clothes wore out.
42:35But our gazes were brighter than before.
42:38One early morning, I went to check the sensor data from the outside as always.
42:41I froze when I saw the screen.
42:43The temperature rose from minus 58 degrees to minus 4 degrees in one week.
42:48The curve was still shooting up, too.
42:50Dad, look at this!
42:51Dad came over and stared at the screen.
42:53His expression grew even more serious, despite the warming.
42:56The temperature is rising too fast.
42:59This isn't spring returning.
43:00It's a pendulum effect.
43:01After extreme cold, it'll likely swing back to extreme heat.
43:05As if to prove his words, the sensor data jumped.
43:08The surface temperature was 32 degrees.
43:10The ice started to melt.
43:12And for us who lived underground, this could mean a disaster in the form of a flood.
43:16Heat was surging brutally.
43:18In just three days, the thermometer on the wall went crazy.
43:22The red mercury column surged from minus 58 degrees, hitting 104 degrees.
43:27We didn't even transition from extreme cold to heat.
43:30A rumbling came from above.
43:32It sounded like a stampede.
43:34It wasn't wind.
43:35It was water.
43:36Snow melted instantly in the intense heat.
43:39The world turned into a giant steam cooker.
43:41Then came the massive floods.
43:43The shelter walls began leaking.
43:45Condensation beaded on the concrete surface.
43:47The air became hot and humid.
43:49I sweated profusely, even at rest.
43:52Activate submarine mode!
43:53Dad tossed me a wrench and spoke urgently.
43:56We had already prepared for this.
43:57We added six-foot-long pipes to the ventilation duct that stuck out of the ground.
44:02All the drains were locked in reverse and coated with thick sealant.
44:05I saw the world outside through the periscope.
44:08The vast white field was gone.
44:10It was replaced by muddy, roaring yellow waves.
44:13The flood carried dead trees, broken ice, and car wreckages.
44:17They slammed into anything sticking up.
44:19At this moment, our shelter was like a submarine in the deep sea.
44:23The water pressure was building.
44:25Door groaned under pressure.
44:26Water surged higher, swallowing the rooftops.
44:29Dad stared intently at the gauge.
44:31If water enters the vents, we'll have to rely on oxygen tanks.
44:35Duane huddled in the corner, watching water trickle down.
44:38I went over, wiped the wet spot with a towel, and gave him hard tack.
44:42I shook my head and gestured that it was okay.
44:44But I knew that if the water rose three feet, we would drown inside this metal can.
44:49The flood wasn't just water.
44:51It was a boiling pot of corpses.
44:53Through the blurry lens, I saw many swollen objects.
44:56People.
44:57Livestock.
44:58They rotted in the hot flood water, breeding massive bacteria.
45:01Even with layers of filtration, the air still faintly carried a sickening stench of decay.
45:07A plague was here.
45:09Mom wore two masks and sprayed disinfectant in every corner.
45:12Water deadlier than a bullet.
45:14The apocalypse's irony.
45:16A flood raged outside.
45:18Yet survivors faced the danger of dying of thirst.
45:20If someone couldn't resist drinking that filthy water, they'd definitely die of cholera, dysentery, and typhoid.
45:26As for us, we sat around a small table and drank clean water from the river.
45:31We ate peaches from a can.
45:32The underground river had become our lifeline.
45:35Water came from deep underground, unpolluted.
45:38For our safety, we cut off all physical contact with the outside.
45:41We rarely even raised the periscope, afraid of catching some deadly germ.
45:45We relied on oxygen tanks and the air purification system to get by.
45:49This went on for an entire month.
45:51Then, one day, the sound of rushing water finally stopped.
45:55Dad cautiously raised the periscope.
45:57The mud on the lens dried and cracked, revealing the blue sky.
46:00The water's gone.
46:01Through the gap, I saw that the ground had turned into a brown, muddy pit.
46:05The buildings, trees, and bodies were all gone, leaving only a thick layer of foul silt that covered the earth.
46:11But in that dead, silent abyss, I saw a faint touch of green.
46:16Temp hit 75 degrees.
46:17Ground hardened.
46:19We headed up.
46:20Back then, to kill those outlaws, the exit was sealed during the collapse.
46:24That was now the biggest hurdle blocking our way home.
46:27Dad located the weakest point for the blast and used our last explosives.
46:31Boom!
46:32Dust flew everywhere.
46:34Sunlight pierced the darkness of the shelter.
