October 11, 2035. Heavy rain. Day 20 of the power outage.

The city had been abandoned by the sun since September 23, as if the world had plunged into eternal night. Rain poured relentlessly from the sky, transforming the city into a waterlogged realm. It felt as if the heavens themselves were weeping, and no one knew from whence this ceaseless deluge came.

The last food relief had arrived eight days ago, marking the twelfth day of the power outage. Not all electrical equipment had succumbed to the solar storm's fury; some fortunate devices remained functional as long as they could maintain a power source.

Among the neighbors, a few possessed flashlights that had been stored in the trunk of their cars, unwittingly forming makeshift Faraday cages that preserved them. However, these devices, too, had become powerless as their batteries ran dry.

In the initial days of the power outage, traces of electric light still flickered throughout the city. Some shopping malls generated their own electricity, a few public service facilities remained partially functional, and individual households clung to their undamaged electrical equipment. But as time passed, the night was gradually reclaimed by the soft glow of candlelight.

Electronic lamps became relics of the past, slowly fading from the stage.

Devoid of the usual array of distractions like videos, novels, TV shows, movies, animations, variety programs, and games, people turned to more traditional forms of entertainment. Mahjong and poker became the mainstay, gossip spread like wildfire, arguments and quarrels broke out, and sleep became a luxury.

Even skipping rope became a pastime, filling the void left by the absence of technology.

With no electronic entertainment, people were free to observe the city's transformation. In the early days of the blackout, laughter and mirth still echoed through the streets, but the persistent rain cast a pall over the atmosphere.

Then, as the days turned into weeks, the situation grew dire. The rain seemed unending, and the city descended into a somber, hopeless struggle. Bodies became a common sight in the streets, the weather grew colder, and more and more people fell ill with colds, fevers, and diarrhea. With food and cash in short supply, hospitals had shut their doors, unable to cope with the overwhelming demand. Even clinics had ceased to function.

One harrowing incident involved a child on the brink of death from cold and fever. The desperate parents carried their child to the nearest clinic for treatment, only to be met with a locked shutter. In their desperation, they forcibly broke in, leading to a violent confrontation that claimed the child's life.

The clinic remained untouched, its two casualties, a doctor and

his son-in-law, lay lifeless inside. The doctor's daughter and grandson, stranded by the power outage, were likely to discover their fate only when their bodies had begun to decompose.

Rainwater, though abundant, was unfit for direct consumption. It bore the stains and detritus of the city, requiring careful collection and filtration. Residents filled buckets placed in stairwells for several days before subjecting the water to rudimentary filtration and boiling for bathing and washing hair. The unspoken agreement among three neighboring families was to fetch water from the rooftop, with a well-organized rotation system. Buckets were collected, and extra ones were emptied, cleaned, and refilled with fresh rainwater. Neglecting this process would result in sediment accumulation and bacterial growth, complicating the filtration and disinfection process.

Ike carefully transported a bucket of purified water across the living room to the balcony, where he emptied it into a larger container. The experience was akin to standing under a torrential downpour, and the wind's sharp bite made it feel colder than ever.

To filter and disinfect the water on his balcony, Ike made use of the two buckets of disinfectant they had purchased earlier. For filtration, they used brand new stockings, some of which were from Yingli's collection. Anna also had stockings, but they were of poorer quality and less effective as filters.

When the toilet's flush mechanism had failed, the residents resorted to using garbage bags as makeshift alternatives. Ike had requested a lidded trash can, fitting garbage bags over it to create a basic toilet. However, disposing of waste in this manner presented a significant challenge, as cleaning up after using the bags was both unpleasant and cumbersome. The pungent odor lingered, and the situation was far from ideal.

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At some point, the toilet had become unbearably foul, and Anna could no longer endure the stench. She waited until the cover of night, in an attempt to find a more private location for her needs. Rainwater, despite being vital, also presented its own set of issues. It needed to be collected, cleaned, and purified before being used for various purposes. The continuous deluge offered them an ample supply, but its quality had to be maintained.

As the days passed, a new realization began to dawn on them. The sudden disappearance of relief supplies and vehicles hinted at a disconcerting possibility—the government's inability to manage the disaster, an overwhelming demand that exceeded supply, or the occurrence of unforeseen catastrophic events.

