The pothos kept spreading. Emma Bennett watched in surprise. Her ability was producing far more dramatic results than it had when she'd first tried it.
Back then, she'd barely managed to coax out a few green leaves. Now the plant was still growing, its vines reaching beyond her stall. Voices sounded outside the restroom.
Someone was coming in. What if they saw the plant? She forced herself to stay calm, grabbed the vines draped over the door, and tried to pull them down.
The door handle clicked. Emma desperately wished the pothos would disappear.
"Exactly. I think that dating rumor is just a publicity stunt, too. As if my favorite star would ever go for some minor actress."
"I was so upset when it came up in my feed last night. Then I thought about it. She's nowhere near good enough for him. I bet her agency..."
The two students looked at the dazed Emma as they edged past her. "Hey, are you all right? Do you need to go to the infirmary?"
She fought down her shock. "I'm fine. Thanks."
She washed her hands and hurried out. Was this what the second dose had given her? The first had let her accelerate plant growth. Had the second given her a storage space?
She turned her attention inward. The pothos was there, resting quietly somewhere inside the space. It had stopped growing.
This wasn't the place to investigate. There were too many people at school. What if something like that happened again while she was exploring?
The bell rang. "Emma. My office." Mr. Miller gathered his teaching materials, and she followed him.
He was her homeroom teacher. In her previous life, he'd died during the first month of the apocalypse. The downpour had flooded the school, trapping teachers and students in the dormitories. She'd heard he had rescued many students before dying in the storm.
This was her second visit to the office that week. Several teachers looked up as she came in behind him.
"Emma, what's gotten into you lately? First you can't pay attention, now you're sleeping in class. College is just around the corner. Do you even remember which university you wanted to get into?" Mr. Miller wasted no time scolding her.
He knew her family had money. A chauffeur picked her up and dropped her off every day. But he'd been her homeroom teacher for two years, and he'd seen how much effort she put into her studies.
"Mr. Miller, something's come up at home. I'd like to take some time off." She kept her voice level. The apocalypse was less than twenty days away. Order would break down. People would even eat one another. She needed to get ready.
She had so little time.
Mr. Miller had been expecting an apology. Instead, he learned that a family problem was behind his good student's distraction. "All right. I'll approve it. Go home and rest. How much time do you need?"
She took the leave slip he'd signed. "Half a month."
"What?"
His voice shot up.
"My family's hired a tutor. I won't fall behind." Leave slip in hand, she turned and walked out. This wasn't some exclusive school for rich kids. The rules here were strict.
She called the driver and waited at the school gates. Ten minutes later, a Maybach pulled up. He stepped out and opened the door for her. "Miss Bennett."
"Take me home." She needed to know what the second dose of genetic serum had given her.
If it really was a storage space, she would have so many more options.
The driver pulled into the garage at the Ziyuan villa community. Emma took out her phone and transferred his salary for the month.
"Mr. Wilson, I've taken leave. I won't be going to school for the next half month. You should take a break, too. Spend some time with your wife." She waited for him outside the garage.
Since her parents' deaths, only two household employees remained: Ms. Harris, the cook, and Mr. Wilson, the driver.
He checked the bank notification on his phone. "Miss Bennett, there's two extra months' pay here."
"You've worked for us for several years, Mr. Wilson. Consider it a raise." She pressed the button, and the garage door slowly lowered.
He tried to say more, but she'd already turned away.
Ms. Harris made dinner. Emma gave her two extra months' pay as well, then sent her off for half a month. The villa fell utterly quiet.
The smell of dinner drifted from the table. Emma couldn't hold back any longer. She bent over her plate and ate.
After the great downpour, food had been scarce. Vegetables had been harder to find still. In the apocalypse's fourth year, she'd seen those monsters eating children with her own eyes.
Once she'd been sent to the laboratory, she hadn't eaten so much as a bite. Nutrient infusions had kept her alive.
She finished every dish on the table and was still ravenous. After clearing up, she opened the refrigerator. Two pieces of cake waited inside: matcha and chocolate.
She unwrapped them and picked up a spoon. It took both pieces before her stomach felt even a little better.
She drank two glasses of water, too.
Ding...
A text. It was a weather warning for E City. She glanced at the message: The weather bureau forecasts continued rain across the province. All residents are advised to...
Emma switched off her phone, then shut down all the villa's surveillance cameras. Back in her room, she locked the door and sat on the bed.