46:36I squinted as the harsh light made my eyes water.
46:39I took a deep breath of the outside air.
46:41It still had the smell of soil and decay.
46:43But it was also freedom.
46:45We climbed out of the opening and stood where Irwin Village used to be.
46:48The village was gone.
46:50Nothing was left.
46:51Our house, the neighbor's building, all had been leveled by the flood.
46:55This place was like a clean slate with only thick mud and countless bits of scattered trash.
47:01This soil is rich.
47:02Dad crouched down, grabbed a handful of soil, and rubbed it.
47:05The corpses and rot had turned into good fertilizer.
47:08Dwayne ran excitedly toward a higher spot.
47:11A small blade of grass pushed up through the mud.
47:13He pointed at the sprout and shouted with joy.
47:17Let's start.
47:18Dad wiped his hands, eyes without sorrow.
47:20Only a fierce passion to rebuild.
47:23Treasure lies beneath.
47:24We can plant our seeds now.
47:26We planted a vegetable garden on the ruins.
47:28After just one week, the first batch of kale sprouted.
47:32On the bleak wasteland, rows of greens stood like hope's flags in the sunset.
47:36The color of life was more dazzling than gold.
47:40The radio that remained silent suddenly burst to life one afternoon.
47:44It was no longer a malicious prying, nor random chaotic static.
47:47Instead, it was a clear woman's voice.
47:50We felt moved when we heard her.
47:51This is Pledia's third safe zone.
47:53If you hear this broadcast, gather southeast to rebuild our home.
47:58The cigarette in Dad's hand burned his finger, but he didn't notice.
48:01He just stared intently at the old radio.
48:03The government and order still exists.
48:06Do we go?
48:07Mom stopped sorting the vegetables.
48:09She looked uncertain.
48:10It did mean safety in groups and the return of civilization.
48:13I looked out at the setting sun.
48:15Our rebuilt greenhouse glowed golden.
48:18The shelter entrance stood like an unbreakable fortress.
48:21Groundwater babbled, and the generator roared.
48:23We'd stored enough food to last a decade.
48:26No.
48:27Dad snuffed his cigarette, his gaze sharp again.
48:30We'd be refugees there, waiting to be assigned.
48:32Here, we are our own kings.
48:35I nodded.
48:36After enduring betrayal, killing, and survival trials, we could no longer trust strangers.
48:41Even if it's the government.
48:42Just then, the roar of an engine came from the sky.
48:45A painted helicopter flew low overhead.
48:47It didn't stop.
48:48But as it passed over Irwin Village, it dropped a large package that landed in the mud.
48:53Hardtack and flyers flew everywhere.
48:55I picked up a flyer.
48:56It showed a map of the safe zone and a call to rally.
48:59Seems the world really is returning to normal.
49:02As Dad watched the helicopter leave, he smiled conflictingly.
49:05But we should just stick to our piece of land.
49:08We stood in the sunset, guarding a land of our own.
49:11As more and more survivors emerged from hiding, Irwin Village, now called Irwin Fortress, became a legend within the area.
49:19Amid the silent wasteland, we were the only place with green patches.
49:23It was seedlings and cucumbers climbing over the trellises.
49:26Ragged wanderers often passed by.
49:29From far away, they would stare hungrily at the green.
49:32They swallowed heavily.
49:33You can eat if you want.
49:35Trade your labor.
49:36That was the rule I set.
49:37We needed no wealth, only labor.
49:39And so, the bustle of humans began to return to the ruins.
49:43Some cleared the mud.
49:44Some repaired the walls.
49:46All for a bowl of hot potato soup.
49:48In this small, independent kingdom, Dwayne shone the brightest.
49:52Although he couldn't speak, he seemed born for farming.
49:55Those small, calloused hands had the power to turn waste into magic.
49:59Seedlings that died in Dad's and my hands would shoot up in just a few days under his care.
50:04He was hardworking.
50:05He would wander the vegetable patch like an inspector.
50:08One day, I saw some wanderers pointing at Dwayne and eyeing him scornfully.
50:12Dwayne paid them no mind.
50:14He just silently shoveled some soil and expertly spread it around.
50:18Then he picked a cucumber from the trellis and took a bite.
50:21The crisp sound echoed across the silent wilderness.
50:24The wanderers immediately shut up.
50:26The scorn in their eyes turned into envy and awe.
50:29Amid piles of corpses, fresh vegetables meant being at the top.
50:33As I watched Dwayne stand up confidently, I felt relieved.