Ike, a man who weighed his options carefully, couldn't ignore the anomalies surrounding the solar storm. While solar storms weren't unprecedented, this particular event bore peculiar characteristics. It had left them isolated from the outside world, with no warning or preparations made.

Questions swirled in his mind: Had the solar storm been predicted? If so, why had the public not been informed earlier to prepare? If it was a sudden solar event, was such a thing even possible?

As a non-expert, Ike grappled with these questions, unable to

determine which scenario was more plausible. Yet, something about this solar storm felt unusual.

The group shared Ike's sentiments. Anna, in particular, believed that stockpiling more food would offer a buffer against uncertainty. She readily supported Ike's cautionary stance.

Tom, a realist, acknowledged Ike's rationale. "Our coastal cities face typhoons every year, but nothing like this continuous onslaught for over half a month," he remarked. He considered the possibility of other factors contributing to the crisis. "Before the power went out, there was that plane crash. Maybe there's more happening that we don't know about. We're

completely cut off from the outside world. It's possible that volcanic eruptions have been triggered by the solar storm in some places, and entire countries may have been devastated, leaving us in the dark."

Tom's theory drew a playful cuff from Linda. "You're just spreading baseless rumors! Volcanoes would cause even more death and destruction."

Could solar storms actually trigger volcanic eruptions? The group had no concrete answers, as such a direct connection between the two phenomena had never been discussed.

As the days passed, their reality grew increasingly bleak, and the mysteries surrounding the solar storm deepened. They clung to their dwindling supplies, their communication with the outside world severed, as the rain continued to fall relentlessly, transforming their city into an isolated, watery realm.

The power had been out for 25 days now. Ike, accompanied by Tom and Regus, ventured out to the mall they had visited previously with Anna. Heavy rain poured down, but the road, while wet, posed no immediate danger.

Upon entering the mall, it was evident that half a month had wrought great changes. The once pristine tile floors were now muddy and dirty, seemingly impossible to clean. Most of the shops were either closed or had been vandalized, with broken metal protruding into the aisles, some stained with blood.

The mall appeared dilapidated, dirty, and unsettling, a stark contrast to the memory of its former prosperity and cleanliness. It felt as though death itself had visited, leaving behind an aura of decay and filth.

However, amidst the desolation, there were still a few people working within the mall, and emergency lights provided some illumination. Only one aisle at the entrance remained accessible; everything else was sealed off. A lone cash register was operational, tended to by an aunt who appeared proficient in her duties.

Shelves throughout the mall were mostly bare, especially when it came to items such as instant noodles, noodles, bread, biscuits, chocolate, and canned goods—all in short supply. However, these commodities were not Ike's primary concern at the moment.

Ike was not entirely ignorant of survival, as Nico had shared some survival knowledge with him in the past. Ike remembered concepts such as EDC, PSK, SHTF, among others.

EDC, or Everyday Carry, was unique to each person and typically included items such as a knife, a windproof lighter, a compass, and a small electric flashlight.

PSK referred to a Personal Survival Kit, a small container holding various tools for aiding in escape or survival. Ike couldn't recall its exact contents or the meanings of acronyms like BOB or AOA associated with PSK.

SHTF, on the other hand, stood for "shit hits the fan," describing catastrophic events such as zombie mutations, alien invasions, or nuclear war—unlikely scenarios but captivating to survival enthusiasts.

However, Ike had realized that while these survival concepts seemed intriguing, practicality was another matter. He had learned that the key to survival was much more nuanced.

The crux of the issue lay in food. Survivalists recommended stockpiling essentials like rice, instant noodles, canned goods, salt, sugar, oil, and wine. Unfortunately, Ike found that instant noodles had a short shelf life and didn't suit his needs. As for canned foods, their limited variety included items like luncheon meat, sweet corn, and beef, all with subpar taste.

The high cost and lackluster flavor made canned goods a less attractive option. Their extended shelf life was the primary advantage, but in Ike's current situation, such prolonged preservation wasn't necessary.

In terms of cost-effectiveness, Ike had discovered imported foods with foreign flavors—pickles, fermented tofu, dried vegetables, bacon, sausages—that lasted longer and were more appetizing. He acknowledged that few Westerners might appreciate salted vegetables, fermented tofu, or cured meats, but under the circumstances, these options made practical sense.