50:36This was our home.
50:38An oasis among the wasteland.
50:40The legendary Irwin Fortress.
50:42The mud clearing work after the flood continued.
50:44I held a shovel and cleared the mud around the tree at the entrance.
50:48It used to be the village landmark.
50:50It's also where Jess and Wade had died.
50:52Clang!
50:53The shovel hit something hard.
50:55I bent down and dug a shiny object out of the black muck.
50:58I rubbed the dirt off.
51:00It gleaned brightly under the sunlight.
51:02It was a diamond-encrusted hair clip.
51:04I recalled the afternoon before the apocalypse.
51:07Jess waved the check, slammed the door, and left in a huff.
51:10She posted this clip on her social media and captioned,
51:13Some women can only save money, while I can only shine.
51:17Now, this symbol of vanity and greed lay quietly in my dirt-covered palm.
51:22It still shone, but it was cold to the touch.
51:24In the mud next to the hair clip, I also dug up several bones.
51:28They bore the marks of being gnawed and soaked.
51:31What were once living souls and relatives were now just a heap of sludge and unidentifiable bones.
51:36I felt no sense of revenge and no heart-wrenching sorrow.
51:40Only bleak weariness of it all.
51:42Vera.
51:43Pretty, huh?
51:43In my days, I seemed to hear young Jess trailing behind me and acting cute.
51:48I breathed deep, pulled a rusty box from my pocket, wiped the hairpin clean, and set it inside.
51:54There was no grave marker or memorial.
51:56I dug a deep hole under the tree roots, buried the box, covered it with soil, and stomped down hard.
52:02In the next life, let's not be sisters.
52:05I brushed the dirt off my hands and stood up.
52:07The setting sun cast golden light over the ruins.
52:10I turned around and walked toward the shelter.
52:12I didn't look back.
52:14Time was both the cruelest chisel in the world and its softest remedy.
52:17In 2028, the third year of the apocalypse, Erwin Fortress' expansion had reached its third phase.
52:24The damp shelter now linked to several air raid shelters, becoming a huge underground ecosystem.
52:29Sunlight shone through the triple-layer bulletproof skylight and onto the floor of the common room.
52:34Dad was next to the generator.
52:36He held a wrench and taught Dwayne how to replace a worn-out gear.
52:39Although he still had a slight limp from his injured leg, it hadn't dimmed his spirit at all.
52:44His hair had turned a bit grayer, but his gaze was relaxed than three years ago.
52:49Dwayne had grown into a young man.
52:50The mute orphan who had once been skeletal now had broad shoulders and arms full of solid muscle.
52:56He gestured and skillfully took apart the parts.
52:59His gaze was focused.
53:01A chopping sound came from the kitchen.
53:03Mom was chopping vegetables.
53:04She had gained weight.
53:06While most people still killed for a piece of moldy bread, Mom had to worry about losing weight.
53:11That itself was an extravagant show of wealth.
53:14Vera, bring out that jar of pickles.
53:16We're having spam for lunch.
53:18Mom spoke energetically.
53:20I carried a pot out of the temperature-controlled storage.
53:22As I passed a mirror, I glanced at my reflection.
53:25My skin was pale from living underground.
53:27But I wasn't sickly.
53:29I had weapons, food, and family.
53:31This was our life.
53:32We weren't just barely surviving, but truly living.
53:35We sat together, enjoying this hard-won piece.
53:39Every dish on the table was grown with our own hands.
53:41I felt deeply contented looking at everything before me.
53:44Sunlight poured in.
53:45Life was great.
53:47This is our family portrait.
53:48We're still together three years later.
53:50The lookout's chime rang.
53:52It was a visitor signal.
53:53A travel-worn convoy stopped outside our perimeter.
53:56Their cars had special emblems painted on.
53:59It was worn, but well-maintained.
54:00It's a trade caravan from the southern safe zone.
54:03In three years, humanity had finally rebuilt a fragile order from the ruins.
54:07Trade had replaced endless looting.
54:09I stood high on the wall.
54:11I held my gun, but pointed the barrel down.
54:14Their leader was a one-eyed man.
54:16He eyed the string of red chilies hanging from our wall.
54:19He swallowed hard.
54:20Miss Lane, the goods are all here.
54:22The one-eyed man opened the truck.
54:24Inside were barrels of gasoline.
54:26And the solar panel components we needed.
54:28There's even boxes of sanitary pads and shampoo.
54:31We want to trade for vegetables, like spinach or the likes.
54:35If it's green, we'll take it.
54:36The exchange proceeded quietly and efficiently.
54:39When Dwayne brought out freshly picked cucumbers that still glistened with dew,
54:43the guards in the convoy were stunned.
54:45One couldn't resist touching them.
54:46The one-eyed man slapped his hand back.
54:48Watch it.
54:49These are the lane's goods.
54:50In this new world, we were no longer bullied.
54:53We controlled key resources.
54:54After the trade, the one-eyed man lit a cigarette and took a long drag.
54:59He eyed the fortress enviously.
55:01Folks in the main zone call Irwin Fortress a paradise.
55:04I can see it lives up to the name.
55:06I smiled, but didn't respond.
55:08A paradise?
55:09No.
55:09We had to defend this with our lives.
55:11The convoy left together with vegetables and our hope.
55:14Perhaps the world really was slowly getting better.
55:17After seeing off the convoy, night fell.
55:19It was New Year's Eve.
55:21Chaos aside, we still celebrated New Year.
55:23The dining room glowed warm, light, bathing the table and chasing off the cold.
55:28The most lavish meal so far sat on the table.
55:31A large pot stew loaded with generous slices of pork, a plate of crisp and fresh cucumber salad,
55:37and a plate of steaming hot dumplings.
55:39These flour dumplings had flour that came from wheat we grew and milled.
55:43Although it wasn't store-bought, the wheat aroma was very rich.
55:47Here, Duane, this is the one you wrapped.
55:49You eat it.
55:50Dad laughed as he took a dumpling and gave it to Duane.
55:53Duane scratched his head sheepishly and grinned widely.
55:57He stuffed the food into his mouth and hissed from the heat.
55:59Mom turned on the restored, old-fashioned TV that was connected to a drive.
56:03The screen showed New Year's Eve sketches from decades ago.
56:06The quality was fuzzy and the sound crackled.
56:09But to us, it was heavenly.
56:11A laugh track came from the TV.
56:13We laughed along.
56:14As we laughed, Mom teared up.
56:16She wiped her eyes, raised her glass of juice, and toasted to us, as well as our family being together,
56:21with not one missing.
56:23We clinked out glasses together.
56:25Outside, the cold wind still howled.
56:27Perhaps things were still bad elsewhere.
56:29But right here, right now, there was food, lights, my parents, and my brother.
56:34This was home.
56:36Even if outside was hell, this place was heaven when the door was closed.
56:40As I looked around, I suddenly felt that all our suffering was worth it.
56:43Dad carried the pride of being the head of the family.
56:46Mom's face showed the simplest happiness of a mother.
56:48Duane's eyes sparkled, for he had found a home.
56:51Right now, I wished time would stop forever.
56:54After dinner, I walked out of the shelter alone.
56:57The setting sun stained the entire land blood red.
57:00I stood on the wall.
57:01I looked at the land that had once been devastated.
57:04Three years ago, it was a frozen hell, littered with corpses.
57:08Half a year ago, it was played.
57:10Now, greenery cloaked the ruins.
57:12The terraced fields we had carved out wound down.
57:14The greenhouse tarp glistened in the evening sun.
57:17At the entrance, the tree where I buried the hair clip had sprouted new buds that swayed gently in the
57:22wind.
57:22Smoke rose in wisps from the shelter's chimney, carrying the smell of firewood that traveled up.
57:27This smoke meant life and civilization.
57:30I touched my chest.
57:31There was no pendant, no storage space, no system.
57:35I had no special advantages.
57:37What remained was Mom and Dad's determination to sell the house and car.
57:40It was the persistence of modifying the shelter.
57:43It was the courage to pull the trigger on those thugs.
57:46Vera, come back for some fruit.
57:48I cut some watermelon.
57:49Mom's call came from behind me, followed by Dad's and Dwayne's agreement.
57:53I turned around and looked at that glowing entrance.
57:55I smiled unknowingly.
57:57Was the apocalypse over?
57:58Maybe not.
58:00Disasters might come again.
58:01Extreme cold, heat, earthquakes, and plagues.
58:04It was like the Earth was having one long immune reaction.
58:07But I wasn't afraid, because I knew that no matter what tomorrow brought,
58:11the Irwins had already placed firm roots into this land.
58:14I told them I was coming, then turned and ran inside.
58:17The apocalypse would end, and we would keep on living.
58:20We would live well.
Comments